Star Crossed Lovers

Written by Jonathan Downs, Rachel Ravens and Zack Wanzer

Johnathan Star's Point of View

1916

As the only switcher on the Star Fleet, Ten Cents was often very lonely. Big Mac, and later Warrior, were often put on bigger contracts and Top Hat dealt with car floats. O.J. may have been put onto some smaller contracts with Ten Cents, but when it came to docking operations, O.J. was often put in charge.

There was a time when Ten Cents would gain a friend in the most unexpected of places and it almost led to something special, but fate had other plans…

It all started the day the Z-Stacks first arrived in Bigg City Port. Ten Cents was sent on a contract to gather engineering parts and was halfway there when he came across a maroon switcher being bullied by two harbour tugs in the same livery. These were, of course, Zorran and Zak.

"You'd better prove your worth!" snapped Zorran.

"Yeah," sneered Zak. "It took everything we got to get you to obey our orders. Glad we got you away from that goody two shoes Zion."

"B-but he was my brother," whimpered the switcher. "I–"

"Oi, you two!" snapped Ten Cents. "Pick on someone your own size!"

"Aren't you supposed to be from the rival fleet?" sneered Zorran. "You're barely her size yourself!"

"I may be about the same size as your colleague, but I know that there are two harbour tugs about to snag a contract for logging because you're too busy bullying her!" replied Ten Cents.

"Zero will have our boilers for that!" gulped Zak.

"Come on! Let's get going!" agreed Zorran. With that, the two Zero harbour tugs scampered off. The switcher gasped in amazement.

"Wow… no one's done that for me in a long time," she said. "Thank you."

"That's alright," replied the Star switcher. "I'm Ten Cents of Star Tug and Marine Company, owned by Captain Star."

"I'm Zipporah," replied the Zero switcher, "but everyone calls me Zip for short. I'm of Zero Marine Bigg City, owned by Captain Zero."

"Zipporah, that's a beautiful name…" replied Ten Cents.

"I think Ten Cents is… cute." Both switchers blushed at this.

"Er… what job are you doing now?" asked Ten Cents.

"Getting engineering parts for the cranes of the port," replied Zip.

"Oh, no way!" said Ten Cents excitedly. "I'm on the same job. Come on, let's do it together."

"B-but what about our Captains, or fellow tugs?" Zip asked nervously.

Ten Cents thought for a moment. "No one has to know," he said at last. "If anyone asks, we were competing for it, and we just happened to be as good as each other."

"Well… okay," said Zip. "Let's go." With that, the two switchers raced off.

"Huh. I like you," said Ten Cents quietly.

From that point forward, Ten Cents and Zip became the best of friends, but they were both careful to make sure neither of the other Stars or other Z-Stacks found out. In fact, whenever they raced over to a contract, they would pretend to be rivals.

"I'm going to beat you, Star!" Zip called.

"Not on your life, Z-Stack!" Ten Cents called back. Not too far away, Zelda and Top Hat were observing the race.

"Heh, looks like Zip and Ten Cents have a crush," giggled Zelda.

"Well, they look rather happy together," said Top Hat. "Just between you and me… I think it's best if the others don't know about this."

"I think you're right, dear," said Zelda. "Now… how about we try and… 'compete' for our job at the logging camp?"

"A marvellous idea, Zelda," agreed Top Hat.

After Zelda was killed in the fire, Zip was in complete and utter tears.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Zip," Ten Cents said sadly.

"I f-feel so lost without her," sobbed Zip. "She always kept me and Zebedee on the straight and narrow."

"Well, if it helps, you've got me to get you through this," said Ten Cents kindly.

"Thank you, Ten Cents," replied Zip, feeling a little better. "You know, I've been gaining feelings for you."

"R-really?" replied Ten Cents, blushing slightly. "Well, I've been growing feelings for you as well. But given our fleets' fierce rivalry, maybe we should hold off on actually becoming a couple for a while."

"Okay," replied Zip.

As time went on, the two switchers would often return to their respective docks humming little tunes.

"Are you feeling alright, Ten Cents?" asked Warrior.

"Hmm?" asked Ten Cents. "Oh, of course, Warrior. I just had a smooth run from my last job back here."

"That's… guid," Big Mac shrugged. "Did ye win against yin o' th' Z-Stacks?"

"Oh, it was really close," said Ten Cents. "We were neck and neck. I think I barely beat her."

"Humph," scoffed Top Hat. O.J. said nothing; he just stared over at the switcher. Ten Cents moved back, slightly uncomfortable.

"Zip, where have you been?!" cried Zorran.

