Chapter Text
Jake was headed back to his room when he stopped in his tracks at one of the catwalks. Sitting at the edge of the path, about halfway across the cargo hold, was Tom, holding onto the railing with his legs swinging over the side like maybe a kid would do. Jake’s hand went to his gun, trying to think of what to do with it that wouldn’t gain Tom’s attention in all the worst ways.
Tom turned to him, and Jake shoved his hands in his pockets, trying to look casual and non-threatening. Tom regarded him for a moment, then turned back to watching the cows. Careful not to take his eyes off his brother, Jake reached for the nearest intercom. “Captain to whoever the fuck. Tom is over cargo. Please aid. Over.”
Tom gave him an annoyed glance but otherwise didn’t move. Jake stood there for a moment, watching him watch the cows below them. “So…” he said. “Guess no lock is high security enough for you? None that we can afford anyway…”
Tom glanced at him again, even more annoyed. “What?” asked Jake, and Tom started making fish faces at him in what seemed to be a mocking manner. Briefly confused, Jake smirked as soon as the meaning hit him. “Are you saying I talk too much?” he demanded, and he took Tom repeating the action more aggressively to mean that, yes, Tom thought Jake talked his garbled nonsense too much.
Jake couldn’t help it. He laughed. Properly laughed for maybe the first time that month, until he was wiping away tears with the back of his hand. When he glanced back at Tom, his older brother was watching him with a curious confusion and a crooked smile.
It took Jake aback to see it. He started to say “You’re smiling!” then stopped himself. It was clear that Tom couldn’t understand the noises Jake made, only getting annoyed the more he used them. Jake sighed heavily, trying to think of a way to communicate with his brother. Surely, communication was possible. Tom had said “Ident” to him and Rachel. Erek had been able to sign out that－
Sign! He snapped his fingers to get Tom’s attention again. He then pointed to Tom before signing the shape of a smile on his face.
The effect was immediate. Tom stiffened, surprised. His eyes widened, watching Jake carefully. Then, slowly, the biggest, most brilliant grin spread across his face.
Then, Tom frowned in confusion again. It took Jake a moment to realize that he was crying, confusing Tom. He turned away quickly, brushing his face with the back of his hand again. “God, what’s taking them so long?” he wondered, reaching for the intercom again.
Which was exactly when the proximity alarm blared to life.
Frantically, Jake motioned for Tom to stay where he was, then ran off toward the bridge. Of course, Tom followed behind at his own pace.
Jake met with Rachel on the stair to the bridge, and they pushed at each other for a moment before Rachel broke ahead, not even taking the time to sneer at him as she ran up onto the bridge. As he raced onto the bridge right behind her, putting those long legs to use, he grabbed her and pushed her into the captain's chair on the other side of the bridge, slotting himself into the space to Tobias’s left. “What are we proximate to?” Jake demanded.
Wide-eyed, Tobias pointed out the window.
Jake looked. “How the hell did you stumble upon a gorram Alliance Cruiser!” he shrieked.
“It just－ It just popped up!” Tobias cried, still gaping in horror at the window. “Outta nowhere!”
“Cruisers don’t just pop up, Tobias!” Jake insisted.
“Hey, if he says it popped up, it popped up!” Rachel insisted, though she looked a bit doubtful herself.
“How?!” Jake demanded. “How the hell does an Alliance Cruiser jus－ Tobias, why are we not moving away?”
Tobias checked his instruments, then threw his hands up and fell back in his seat. “Because they’re pulling us in,” he said.
“We have to eject the cattle,” said Rachel. “Of course, they’ll know at this point, but they can’t prove anything if－”
“We keep the cattle,” Jake snarled. “Tobias, call King and Isthill to the bridge. Tell Cassie to put on the emergency dress and go to Marco.”
“... Emergency dress?” Tobias repeated incredulously.
“In case of emergency, pretend to be Marco’s indentured servant so he can get you out,” Rachel explained. “She’d better not have ‘lost’ it.”
“Can I be asking why we’re not ejecting the cows?” Tobias asked, and Jake motioned behind them to where Tom was climbing the stairs to the bridge. Tobias sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “Why do we even buy locks?” he asked as Rachel reached forward to go ahead and relay Jake’s orders over intercom.
Tom slowed as he neared them, eyes watching the window with unmasked terror. Jake reached forward to try to tell him things were going to be okay, but Tom just grabbed his wrist and started pulling him back toward the door. “Hey!” Jake objected, grabbing the door frame and pulling back. “Hey, stop! Tom, we can’t run! There’s nowhere to go!”
Ax and Erek paused on their way up the stairs and exchanged glances. “So… I’m guessing the new lock didn’t work,” Erek said dryly.
“You hear that screeching noise?” Jake demanded, barely keeping his arm in its socket.
The two passengers exchanged glances again. “Yes?” Ax guessed.
“That would be the proximity alarm because we are in proximity to an Alliance Cruiser,” Jake explained. “So much proximity that we are, in fact, being pulled in and no longer have choice in the matter.”
“How the hell did that happen?” Erek wondered. Seeing that Tom was not going to stop pulling on Jake soon, he pulled a syringe out of his pocket and pulled up Tom’s sleeve.
