Return of the Maca (Chronicles of the Maca Book 4)

by Mari Collier

  “We are Thalia's Army!” Beauty's voice rose to a screech. “After the fight, Llewellyn, ye will have less manhood than your Elder.”

  The screen went blank and both young men stepped to the window. Blue strobes of light went out and down into the Flight Center. Flames and debris went flying over the wall. Suddenly the blue light arched towards the First Center, then the Second. Flames swept down and around the perimeter of Don's Maca Tower, scattering the circle of Sisters guarding it. Some were holding their arms, others were limping, and two were being carried. A voice suddenly came over the city com.

  “Maca, dinna take out the fighter at the Third Sector. We have secured it.” It was Lasa's voice.

  “Good work, Sargent. Keep it on the ground. What of the Sisters guarding it?”

  “They are our prisoners.”

  “See if ye can unite with the force near the Second Center. That tis where the reinforcements are.”

  “Aye, aye, Maca. Revenge for Lamar!” The last words were a battle cry.

  The screen filled with Ravin's face and voice. Rollie sat beside her, white faced and his mouth drawn in a tight line.

  “Beauty, ye have tortured one of our Warriors from the Justine War. Your actions are despicable. I call upon all Thalians to destroy ye.”

  Jolene's round face replaced Ravin's. Her brown eyes were large and gleaming. “Ye, Beauty, are marked. Surrender now or be taken and sent to my tender care.”

  Llewellyn had turned all of Don's screens on from his upper defense Ops Room knowing the Houses would watch all casts. “People of Don, we will have the traitors by nightfall. The screens will remain open for ongoing reports.”

  Brenda's plain face appeared next. “Llewellyn, our troopers report that they have secured the Second Center and are marching on the First. There tis one casualty. Do ye have any agreement with Medicine?”

  Magda responded. “We will support Don. If the Maca approves, I will send a recon for your trooper.”

  “Approved, and thank ye, Maca of Medicine.” Llewellyn's face lighted by a tight lipped smile, appeared.

  Lorenz expected the casts to end when Betta suddenly stood beside Brenda. “Beauty, my lassie, what have ye done? Ye must command the rest of our Sisters to request permission to leave Donnick. As the Guardian of the Realm, I abhor your actions against one of Thalians finest Warriors.” Tears streaked her face.

  Beauty stared at her mother and sister for a moment and slammed her finger against the Ishner circle.

  “Iwanda, send the rest of our troopers here.”

  “Aye, aye, Commander.”

  Llewellyn's voice came over Don's com again. “Director Leta, do ye have any to attend the manning of our Tower's front area?”

  “Aye, Maca, Lettuce and Lena are available.”

  “Good, assign one of them and ye repost to the Ops room. I intend to fight.

  “Lorenz, would ye two care to join me? Ye'll find the armor in my office. I will join ye there in a moment.” The com went silent.

  Lorenz looked at Ishmael. “Like I said, this isn't your fight.”

  Ishmael smiled. “Ye forget, Lorenz, I am Thalian.”

  Lorenz shrugged. “The office is this way, or are all of the Maca's Towers built the same?”

  “Aye, I dinna believe there has been a change in design for at least five hundred years. Ops can be located in differing areas.”

  “Architects must have a hard time of it.”

  They were out in the hallway heading towards the office. Leta went running by them, barely pausing long enough to nod before running down the half flight of stairs to the Ops Room.

  “What are architects?”

  “It's an important profession in my world.” Lorenz opened Llewellyn's office and they stepped in. The huge, contoured desk was flanked by three blue chairs. The large windows looked out towards the open space heading down to the bay. “In fact, they would have rebuilt this at least two times.”

  “By themselves?”

  Lorenz laughed as he placed his hand on the panel and it rolled away revealing mostly empty shelves. He reached in and pulled out two of the armored uniforms, they look like tight-fitting long johns without buttons, he thought, and handed one to Ishmael.

  “No, the architect designs the new buildings and the construction people figure out how to build them.” He and Ishmael pulled on the uniforms. The material adjusted to their clothing.

  “This will be warm. I've nay had occasion to wear one ere now.”

