Reaza's red energy blade moved swiftly, blocking Rokal's saber staff as it descended in a high arc. She leapt away as an ice spear was launched at her. Rokal launched two more, but Reaza melted them with fire. Rokal unleashed a rain of ice shards, but she attacked his mind, distracting him, and the ice melted into harmless droplets of water. Her mind wielding powers had laid dormant within her, until a year ago. Since then, she tested them, her skills improving with each use. She had quickly surpassed her instructor. Few had managed to resist her suppression abilities.

She retaliated, unleashing a flurry of attacks. Rokal blocked and struck back, but she evaded. Thus, they continued, blocking and countering each other's strikes, until they were both drenched in sweat.

Rokal grunted, and attacked again. She blocked his attacks with her energy blade, and pushed him away with a slam kick to the gut. Pillars of fire erupted around him, distracting him. Before he could recover, Reaza closed the distance between them and stopped her weapon inches away from his neck.

"Better luck next time", she said, extinguishing the flames, and releasing his mind. "I suppose. Come on, we should head back", Rokal replied. He wielded ice, molding it into a slide. They slid down from the hill, back to the academy. Rokal slowed them, and they came to a halt a few meters away from the building.

...

Virneas, Ilturis, Unzelar and Eruma moved through the abandoned ship, their weapons at the ready. "This isn't good. We should have seen at least one survivor by now", Ilturis said. "I don't like it either" Unzelar replied, adjusting his grip on his spear. "Wait. Did you hear that?" Eruma asked. "What are you- Virneas pushed them out of the way of a projectile, and cut through another with his daggers. Eruma released ice shards, intercepting more such projectiles, and Unzelar conjured a ball of air around them, protecting them from those Eruma missed. Screeches of anger sounded, as creatures surrounded them.

"I can not keep them away for much longer! There are too many of them!" Unzelar yelled over the noise. They moved out, back to the hangar. Suddenly, the metal under their feet groaned, and vines burst through, entangling Unzelar and Eruma. Another vine pinned Ilturis to a wall, from where a fourth burst through his neck. He convulsed once, and then was still. "NO!" Virneas cut through several vines around Unzelar and ripped off another. Unzelar took care of the rest. "Look out!" Eruma yelled. They turned, and barely managed to duck, as another projectile passed inches away from them, and struck Eruma, bursting upon contact, and sending thick, foul smelling green liquid down her throat.

They stared in horror, as she transformed, her skin turning green, spores and growth covering it. Her hands changed into claws, and she emitted a loud screech, not unlike those of the creatures.

She hissed, and wielded earth, through which more vines burst, threatening to envelop them in their deadly embrace. Unzelar cut a few with his spear, and struck her with a blast of air. Virneas protected his back. "We can not stay here", Unzelar said. "Couldn't agree more", Virneas replied, as the two rushed past the still stunned Eruma, back to their ship. Before they could enter, vines burst through the floor around them, and through the ship, destroying it. More projectiles flew at them, and the creatures flooded them. They killed a few, but the rest closed the distance and incapacitated them. As the green liquid poured down their throats, their sight dimmed, and they saw no more.

...

Kirtan tried again, but neither Eruma, Virneas, Unzelar or Ilturis responded. He closed his eyes, and searched for the earth energy of Eruma. All element wielders had the ability to sense those of the same element, but earth and mind wielders even more so than others.

Kirtan searched for the energy, but with no success. As he was about to pull away, he sensed a weak flicker. He focused on it, concentrating all of his power on the flicker, but it was hidden before he could pinpoint it. He tried to find it again, but it was completely hidden now. His last link to them had been severed.

"No luck?" asked Allura. "I sensed a flicker, but it was hidden before I could pinpoint it", Kirtan replied. "Same. For a second, I had them in my sight, but then everything went black. We have to send a search party", she said. "Not on our own. Kelta, Valaeon, Ryala, Freya, Rohalla, Erjana and Zaeron are too far away. Erean is still in the Republic. We shall have to ask Emperor Arlen and Empress Selta for help", Kirtan said, rubbing his temples. "Then we might as well start now."

