Vengeance

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: For the last time! I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: In an AU future.

"Noted. But now to the Europa Cluster. When the Americans, the Chinese and the Russians decided to band together to run Earth and its nearer colonies two centuries ago, many people were very unhappy. Among them was the old United Kingdom of Earth. They were so angry that they decided to set up a colony as far from Earth as they could manage. They found such a place 482 light years from Earth. In those days, that was a year's journey. The system had three habitable planets and one habitable moon. The planets were named Ireland, England, Scotland and the moon was called Wales. The Welsh joke that they chose the moon so they wouldn't have to be next door to the English."

"in the first twenty years, approximately fifteen million people immigrated to the United Kingdoms. Not just Brits, but Irish, Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders, and even Americans who didn't like what their government was doing. Small numbers of other nationalities went as well. They were a wealthy colony, having brought their industries with them. They also had an army and a space navy. Oh, they called them police units, but it didn't take long for the Triple Alliance to get tired of sending ships out to check on them and be gone for two years. Then they began building a real military."

"The UK also had small transport vessels which they sent out to explore their new neighborhood. They contacted a number of non-human races, including the Tarkai, and traded with them."

"Over the last two centuries, other groups decided to leave that part of space run by the Triple-Alliance and set out on their own. A lot of those from Europe settled on planets near to the UK, hence the name the Europa Cluster. The UK was wealthy and was happy to help out the smaller, poorer colonies in their area."

"About seventy-five years ago a group of Chinese settled what is called the Han Worlds, three solar systems hosting a habitable planet each, less than a half a light year from each other and on the edge of the Europa Cluster. These people were passionate Chinese nationalists. They felt China should run the entire human dominated sphere. They get money, weapons, intelligence, instructors and colonists from China itself. And they support any group in the Europa Cluster that will accept their help. This brings them into conflict with the UK and most of the rest of the cluster who want nothing to do with being run from Earth, no matter what country or countries are doing the running."

"Which is why the UK has its very own tame mercenaries to fight the Han Worlds." Kate concluded for Rick.

"Do you have any actual proof of that?" Castle shot back.

"Proof? No, but I do know of some suspicious things about those units. Most mercenaries have to start discharging their lower ranking troops when they don't have a contract and therefore no money coming in. They'll try to keep a core of senior officers, NCOs and specialists until they do get another job. But some so-called mercenary units somehow always manage to keep their units up to strength, even when there's no contract to pay them. And, these units seem to get the latest weapons from UK defense contractors, sometimes even before the regular UK troops do. Oh, and regular UK officers and NCOs can join these so-called mercenary units and then return to UK service. They get disability and retirement benefits at the same rate is regular troops. Is this all just a coincidence?"

"Pretty much so. The dozen or so mercenary units you mention are both wealthy and in demand. They can afford to keep their entire units together until they get another contract because another contract won't be long in coming. As far as getting the latest weapons, well, I did say they are wealthy. Plus the UK is going to want to do some actual combat testing of anything new before issuing it to their own troops. You don't want to get your own UK troops killed if you can get your weapon tested by someone else."

"As far as UK officers and NCOs serving in mercenary units, why not? It gives them combat experience they might not otherwise get."

"If you're competing with the UK military for troops, you'd damn well better pay as well as they do."

Kate wasn't convinced, but she nodded. "I'll have to take your word for it. But tell me, Captain Castle, does your unit have the latest UK weapons, or pay at UK military rates?"

"No, my unit has taken a job on spec. We don't get paid unless we win and not until then. A lot of small mercenary units have to start that way." Again, that was true, but not the whole truth.

Castle changed the subject. "Are you really as well trained as you say you are?"

"Why do you ask?"

"I can always use good people. Most of my unit are Tarkai, but I can think of some scenarios where a couple of human females could come in handy."

"What would you expect us to do?" Kate asked coldly, suspecting the worst.

"I expect you to kill people. People who may not have committed any crime at all. People who may be fine people but for the fact they're on the other side. I expect you to kill them in any way you can. Shoot them in the back. Shoot them while they're sleeping. Toss a grenade into a house where civilians may be living. In return, I can feed you, clothe you, arm you, give you a place to sleep, provide medical care and, if we're lucky, maybe I can pay you at the end of the mission."

