Warrior's Longest Day
Written by Robert D. Cardona
Adapted by Jonathan Downs, Rachel Ravens and Zack Wanzer
When they were rebuilding the old docks in Bigg City Port, the Star Tugs and the Z-Stacks were in great demand – pulling down derelict buildings, laying foundations of barge loads of stone. Now, for this job I had to use my stronger tugs, so I took Warrior off garbage work to help Big Mac with the rock deliveries.
"Yeah, Warrior!" called Mr. Peter Stone, the quarry manager. "What a promotion! Glad to see you off of garbage detail!"
"Thanks!" replied Warrior. "My big brother and I will make a great team! We'll shift this lot quicker than the Z-Stacks!"
"Oh, I don't doubt it, Warrior!" agreed Mr. Stone. "But no accidents, eh? Give Big Mac a break."
"Me?" asked Warrior, setting off with his barge. "I won't have any accidents, promise!"
"Right, well good luck then, Warrior!" called Mr. Stone. "And remember, be careful!"
"What?" asked Warrior, his barge bumping into him. "Whoops! 'Course I'm careful!"
"I hope that isn't a bad start to the day, for you!" said Mr. Stone.
"I'll do my best sir!" replied Warrior as he left the quarry.
"No damage done," Warrior said to himself. "Right, full speed ahead! I'll be back for another load before the Z-Stacks know what's hit them. Clumsy, I used to be, but…"
Warrior was interrupted by the Shrimpers, blowing their horns.
"Hey, watch where you're going!" the Shrimpers called, darting out of the way as Warrior cut across them.
"Sorry," said Warrior. "It's you that should look where you're going! I'm in a hurry!"
"Going?! Us?!" retorted the Shrimpers. "But we're always here! We're shrimping, Warrior!"
"Can't stop to argue about whose fault it was," replied Warrior.
Warrior then saw a certain Mexican tramp steamer sleeping in the estuary.
"Hey, there's Izzy!" he said to himself. "What a bonus if I can tow him in as well." With that, Warrior pulled up alongside Izzy. "Ahoy!" called Warrior. "Izzy Gomez! Wake up!"
"Sí?! What time is it?!" exclaimed Izzy, waking up with a start. "Oh, Warrior, it's you."
"Want a tow?" asked Warrior. "I'll give you a good price."
"Ay-ay-ay," grumbled Izzy. "You wake me up to tell me funny jokes, eh?"
"It's no joke," insisted Warrior. "I'll give you a special rate. Say, a hundred?"
"Not even for ten, senor," replied Izzy. "Now you've woken me up so early, I have all this daylight and the sea is very calm."
"What?" exclaimed Warrior. "You wouldn't go in on your own?"
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't."
"You are crazy, Izzy," said Warrior. "Risking going in on your own for a measly hundred. Anyway, it's against the law!" With that, Warrior left and scraped his rock barge up against Izzy Gomez's hull.
"Ay-ay-ay!" groaned Izzy. "I think it has less risk than you towing me, eh, Warrior?! Eh heh heh!"
Of course, there was another reason for Izzy not wanting a tow – since the incident with Boomer, he didn't trust any tug towing him in at all in case a similar incident happened again.
Ten Cents, Zug and Zip were at the old docks with Mighty Mo and Scuttlebutt Pete. Peeper Pipes was supervising them.
"Say, Ten Cents," said Zug. "Let's have a challenge – a strength contest in pulling down the old buildings."
"Alright, you're on," Ten Cents replied. The Star switcher pulled hard to tear down the building, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't come down.
"Aw, I give up!" he groaned.
"Our turn!" said Zip as she and Zug used Mighty Mo to pull down the building. Since Ten Cents had weakened the building, the structure collapsed easily.
"We are the strongest! We are the strongest!" Zip and Zug sang in a mocking tone. Ten Cents felt disappointed with himself.
"Take no notice!" soothed Mighty Mo. "These two were cheating anyway."