Allura activated her comm, and sent a long range call to the Helkaites and Kryva. They watched the holo table, tense. At last, Emperor Arlen and Empress Selta appeared. "Master Kirtan, Master Allura. What is it?" said Selta. "Four of our own were on a mission to investigate a distress call in Kraint Sector. We lost contact with them yesterday. We tried to contact them, but without success. We need your help to find them. Everyone else in the Alliance is busy", Allura said. "I can not come myself, but I will send Reaza and Rokal", Empress Selta said. "I and six of my Royal Guards shall accompany you as well", Arlen added. "Thank you", Kirtan sighed, feeling some small comfort from the reassurance.

...

Reaza, Rokal, and four of the Kryva royal wielders waited, as their ship flew through the black and blue of space. Reaza sensed the Royal Guards' nervousness, the elemental energy within them swirling wildly. They hid it well, however, so only a mind wielder would be able to detect the motion.

Their ship came out of light speed, not far from a civilian vessel, and a smaller Alliance ship. A Helkaites ship emerged next to them.

"This is where we lost contact with them", said Kirtan.

The three ships entered the larger ship's hangar. "This isn't right" Arlen muttered. "I sense a dark aura", Reaza said. "Something is growing, and it knows we are here". "Can you locate them with your mind?" asked Kirtan. "No. It's like there is a wall around them, and I can't get through or around it", Reaza shook her head. "Blast it."

They went further into the ship, weapons drawn. "There was a fight here", Reaza said, indicating dried blood on the floor. "Most of the blood is not theirs" Arlen said, lowering his energy sword.

One of the Helkaites Royal Guards shoved Kirtan aside and let loose a burst of lightning, electrocuting an uriak. The creature collapsed, weakened, and she finished it with a downward thrust to the neck. "This couldn't have been the only one", said Kirtan, alarmed. "We have to keep moving", said Rokal. And thus, they continued.

Screeches sounded around them. Arlen increased the intensity of his light, extinguishing the darkness. The Kryva and Helkaites Royal Guards formed a circle around them, wielding fire, lightning, earth and dark energy. Allura added water, and Arlen conjured his own lightning. The uriaks attacked. Rokal and Reaza cut down a row. The Kryva guards cut a few down with their curved swords and one of them killed three more with a wave of dark energy. A Helkaites guard pierced one with her spear, and combined fire and lightning, creating an explosion. Allura killed several more with a rain of ice shards. Kirtan's metal disks decapitated a line, and Arlen's light beams burned through another row.

He conjured light creatures, which were reinforced by dark energy, fire and water creatures. The creatures tore through the uriaks, and the vines that threatened to surround them. Then, three of the Helkaites Royal Guards had their chests burst open by vines, and a Kryva guard was torn apart by four uriaks. Arlen and the remaining Helkaites guards unleashed a storm of lightning, electrocuting the remaining uriaks. The elemental creatures faded away, replenishing their creators with more energy. 

A thud echoed, and the metal under their feet groaned. A larger uriak burst out of the floor, and attacked with its tentacles. One of the Kryva and two Helkaites guards were caught in the first attack, and pulled into its maw. Emperor Arlen wielded a halo of light and lightning, channeling the power along his energy blade, and the blast slammed into the uriak, burning through its outer armor, sending it flying with the force of the impact.

The last Helkaites and Kryva guards combined lightning, fire, earth and dark energy into a protective elemental bubble around them. Arlen, Reaza, Rokal and Allura added light, mind and water. They pelted the uriak with their powers, pulverizing small pieces of it. Then, it reformed, and released a wave of green liquid. Allura and Rokal brought up a wall of ice, and the liquid splashed against it.

A screech sounded from behind them, and two more uriaks rushed forth, their gigantic bodies rolling on the metal floor. Kirtan molded the metal into spikes, on which the uriaks burst, but then reformed. Reaza and the Helkaites guard wielded fire, burning off parts of them. Arlen added light, melting through one's head. Again, the uriak reformed, and attacked with its tentacles. Rokal sliced through with his saber staff, and locked the creature in ice.

Suddenly, the ice wall cracked. A rain of ice shards, metal, earth and air struck it, shattering it. Virneas, Eruma and Unzelar stood before them, eyes glowing pure white, with several dozen lesser uriaks surrounding them, and four of the greater ones.

