Munitions

**Munitions** is the thirteenth *TUGS: The Big City Chronicles* Story in the SeventyVerse.

## Plot

The annual naval manoeuvres have come round again. The naval tramper Kraka-Toa is towed into the Old Docks by Hercules. The journey from the base up the coast had been rough and worse for Hercules, Bluenose the officious naval tug is in Bigg City Port watching over the Kraka-Toa’s stay. Bluenose attempts to give Hercules a series of orders, but is just reminded Hercules is under Captain Star’s jurisdiction, not his. Hercules pushes Bluenose aside and goes for a rest at the Coal Depot.

While passing O.J., he tells Hercules that Bluenose has also shouted at him over the position of some buoys. Both tugs joke about Bluenose and Zeus being cut from the same metal. Just before Hercules leaves, O.J. points out the Kraka-Toa’s grim task; taking munitions and fuel on board at the same time. After Bluenose shouts at O.J. again, the paddler comments what he thought since he was a young tug, that tugs should “work together, not fight each other.” Bluenose then attempts to order Finbar about, but is unsuccessful.

At the Star Dock, Captain Star tells his tugs that they would be doing jobs for the Navy. Top Hat isn't too thrilled about it, because it means Bluenose would be around, and he would bark orders at them. Sea Rogue is sent to assist as well and Puffa is chosen to bring coal deliveries to Kraka-toa, because his spark arrestor means there would be less risk of sparks from his chimney setting off the explosives than Little Owl.

Upriver, the Z-Stacks are collecting explosives from the Munitions Factory for Kraka-Toa. It’s a dangerous operation, but worth a great deal of money to Captain Zero. Zorran is put in charge of making sure Zebedee and Zak run on schedule and don’t make any risky mistakes, including letting Bluenose order them about. Bluenose is also delivering a barge of fuel barrels to Kraka-Toa and en route, he scrapes Ten Cents’ pristine petrol barge, bragging to the switcher about how “above” him he is. Once he leaves, Ten Cents mutters to himself Bluenose is worse then the Z-Stacks.

Night falls. At the Old Dock, Big Mickey and Kraka-Toa are surrounded by barges filled with munitions, explosives and fuel. O.J., Hercules, Sea Rogue, Zebedee and Zak are moored off. With the help of dock lights, Big Mickey is transferring the last of the munitions from Zorran’s barge to Kraka-Toa after the other Z-Stacks' barges have been unloaded. No issues have occurred until the dreaded arrival of Bluenose. He demands to be unloaded first, but Big Mickey continues his assignment. Ten Cents is after Zorran in the schedule. Ignoring every warning from O.J. and showing no care about taking dangerous risks, Bluenose steams through and attempts to shove Zorran’s barge out of the dock, damaging the barrels and crates and starting a fire. Ten Cents, O.J, Hercules, Zorran, Zebedee, Zak and Sea Rogue are put in peril, and quickly back away from the flames, while Bluenose's engine fails. Risking his life, Ten Cents bravely tows him to safety. The fire expands with continuous explosions to Kraka-Toa’s freight and Big Mickey’s dock. Big Mickey rotates to get clear of the tugs and his dock collapses, sending him sinking into the sea bed. While sad about Big Mickey, the tugs are left with an exploding dockside. O.J. reminds everyone that the Fire Tug will come, but Zak remarks the Fire Tug will not be enough to fight the entire burning Kraka-Toa.

Top Hat is at the Railhead with Frank, Eddie and Zob. They see the lights of the fire from the Railhead and think it’s a dockside celebration. While Top, Frank and Eddie argue over who’d be invited, Zob fears it's something worse. Soon enough, Finbar and Sunshine pass by, telling the two railway tugs to tie off their barges to help out with the fire. But Top Hat complains he can't right now and has his hands tied with Frank and Eddie and threatens them that he'll set fire on their tracks if they don't do what he tells them to do. Zob, on the other hand, goes to help and alerts Big Mac, but not before scolding Top Hat for his cowardly behaviour.

Back at the Old Dock, Kraka-Toa's aft hull has blown up and the fire is spreading throughout the dockyard, leaving the tugs helpless. Puffa is standing nearby and the tugs alert him of the fire just in the nick of time. However, after Puffa makes it out, the Star Line petrol barge catches fire. Ten Cents goes to take it out to sea before it can explode and take out all the tugs.

Meanwhile, Warrior is pulling Lord Stinker to the dump dock. Then Lord Stinker points out the light flickering in the distance. And reminds him of the old saying "Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight." But Warrior reminds him that the sun already went down and the light is at the north, not the west. Then he thinks of only one reason why there's flickering lights: fire. So he sets off and leaves Lord Stinker behind. Sunshine, Finbar, Big Mac and Zob finally arrive at the Old Dock. Finbar instructs Sunshine to set to work fighting the fire near a building. With the arrival of Warrior, the Fire Chief orders him to contain the fire spreading to the Oil Yard. Finbar instructs O.J., Hercules, Zebedee, Zak, Zob and Sea Rogue to douse the chemicals. Zak refuses it until Zob demands him to do it. Finbar has Zorran help out to save Kraka-Toa. Even though Zorran thinks the fire barge he's given won't be much help. Warrior is hit square in the face by a bit of debris and Sunshine struggles to stop the spreading fire with her fire barge. Eventually, the Fire Chief orders Warrior to move out, but he refuses to. He is looking after Puffa, who has been badly stung. Hercules' group manages to contain the fire near the chemicals.