  Llewellyn came charging into the room and grabbed his uniform. Lorenz reached in the closet and pulled out the Justine sprayer.

  “The Kenning Woman says I will be carrying this. I don't know how she even knew we had one.”

  “Are we ready? Ishmael, ye should stay here and help guard the premises. Don owes ye a debt as tis.”

  “I dinna do this for Don, but for Thalia.”

  Llewellyn nodded and led the way out of the office and down the short hall leading to the back doors.

  Chapter 49: The Debt

  “Our fighters are destroyed, Commander. Do ye wish to set up defenses here?”

  “Nay, Babara, I intend to defeat these interlopers. Assemble the troopers. I will lead them. At least Don will ken their mutant Maca has nay courage enough to meet us as equals.”

  “Commander, tis best if ye command from here.” Babara's voice was strained. “There tis too much risk that someone outside will miss a needed element.”

  Beauty pulled her transparent globe over her head and fastened it to the armored shirt. “Donnick will fall to us and with it Llewellyn.” She grabbed her stunner. “Line those troopers up now.”

  Bonni sat very still at the scanner. She hunched her shoulders to look smaller hoping both would quarrel and ignore her. She was sickened by what Mafy had done to Lamar. It was wrong, very wrong.

  Suddenly a desperate Iwanda was on screen. “Commander, the troopers are refusing to uphold ye. They are taking the fighters back to their own Macas. They are preventing our Sisters loyal to us from boarding the fighters.”

  For a moment Beauty stared at the display. “Why?”

  “They honor Lamar.” Iwanda looked as incredulous as Beauty at the thought.

  Beauty turned and ran out of the building as she yelled, “Troopers, rally to me. We fight the males of Don!”

  Babara whirled on Bonni. “Are ye just going to sit there?”

  Bonni's lips were dry. “I canna fight for a torturer.” The blow from the stunner smashed into the back of her head and she fell forward.

  Babara followed Beauty yelling, “Thalia, all Sisters forward for Thalia!”

  * * *

  As they came abreast of the hall doors, Llewellyn looked up at the outside scanners. For once the black uniformed Sisters were not standing there and a wide smile creased his face as he laid his hand against the panel. The doors swung outward and the three men raced outside to crouch by the half-wall.

  “Maca,” it was Leta's voice, “Beauty and Babara are running towards this building. They have stunners. There are about five troopers behind them. I will join ye.”

  “Tis best for ye stay there, darling lassie. If they try to burn through here, ye are to stop them.”

  Lorenz glanced at his father. Was the man bedding her too?

  “Papa, y'all can't really intend to rape her.”

  “I meant it as much as her threat to take every bit of me that tis male.”

  He was looking straight ahead, but motioned to Ishmael. “Would ye make a run for those buildings to the right? We will cover ye as we nay wish to be blindsided.”

  Llewellyn and Lorenz stepped forward with their weapons held waist high while Ishmael ran towards the vacant shop buildings. Once he was safely behind one, Llewellyn started forward, Lorenz on his right side.

  “Forcing her in the middle of the street would negate everything y'all ever taught me.”

  “I taught ye for Earth. Here certain customs are looked at differently. On Thalia
forcing anyone for control tis wrong, but this tis caused by her refusal to abide by the rules of the Arena. She welshed on her promise and asked for the Med Scan, hoping that the Justines would eliminate me. She kens what she has due.”

  They could see Beauty and her guards running towards them with their stunners in firing position. The afternoon sun splashed golden light over the tarmac and smooth walls, beating back any shadow trying to establish a foothold for nightfall. It was unreal, decided Lorenz. Light breezes from the waterfront toyed with their hair.

  Lorenz let loose with the Justine sprayer when the troopers were twenty feet away. It gouged an open space in front of the Sisters.

  “That's far enough,” he yelled. “Any closer and everyone is dead.”

  Ishmael stepped forward and looked with disbelief at Lorenz and at the Sisters. He had assumed they would take cover or all would toss aside their weapons to physically fight. Thalians did nay kill Thalians. Instead the range of the Justine sprayer meant that the Sisters were in danger. What was Lorenz doing? Proving he was a deranged mutant?