"Yeah," said Scuttlebutt Pete. "There were two of them versus one of you."
"And at least you were brave enough to stop Flotsam and Jetsam," said Peeper Pipes. "Unlike Zip and Zug who went around screaming their heads off like the cowards they are."
"Hey!" snapped Zip and Zug.
"Thanks, you three," replied Ten Cents, feeling a little better.
Sunshine, Little Ditcher and Pearl were out dredging in the estuary; this was a job the smaller Star switcher usually enjoyed. Then, Sunshine saw Warrior approaching them.
"Do, do, do. Making good time, all going well…" sang Warrior.
"Oh dear," cried Sunshine. "Hey! Stop dredgin'! Say, Warrior!"
"Oh! Morning, girls," said Warrior, stopping alongside. "It looks like it's gonna be a great day." Then, Warrior's barge bumped into him again.
"Hey, look out!" called Sunshine. "Oh, hey! Whoops. What are you doin'?"
"Oh! You noticed!" replied Warrior. "No more garbage for me, at least for now. Captain Star has put me on the rock contract for the new rock foundations. Just what was to be expected, really. Being such a powerful tug and all. Well, gotta go now. Bye!"
With that, Warrior set off again.
"Hey, congratulations there, Warrior!" called Sunshine.
"Congratulations, Warrior!" called Pearl.
Suddenly, Warrior's barge hit Little Ditcher and caused her to spin uncontrollably.
"Oh dear! Oh dear!" cried Little Ditcher.
"Oh, dear me!" gasped Sunshine. "Hey, Little Ditcher, are you alright?"
"A bit dizzy…" came the reply. Pearl laughed.
"Hey, you gotta laugh though, eh?" Sunshine said with a smile. "Look, Pearl; she's gonna become the first floating Merry-Go-Round!"
Sunshine joined in Pearl's laughter.
"Oh, thanks a lot, Warrior!" said Little Ditcher sarcastically.
"Can't stop," called Warrior. "Bye!"
No sooner had Warrior left when Top Hat arrived with Lord Stinker.
"Oh, really!" grumbled Top Hat. "How clumsy can one tug get? Why does Captain Star keep him around?"
"Well, for one thing," said Sunshine cheekily, "you would be stuck with garbage work more often without Warrior around."
She, Pearl, Little Ditcher and even Lord Stinker laughed. Despite Top Hat gaining respect for Lord Stinker since the Little Owl incident, he wasn't one to admit this fact around the others.
"Yes, well," said Top Hat with embarrassment, "there's a good reason the Fire Department sold him cheaply to Captain Star. They were concerned about him causing more fires than fighting them."
"Oh, and you would do a better job?" Sunshine asked, incredulously.
"Of course!" replied Top Hat. "If a fire happened, I'd be there and fight it off quicker than you can say, 'New York Central Railroad'."
"Huh! Ah'll believe that when Ah see it," scoffed Sunshine.
"Stand by to receive deliveries!" Peeper Pipes called to the others as he saw Warrior approaching.
"Here comes 'Mr. Demolition' himself!" laughed Zip as Warrior arrived.
"Hiya, guys!" said Warrior. "Mornin', Coast Guard! Where do you want me to dump this little lot…" But Warrior stopped abruptly and his barge bumped into him again. "Oomph!"
Zip and Zug laughed.
"Right here," replied Peeper Pipes. "One of the cranes can unload it."
"Where's the empty barge for the return trip?" asked Warrior.
"You're the first in," replied Peeper Pipes. "You'll have to go back empty to the quarry."
"You're too quick for us, Warrior!" agreed Ten Cents.
"Great!" said Warrior. "I'll do a couple of deliveries before I go back. Get some more money for Captain Star!"
Izzy Gomez was still sleeping in the estuary. Then, Big Mac pulled up next to him with an empty barge and blew his hooter.
"Weel, if it isn't mah auld amigo, Izzy!" called Big Mac. "Waant a tow?"
