Vengeance
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: For the last time! I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: In an AU future.
As soon as he opened the door, Jules' round, pale face lit up with a smile. "Captain Castle. Do come in. I was just making coffee. Please sit down."
Castle sat while Jules fiddled with the coffeemaker on the low table between them.
Jules was small and slender with an epicanthic eye fold and black hair. Nothing in Jules' accent gave Castle any clue as to where he was from. That was the sort of question you didn't ask on Transit.
The coffee was excellent, as always, and Jules and Castle exchanged pleasantries and general gossip before getting down to business.
"Captain Castle, I think I have something you'll really like." Jules passed his hand over a section of the table. A dolly rolled out and on that dolly was a recoilless rifle. Jules enthused over it. "It's a 76 millimeter recoilless rifle, made by United Arsenals in the United Kingdoms. It has a day/night sight, a laser range finder and guidance system and a full selection of repair tools, and a small satchel of the most commonly needed spare parts. I also have thirty rounds of ammunition. Only five are laser guided, however. All of this for only two hundred UK pounds."
If a solider of two centuries past were to be resurrected, he would have easily understood the weapons of Castle's day. When the Triple Alliance took over Earth and its near colonies, the so-called Core, two centuries in the past, the first thing they did was to forbid any further weapons research. They didn't want any other nations finding a way to make themselves powerful enough to threaten the Alliance. Unsaid was the fact that the members of the Alliance didn't trust their partners as well.
Castle examined the gun. It was new. He could still smell the cosmoline preservative on it. A brand new recoilless rifle was almost certainly stolen. It was unlikely that the customer who had been shorted one weapon would search the stars for the lost weapon, but it might be a problem. Of course, Castle couldn't insult Jules by saying he thought the weapon was stolen, but he could hint at it.
"It's beautiful, Jules. I really think it's brand new. But, it's too expensive for me. But I could go to one hundred and fifty pounds."
Jules assumed a look of injured innocence, but did not dismiss the offer out of hand. "One hundred and fifty pounds is too low. I'd lose money on the deal."
Castle could really use the recoilless rifle. He had sufficient machine guns, a pair of light mortars, but a heavier direct fire weapon would be a huge help.
They began to bargain.
A half an hour later, Castle bought the weapon for one hundred and eighty pounds. Both men were happy with the deal.
As Castle rose to leave, Jules spoke. "There is a rumor about you going around Transit, Captain."
Castle shrugged. "Transit has always been full of rumors."
"They say that you are Richard Rodgers and that your family was slaughtered years ago on Tark by a man who wished to take your family's place on that world. They also say you have recruited a company of Tarkai to avenge your loss and those of the Tarkai."
"Obviously some parts of that are true." He replied, without stating which parts were true.
Jules scratched the faded scar that ran from just in front of his ear down to his chin. "I'm from Yamato. When the revolution came, the revolutionaries thought me too devoted to the old emperor and not sufficiently revolutionary. They took my business and my house and all that they could find that I had. They put me, my wife, my two daughters and my son on an old ship going to Transit. Many died on the ship from lack of food, lack of medical care, even lack of air. I and my family survived. I had managed to acquire some Bindidi heat gems and hid them on my person." He smiled. "I was very careful of how I sat on that ship. But, I arrived here and found the original Jules wished to retire. I bought him out and, since it was easier to change my name than buy a new sign, I became Jules." He nodded to himself. "Vengeance will eat at a man. I provide some money and weapons to the counter-revolutionaries back on Yamato. It does little good. Their secret police are very good." Jules stopped and appeared to have no more to say.
Castle headed for the door.
"I have two cases of Model 71 carbines that I have been unable to sell. They are obsolete and not wanted by first class mercenary units. I could let you have all twenty carbines for fifty pounds."
That stopped Castle at once. Twenty Model 71s would be worth at least a hundred pounds in any condition at all. "May I see them?"
"This way."
Jules led him back into his store past racks of weapons, body armor, comm gear, ammunition and unknown items covered by tarps. He examined the weapons. They were in excellent condition. "You can't sell these?"
Jules nodded. "No one wants such old weapons."
Castle knew that was a lie. He nodded. "Fifty pounds?"
They agreed and Castle had twenty more weapons.
As he left, he was again accosted by the two beggars. "Can you spare a few coins for two fellow humans, sir?" The woman asked. Again, both hoods were over their heads and they stared at their feet. Again, Castle pulled a few coins from his pocket and handed them to the woman.
"Thank you, sir." She said and they hurried off.
Castle rode the jitney a few blocks to the All Arms Emporium, the biggest arms dealer on Transit. They catered to mercenary commanders who were looking to buy a battery of artillery or perhaps a platoon of top of the line tanks. Occasionally they had odd lots of weapons suitable for a much poorer mercenary commander.
