Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

"Where'd ye want these last crates?" yelled a scruffy looking man across the dock.

"Oh anywhere will be just fine!" responded a much shorter man, loudly yet gently.

A taller man standing next to him scoffed, before yelling sternly "Under the deck, in the farthest corner!" With that, the scruffy man and his gang of workers began moving the crates to exactly where the man said.

"Jon, you really have to be more firm with people, I think you forget that you're the captain of this outfit." said the tall man, turning to the shorter one. The shorter one being Jon Anderson, the captain of all of the voyages of the famed Yesship, the upcoming adventure included. Jon has gained a reputation for being very kind, yet leading one of the most respectable crews to ever set sail from any port.

"I know, Chris, I know, but we are still here aren't we? Has my approach to leading ever failed us before?" replied Jon.

"I guess not, but that doesn't mean that me and Steve haven't had to bail you out of some messy situations." the tall man retorted. Chris Squire was not only intimidating in height, the man was the perfect foil for his long time partner Jon Anderson. For everything Jon had in generosity, Chris had in sternness. But what they both shared was a heart of gold, even if it took longer for one to show it than the other.

"That's why you've always got a place on my boat, Steve too, speak of the devil '' Jon said as a thin, older looking male sauntered his way towards the pair. The man was the pair's perpetual 3rd wheel, Steve Howe. The pair held him much closer in their hearts than he held them in his. But despite this, he was so incredibly reliable that the Anderson/Squire duo always sent word to him when they were ready to set sail again. You wouldn't be wrong for thinking Steve is much older than he is, he has a grumpiness that even the oldest of seafarers would find harsh.

"Fellas" was all that escaped Steve's mouth as he took a seat on the nearest crate next to the pair. But that's simply par for the course with Steve.

"Have you heard any word from any other sailors we sent letters to?" inquired Jon.

"Like I keep in touch with half of those lousy sacks of shit." Howe replied nonchalantly, "I know Downes and Horn are coming of course, and I'm pretty sure that South African asshole you talk about so much is on his way too."

"Oh, so Rabin will be joining us, very good,'' said Jon happily, choosing to ignore the negativity in Steve's words. Some time passed in silence as the three men pondered upon who would be joining them on the ship. Thankfully they didn't have to ponder for very much longer, as a well dressed man strode his way to the trio accompanied by a child. This man was Rick Wakeman, who oftentimes pulled double duty as the brains of the operation, as well as the main entertainer. No one's really sure what's in the books that Rick keeps his nose in but if they had to guess, they'd be joke books. For how intelligent the man was, he was equally quick witted. With him, as always, was his son Oliver, who inherited his dad's quick wit and intelligence. Oliver spent most of his time with his best friend, and Jon Anderson's son, Jon 'Jauno' Davison Anderson, who inherited an equal amount from his father Jon, as Oliver did from Rick.

"Morning chaps," Rick said cheerfully, "are we the only ones here?"

"Course we are, can't you see that much?" Steve replied coarsely.

Jon, ignoring Steve's pessimism as always, chimed in, "Yeah, just us, except for Jauno, who's already playing on the deck." With that Oliver was sprinting off to find his friend. After sharing a soft smile with the rest, minus Steve, Rick followed his son at a much slower pace, looking to set up his writing desk before the ship was packed with men.

Not much time passed before the trio spotted the tell-tale tell sign of curly blonde hair bobbing through the crowd towards them. It was the ever reliable Bill Bruford, if there was a job to be done, Bill is the one to do it. This made him one of the most well known and well respected sailors of his time, and one of the first men Jon would get in touch with when it was time to deliver shipments. He greeted the trio and like Rick, made his way towards the ship.

The man who followed him was the man who preceded him in status, Alan White. He was everything Bill Bruford was, but much older now, he still continued sailing, taking on a senior advisor role to the Yesship. Alan was the leading supplier of advice from first hand experience and the story's that came with them, no matter how long winded they may be. He tipped his patented full brimmed hat to the trio before making his way to the ship.