"Sorry, Zorran," said Zip. "I was competing with the Star switcher."

"Of course you were," sighed Zak. "Did you win?"

"Too hard to tell," Zip lied. "He was really fast!" That last part was actually true – Ten Cents was quick for his size.

"Let's give this a rest until morning…" muttered Zebedee. "I'm too tired now…"

One evening, Ten Cents came back to the Star Dock when he saw Big Mac, O.J., Top Hat and Warrior waiting for him.

"Ten Cents," said O.J., "we need to have a serious talk."

"About what?" asked Ten Cents.

"It's come to our attention that you've been making friends with the Z-Stacks' switcher," Top Hat said.

"So what if I have?" replied Ten Cents.

"Sae whit?!" snapped Big Mac. "She's a Z-Stack, 'n' ye'r a Star Tug!"

"Yes, but that doesn't make us enemies," insisted Ten Cents. "Besides, O.J. was helping me and Big Mac behind Captain Dunn's back."

"Please, Ten Cents, you're making a big mistake!" pleaded Top Hat.

"Yeah, what if Zorran and Zak become a toxic influence over her?" agreed Warrior.

"Then we'll get Peeper Pipes to deal with them," replied Ten Cents. "Now, I don't want to hear another word of this. Good night."

With that, Ten Cents went to sleep whilst the four Stars looked concerned.

"If you think you can just go around befriending the enemy, think again!" snapped Zorran.

"Nothing more sickening than befriending your enemies," sneered Zak in agreement.

"I'm worried about you, Zip," said Zebedee. "If Captain Zero finds out, he'll have one of his 'angry tears' moments. Or worse…"

"Oh, I get it!" snapped Zip. "You don't want me to be happy, do you?! I would have felt lonely, had I not met Ten Cents! Then again, I doubt you would understand!"

The bigger Z-Stacks simply gave up; it was like talking to a brick wall.

It was lucky for Ten Cents and Zip that their colleagues hadn't caught onto the romantic signs. However, something would happen that would bring the switchers' friendship to a crashing end.

1917

A few months had passed since Zelda's death. Captain Salvage was taking a walk to relieve herself of the stress Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove were causing her and the other Salvage tugs. There, she came across Captain Zero, who was in a good mood.

"I've done it, Jennifer!" he said proudly. "I got myself a new harbour tug!"

"You did?" asked Captain Salvage in surprise.

"Yes," replied Captain Zero. "I paid only a hundred for this super tug who used to work in a country called Estonia. The guy who sold him to me was called Edgar Kintobor."

"Edgar Kintobor?" gulped Captain Salvage. "That was the guy who sold me Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove."

"Don't worry," said Captain Zero. "Mr. Kintobor has assured me that this tug is a hard worker and unlikely to create chaos like those three."

"What if he was lying?" asked Captain Salvage.

"Then I'll just ask for a refund," said Captain Zero.

"He didn't give me one," said Captain Salvage.

"Ah, but there is the issue of the courts," Captain Zero said confidently. Little did they know that someone had overheard them. Also, in his desperation, Captain Zero had indeed made a mistake, but he didn't know that yet.

The Z-Stacks, also unaware of their captain's blunder, began bragging about their new acquisition to the Star tugs.

"No one will want you Star Stacks around once the new super tug arrives," sneered Zorran.

"Yeah," said Zak. "Once Zero Marine Bigg City gets the advantage, it will be off to the scrapyard for the lot of you!"

"Oh, please," scoffed Top Hat. "We Stars can do double the work that so-called super tug can do. You wait and see!"

On the day the new tug arrived, I was just doing some paperwork when I heard a surprise knock at my office door.

"Come in," I said. I was surprised when the figure stepped in. "Oh… Captain Salvage. Is everything alright? Have Nightshade, Oleander and Foxglove been causing you grief again?"

"Yes," replied Captain Salvage, "but I'm more worried about Captain Zero."

I gasped in shock. "He's not hurt, is he?" I asked in worry. "I know we're rivals, but you should never kick a man whilst he's down."

"Don't worry," assured Captain Salvage. "He's not hurt. But I fear he's made a grave error." She quickly explained that the person he bought him from was the same one who sold her the Poison Plant trio.

"Do you think Kintobor lied about this new tug being a super tug?" I asked.

"Yes," replied Captain Salvage, "and no doubt that Captain Zero fell for it. He and the other Z-Stacks have been bragging for days that this new tug would outcompete your fleet, but I don't think this tug is actually that big."

"Did you warn him?" I asked.

"Yes, but he wouldn't listen to me," sighed Captain Salvage.