"Eh, you Stars never let anyone sleep in peace," snapped Izzy. "I already told Warrior I don't need a tow…"
"Dinnae blaw yer stack, Ah ainlie asked!" said Big Mac crossly. "Ye awready promised a tow tae anither tug?"
"Eh, em," said Izzy. "See, listen. I don't need you tugs fussing around me all the time, okay?!"
"Sorry Ah asked," grunted Big Mac, leaving. "Go back tae sleep, Izzy."
Izzy Gomez tried to go back to sleep, but was woken up by the sound of Zorran, Zebedee and Zak passing by with two barges.
"You wanna tow me as well, eh, Z-stacks?" asked Izzy.
"Get lost, Izzy!" snapped Zorran.
"I've been out in the sun too long," sighed Izzy. "You know what? Who needs them? I think I'll try to sail into port without a tow..."
Big Mac was at the Quarry waiting for his barge to be loaded with rocks.
"Keep going!" he called. "Ah kin carry mair than that!"
"When you're loaded up, say 'when'," replied Mr. Stone as Zorran, Zebedee and Zak arrived.
"You're taking on a lot there, Big Mac! Eh, heh!" remarked Zorran.
"Nothing tae dae wi' ye wi' howfur muckle Ah carry," replied Big Mac.
"Eh heh, just commenting, that's all," said Zorran. "Weren't we, lads?"
"Oh, right," agreed Zebedee. "Up to him if he thinks he can tow that much."
"Three Zero harbour tugs juist tae pull twa barges!" said Big Mac with a grin. "Warrior 'n' Ah hae git ye licked! Twa o' us kin pull that much!"
"Quality and quantity," said Zorran. "We'll see by the end of the day, won't we?" Then Zorran had a devious idea. "Heh, watch this, fellas..." he said to Zebedee and Zak, before turning to Big Mac. "This morning, I saw that Warrior's up to no good again. I swear, he's a menace to every ship in the harbour!"
That trick was typically Zorran – keep making insulting remarks about Warrior to get Big Mac angry, so as to forget his barge was still loading and settling dangerously low in the water.
"Yeah, I mean," sneered Zorran, "why doesn't Captain Star sell Warrior off? He's worse than useless!"
"Whit?!" said Big Mac angrily. "Useless?! Mah brother is yin o' th' best workers in th' port! Juist ye remember that, Zorran!"
Just then, Grampus surfaced next to Big Mac.
"Hey, Big Mac!" he called. "Watch it!"
"Och, hullo, Grampus," said Big Mac. "Why? Whit's up?"
"Your barge is getting low in the water!" replied Grampus.
"Huh?!" exclaimed Big Mac. "Och na! Mah barge! Wait! Stoap loading! Ya'll hae tae tak' some rocks back! Mah barge is overloaded!"
"Overloaded?" scoffed Zorran. "I thought you were as strong as all of us put together!"
"Didn't say Ah couldn't handle it," replied Big Mac.
"Eh ha ha!" laughed Zorran. "Off you go then. Let us 'weaklings' watch in amazement!"
"Weel, richt," said Big Mac angrily as he set off. "Stay clear, Grampus!"
"Watch he doesn't crush you, Grampus!" sneered Zorran.
"Hey, we may laugh," said Zebedee, "but with loads like that, we'd never beat them!"
"Don't be so stupid," replied Zorran. "He can't travel very fast with his barge so low in the water. Any wake will wash over it and sink it! Won't it?!"
"Oh yeah," replied Zak. "That is devious!"
"Say, Zorran," said Zebedee, "I need to refill on water."
"Yeah, me too," agreed Zak.
"What?!" snapped Zorran. "Why didn't you two idiots refill before we left?"
"There wasn't time!" snapped Zak.
"Give me strength," muttered Zorran.
Ten Cents had just pulled down a building at the Old Docks.
"Very good, Ten Cents!" said Zug. "Now try pulling down a bigger one!"