After that, 4 men appeared in succession, Peter Banks, Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, and Billy Sherwood. All regular crew mates and members of the Yesship, returning for just another voyage.

A pair of men then made their way towards the trio. Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn, long time friends of Steve and overall reliable crew members. Any good captain could see the potential of these two. As they drew closer, Steve's face lit up, probably for the first time today. After exchanging pleasantries with Geoff and Trevor, Steve joined them on their way to the ship, with not a word spoken to Jon or Chris.

But the pair would be joined by a close personal friend of their own, as Trevor Rabin strutted his way through the crowd. Rabin could be identified easily by his dashing looks and South African charm. Despite the fact that Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, and Steve Howe were the main 3 in charge, Rabin filled their personal trio much better than Howe. The three made their way onto the ship, in the same fashion that Howe, Horn, and Downes did.

Jon made his way onto the boat with Trevor and Chris. Standing atop the quarter deck of the ship, Jon let out a whistle, signaling the crew to the main deck, just below him.

"Role-call time my friends." Jon shouted in his gentle, higher pitched British voice. Jon's son, 'Juano' stood behind him on top of a small box, mimicking his father. Chris and Steve stood beside Jon, surveying the crew.

"Quartermaster Chris Squire?"

"As always Jon" Chris said humbly.

"Boatswain Steve Howe?"

"I'm right beside you." Steve stated sharply.

"Navigator Trevor Rabin?"

"The pleasure is all mine sir" Trevor replied from the deck, brushing his dark hair to the side.

"Gunner Master Alan White?"

"As long as my bones hold up sir" said Alan, chuckling.

"Lead Gunner Bill Bruford?"

"Sir, yes sir!" said Bill, standing at attention.

"Mates Peter Banks and Billy Sherwood?"

"Aye!" both men yelled.

"Cooks Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn?"

"You know us Jon," said Geoff, "If you have one of us," Trevor followed up, "You've got both of us" Geoff finished.

"Lead Medic Rick Wakeman?"

"My name is Rick, and I'm an alcoholic," said Rick, comically.

"Nurses Patrick Moraz and Tony Kaye?"

"Yep!" both men yelled.

"Well that's go-" Jon started. but was cut off by an unknown voice.

"I'm here too, for whatever you need," said a man off in the back of the deck, he stood average height, with a vaguely Russian complexion and accent.

"I'm sorry sir, I don't believe I know you" replied Jon, kindly.

"The names Igor, Igor Khoroshev, I don't know very much about this ship, but I can at least man a cannon."

Jon seems to think for a second, before turning to Chris, "What do you think?"

"I don't see the harm in letting him join, I trust Steve will keep a close eye on him." Replied Chris.

Steve chimed in at that moment, "Absolutely Jon, I'll keep a very, very close eye on him." Steve sounded as if he had ill will towards the new crewmate, but Steve's intentions were never clear.

"Well, Igor, I guess you join our crew here, you'll be serving under Alan and Bill, show them respect and they'll treat you well." Igor nodded in response. Bill and Alan looked at each other, neither of them knowing what to think of Igor.

"Everyone, get ready to set sail, Trevor and I will finalize our route. We have a load of building materials that need to be delivered. This shouldn't be a very long trip at all, but I trust you, it'll pay well. The Queen's men reached out to me, something about a war, sounds like a messy situation, but the pay will be well worth it." Jon paused for a moment, then followed up. "You know lads, I was a little shocked when I heard the Queen's men were wanting us, I know we gained a reputation with our transporting goods for shady businesses. But word is they think we're the most reliable ship on the sea, that's why they wanted us. And I have to say, I feel the same way, I trust most of you guys more than anything in the world. I am proud to be able to wave the Yesship banner alongside you men. Now let's do what we do best, the only way the Yesship can!"