Kate looked at Alexis who was smiling and nodding. Kate felt she had very little choice. "We'll do it."

"Okay, but I want to run you through the combat course here in town to make sure you can shoot."

Castle had George call them a cab and they headed for the combat course on the outskirts of town, almost to the foot of a glacier. The combat courses that Castle had used in his training days, and later with Black Jacques had been wonderful things. They were controlled by computers and had lifelike dummies that could maneuver and "fire" at you with the computers keeping score on whether you "killed" your enemy, or if he "killed" you. Some were large enough to accommodate a platoon of soldiers.

The combat course at Transit Dirtside was different. One elderly computer that you could almost hear wheezing ran the complex with the help of a dozen bored humans. Only one person at a time went through the course. He, or she, as was the case, followed a white line on the dirt and fired at paper cutouts of enemies that popped up from old drums or from around walls made out of cardboard. At the end, a human counted up the number of hits you got on the targets.

Kate went through first, Rick having rented an elderly, but functional, assault rifle from New France. Kate had kept her own sidearm, although she probably wouldn't need it. Rick observed her and saw that she moved quickly, kept to cover as much as she could, shot fast and shot well. He knew his own combat experienced troops would have done better, but she did quite well indeed.

Alexis was next. She moved slowly, did keep under cover, but perhaps a bit too long, and used way too much ammunition. In spite of firing nearly three times as much ammo as Kate did, she hit fewer targets. Under normal circumstances Rick might have passed on her. But he already knew that she and Kate were a team. And, he thought that she could improve with some work.

Alexis approached him. "I know I didn't do all that good, but I can do better. Just give me a chance."

Kate came over to stand by Alexis and glared at Castle. He glared right back. "And giving you a chance will be with a weapon and ammo I'll have to provide. and on a course I'll need to pay for."

Alexis looked disappointed and Kate looked angry.

"You'd damned well get better or you'll be demoted to the cook's helper."

Alexis squealed and threw her arms around him. "I will. I will. You won't believe how good I'll be."

As he untangled himself from Alexis, he saw that Kate was smiling at him.

"Okay, I don't have any human female uniforms or body armor. We'll have to go back to Jules' for that."

Jules was surprised to see Castle again, but was always glad to be of service. Especially if a profit was involved.

"Captain, I do have female body armor that will fit these two, with a skosh of work. I have no female uniforms, but we do have cloth and a cutting and sewing machine. If you'll excuse us, I'll have my daughter Kimiko make them up. I'll be no more than half an hour. The usual selection of uniform items?"

"Yes, and I may as well get load bearing equipment and the usual pouches and such. You know what my troops need."

Jules smiled. "Of course, sir. Whatever you need."

When they left the two women had on nice, warm clothing, far better than what they'd worn before. Kate had also noticed that they'd also been issued lighter uniforms, suitable for a much warmer planet than Transit. Not that that told her anything. Few planets were as cold as Transit.

Once back with Castle's company, the two signed a contract. Then they began their entrance into military life. They found they had a six-person tent to themselves as Castle didn't want them in with males of either races. They were given a quick medical exam, shown the mess hall, issued a weapon, which were both promptly returned to the armory, and then, wonder of wonders, they were allowed to take a hot shower.

That night Kate and Alexis snuggled down in sleeping bags on air mattresses in a nice warm tent.

"Kate, do you think we did the right thing?"

Kate thought for a moment. "We did the best we could. We weren't making it as beggars and we won't become prostitutes. That would leave trying to make a living with our guns. As heavily armed as everyone here is, we wouldn't last long."

"Do you think Captain Castle will protect us if some of Bracken's goons show up?"

Kate thought long and hard about that. "I wish I knew."

A week later, Castle got good news. The captain of the Pink Zephyr, the ship he'd hired to transport his advanced team sent him a message that his people had gotten down safely with all of their gear and met up with their allies. The Pink Zephyr itself had to make a detour for a cargo, but would be at Transit in another month, well within the time frame he needed.

In the meantime, he ran his company through the combat course as often as he could. He put two experienced Tarkai NCOs on Alexis to teach her as much as she could learn. She seemed to be improving. Even Kate was doing better.

Castle hated to get over-confident, but it looked like things were going perfectly.

They weren't.

TBC