"Or we'll show you how it's done!" said Zip cheekily, and the two Zero switchers laughed.
"Come on, you lot!" said Peeper Pipes, sternly. Then, they heard Izzy Gomez's hooter in the distance. Ten Cents turned his wheelhouse and saw Izzy rushing towards the port.
"Hey, what's Izzy up to, coming in on his own?" asked Ten Cents. "He doesn't own the channel!"
"No tug, Izzy!" called Zip. "That's illegal!"
"And stupid!" agreed Zug.
Ten Cents reversed and blew his hooter to grab Izzy's attention.
"Oi, Izzy!" he called. "You're too close to the shore!"
"Arriba! Arriba! Arriba!" Izzy Gomez retorted. "You guys are always trying to tell me I need a tow! Move out of my way, please!"
"But there's new rock foundations!" called Ten Cents.
"Eh? What's happened? Eehhh!" cried Izzy as he ran aground and landed on top of the rocks. Ten Cents saw that he was beginning to list, and might capsize.
"Quick! Scuttlebutt! Mighty Mo!" he called. "Gimme a line or I won't be able to stop him from going over!"
"I'll give you a hand," said Zip, backing away.
"No, wait, wait!" said Zug, stopping her. "It's your salvage, Ten Cents. You claim it all!"
"Look, never mind salvage!" snapped Ten Cents. "We need your help too! Come on!"
"You can do it, Ten Cents!" chuckled Zug.
"We've got to help; he can't manage alone!" insisted Zip.
"Right," replied Zug, deviously. "We'll salvage both."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" asked Zip.
"Trust me," assured Zug. "We'll make money for Captain Zero."
Zip bit her lip, unsure of the idea.
Grampus was traveling alongside Big Mac into the estuary to make sure his barge didn't sink.
"Ah shouldn't hae let Zorran trick me intae taking sic a heavy load, Grampus," sighed Big Mac.
"You're doing alright," assured Grampus. "Just keep it nice and steady. Besides, you were standing up for your brother."
"Ah ken," Big Mac said quietly. "Ah'd do anything for Warrior." He glanced at the calm sea. "Guid thing th' harbour's sae flat th'day," said Big Mac. "Ony waves 'n' this barge wid be awash 'n' sink fur sure."
"Yes, you're lucky…" agreed Grampus, but just then, he saw Warrior rushing towards them at a fast pace. "Oh no!"
"Warrior! Slow doon!" called Big Mac.
"Dive! Dive!" cried Grampus, diving below the surface.
"Hey! Big Mac!" called Warrior, rushing past. "We'll beat those Z-Stacks! I'll have another load in no time!"
"Warrior!" called Big Mac. "Watch out! Yer wake kin sink mah barge!" It was too late. Waves rushed over Big Mac's barge and it began to sink. "Warrior! WARRIOR!"
"What's happened?" asked Warrior, stopping.
"Ah tellt ye tae slow doon!" snapped Big Mac. "Yer wash sank mah barge!"
"But I… Big Mac… Sorry!" said Warrior, ashamed.
"You'll hae tae git a crane," said Big Mac, reversing to the spot. "Ah'll back up tae marc th' plook whaur th' barge sank."
Izzy was in a dangerous situation. He could have gone over, if Ten Cents hadn't been quick witted, and thrown a couple of lines around the old buildings to keep the tramp steamer upright. Ha, "Old Izzy" was some handful and he started to lean to one side.
"Look out!" called Ten Cents. "He's slipping! Keep your ropes taut or we'll all go down!"
It was clear that Ten Cents and the cranes were not going to be enough to hold Izzy. One rope was already giving way!
"Come on, Zip!" urged Ten Cents. "Zug! Help me out!"
"I'll have to go ask Captain Zero!" insisted Zug. "It's your salvage."
"Never mind salvage!" snapped Ten Cents. "Tugs should help each other!"