"Don't worry," I said. "I'll see if I can get through to him."

"Alright," said Captain Salvage. "I'd better get back to Mittsville. Good luck, Captain Star." But as Captain Salvage left, neither of us knew that Captain Zero was about to find out for himself.

Captain Zero was in such good spirits when he arrived at his office.

"Today's the day," he said to himself. "Once the new super tug gets set to work, Captain Star and his tugs will be finished! Obsolete! Over the… uh, what's the marine equivalent to a hill…?"

"Ah, sir, you're here," called Zorran.

"Err… yes," said Captain Zero, surprised by the concerned tone in Zorran's voice. "Is something wrong?"

"Well, the new tug you bought has arrived, but…"

"But what, Zorran?"

"You best go upstairs to see for yourself," came the reply.

Captain Zero did so and grabbed his megaphone, but as he opened the window, he almost dropped his megaphone in shock and anger. There, next to Zip, was a small switcher painted in the Z-Stacks' maroon livery with the number four on his smokestack.

"Is this some kind of joke?!" snapped Captain Zero.

"No, Captain Zero," replied the switcher in an Estonian accent. "I'm the new tug you ordered."

"I didn't order a runt like you!" shouted Captain Zero. "I ordered another harbor tug! I've been scammed! I'm going to get my money back, and then you'll be going back to where you came from!"

Captain Zero slammed his window shut and went downstairs to his office. He picked the phone and dialed the number.

"Hello," said a female voice. "Mrs. Crawley, landlady of Summer Corners Boarding House?"

"Never mind the pleasantries!" snapped Captain Zero. "Where is Edgar Kintobor?"

"I'm sorry, who is it?"

"Captain Sean Zero, owner of Zero Marine Bigg City," came the blunt reply. "Your tenant said he had a super tug to sell to me, but when it arrived, it was a pathetic little runt! I want to get my money and send the runt back to him."

"Well, I've not seen him all morning," replied Mrs. Crawley. "I wanted to check on him this morning, but he'd just vanished."

"What do you mean, vanished?!"

"His room was completely empty, aside from the bed. No suitcase, no clothes, nothing."

"That crook!" growled Captain Zero. "He's gone and done a runner! I demand you get the police to track him down and…"

"He's not my problem," replied Mrs. Crawley. "And frankly, you're being very rude, so I'm going to end the call. Good day!" And then she hung up.

"OH, FOR THE LOVE OF…" Captain Zero devolved into angry muttering, trying desperately not to curse out loud, as he stormed back upstairs, stuck his megaphone out again and addressed the switcher.

"It turns out that the man who sold me to you has done a runner! That means I'm stuck with you!" he growled before continuing, "If anyone needs me, I'll be having one of my moments!"

Captain Zero slammed his window shut again, put the megaphone down and started pounding his desk with angry sobs. This was causing stuff to fall on the floor, but he didn't care about the mess he was making.

"I wanted another harbour tug," he fumed, "and that so-and-so sent me that little runt!" I daren't repeat what he actually called Edgar Kintobor; it was vulgar, to say the least, but that was the last we ever heard of Kintobor.

"Oh, this is just great!" growled Zak. "Now we'll be the laughing stock of Bigg City Port!"

"I never thought there'd ever come a time where I'd be left speechless," said Zorran, "and that time… still hasn't come yet! There's no way we're going to live this down!"

"Hey, now, come on, you two," replied Zebedee. "We've got help, and we should be grateful for it. Let's give the new guy a chance."

"Yeah," agreed Zip. "Say, what was your name?"

"Zug," replied the new switcher. "I used to work in Estonia."

"How'd you end up here?" asked Zip.

"When the Russian Revolution started a month ago, I was scared that the fighting would come to Estonia, so I fled. I was taken in by a man named Mr. Kintobor who then sold me to Captain Zero. He told me that Captain Zero was looking for a switcher tug, but clearly, Kintobor was lying."

Zebedee and Zip felt sorry for Zug.

"Yes, well, just don't get in trouble," said Zorran, "and maybe you'll have a long career in Bigg City."

When we heard about Captain Zero being scammed into buying a switcher, Top Hat, Big Mac and Ten Cents burst out laughing.

"Oh dear," Top Hat said through tears of laughter. "Leave it to Captain Zero and the Z-Stacks to brag about getting a new 'super-tug', only to get egg on their faces!"

"If you ask me, they're practically covered in it!" chuckled Ten Cents.

"Even so," said O.J. seriously. "Poor Zug had to flee his country because of a violent situation. We should try to show concern for that."

"O.J. is right," I agreed.