  The Sisters coming towards them stopped. From the area of the First Sector's Center the sound of stunners and shouted commands could be heard. Suddenly a troop of green, light green, brilliant red and pink came around one end and started towards them.

  “Beauty, ye are surrounded. Do ye submit?” Llewellyn's voice roared out.

  She removed her globe, motioned for the others to stay back, and started bounding towards Llewellyn, her fists in the air shouting, “Thalia!”

  A tight smile lit Llewellyn's lips, but the black eyes were obsidian. He handed his stunner to Lorenz. “Dinna fire that unless the others start forward.”

  He rocked forward on his toes. When Beauty was about nine feet from him, he leapt forward, his right fist upraised, shouting, “Thalia!”

  Lorenz, like the others watched the two leap at each other. Beauty had drawn a small knife and held it in her raised right hand. That's a stupid move, he thought. Papa's reach must be six inches more than hers.

  The two met in mid-air, Llewellyn's right hand opening and grasping her right wrist. For a moment they seemed to be suspended and then crashed earthward. Llewellyn's heavier weight brought him down on top. He slammed her knife hand into the tarmac. The crowd could not see Beauty's face turning white. Her right arm was useless.

  She struggled to extract herself, to gain some sort of advantage, but he was too heavy and his hands ripped her trousers downward. Then he rose on his knees to drop his own trousers, Beauty managed to roll to her left and then back, using the momentum to swing her left fist into his face.

  In response Llewellyn dropped his knees on her midsection and rammed his elbow into her face. Then he rammed himself home.

  Babara scooped up her weapon and started forward when the red suited commander of the relief column sent a low stun ray into her side. Babara's weapon went clattering to the ground while she grabbed at her wounded side. The other Sisters glanced at the House troopers, and decided to remain stationary.

  The crowd watched in silence as the huge, muscled back moved up and down and Beauty's legs flailed and beat helplessly against the hard surface. Abruptly, Llewellyn stood, the white stream from his manhood spurting up and then down, splashing over Beauty's midsection. His voice carried to the watchers.

  “Ye did nay think I would let ye carry my seed just to destroy it.” He stepped back and away, and then reached down to pull up his trousers.

  Beauty rolled over and realized she could not use her right hand or arm to push herself upward. She rolled to the left, went up on her knees, and stood. She whirled to face him, but only her left hand would go into a fist. Beauty was desperate for revenge, but the sound of cheering filled her ears and she whirled to see a crowd of House troopers yelling.

  “Llewellyn! Llewellyn, Maca of Don!”

  Rage filled her and she shook. Worse, Llewellyn had a satisfied look on his face while calling Medicine. There were two pink suited troopers around her and she heard Llewellyn talking.

  “When ye finish caring for Lamar and the troopers, we need someone to check on Beauty. She has a broken wrist.”

  The red suited Ayranian commander stepped forward. “Maca, we need Medicine at all three Centers. One or two of my fighters were injured, and some of yours; nay badly, but they will need care.”

  Llewellyn relayed the message to Medicine, and turned to the Ayranian trooper. “My deepest thanks to ye, your fighters, and to your Guardian. May I ask your name?”

  “It tis, Joycene, Maca. It was our pleasure. My parents told me how ye were cheated of your victory so long ago. It tis a shame they are nay here.” She bowed. “Where do ye wish to confine these Sisters and the others we have captured?”

  “They will be confined in the lower cells of my tower.

  “I was told Mither was leading the troopers. Do ye ken where she tis?”

  “LouElla tis at the First Center tending the wounded till Medicine arrives.”

  He brought up the handcom again. “Leta, are ye and Lettuce prepared for prisoners?”

  “Aye, Maca, the cells are empty for now as the others were sent to Ayran.”

  Beauty blanched at the news. She had failed. It would take years for the Sisters to regain their strength. Iwanda, based on Ishner, had to hold and build.

  Chapter 50: Cultures

  “Are ye leaving, Lorenz?” Llewellyn stood in the doorway of the office watching Lorenz remove the armored uniform and slinging it onto the lower shelf.

  “I'm heading to the Zark Station.” His voice was strained and he kept his back to his father. In his mouth was bile, and his stomach knotted from the spectacle he had just witnessed. He didn't know this man he called father.