"I'll get help," said Peeper Pipes, leaving. "I'll get Big Mac."
Warrior was heading back to the port to get Mighty Mo when he saw Peeper Pipes heading towards him.
"Hey, Peeper Pipes!" called Warrior. "I need to borrow Mighty Mo. I accidentally sunk Big Mac's barge."
"Sorry, Warrior," said Peeper Pipes. "I'm afraid Izzy Gomez has had an accident and Mighty Mo is trying to keep him from listing. We need Big Mac's help or Ten Cents will sink if he keeps holding Izzy up by himself."
"Suffering Stacks!" gasped Warrior. "We'd better tell him at once! Come on!"
Big Mac was standing over the spot where the barge sank when Grampus resurfaced.
"Hey, Big Mac!" called Grampus. "Don't stand there! The barge is resurfac…"
But he got no further as suddenly and without warning, the barge re-emerged underneath Big Mac who found himself out of water.
"Och, hulp!" Big Mac cried. Just then, Warrior and Peeper Pipes arrived.
"Big Mac, are you alright?" asked Warrior.
"Ah'm mair surprised than hurt," said Big Mac. "Whit's up, Peeper Pipes?"
"Izzy Gomez has run aground," replied Peeper Pipes. "Ten Cents, Scuttlebutt Pete and Mighty Mo are trying to keep him afloat, but Zip and Zug are refusing to help. If this keeps up, Ten Cents could sink. Warrior, can you assist whilst Grampus and I try to get Big Mac off the barge?"
"You can count on me," Warrior said, steaming off to the rescue.
"Ah will come 'n' hulp as soon as a'm aff th' barge," called Big Mac. "Guid luck, Warrior!"
Back at the old docks, Top Hat arrived with Lord Stinker when he saw the scene of the disaster.
"Ten Cents? Are you alright?" called Top Hat. "Why aren't those two idiots helping you?!"
"Zip and Zug?" scoffed Ten Cents. "They're waiting for me to become a pile of junk!"
"Oh, no, no!" the two Zero switchers said nervously.
"Yes, well, I'll report them for this," said Top Hat.
"What for?!" argued Zug. "Ten Cents said it was his salvage! He did, didn't he, Zip?!"
"Well, yes," said Zip. "Yes."
"Yeah, well, you said that, not me!" snapped Ten Cents.
"I can't get under there, Ten Cents," said Top Hat. "I'm too tall. But Lord Stinker can fit." With that, Top Hat pushed Lord Stinker up against Izzy's hull.
"Phwoar! What a stink!" groaned Izzy. "I'd rather sink!" A rope started to snap apart and Izzy drifted back. "Oi! Ay-ay-ay!" he cried.
"I think it's time we took over, Zip," said Zug.
"Ready when you are!" replied Zip. But before they could move, Warrior rushed past them.
"Ten Cents!" called Warrior. "Hang on, Ten Cents!"
"Great timing, Zug!" snapped Zip. "You've blown it!"
"Hang on, Ten Cents!" called Warrior, pushing up against Izzy's hull. "I'll have you out of there in a jiffy!"
"No! Wait, Warrior!" called Ten Cents. "It's too risky! Too dangerous! Back off! Or you'll go under with me!"
"Not if I can help it!" replied Warrior as he started to push Izzy upright.
"Warrior, you're doing it!" said Ten Cents happily. "Izzy's moving!"
"I don't believe that I'm saying this, but good work, Warrior!" said Top Hat. Ten Cents and Warrior started to push Izzy upright.
"It looks as though we've lost our salvage!" groaned Zug, before noticing a rope snapping and Izzy starting to fall again. "Oh, or maybe not!"
"Oh, look after yourself, Warrior!" called Ten Cents. "Get clear!" Izzy fell towards Warrior, but the harbour tug pushed back.
"I'm not gonna mess this up!" said Warrior, pushing harder and managing to move Izzy away from him. The tugs then heard another hooter and Big Mac, who had been rescued from the barge, arrived and positioned himself in between Ten Cents and Warrior.
