Vengeance
By
UCSBdad
Disclaimer: For the last time! I do not own Castle. Rating: K Time: In an AU future.
At last he was at his destination, the plantation belonging to Jack and Dick Coonan. Of all of the plantation owners on Tark they were the most hated, at least by the other plantation owners. While the other owners were a rough and ready crew, the Coonan brothers were hardened killers and they didn't care who knew it. While most owners hired the kind of hired muscle for their guards that could be found in any low rent spaceport bar, Coonans' guards were a cut or two above that. Not on the same level as veteran soldiers, Bennett thought to himself, but better than most of the bottom feeders on the planet.
The Coonan brothers had taken slaves from other plantations and insisted they were their own. They had sent their slaves to cut Golden Life leaves on other plantations in the night, and then denied any involvement. A few people had threatened the Coonans, and were later found mysteriously dead. No one threatened them after that.
Bennett found the place he had selected for his sniper's post from orbital images. He removed his 8.5 mm sniper rifle from its water proof case and carefully checked it, and most importantly its sights. All was ready. He looked through the sight and smiled. There, over 1500 meters away and below him, was the office of the Coonan brothers. He could easily see both of them through the large window. Luck was with him. Jack was standing facing away from him talking to Dick, only a yard away. He quickly checked temperature, wind velocity and direction and a host of other factors. The computerized rifle compensated for them and he was presented with a perfect sight picture. He squeezed the trigger and both men fell. He worked the action and saw that Dick was moving slowly on the floor towards the door. He fired a second time, striking Dick in the head.
He quickly put his rifle away and ran for the river. Behind him all hell was breaking loose. Searchlights came on and flares were shot in the air. The guards ran from their barracks looking for their attacker. One guard thought he saw movement to the south and loosed a whole clip from his assault rifle at a tree moving in the breeze. The other guards also opened fire. In the confusion they began shooting at each other.
The noise from the Coonan plantation was followed by a radio warning from one of the Coonan guards that they were under attack which put all of the plantations in the area on high alert. It didn't take long for jumpy guards to begin firing at non-existent foes in the dark.
As the Tarkai paddled rapidly to the south and safety, Bennett saw that two plantations, their buildings not 400 yards apart, were firing at each other. He could briefly see and hear firefights all along the river and well inland. Bennett's mission had gone better than he'd ever imagined it would.
By the time Bennett got back to headquarters, everyone was gathered around the radios, listening in on the frequencies that the plantation owners used. It was pure pandemonium. Everyone thought they were either under attack, or soon would be. Every plantation guard seemed the think it was his duty to shoot at anything that moved, or only appeared to move, adding to the confusion. The plantation owners did nothing to calm matters, as they mainly were on the radios loudly demanding help from neighboring plantations, claiming they were on the verge of being overrun.
By dawn, things had calmed down a bit, but not much. The wild gunfights had left a dozen people dead and dozens wounded. The wounded included not just gunshot wounds, but people injured while diving for cover, two women who attacked each other in the dark, each convinced that the other was a well-armed Tarkai commando come to kill everyone, but the best was a plantation owner who'd been in bed with his two mistresses and had been seriously bitten where no man wants to be bitten. Frightened by the gunfire, the two women had both bitten down hard.
After dawn, reports began coming in from the recon teams around the valley. They reported the slaves had been put to work digging entrenchments, filling sandbags and cutting back brush and trees to provide better fields of fire. The plantations were also demanding that the Geiser Company store order barbed wire, more sandbags, land mines, more ammunition, weapons and recruit more guards. No one seemed to be thinking of taking the offensive. Each plantation was sure that they'd fought off a force of at least a platoon in strength or possibly even a company. Castle and his people laughed. That would mean there was a division sized force of Tarkai in the forests.
Castle looked over the reports that were coming in. "The best part is that none of them really have any idea of how to properly fortify a place. From the reports, the trenches are too shallow, and too wide and have no overhead cover. Our mortars can turn them into death traps."
"The sandbags won't be much help, either, sir." Lieutenant Corroon said. "They're using them to block up windows and some doors, but they don't realize that our machine gun bullets will go right through most of their walls. If we can get close enough, even the assault rifle and the Type 71 carbine fire will go through the walls."
"More good news, sir." One of the communication NCOs said. "The Pink Zephyr just called in. They're just at the edge of the solar system. They'll be landing in three days."
Castle and his troops and a horde of Tarkai porters were at the landing site on the night of the landing. The Pink Zephyr set down amidst the trees and everyone moved towards her. The first thing Castle saw departing was a group of Tarkai in camouflage uniforms.
One of them approached him and saluted. "Warrant Officer Chendoola, late of the Connaught Rangers scout platoon, sir. I've brought twenty-seven Tarkai to join you."
Castle returned the salute. "I'm always glad to see anyone from the Devil's Own, but how did you know that I'm here?"