"No... It cannot be", Kirtan whispered, faltering slightly. And in that moment, Eruma struck. Metal crumpled, and a thick spike struck the Altiris Knight in the abdomen, sending him into an earth wall. Rokal released a water wave, but Unzelar met the attack with a shield of air. Arlen channeled lightning and light along the blade of his weapon, sending the energy at him. Eruma blocked the attack with metal and ice. Arlen's eyes widened. His superior power should have crashed through her defenses. "The uriaks are fueling them", he said.

"Rokal, Allura, heal Kirtan. We shall hold them off." Reaza attacked Eruma's consciousness, and targeted her earth and water wielding. Eruma retaliated in kind, nullifying their mental abilities. Reaza wielded a rain of fire, which Unzelar blocked with an air shield.

The uriaks swarmed them, trying to overwhelm them with sheer numbers. Arlen, Reaza and the three Royal Guards formed a protective circle around Kirtan, Rokal and Allura, the emperor providing the focal power. Arlen released another burst, pulverizing the nearest uriaks. Reaza and the Royal Guards exchanged blows with Virneas, Unzelar and Eruma.

Reaza blocked Eruma's spear, and melted her metal disks. Unzelar sent one of the Kryva guards into a wall with a blast of air. A vine burst through the metal, coming out of the guard's chest, killing her. The other guard attacked his mind, and sent metal disks at him. Unzelar protected himself with an air shield, ignoring the mental attack. Virneas rushed forth. Distracted as the guard was, she was finished. Virneas's daggers cut through her neck. The Helkaites guard returned to his feet and released a burst of lightning, hitting Virneas full on.

The burst sent him into the floor. Unzelar unleashed a air wave, which the Helkaites guard blocked with a fire shield. He sent out more lightning and fire, but Unzelar evaded the attacks, and struck back with his spear. The guard struck back, and slammed the butt of his weapon into Unzelar's gut. He backhanded him in the face and cut him on the shoulder. Unzelar seized him in an air grip, but the guard hit him with a blast of lightning, and sent him to his knees. As he prepared to finish him off, Eruma hurled her spear at him, penetrating his abdomen. Unzelar clenched his fist, and the guard's neck snapped.

Reaza huffed, and retaliated with a torrent of fire, catching Eruma unprepared. She retrieved her energy blade and attacked. She cut down several uriaks, and cut Eruma on the leg. Eruma retaliated, sending her back with metal and ice. Just as she came in for the final assault, the metal under her crumpled, and she was trapped. Rokal and Allura conjured water creatures, which Reaza and Arlen reinforced with fire and light creatures. Kirtan cut down a large uriak with a huge metal plate, and knocked Unzelar out.

"We have to retreat" he said. Rokal nodded, and molded ice into spears, sending them at the line of uriaks, killing them all. "I can turn us invisible for a short time. But we have to take Unzelar, Eruma and Virneas with us. We can not risk the uriaks having any wielders any longer", Arlen replied. "We don't have much time" Rokal said.

Indeed, the uriaks came at them again, Virneas and Eruma leading the charge. Kirtan crumpled metal into a wall, separating Eruma, Virneas and a few uriaks from the rest. Reaza, Rokal, Allura and Arlen destroyed the creatures, and Kirtan protected them from Eruma's metal attacks. Virneas attacked Rokal, but the Kryva wielder met his attack with an ice wall, and knocked him out with an elbow slam to the temple. Eruma sent him to the ground, and unleashed a volley of metal disks. Arlen channeled lightning, striking her full on. Kirtan locked her in metal. "Let's go now!" he said.

They retreated back to their ships, with Unzelar, Virneas and Eruma unconscious. When they got to the hangar, only the Helkaites ship remained operational. The Helkaites Emperor summoned his power, creating a barrier of light around them and the ship. They got on, and directed the vessel out of the hangar.

The ship's cannons opened fire on the vessel, destroying it.

"It's for the best that we stick together for now", said Reaza. "Agreed". The lightspeed engines activated, and the vessel disappeared into the space.