Following Zug's arrival, he was assigned to garbage detail. The waste dump had just acquired a crane named Jack the Grappler and a garbage barge named Lord Stinker. Their owner was a man named Oscar Krieger.

"Welcome to Bigg City, Zug," said Mr. Krieger.

"I'm glad someone has welcomed me," said Zug sadly. "Captain Zero said I wasn't what he wanted. He wanted another harbour tug and tried to send me back, but the guy who sold me to him did a runner." He then repeated what he and the other Z-Stacks heard Captain Zero fume from his office.

"You're kidding me!" gasped Lord Stinker.

"I wish I wasn't," sighed Zug.

"I heard that Captain Zero was cruel, but this is ridiculous," growled Jack. "He should be more grateful for having another tug at all!"

"I'll have a word with him about this later," said Mr. Krieger.

"Oh, thank you, sir," said Zug. With that, he and Lord Stinker set off to work. "So, er… Lord Stinker, was it?"

"Yes," replied the garbage barge. "Heh, only I can appreciate a name like that."

"I can certainly tell." Zug wrinkled his nose. "How does one cope with this smell?!"

"You get used to it," assured the garbage barge. "Maybe you should try wearing a clothes peg like me."

"I might take upon that offer at this rate," agreed Zug. "I just wonder… What can I do to get into Captain Zero's good books?"

"Just work hard and do your best," said Lord Stinker. "It works for the other captains around here."

"Okay," smiled Zug. "Maybe doing my first job well will start to win him over."

Although Zorran, Zak and Captain Zero were unsympathetic towards Zug's plight, Zebedee and Zip were supportive of him. The Salvage Fleet, Captain Salvage, Lenore, Mr. Lloyd, Puffa and Little Owl also felt bad for him. I must admit, even my fleet, Patrick and I felt sorry for Zug. After all, no one should ever be forced to flee their own country.

All the while, Ten Cents and Zip were still good friends.

"Well, thanks again for your help, Ten Cents," said Zip.

"No problem," replied Ten Cents. "But remember; don't tell anyone."

"Of course not," giggled Zip. "It's like I'm Juliet and you're Romeo."

Ten Cents blushed bright red. "Does that make the Z-Stacks the Capulets and the Stars the Montagues?" The two laughed as Zug watched from afar with a look of jealousy.

"So Ten Cents thinks he can go around and steal my best friend, does he?" he said. "We'll see about that!" Of course, Ten Cents and Zip had been friends long before Zug's arrival, but ever since fleeing Estonia, Zug had resented the fact that Ten Cents had been living a carefree life. Captain Zero doesn't want us Z-Stacks to be friends with the Star Fleet, he thought to himself as a devious smirk crossed his face. Maybe I can use that to my advantage…

"Hey, Zip," he said that evening near the coal depot. "I have a plan to get more work for Captain Zero. Ten Cents is collecting a barge of timber from Up River. If we run him onto a mudbank, we'll take his barge and get the money."

"What?!" gasped Zip. "Hurt Ten Cents? I can't do it! I won't do it!"

"Okay, fine," said Zug. "But hear this – if you don't comply, I will tell Captain Zero about your friendship with Ten Cents. He'll certainly have a lot to say about it."

Zip gulped. "Ten Cents isn't my friend! He… just needed help from the better company that one time!"

"Then why did I hear you two giggling together?"

Zip shuffled backwards. "I… we overheard a funny joke."

"Then why are you reluctant to go through with the plan?"

"…Captain Star will be onto us?"

"Well, if you don't go through with it, I'll make sure Zero throws you out of the Z-Stacks!"

Zip bit her lip and swallowed. "Okay… okay we'll do it…"

"Good," Zug said with a smirk.

The next morning, Ten Cents was up river and had just collected his barge. Suddenly, he felt a bump from behind.

"'Ere, what's going on?" he demanded. He looked to see Zip and Zug coming up alongside.

"Okay, Ten Cents," said Zug, who had a barge attached to him. "Hand over the barge and nobody gets hurt."

"Zip?!" gasped Ten Cents. "What are you doing?"

"I'm sorry, Ten Cents," said Zip. "Zug blackmailed me into doing this. He said he would tell Captain Zero about our friendship if I didn't comply."

"Well, why didn't you stand up to him?" snapped Ten Cents. "I trusted you, Zip!"

"Ten Cents, I…"

"Enough!" snapped Zug. "Let's get on with it!"

The two Zero switchers tried to ram Ten Cents onto the mudbank, but the Star switcher managed to dodge them every single time. In the end, Zip only succeeded in ramming herself onto a mudbank and Ten Cents knocked into Zug's barge as he dodged him. The next thing Zug knew, he found himself stuck between his barge and quay.