The men set sail that day, not knowing what was ahead, but being sure of their skills. They knew they had no one to trust but themselves. And trust themselves they did.

Chapter Text

The Yesship had just been at sea for a few hours of their relatively short 48 hour fare to Spain. Despite the brevity of the trip, it didn't make it any less dangerous. Reports of attacks from unaffiliated ships, simply looking to kill and steal, had been coming in for months. Pirates they called them, same thing they called the Yesship for the first years of its journey. While it's no doubt the members of the Yesship had done some shady things, killing and stealing was never their MO. The Yesship simply transported goods, no questions asked, to the highest bidder. It wasn't honourable work, but it's all they had at the time, before England began requesting their services.

The ocean is a vast place. Especially once you're in the middle of it. The water stretches as far as your eyes can see, it's easy to feel alone, isolated. But not today, thanks to the unmistakable sound of someone losing their lunch over the side of the ship. The sound disrupts the trio of Steve, Jon, and Chris, who were quietly enjoying each other's company, taking in the view of the sea. The trio looks down to the main deck, scanning for the source of the sound. It helps that the kids, Jauno and Oliver are very obviously pointing and laughing at the culprit. Igor is doubled over the railing, putting Downes & Horn's good food to waste.

"The man claims he can man a cannon, but can't hold his food down on a ship" yelled Alan, sharing a hearty laugh with Bill. Igor looked back up at them with a scowl, before getting sick again. Back on the quarterdeck, Jon, Chris, and Steve all look at each other. While the rest of the crew find it amusing, the trio find it concerning. This man shows up on their ship, claims he can operate a cannon, but gets sea sick in just a few hours?

Steve is the first to say what they are all thinking. "I don't like this one bit," he says with a sigh, "Let me go talk to him, I think if anyone can figure out what his deal is, it's me." Jon and Chris share a nod of agreement, and Steve excuses himself. Steve and Igor head below the deck, as the rest of the crew return to their previous activities.

"Trevor, do you see anything?" Jon yells up to Trevor Rabin, who is perched on the mast, surveying their surroundings.

"Just a load of water" Trevor replies.

"Plenty of sailing left to do then" Jon said with a smile.

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The crew hit land in Spain early in the morning. They were able to get everything unloaded by noon, which meant one thing.

"Splendid work people, absolutely splendid," Said Jon, standing upon a crate, looking down at the entire crew, who now stand in a crowd on the dock. "We'll set sail again tomorrow morning, go on and enjoy yourselves here. We'll all gather back here at the crack of dawn. Keep yourselves safe lads!" And with that, the crew was dismissed for the day, free to roam the small Spanish town they landed in.

Everyone went in a different direction, Steve Howe, Geoff Downes, Trevor Horn, Peter Banks, Tony Kaye, Patrick Moraz, & Billy Sherwood went off in a massive group to the heart of the town. Alan White & Bill Bruford stayed by the ship, playing cards and telling stories. Igor Khorshev slipped off by himself, to spend his day at the local bar. Rick Wakeman left his son, Oliver, in Jon & Chris's care, because Oliver found libraries boring. Jon, Chris, Jauno, and Oliver set off to see the sights, while the aforementioned Rick, headed to the library.

Rick scanned the bookshelves, looking for anything that may interest him. But there was something else tugging at the corner of his eye, or someone else. A lanky man sat at a table near the back of the library, the only other man besides Rick. Rick found him to be positively funny looking. Between the long, dark, wavy hair that laid soft upon his shoulders, and the distinctive moustache adorning his face, Rick couldn't help but take notice. The lanky man flipped through his book thoughtfully.

The lanky man flipped through his book thoughtfully as Rick walked up to him, fully immersed in his book. He didn't even raise his eyes when Rick spoke. "Hey there friend, the names Rick"

"Uh, hey, Neil." The man said softly.

"You don't look like you're from around here." Rick said, trying to get Neil to open up.

