Thalia - The New Generation

Chapter 3: The Warehouse At Port Issac

Chapter 3: The Warehouse At Port IssacIshmael followed Daniel outside and into his fliv. Once they were inside, Daniel hit the com button on the dash. It was a private com circle to the Guardian of Flight. In theory, it was one of the comlines that the other Houses could nay access.

Ribdan, Lad of Rurhran and Director of Flight, answered, “Aye.”

“Ribdan, I need a full max blazer and stunner, plus my warrior suit with the globe. Have at least four Troopers fly it to me. They should be suited up. I will be at the warehouse near the waterfront and fishing trollers in Port Issac. Have them scan the building as I need to ken how many are inside.” He showed an image of the area and the coordinates. “Have them land there with my equipment. Do it now.” He signed off and went up into the air.

He flew over the warehouse and landed on a padport in the back. The loading doors of the building were massive, down, and locked.

The air carrier with the Troopers and equipment followed within minutes. The first one out was Pillar, Guardian of Army. He and Daniel had practiced being Warriors at the Warrior Academy from the time they were laddies. He was dressed in the Warrior armored suit and wearing a globe. He ran over to Daniel and Ishmael and handed Daniel his armored suit. Daniel slipped the black warrior's defense suit over his body-tight clothing. Another Trooper arrived and handed him the globe, the stunner, and then the long blazer.

“Thank ye. How many are inside?”

Pillar answered, “I counted five inside. Four are armed and waiting for us.” Then he asked, “Are ye ready?”

“Aye, Captain,” the Troopers answered.

Daniel did have one request. “Pillar, would ye station one of yere men back here in case they try to run out the back?”

The Warrior called Pillar grinned and nodded at the others. “Stay close to the fliv just in case.” He then followed Daniel to the front while securing his globe. The windows were high and nay open.

“The receptionist may be armed, Maca,” Ishmael said. “Ivan could be wrong.”

“Aye,” Daniel replied. He took out his com and turned the speaker to high. “All are to come out now without the weapons and yere hands raised.” There was no answer.

Daniel could have disabled the lock from his Maca's office, but he lifted the blazer and burned around the door again and again. By the fifth time, there was no door. Just the entry into the processing room and teal flames poured out. Daniel and Pillar advanced with red flames spewing from their blazers. The two looked at each other, and both moved to the side and went running towards the wall. Daniel beat Pillar by two steps and jumped high in the air and twisted through the door with his blazer blasting.

Pillar was right behind him, except he had dropped down and rolled through the door while firing his blazer. The desk in the front was smoldering, and two burnt bodies were crumpled in the doorway leading to the back. Two did not account for the four blazers they had heard.

Daniel was up and walked around the desk. A young female was huddled behind it. She looked up at him, terrified, and quickly shifted her eyes toward the door into the back. They heard the doors in back sliding upward, and a scream came from the back. Daniel grabbed the woman's dropped stunner. “Guard her,” he yelled and ran towards the back, leaping over the two forms in the doorway.

Inside were stacks and stacks of the precious metal for ships and fliv building. The only being standing on the loading dock was the other Trooper holding a com. One Sister knelt on the floor beside a bleeding companion. The Trooper looked up at Daniel.

“Her legs are almost gone. I have called Medicine.”

“Aye. Stay there with them till Medicine arrives.” He hurried back towards the front. At the doorway, he debated moving the two, but decided he should leave them for Medicine and the transport to the appropriate House Byre Berm. He stepped over them.

“Yere Trooper has taken two prisoners. One tis down and he called Medicine.”

Pillar nodded. They both turned their blazers toward the door as another female form appeared.

“What have ye done?” Ilarmina voice cried out. “Why didn't ye contact me? I could have stopped this.” Her physical appearance said she was close to three hundred as grey hair wisped at the sides, and her muscles did nay look whip hard. Then she saw the two burnt bodies, covered her mouth, turned, and voided the contents of her stomach. This was not what she had expected or wanted when she had set up the guards.

Daniel and Pillar removed their globes. “And who are ye?” Daniel asked.

The woman turned back, anger blazing in her eyes, and then, she shook, closed her eyes, and swallowed. She then looked up at Daniel. “I am Ilarmina, the Director of Fisheries.”

“Then ye kenned the Sister were hiding and storing the metal here instead of using it for repairs as they were to do.” Daniel's voice was harsh.

“Aye, Maca. I was ordered to set this up by the Sisterhood.” Her eyes were hard and her voice brittle. “I ken ye are going to take away all that I have, but dinna blame Ivy for the actions of the others.” She pointed to the forlorn young woman in dull black standing beside the Trooper. “She tis but thirty-five and has just had the Adult Confirmation rite.”

“She tis House?” Surprise was in Daniel's voice.

“Of course not,” Ilarmina snapped. “A Captain of the Sisterhood performed the ceremony.”

Daniel blinked his eyes at that statement when suddenly he understood. “The Sisterhood considers itself a House, aye? How many of Ishner have that belief?”

“I canna answer that question, Maca, for I dinna ken. I do ken she would have left that warehouse had I told her to do so.”

“Would the other four have permitted that?” Daniel's voice was mild.

Ilramina looked at him. “They should have,” and realized that she had implied they would have obeyed her.

“Who told ye I was here with Troopers?” Daniel's voice was as demanding as his question.

Inside she cringed. This man was clever and nay easy to confuse. “I assumed ye would wish to inspect it.” She left out that she hadn't anticipated the extra Troopers. “I just did nay think ye would be here till after we met this afternoon and ye had appointed someone else.”

There was an almost smile on Daniel's face. “And how many Sisters would have greeted me?”

She took a step backward. “I had nay power to call in others to guard the warehouse. I direct the ships, the processing, the plants, and any construction on or off the ships. I dinna command Troopers or Enforcers.” Half of that statement was true. She did nay have any Troopers under her direct command anymore. They had been arrested after the riots.

“According to the records, ye were the Director of Fisheries before the Sisterhood became so prominent.”

“Aye, Ishmalisa appointed me while she was still Guardian of Ishner and Ilyan but a wee one.”

“Then we do need to meet this afternoon at my Tower office. I will expect ye at four.” Daniel turned and pressed his com button for the Maca's Meeting Room in his Tower.

“All are free to leave now. Report any problems to me. I shall be in touch regularly.”

He then turned to Ishmael. “Ishmael, I need to meet with my counselor-to-be. She expects me back at the Maca's home. Will ye tend to things here while I am gone?”

“Aye.”

“Pillar, I thank ye for yere assistance. I will keep the blazer and armor for now.”

Medicine had arrived, and one Medical in purple approached him. “Ye have murdered two Sisters.”

Daniel, Ishmael, and Pillar all stared at her, but Daniel answered. “Ye are mistaken. I gave an order that they disobeyed and fired at me. I answered their fire.”

She stared at him for a moment. “I shall report this to my Maca.” She whirled and returned to the Tris loading the three dead women and one wounded one into the Med Carrier.