Chapter Six:
Dregnaught

"Well, this may be it. You are a truly remarkable group of people. I knew that since I saw you unleash your power on my unlucky comrade," said Sulit-Aladan.

The Adepts were prepared to depart for Cladlenia soon.

"Well, I can't stay long," he said, looking out the bridge window. "I'm famous already."

"They didn't expect you," said Richard. "Askinqua probably told them that Elephande was ruthless and that he had killed all of you."

"Wouldn't have put it past him," Sulit-Aladan replied.

"Come on, guys, lets go," insisted Bill.

"Right with you," replied Mekae.

They started down to the planet of Cladlenia, its majestic mountains and wide oceans below them.

Sulit-Aladan watched the shuttle descend and turned to his second in command.

"Gladia-Neflon?"

"Sir?"

"Set your course to Aldiria."

"Yes sir. Estimated time of arrival: 5:48 from now, and counting."

Sulit-Aladan's POV:

Aldiria turned out to be a large planet, roughly three times the size of my command ship. No matter. My pilots were second to only Elite Squadron and the Suisane herd.

"We've got company!" yelled my tactician, Alsan-Dilra.

The Cladlen had arrived. Their ships, long, sleek silver bullet-shaped craft, were not very agile or maneuverable, which was very unfortunate for them.

"Ashlinder formation Beta 3-9!" I called out, using the Dreg battle formation made famous at the final space battle above Balecroft.

They split and ran like mad. I thought to myself, "Where are the rest of them?"

"Commander Sulit-Aladan!" I looked up. "Oh. There they are."

Thousands of Cladlen ships appeared around Aldiria, and the fighters that flew out of them were an exact duplicate of Elephande's fighters, swift, sleek, and deadly.

"Well, we're here," remarked Bill as they landed on the outskirts of Haldiar.

"Afrin should be at Chilaquand by now," added Richard.

Afrin's POV:

After hearing 57 years' worth of stories about its legendary battles, I set my gaze upon the valley that my father had once called home.

"It has been a long time, Elephade," remarked a voice.

"Who are you?" asked Zambiandë.

"Defond-Patriarch-Delagace of the Valley of Chilaquand. Elephande!" he yelled in greeting, looking at the Mark on my forehead.

"No, I am Suliantig-Patriarch-Afrin, son of Elephande and leader of the Indosyne Union," I replied.

"Delagace? It's been a while, my son," said the shadow of Patriarch Elephate.

"Patriarch Elephate! You have returned!"

"Delagace! Gather your herd!" yelled Elephande.

"Sir?"

"A great host is coming. Here, on these ancient grounds of our home, we shall do battle."

"Well, these grounds have favored us since Bleeding Allysulia, why shouldn't they be our end now?"

"Begging your pardon," said Zambiandë icily, "I was six years your senior then, and it was not as glorious as it is depicted."

"Heh, especially not for you!"

"Delagace! We are on the same side now, despite what you have heard!"

"And you may be?" asked Delagace.

"Istean-Elder-Altoda, thank you very much. And as I am your senior here," Altoda started.

"By what," Suliantig roared, "five minutes?"

"Fools," started Elephande, "what good will it do to argue here while the Cladlen approach?"

"He has a point," agreed Allysuntis.

"Thank you, at least someone agrees with me. To Frontian!"

"Something's not right here," said Mekae. "I can sense it."

"So can we, but we don't know what it is," grumbled Allen. "For all we know, it could be Elephande that we sense!"

Suligan's POV:

"Coming up on the battle, time of arrival 23 minutes," said Suisane-Captain-Adrian, a squadron leader in my herd.

"Squad leaders, ready your commands. Watch for enemy at all points. They could be anywhere."

"We got incoming!" yelled Captain Adrian.

"Scatter!"

We did. In a few seconds, they were on us, exact duplicates of the ships used at Balecroft, but no match for us.

"Suligan!" exclaimed Sulit-Aladan.

"I though I would help, my friend," I replied.

"What? A party without us?" called in Cain.

"Never dreamt of it," said Sulit-Aladan.

"Please," I added, "the more, the merrier."

And so it began. One of the greatest space battle in history, and I was at the head of it. Hopefully, I would still be at the end, but I didn't know if I would be.