This time, Neil sets his book down before speaking, "Oh, I'm not, my crew and I dropped a shipment off here, but there's been some confusion about it. No one here ordered supplies from Canada. So my crew has taken up a temporary residency here while we try to sort things out."

About that time, 2 men enter the library, one with long dark hair, the other with long blonde hair. Neil's face lights up immediately, "Geddy, Alex, finally you guys are back." The two men sit down at the table, and encourage Rick to take a seat as well. Rick shares the reason why he's here in Spain as well. The trio of Neil, Alex, and Geddy share the full details of their operation to their fellow seafarer.

Their ship, simply named Rush, quickly gained a reputation, as the entire ship is operated by just the 3 men. The trio begin sharing stories of their time on the sea, which causes Rick to share his stories as well. Before too long, the story telling breaks down into Alex and Rick trying to make Neil and Geddy laugh harder than the other. Hours pass as the 4 grow louder and laugh harder, only ending because the library kicked them out for being too loud.

Rick and the trio part ways, but agree to meet at the docks tomorrow morning to say goodbye before the Yesship sets sail. As Rick wanders to the local inn, to take his leave for the night, he hears the unmistakable sound of a fight. Following the sounds, he steps through an alleyway and onto a nearby street, to find Igor Khoroshev being hauled away by the local authorities. Several unconscious people lay on the ground by him, a clear indicator that he won the fight at least.

Rick quickly runs to the Inn that the crew agreed to stay at. He finds Steve's room with relative ease, as he can hear Trevor Horn, Geoff Downes, and Steve talking from a mile away.

"You aren't gonna believe this Steve" Rick said, the moment he opened the door.

"What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Steve said, concerned. Geoff and Trevor shared his concern.

"Igor got into a fight at the bar." Rick answered.

"Did he win?" Interjected Trevor, warranting Geoff to kick him.

"Let me guess, he's been arrested?" Steve asked, Rick responded with a nod. "Well, this is my responsibility I guess, I'll go see what I can do."

"We're coming with you," said Geoff.

"We are?" retorted Trevor, warranting another kick from Geoff. The three set off to the holding cells, to see what happened. Rick found his way to Jon's room, where Jon, Chris, Trevor Rabin, Jauno, and Oliver were, and explained the situation to them as well.

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The next morning Jon stood on the docks, with his crew. Everyone was there, even Geddy, Alex, and Neil, who had acquainted themselves with the Yesship crew. Everyone except for 2 people. Igor was still in the holding cells, Steve wasn't able to talk the authorities into releasing Igor, and the crew figured it best to leave him there anyway. But Chris Squire was nowhere to be found. No one had seen him since he left Jon's room, to return to his own.

“I FOUND SOMETHING!” Shouted Trevor Rabin, who came running and shouting down the street towards the docks. Trevor had been sent back to the Inn to see if anyone there had seen Chris, while the others waited at the docks, hoping for him to show up. Trevor leaped onto the crate that Jon had made his stage the morning prior.

“Lads,I found this parchment, tucked away underneath his mattress, it seems to be a map of some kind, but I can’t make heads or tails of it.” Trevor announces to the rest of the crew.

“Let me see that.” Steve says, reaching up and taking it from his hand, the crew crowds around him, trying to get a better look of the map.

After some silence, Steve speaks, “Ahah! I know where this is, there’s an island off the coast here, it’s not too far from here, he must have left this.”

“How would he have made it to this island without a ship?” asked Jon.

“That doesn’t matter, we need to get to this island, Chris could be in danger!” said Steve.

“We're coming with you” said Neil from the back of the crowd.

“Yeah, it beats being stuck here in this town, and if he really is in danger, you can never have too many capable men.” Added Geddy.

“I'm not opposed to Neil, Geddy, and Alex joining along. Now come on men, there’s no time to waste.” Jon stated, and the men rushed to set sail.