Chendoola smiled. "Oh, the news has gotten around the various Tarkai communities among the stars, sir. I think you'll be getting more recruits soon. And well-trained recruits at that. By the way, Colonel Tracy sends his compliments, sir, and he allowed us to take a few things with us after we overran a rebel force on Guadalupe. Come take a look, sir."
Castle followed the warrant officer inside the Pink Zephyr, expecting to find, perhaps, some extra assault rifles. He was amazed at the arsenal he saw.
"We brought you twenty cases of Type 71 carbines, sir, along with five hundred thousand rounds of ammo and fifty brand new assault rifles. We also have three medium machine guns and one 15mm heavy machine gun. And we brought you another 76mm recoilless rifle, with three hundred rounds of ammunition, sir."
"Colonel Tracy gave you all of this?" Castle asked, not quite believing it.
"Yes, sir. He says it's just good business to keep the Tarkai communities sweet when the recruiting sergeants come calling."
Castle had no doubt that something like this would keep all the Tarkai there were quite sweet, but he also wondered if something that he had vaguely thought about was actually happening. "All right, Mr. Chendoola, disembark your people. We have porters to take the weapons to the various hides we've set up, although we now have far more weapons than I'd thought we'd have."
Chendoola gathered his men and trotted off.
"Captain Castle?"
Castle turned to find himself facing a young man, very stylishly dressed in the latest Earth fashions. "Yes?"
"I'm Renard Francouer, of Horthy and Badoglio, attorneys-at-law. I have the documents you asked us to have drawn up, sir. All we need is your signature on these, and a DNA sample for authenticity. Would you care to examine them?"
Castle took the proffered papers and checked them. They were exactly what he had asked for, but all written in perfect legalese. He signed them and handed them back and had a DNA sample taken.
"You'll see that they're delivered, Mr. Francouer?"
"I've been told to personally deliver them, sir." The young man smiled. "I'll be very interested to see what the reactions will be."
"I just hope they don't shoot the messenger."
Francouer laughed. "Me too, sir. Me too." He left Castle and headed back to his quarters in the ship.
Castle turned to find Kate standing there, looking at him rather slantindicularly. "What was that all about?"
"It's a surprise."
"What's the surprise?"
"Kate! It won't be a surprise if I tell you."
"Castle, I don't like surprises."
"You'll like this one, I guarantee it."
"If I'll like it so much, why not just tell me?"
"Because I like surprises. They're fun." He said with what he hoped was a winning smile.
"Oh, so you like surprises, do you? Well, you might get one when we get back to our quarters. I feel an awful headache coming on."
"Kate! You can't do that!"
"But you like surprises, remember?"
"Can I just give you a hint?"
"My head is really starting to pound. And throb." Kate began walking away.
"Kate! Wait!"
Just then the head of the Tarkai porters came to Castle with a question about the storage of some of their equipment. Castle had to watch Kate walk away, but he knew he'd have to tell her about his surprise later.
It took longer than he had anticipated, but three days later all of the weapons, ammunition and equipment brought in by the Pink Zephyr had been safely stored in small caches all over the area of the four villages that were supporting Castle. As it turned out, it was just in time.
"Sir, we may have a problem." Lt. Corroon said. "I've been listening to the radio chatter from the plantations. It's not good."
Castle headed for the radio room with Corroon right behind him. "What is it?" Castle asked.
"Some people with brains have been looking at the damage done by our raids and especially the clusterfuck that happened after Bennett's mission. They've figured out that the wrecking of the Henry plantation was one bomb planted in a fusion unit and the rest of the raids were a squad or so blasting off some rounds and then getting out of there. They also figured that most if not all the damage caused after Bennett took his shots were due to friendly fire. Some of them have figured out that there's no huge Tarkai army out in the damned trees getting ready to run over them, but just a few people with rifles. They want to do something about it."
"Who's they?" Castle asked.
"A mixed bag. Some are from the plantations on the edges of the forest, some are from the southern part of the valley, nearest to us, and the rest are kind of scattered. But they're talking about organizing a big slave raid and grabbing whatever Golden Life leaf we have."
Castle smiled. "The leaves we had are all on their way to be sold. But if they're really planning a big slave raid…" Castle stopped and walked over to the map of the valley that was hanging on the wall of the longhouse that he used as his headquarters. He looked at the map for a long time and then shook his head. "I'd really love to ambush a slave raid and shoot the hell out of them, but the first group of recruits we started with aren't as well trained as I'd like and the second group has just started training. They hardly know which end of the weapon the bullet comes out of. We'll have to retreat when they attack and maybe we can harass them when they pull back."
When Castle called the village chiefs and wisemen together to tell them of his plan, he was not surprised that no one liked it. The younger men were especially anxious to fight.
TBC