  Their mission was complete. Llewellyn was Maca of Don and in control. The debt that he owed him for saving his life was fulfilled, but this man was Papa. He had helped teach him right from wrong, how to trust again, and how to love. Why had his father behaved in the manner of a wild bull? To return to Earth wasn't possible for another ten or twenty years. He had no intention of riding around the universe trading God knew what and he would not share responsibilities with Red. Where was there a place for him?

  Llewellyn moved towards him as Ishmael appeared in the doorway. “Maca of Don, would ye speak with my Guardian? She and Illnor desperately need your assistance.”

  “Aye, as soon as I contact Medicine. Lorenz, would ye bide a moment?” He sat in his chair and faced the display.

  “Medicine, tis there a report on my Elder?”

  Magda answered. “Aye, Maca of Don. He will recover and Beatrice tis with him.”

  “Thank ye,” he replied. The screen filled with Ishmalisa's face.

  “Llewellyn, Maca of Don, I and my Counselor appeal to ye on behalf of our Maca, Ilyan. I caught one of the Sisters beating her and trounced that woman. Illnor stopped another from interfering and tended our lassie. We took her and Issing and fled. They almost caught us when Betron came to the rescue. Now the Sisters hold Ishner, but I have received a message that the people there are in revolt against the Sisters. My people have nay weapons.”

  “Where are the Sisters located?”

  “They were in the school adjacent to the Maca's Tower, but now occupy the Tower.”

  “Does your Tower have the defense crystal?”

  “Nay, Maca, but they are secure in there.”

  “We shall see if we can induce them to emerge.” He smiled at her. “They will run low on food if we close it off for ye.”

  “Would ye allow me to attend? Illnor will remain with our lassie.”

  “Aye, and I will bring my laddie and Ishmael. My mither also if she wishes.”

  “Thank ye, Maca.”

  Brenda took her place. “Llewellyn, I honor ye for your fight and congratulate ye for settling your debt. Thank ye.”

  “Ye are welcome, my love.”

  “Why's she thanking him?” Lorenz asked Ishner.

  “For nay lea
ving his seed in Beauty.”

  Brenda continued. “I have instructed my troopers to go with ye, and I will join ye when ye pick up Ishmalisha.”

  Jolene's smiling face was next. “Well done, Llewellyn! That was what the traitorous welsher deserved. I have ordered my troopers to go with ye. I'm adding fifty more. We will meet ye at Betron.”

  As she faded, Rollo appeared. “Maca of Don, please, how tis my friend, Lamar?”

  Llewellyn's face hardened. “He tis recovering. Beatrice tis with him.”

  “Thank ye. With your permission, I and my younger, Ribdan, and fifty Rurhran troopers would like to accompany ye to Ishner.”

  “That surprises me.”

  Half of the screen showed Betta standing beside Brenda. Her face was rigid, her lips white, but her voice was controlled. “Maca of Don, I ken why ye collected your debt, but I despise ye for it, however, I propose that the Council of the Realm meet again in Donnick when the Sister's Army tis subdued. Ye are acknowledged as Maca of Don and Troyner as Maca of Troy. Thalians must nay fight each other. These last few days have been a disaster. Do ye agree?”

  Llewellyn's voice remained hard. “Ye left out the part where Don's beasties are returned.”

  “If that can be accomplished without another fight, aye, it tis agreed.”

  Raven stepped next to Rollo. “Maca of Don, I fear that ye have nay the facilities, nay the people to care for so many kine and sheep. The people who have been faithful workers in tending them are fearful of returning to Don.”

  Llewellyn eyed her for a moment. “Maca of Rurhran, kine dinna need that much tending, and our facilities are excellent. Ye are correct: sheep do need tending.” Lorenz despises sheep ran through his mind.

  “Mayhap on the sheep we do have a basis for negotiations as long as ye agree that my youngest, Andrew MacDonald, be part of them. His solution tis apt to be economic, but it will be reasonable.”

  Raven tried to hide her look of puzzlement. Negotiations she kenned, but what was his meaning of economic? She tried to smile while speaking.