“IT POPPED INTO EXISTENCE! IT IS NOT MY FAULT!” Tobias insisted, and Jake rolled his eyes.
“It did what?” Ax demanded.
“Ignore him,” Jake insisted. He turned as Tom’s grip loosened and Tom slouched against the wall. Jake raised an eyebrow. “You carry sedatives in your pocket?” he asked.
“I live on a ship with your brother,” Erek replied as though it explained everything, which it did.
“Well, hold on to that thought for a second,” Jake said, and he turned to Ax. “Do you have papers?” he asked. “For Alex, since I assume there’s a reason you weren’t going by your name.”
Ax thought for a second, then blanched slightly. “I, uh… I think I left it on the other ship,” he admitted.
“Okay, well, congratulations, you’re now Erek King,” said Jake. He turned to Erek. “Give him your papers, then get Tom to that hiding spot we showed you.”
“That’s under the cows,” Erek reminded him.
“Guys, they’re starting docking procedures!” Rachel shouted back to them.
Jake turned back to Ax and Erek. “Sooner would be better,” he growled. He turned back onto the bridge. “Rachel, go drain your hooch while you still can, and incinerate anything that ain’t strictly legal. We want the cows to be the wrongest thing we got on board.”
“Awe, man!” she pouted, but she hurried off to obey.
Several minutes later, Jake, Tobias, and Rachel were gathered in front of the cargo airlock as the doors groaned open to reveal several Alliance officers and several more armed Alliance peacekeeping soldiers. Jake raised an eyebrow at the gold trim on the uniforms. When had they started adding that?
The officers began to step forward, then stopped. They looked over the scene before them, then they looked at each other. Finally, one demanded, “Are you kidding me?”
“Moooo,” answered one of the cows.
Jake merely shrugged, hands clearly displayed in a non-threatening gesture. “Well, we couldn’t exactly hide them, could we?” he said. “Momma always said honesty was the best policy.”
“Which is why you took to smuggling?” asked the lead officer, looking entirely unamused.
Jake shrugged again. “Well, that could have to do with why we don’t talk,” he admitted.
“Is this all your crew?” the officer demanded.
Jake nodded. “Yes, sir,” he answered. “I’m the captain, this is my pilot and my manager. In the passenger cabins, you’ll find a produce farmer by the name of King. Shuttle One’s rented by a companion, but he don’t really talk to us anymore. Keeps to himself with that servant girl.”
The officer smirked. “Is that the defense he’s going to use to keep himself from being charged in this?” he asked, gesturing to the cows.
Jake frowned in confusion. “Sir?” he said.
The officer rolled his eyes. “Do you have your ident cards, registrations, and licenses?”
“In our pockets,” Jake said, pointing as much as he could while keeping his hands in the air.
The lead officer motioned to his comrades. “You, go get someone to handle the livestock. You two, fetch the companion and his servant. You two, fetch the passenger. You two, with me. The rest of you, comb this ship. I want it searched top to bottom. And when you’re done, do it again.” He turned back to Jake, stepped forward, and pulled the documents from Jake’s pocket. He looked over the papers briefly, then tucked them under his arm. He slid Jake’s card through the reader and scowled. “Jake Berenson, you’re under arrest for livestock smuggling and suspicion of theft of Alliance property of high value,” he said, gesturing for one of the accompanying officers to move forward and cuff Jake.
He moved on to Rachel, removing the papers from her pocket. He read over them while Jake was pulled roughly off the ship into the Cruiser. “You own the license on this ship, but you’re not the captain?” he demanded.
“What?” Rachel’s eyes moved back to him. “Sorry, yes,” she said. “Um, Jake’s better at the… captaining than I am. But he can’t have a salvage license, so I own the ship, the license, the business.”
The officer gestured to the cattle behind her. “Find these on a derelict did you?”
Rachel lowered her eyes to the ground, forcing deep breaths. “No, sir,” she admitted.
He tore her license in half. He glanced at his card reader. “Rachel Berenson, you are under arrest for livestock smuggling and suspicion of theft of Alliance property of high value,” he said as the other officer accompanying him moved forward and pulled her hands behind her back.
“I didn’t know they were Alliance!” she pled desperately.
He sneered at her. “They’re not.” He moved on to Tobias, removing the ident card and flight license from Tobias’s pocket. He scanned Tobias’s card. “Tobias Matsumoto, you are under arrest for livestock smuggling,” he said, pulling Tobias’s hands behind him to cuff them, then hauling the young man into the Cruiser.
“Lieutenant Commander Maldonado!” a voice came over the officer’s communicator. He sighed and stopped, motioning for the officers hauling the cousins to pause as well. He pulled his communicator off his belt and asked it, “What is it?”
“I’ve found King. His file lists him as Han.”
Maldonado rolled his eyes. “So?” he demanded.
“I'm not saying it isn't possible, sir, but he is the brownest Han man I've ever met.”
"Well, which do you think he is?" Maldonado asked impatiently.
"Uh... all of them?"
Slowly, a smile spread across Maldonado’s lips, while the three crew members exchanged glances of confusion. “Wait there,” said Maldonado. He turned back to the cargo hold. “Everyone here with a gun will move now to secure the passenger. You! Run back to the Visser and tell her we’ve found the Andalite.”