Aquaman #22

Aquaman travels to the floating city of Basilia to free its guardian from the invaders!

In a dungeon, deep within the floating city of Basilia, a man named Spought is being whipped by a sadistic woman. Aquaman dramatically enters through the wall and disarms the woman. Dodging Aquaman's harpoon shot, the woman fires her blaster at Aquaman, but her blast is blocked by a mystic shield protecting the Sea King. With her focus on Aquaman, the woman is open to an attack from Spought, who, despite being chained to the wall, manages to kick her into unconsciousness. Aquaman releases Spought, then continues on with his mission. In another part of Basilia, Tempest and Dolphin, having separated from Aquaman to better explore the city, witness the arrival of an alien ship. One that quickly releases ground forces to storm Basilia. Spought has been the advance man for the invading forces for centuries, serving as a kind of "watchdog" over the machines that power Basilia. In that time, Spought developed a deep and abiding love for the human race, and now seeks to protect it from his people. To that end, Spought has locked down the operating systems on Basilia, keeping the alien forces from fully taking command of the city. Aquaman and Spought stealthily move about Basilia, ducking patrols. Unfortunately, their luck doesn't hold, and soon enough they find themselves taking fire from the alien soldiers. Unexpectedly, Aquaman's mystic shield not only deflects the blasts, but redirects them back on the soldiers, taking out the entire patrol.

In truth, it was not Aquaman's protective shield that won the day, but the arrival of Aquaman's father, the sorcerer, Atlan. Maintaining cover, Tempest suddenly senses the presence of Atlan on the island. Aquaman, Atlan, and Spought don the downed soldiers' armor. Atlan has just come from a hidden city beneath Tritonis, where the Atlanteans have settled. To Aquaman's dismay, his people have fallen under the sway of Kordax the Accursed, and are even now assaulting the city of Tritonis. With the patrols focusing their hunt on Tempest and Dolphin, Aquaman, Atlan, and Spought are able to move more freely through Basilia. However, Spought's torturer has anticipated their arrival in Basilia's control room, and sets up an ambush. While Aquaman and Atlan savagely battle against the alien forces arrayed against them, Spought reaches the floating city's controls. Sealing the command center, Spought pilots the floating city high into the atmosphere, then rolls Basilia. The invading forces tumble into the sea. Tempest and Dolphin are also pitched into the ocean, but Tempest uses his mystical abilities to form a water spout that carries them back to the city. Aquaman instructs Spought to pilot Basilia to Tritonis. The long journey gives Aquaman and Atlan the time for a heart-to-heart conversation. At that moment, in Washington, D.C. the alien envoy, Shaxak, is meeting with the President of the United States.