NINJAGO: Starmarked

13 - Sigma's Gain

The head engineer pulled a huge red lever, cautiously looking at the machine as he did so. In a bright flash of electricity and light, Sigma's stardust-extractor was turned on, using Jupiter as the main power source. The scientists all breathed a sigh of relief and continued hustling around the machine as it charged up enough energy from the ninja, in order to successfully steal Ninjago City's natural cosmic matter. 

"Excellent work," Sigma said, walking into the large lab. The Kosmikiles flinched as she spoke suddenly. "Now, I think it is time I introduce myself to these people, for it would be nice for them to know who it is they are kindly lending their stardust to." The Chief announced to the room, directing her eye-contact to Jupiter, who was struggling to endure the intense effects of being hooked up to the machine. Sigma stepped onto a huge dark platform by the edge of the lab as it raised her to the upper deck of the mothership, open to the sky and giving a full view of the city she was about to destroy. 

She adjusted the huge megaphone on the railings of the deck as she began to loudly proclaim;

"Citizens of Ninjago! So nice to finally meet this wonderful city!" 

From way down below, the cars on the streets stopped and pedestrians halted to see what darn villain was causing trouble this time. The mere sight of the intimidating mothership hovering over the city quickly brought fear to the citizens. 

"I am Chief Sigma, a visitor from a distant world and leader of the Kosmikiles - I have come for something very insignificant to you...but extremely valuable to me." The woman cried maliciously. "Prepare to give up the natural stardust that lives within your land, buildings, materials and you!  And you can thank one of your precious ninja for helping me get this far!"

Panic flared amongst the city - people began evacuating their buildings, vehicles abandoned as the ship ominously hovered over the scene. The Police Commissioner and his police force were no good in stopping the invasion, thus they too resorted to fleeing from the ship. 

An evil grin was painted onto Sigma's face; finally, she could obtain as much stardust as she could from this huge city. As she looked over the pandemonium she caused, something amidst the chaos caught her eye - a familiar feeling, as if there was someone down there that she knew. That's when she spotted her.

In the centre of the city, on an apartment building's balcony, Jupiter's mother glared at the colossal ship. She had a feeling something like this would happen - after receiving her elemental power from the astralstone years ago, it was only a matter of time before someone out there would come back to retrieve it, and that someone was Sigma.

In a flash, Sigma grasped a fistful of her exclusive stardust from her pouch and teleported from the ship to the distant building where she saw the person she wanted to finally meet. The alien chief reappeared far from her mothership and on the balcony next to the startled mother. 

"You!" Aurora cried. "Where is my daughter? What have you done with her?" She took a step back from the creature. Sigma's grin widened maliciously at the sight of the woman. 

"Let's just say she's...preparing something for me. In a few minutes, this city will be nothing but lifeless dust. So I had to come to thank you personally, Aurora." The evil Kosmikile replied, fiddling with the pouch on her belt. 

"Thank me? For what? You have no right to destroy this city! Just as you have no right to claim the elemental powers Jupiter inherited." She argued sternly. 

Sigma chuckled and quickly grabbed Aurora harshly. 

"No need for all that - I came to thank you..for being the first subject to be extracted of your stardust!" Sigma cackled, as she teleported both of them back to her ship's deck.

The machine's laser was prepped on the deck, open to all of Ninjago City. Below the deck, Jupiter was still powering the extractor, ignorant of what was happening above her. Aurora struggled to free herself from the alien's four-armed grasp, but Sigma was too persistent. She shoved the alarmed mother in front of the machine's laser and ordered her workers to fire. 

A bright beam of light shot out of the laser, directing into Aurora's body. Sigma watched as her first test subject quickly decreased into nothing but grey lifeless dust on the metal ground. The machine's giant collecting canister immediately filled with the stardust from Aurora's body. 

"It works! Fire it at the city!" Sigma yelled, so the Kosmikiles obeyed and started attacking the city, shooting at buildings, vehicles and the scurrying citizens.