An Intergalactic Smuggler's Guide to Homecoming
ShortStory 7,060 words Recommended by 3 award/anthology sources
"There are seven hundred aliens hidden in Miko’s backpack, and the Galactic Security Agent currently studying her passport (hopefully) has no clue. The agent is an alien themselves, some tentacular species with assistive devices hooked into its uniform to mist its soft skin every few seconds."
Quasar links out; the story lives on Clarkesworld, where the author gets the click.