Castle was met by a scantily clad young lady who he had found was surprisingly knowledgeable about weapons. She recognized him and her smile faded. "We don't have anything in your price range today, I'm afraid, Captain Castle." Visions of a fat commission were disappearing from her mind.
"That's okay, Jacinda. I'll just browse."
She walked away. He admired the view.
He browsed for a half an hour and found no low priced treasures hidden away. He left. Once outside he was again accosted by the two beggars.
"Can you spare a few coins for a couple of fellow humans, sir?" The woman asked, again looking at her feet, as did her companion.
"Isn't there someone else on this planet you can ask for spare change from?" Castle asked.
For the first time, the woman looked at him. In spite of the stress and worry that was apparent on her face, she was gorgeous: Long, curly brunette hair, warm hazel eyes, killer cheekbones and a shy, tentative smile.
"I'm sorry, sir. Have we…" She stopped, her face beginning to redden.
"You stopped me outside of the spaceport, outside of Jules' and now here."
"I'm sorry, sir. I've never…I've never done anything like this. I was too ashamed to look at you, or to let you see my face. I'm sorry. We won't bother you again."
"The hell we won't." Said the other one. She was a woman, younger than her companion. She had a pale face, light blue eyes and the reddest hair he'd ever seen. She put her arms around his right arm. "How about it, general? A couple of hours rolling around with me looks like just what you need. I'm the daughter of a very high end Earth courtesan. We can…"
The brunette grabbed her arms and pulled. The redhead kept her grip on Castle. "Alexis, we aren't going to do anything like that!"
"We aren't. I am. I'm sick of eating slop and sleeping in a cardboard shack. Don't worry. I'll share with you, Kate."
The brunette, Kate, kept pulling on the redhead's arm. The redhead, Alexis, kept a death grip on Castle, as the two fought.
"Where would you eat if I gave you more money?" Castle yelled.
They both stopped and looked at him. "Zoppi's." Said the redhead.
"Zoppi's?" Castle said. He was beginning to be curious about these two. He knew he should probably give them some money and send them on their way, but his curiosity was growing. "You'd likely die of food poisoning at Zoppi's. Why don't I take you both to breakfast at someplace better?"
"I accept." Alexis cried.
"We ate breakfast at Zoppi's." Kate snapped.
"We ate breakfast there two days ago." Alexis retorted.
"Where and what do we have to do for it?" Kate asked, suspiciously.
"We'll eat at the Commander's Club. In return, you'll tell me your stories."
Castle and Alexis began walking up the street with Kate following unwillingly, but unwilling to let go of Alexis.
The Commander's Club was the finest place to eat and drink on Dirtside Transit. Some said it was better than many of the more prestigious places in orbit. It was modeled on the old-fashioned English gentlemen's clubs on Earth. It not only featured a bar and restaurant, but comfortable rooms upstairs for their members. As a very conservative establishment they very much frowned on anyone bringing female companionship to the rooms. They also had several briefing rooms, one large enough for a brigade commander to brief his subordinate commanders and staff. There was a library with books and the most recent periodicals for their members. They also had game rooms with billiards, darts, quoits and other English games. In the back was a reading room where silence was strictly observed.
Like the English gentlemen's clubs, membership was not open to just anyone. A member had to command a mercenary unit and be proposed by three members. Castle had been surprised when he arrived on Transit to find that he'd been proposed for membership by General Schram, General Armstrong of the Eridani Light Horse, and Colonel Hans von Tarlenheim, the commander of Kampfgruppe von Tarlenheim. As far as Castle knew, almost all of the members commanded battalions or larger units. The only other member he knew who commanded only a company was a Captain Vishinsky who commanded a secretive Russian speaking company known as Spetznaz Vostok, or Special Purpose Force East.
They were greeted at the door by George, the manager. If George was not by birth the perfect English gentleman's gentleman, then he had worked at it for many years and was perfect at it.
"Captain Castle, how good to see you again. Welcome back."
Castle had at first thought that George's enthusiasm was false, but he eventually decided that George was one of those rare people who truly loved his job and looked forward to it every day.
"Would you care to check your heavy coats?" George asked. "It is a bit warmer in here than outside."
Castle took off his heavy coat and went to Angela, a seeming ageless human. He handed it to her as well as his sidearm. Weapons were frowned upon here.
He saw the two women leave their lighter coats, but Angela stopped them. "I'm afraid you'll have to leave your weapons with me as well, ladies."
Castle was surprised to see that both women had heavy military issue pistols at their belts. Kate glared, but handed hers over. Alexis did so with a smile.
"The one in your ankle holster as well, miss."
"I forgot it was there." Kate lied smoothly as she handed the weapon over.
Castle's curiosity was going off the charts.
TBC