"Help! I'm trapped!" he cried in alarm.

"What's going on here?" demanded a voice; it was Peeper Pipes and Davy Jones. Ten Cents quickly explained what had happened.

"Zip and Zug, you two are under arrest," Davy Jones said sternly. "As soon as you two are rescued, you are to report to dry dock, okay?"

"How could you do this to me, Zip?!" snapped Ten Cents, hot tears pricking in his eyes. "After all we've been through, you betray me! I was lonely until you arrived, but it turns out you were just using me!"

"That's not true!" argued Zip. "I was lonely too after falling out with my brother Zion, when I got fired from Moran Towing Company!"

"Well, based on today, I would side with Zion more than you, Zip!" Ten Cents argued back as he left with his barge.

"Get lost then, Ten Cents!" snapped Zip. "By the way, our friendship is over!"

"I already knew that!" Ten Cents snapped back.

Patrick had come back from a meeting with a client when he saw Ten Cents in a state of tears.

"Ten Cents," he asked, "what's wrong?" The switcher quickly explained what had happened.

"Oh, Ten Cents," Patrick sighed sadly, remembering how his friendship with Captain Zero collapsed. He rubbed Ten Cents' side.

"I wish this stupid rivalry between the two fleets would just die," he said to himself. "No good ever comes out of a falling out between friends…"

"I-It's not fair…" sobbed Ten Cents. "She was my friend…"

"We did try to tell you, Ten Cents," sighed Top Hat. "Befriending Z-Stacks never works!"

"Top Hat," hissed O.J.. "That's not helping."

"Come noo, Ten Cents," soothed Big Mac. "Ye still hae us aroond."

"Not as often as I have to deal with Zip and Zug!" cried the star switcher. "You all have other contracts to do, and I… I'm all alone with smaller jobs in the port!" With that, poor Ten Cents scampered away to cry alone.

"Oh dear," sighed Warrior. "This wouldn't have happened if… if Ze–"

"Don't. Say. Her. Name!" snapped Top Hat. Warrior bit his lip and sailed off to the other side of the dock.

Although he and Zip had to spend a few days in dry dock, Zug was pleased with himself. His plan to get back at Ten Cents had worked. However, when he got to the waste dump, he was in for a nasty surprise.

"Morning, Jack, Lord Stinker," he said. "I hope you didn't miss me too much."

"We didn't miss you at all!" snapped Jack.

"I'm sorry?" asked Zug.

"What you did to Ten Cents was disgraceful," Lord Stinker said darkly. "For this, Jack and I will no longer be working with you."

"W-what?!" asked Zug, not believing what he was hearing.

"They are correct," boomed Mr. Krieger from his announcing house. "Another tug will be doing the garbage runs from now on."

"Who?" asked Zug. Then, with a loud whistle, Warrior arrived.

"Warrior?" gasped Zug.

"Warrior's been doing your work whilst you were dry docked," explained Mr. Krieger. "Apparently, he and Lord Stinker have bonded quite well."

"Yeah, and after what you and Zip did to Ten Cents, I don't blame Lord Stinker for cutting ties with you," Warrior said sternly.

"Zug, get over here right this minute!" snapped a voice that struck fear into Zug. The switcher cautiously moved forward to find a surly looking Zorran. Zip was also there, looking just as terrified as Zug.

"You idiots!" snapped Zorran. "You've gone and humiliated us again! Don't forget that I make the devious schemes around here! Dredger duty NOW!"

"It's your fault, Zip!" snapped Zug.

"No, it wasn't, Zug!" argued Zip. "You ruined my friendship with–"

"Yes, it was!" Zug argued back. "And it was for your own good!"

"For my own good, or for your own good?!" snapped Zip.

The two switchers argued all the way to Scuttlebutt Pete the dredger whilst Zorran just looked on with a look of disgust on his face.

"If this is the best Captain Zero can come up with," he said to himself, "I'd hate to imagine the worst he can come up with."

But, before we continue, I'd like to remind you exactly what year I am recounting – 1917. Yes, this means America is about to enter one of the deadliest conflicts in history…

The End

Athour's notes: And now we get to see the origins of Zug coming to Bigg City, him working with Lord Stinker for a while before Warrior took over, and even the romance between Ten Cents and Zip(porah). Unfortunately though, Zug came to ruin that. And Zip also ran herself into a sandbank like Zug mentioned her doing in Sunshine.

Next time, the tugs enter World War I (aka, The Great War back then), in Blazing Stars.