"Need a haun 'ere, fellas?" called Big Mac. "Ah, Warrior! Looks lik' he's git it under control."
"Ah, I couldn't have lasted this long without him!" agreed Ten Cents.
"Mighty Mo! Scuttlebutt!" called Warrior. "Take the strain on these ropes!"
"Aye-aye, Guv'nor," said Scuttlebutt Pete.
"Got them, Warrior!" called Mighty Mo.
"Push!" grunted Warrior. The hulk of Izzy Gomez (full of bananas) was at last forced back off the rocks by the three Star Tugs just as Grampus and Peeper Pipes arrived.
"You've done it!" they both called.
"Ah reckon this mak's up fur sinking mah barge, Warrior!" said Big Mac. "Weel dane, little brother."
"I reckon it makes up for everything!" agreed Ten Cents.
Just then, Zorran, Zebedee and Zak arrived.
"What's up here?" asked Zorran. "Another one of Warrior's disasters, eh?"
"Now, look here, you guys!" replied Warrior. "It was…"
"Ignore them, Warrior," assured Peeper Pipes. "We all know it wasn't your fault. It's you Zeros that are the disasters."
"What?!" snapped Zorran.
"Zip and Zug have lost you your chance at the rock contract," said Peeper Pipes. "Their behavior has been despicable!"
"I couldn't have put it better myself!" agreed Top Hat.
"Right, you two!" Zorran roared at the Z-Stack switchers. "I don't know what you did to lose us the rock contract, but I'll ask Peeper Pipes later! You two get back to Zero Dock! Now!"
"This is all your fault!" Zug snapped as he and Zip left.
"It was your idea!" argued Zip.
"No, it wasn't!"
"Yes, it was!"
"As for you, Izzy," said Peeper Pipes, "I'll report this. Coming in without a tow means a hefty fine!"
Ten Cents and Warrior laughed at this, whilst Izzy blushed with embarrassment. His plan to get into port for free had backfired on him, massively.
At the end of the day, Warrior was heading home.
"It would be nice to prove to Captain Star that I can handle a lot more jobs on my own," he said to himself. "I've made fourteen trips today and no more mistakes since this morning. At least no more that I know of… Getting tired now. Can hardly keep my eyes open…"
Warrior fell asleep and bumped into an old tramper named Old Rusty.
"Ow…" groaned Old Rusty.
"You stupid old rust tub!" snapped Warrior. "Why don't you look where you're going?"
"What do you mean, 'where am I going?'" asked Old Rusty. "I've been anchored off here for TWO YEARS!"
"Oh, well, yes," said Warrior, embarrassed. "Sorry, it's been a long day. I must have dozed off." With that, Warrior reversed away from the old tramper who laughed and wheezed.
"Oh, clumsy old tug, that Warrior," mused Old Rusty. "But it wouldn't half be boring without him." With that, Old Rusty laughed and wheezed again.
Warrior might have bumped into things, but I couldn't have done without him. He was a valuable member of my Star Tug team. Heh heh, a "striker", you might call him!
As you might expect, Captain Zero was furious with Zip and Zug and put on garbage duties for the next two months.
"Once again, my tugs have let me down!" he said through more angry tears. "Can one of my tugs make me proud JUST THIS ONCE?!"
What Captain Zero didn't know was that one of his tugs would end up doing some good. But that's a story for another day.
The End
Author's notes: Johnathan added some cool deleted scenes stuff here. And yes, Ten Cents and Hercules aren't the only sibling pair in the Star Tugs team: we also have Big Mac and Warrior. If there was any episode that would convince me these two were brothers, it's this one. Big Mac defends Warrior from Zorran's insults, and Warrior really looks up to Big Mac. We also threw in some foreshadowing to the story Munitions with Top Hat.
Next time, we learn that "red sky in the morning" is a "sailor's warning" with the High Winds.
