Deadly Planet

By

UCSBdad

Disclaimer: I don't own Castle, or a planet. Rating: K+ for rough language. Time: The near future and very AU.

He heard a noise behind him and grabbed for his rifle as he turned around. It was Rifleman Than and Anber. He noticed Anber now had both ears. He managed to get to his feet, but was still a little unsteady.

"You okay?"

Than nodded.

"We're fine."

Anber waved his ears.

"I got a sniper rifle. One of Breede's people got hit in the throat. I was just grabbing his stuff when we…Well, when whatever happened that got us here. Than said he'll teach me to be a sniper."

"We also have some FNGs." Than said, pointing to two groups in unfamiliar uniforms and one very big…something.

"Babe? What happened?" Kate stood up, took a step forward, then leaned against him heavily.

"We're back on Earth, I think. But, we have some extra people now."

"Comrade Platoon Commander Castle, it looks like they're starting to wake up. They're all armed, so we should go over and let them know we're friendlies." Than said.

As they approached the first group, Castle recognized the camo pattern. It was MARPAT. One group of newcomers were Marines. Castle found one with sergeant's stripes on his collar and shook him.

"Who the fuck are you?" The man asked blearily.

"Richard Castle. I command this unit." He waved vaguely behind him where his troops were slowly getting up.

"Richard Fucking Castle? So we made it?"

"Made it where?"

"Some fucking old dude came to us. Looked like fucking Gandalf or something. Said he was going to send us to you. That we'd be a lot better off. You had more troops and weapons. Are we still on this shithole planet?"

"We're on Earth, I'm pretty sure. These are pine trees and I've seen sparrows. Who are you?"

"Sergeant Dominic LaPierre, First Raider Battalion, USMC. This is about half the group we started out with. I've got, "He looked around, "eight. Nine of my people are dead."

"Okay, relax. We'll get organized and get going to…somewhere pretty quick."

He turned to the second group.

"You are?"

"Sar'nt Sam Grant. 3 SCOTS, the Black Watch. We wiz on yon shithole planet fer jist one month an' wiz lucky. We run inta nae but them wi' shitty weapons an' less discipline an' training. I have fifteen men, wi' me included. Two is wounded. We wuz told by some auld witchy bitch, right outta Macbeth, we wuz goin' to Richard Castle, an' here we air."

"Sar'nt." Said a man with his arm in a sling. "I don't think my arm's broken." He pulled his arm from the sling and waved it around.

"Davey, what about you?"

A man pulled a bandage off the head of another man.

"Nae a scratch or a bluidy bruise, Sar'nt. T'is a miracle."

"Not a miracle. These things happen around here." Castle said.

Castle turned to face the other being that had arrived. As Castle turned, he got up, and up and up. Castle thought he looked vaguely like a bear, a big black bear standing eight feet tall, but one wearing desert camo and carrying a very big rifle. Castle guessed the bore was about the size of their 40 mm grenade launchers.

"Richard Castle?" The big fellow boomed. "Theokrates Kanakredes, Lord of the Great Green Mountains. I was told by a young lady of my race that I would be coming to you." He laughed. "I suppose I erred in introducing myself as the Lord of the Great Green Mountains. I've been gone from the mountains for two months now. I'm sure my younger brother is now the Lord. So, I come to you as a landless wanderer, a knight errant, so to speak." He pulled a basket hilted sword from its scabbard, drove it into the ground and knelt behind it.

"Richard Castle, please accept me into your company of adventures. I swear to follow you and be your sworn man. Until the death of us all."

"Until the death of us all." Castle repeated. "But now, put your sword away and get your rifle. Things in this company of adventurers can get dangerous very quickly."

"Comrade Platoon Leader Castle." Anber said. "They, whoever they are, have sent more supplies, including ammo."

Castle thought for a moment.

"I'm sure we're on Earth, but where I don't know. Those are pines, but I think pines are all over the northern hemisphere. We could be in America, Europe, Russia, China, North Korea or a lot of places. Collect the supplies, distribute them and put what we can't carry with the quad-cycle and trailer. Any spare weapons, ammo and gear goes there too. Then we'll try to find out where we are."

In ten minutes, they were ready to go. Castle saw Corporal Jhana running towards a break in the trees. She stopped, waved her arms and yelled.

"Come see. Come see."

They all ran to her and stopped. There below them was a small village consisting of a hundred neat little brick homes with thatch roofs with what looked like vegetable gardens behind and flowers in front. In the middle of the village were three larger two, and three-story brick buildings roofed in slate tiles.

The village sat at the edge of a small cove. Anchored in the cove were a dozen small sailing vessels, all gaily painted. Beyond them was a larger grey warship. Castle could clearly see a gun turret in the bow and smaller guns to port and starboard as well as other weapons on the stern.

Castle took out his binoculars. On a hill above the warship he saw field works and what looked very much like the muzzles of cannons.

"We're not on Earth." Jhana gushed. "This is my home village. We're in Morea. Look! There's my granny's ship, the Blue Dancer. And I can see smoke coming from the chimney of Auntie Roe's inn."

"What kind of a welcome are we likely to get from them?" Castle asked.

"The village is too small to have a House of the Men. Most of the women have only seen one or two men in their life and have probably never had a conversation with one. They'll totally freak out. But, once they settle down and realize you're humans from another planet and heavily armed soldiers as well, I'm not really sure what they'll do. Refer things up the chain of command, most likely."

Kate put her arm firmly around Castle.

"I don't care what the locals say. You're not going into the House of Men to impregnate their women. You're mine."

There was an affirmative growl from the rest of the women, even the Moreans. Especially the Moreans.

"Excuse me, sor." Sergeant Grant said.

"I'm not a sir, Grant. I work for a living."

"Ah'd thought you wiz called a platoon commander. An officer."

"No, I'm a staff sergeant, US Army."

"That said, dealin' wi' the chain o' command ye might want ta bump yer rank oop a bit. Most Iikely they'll nae think much of a sar'nt, like mos' bloody buroocrats. An' ye do command sumpin near a company."

Before Castle could say a word, Theokrates Kanakredes spoke in a voice like a thunderstorm. "Excellent Idea. He's the leader of our band of adventurers. He should be a captain. How say all of you?"

The whole group cheered and Castle became a captain, like it or not.

He turned to Alice.

"I thought we were supposed to go home? Our home. Not theirs."

The redhead shrugged.

"That's what I was told. I have no idea of what happened."

Castle nodded and looked back at his troops.

"Okay. We'll head down there and see what's happening. Moreans, take the point so they'll see who you are. Move out."

And so, Castle and his troops marched down the hill and began their next adventure.

THE END, FOR NOW

Author's note: I was just having too much fun with this to send everyone back to their home planets. I have some ideas for the sequel, but that'll be a while. In the meantime, I have ideas for a couple of shorter stories featuring Caskett and their friends. And the beginning of the next installment of the adventures of Lord and Lady Castle in the Italian Renaissance. Now I just need a middle and an end. I also want to do more of Special Forces Major Rick Rodgers and his wife, archeologist Kate Beckett, and Captain Kate Beckett, the pirate. I need to type a lot faster.

Author's note #2. I've finished After Boom, a two parter, and will post part one tomorrow.