Ten Cents makes it out to sea with the petrol barge, with each moment getting deadlier. The blistering tanker is now starting to smoke and ready to go off. Ten Cents starts reversing, but the petrol barge explodes. The sight reaches as far as the Old Dock. Hercules and Sunshine are worried for Ten Cents, but are ordered to stay put by O.J.

The burning Kraka-Toa starts to capsize. All hope of saving her is lost, and Finbar orders everyone to get clear. The naval tramper is completely destroyed by her dangerous freight and with one final blast from her smokestack, she keels over. O.J. surveys the state of the Old Dock in complete ruins, but the Fire Chief says it’s nothing compared to how far the fire could have spread without Sunshine and Warrior's efforts containing it. Top Hat finally arrives after deliberately putting his own job first, and mockingly laments that he was too late to save the day. The Stars angrily scold for his cowardice, saying that Ten Cents risked his life to save everyone. Hercules even tells Top Hat not to bother helping them look for Ten Cents. Zorran, Zebedee and Zob help as well.

The next morning, all Big Mac can find is the exploded barge and Ten Cents is assumed lost. Before everyone can salute the brave tug, a familiar whistle is heard in the near distance and Ten Cents appears out of the fog, covered from stem to stern in soot and burn marks. Ten Cents explains how he was immobilized due to the explosion flooding his engine and that Grampus rescued him before he sank. The Stars, especially Hercules and Sunshine, are relieved that their friend is safe.

Back at the Old Dock, Finbar, Peeper Pipes and Hercules scold Bluenose for his childish behaviour and Bluenose is shocked to learn that Hercules used to be in the Navy and had served on the front lines during the Great War. Davy Jones then arrives with Captain Star, Captain Zero, Sea Rogue's manager and an apoplectic Admiral Cardona who announces that Bluenose is to be dishonorably discharged and taken in for court martial. Grampus (laughing heartily) tows the disgraced Bluenose away. Finbar announces that Ten Cents, Big Mac, O.J., Warrior, Hercules, Sunshine, Zorran, Zebedee, Zob and Sea Rogue are to be awarded with medals whilst Captain Star and Captain Zero punished for Top Hat and Zak for their selfish behaviors.

Bluenose is found guilty of manslaughter and is sentenced to death via Final Firing. Once that is done, his remains are towed to sea and are used for target practice. Needless to say, everyone is relieved to hear this as this means they’ll never have to worry about his orders again. After the fire, Admiral Cardona gives strict instructions to never again carry fuel and munitions on board the same ship so that another disaster never happens again. But the fire left a massive impact on everyone and this would lead to a peculiar incident a couple of months later.

## Differences between the episode and this version

* Zebedee's line from the original episode where he tells O.J. he's past it is given to Zak. Likewise, Zak's comment about Bluenose ordering a shore crane around is given to Zebedee. Furthermore, Zak gets Zorran's more unsympathetic lines.
* In the original episode, it was just Warrior, Sunshine, Zorran and the Fire Tug who tried to stop the fire. In the adaptation, Big Mac, O.J., Hercules, Zebedee, Zak (reluctantly), Zob and Sea Rogue help as well.
* In the adaptation, Bluenose is executed for his crimes.
* Top Hat is given a punishment for refusing to help with the fire and loses respect from his fellow Star Tugs.

## Characters

* Captain Star
* Ten Cents
* Big Mac
* O.J.
* Top Hat
* Warrior
* Hercules
* Sunshine
* Grampus
* Captain Zero
* Zorran
* Zebedee
* Zak
* Zug (does not speak)
* Zip (does not speak)
* Zob
* Zilly (does not speak)
* Sea Rogue
* O'Malley
* Finbar
* Peeper Pipes
* Davy Jones (does not speak)
* Bluenose (death)
* Michael Bateson (death)
* Admiral Cardona
* Zeus (mentioned)
* Flotsam and Jetsam (mentioned)
* Izzy Gomez (mentioned)
* Mr. Frederick Lloyd (mentioned)

## Voice cast

### Official

* Simon Nash as Ten Cents
* Sean Barrett as Big Mac, Hercules, Zebedee, Finbar, Sea Rogue and Captain Zero
* Ian James Corlett as O.J., Lord Stinker, Frank and Eddie
* John Baddeley as Top Hat and Puffa
* Chris Tulloch as Zorran
* Shaun Prendergrast as Zak
* Lee Cornes as Grampus and Peeper Pipes

### Fan chosen

* Peter Dickson as Captain Star
* Jeff Bennett as Warrior
* Michelle Creber as Sunshine
* Christian Bale as Zob
* Kevin Kline as O'Malley
* Martin Savage as Bluenose
* Lenore Zann as Little Owl
* Brian Blessed as Michael Bateson
* Javier Bardem as Admiral Cardona