NINJAGO: Starmarked

14 - Alien Ally

As the screams from below the ship continued, and the loud blasts from the laser filled the sector, Jupiter carried on trying to free herself - she had no idea her mother was already gone, contributing to the growing collection of cosmic matter in the Kosmikiles' machine. Her elemental power flickered around her as the wires and chains holding her in exploited it. She felt herself weakening; this was a huge mistake - she never should've considered sacrificing herself. 

At that moment, she watched one of the Kosmikiles amble past with a futuristic tablet in hand. He looked busy, making sure everything was going to Sigma's plan. That's when Jupiter had a plan of her own. 

"Psst!" She hissed at the alien. "Hey, alien-nerd!"

The Kosmikile turned his head and squinted at the ninja. He briskly made his way over to the heavily wired chamber in which she was hooked up to the machine. 

"What is it, elemental? Also, I will not respond to the term 'alien-nerd', thank you very much!" He stated firmly.

"I need your help. Your Chief, Sigma, is lying to you." Jupiter informed him in a low voice. "She isn't getting the stardust for your sake - she's doing it for herself. You were all tricked!" 

"That's preposterous! Sigma is the best Chief our planet has ever been gifted with - she is loyal, determined--" 

"If she's so 'loyal', then why do you think she has a bunch of glass jars for the stardust she's collecting for herself? Why does she treat you all like slaves?"

The alien stopped for a moment and thought. It was true - he has seen the multiple canisters in the control room, and the way Sigma treats the Kosmikiles cruelly was not the way a good leader should. Perhaps the elemental was telling the truth. 

He immediately put down the tablet and fiddled around with the device on his wrist. 

"What are you doing?" Jupiter asked, watching him tamper with the complex gadget. 

"I am freeing you - I've realised that what your saying seems likely; Chief Sigma doesn't treat us well. So if you can bring us to justice, then by all means, I'll help you do it." In just a few seconds, a sharp laser emitted from his wrist appliance, cutting the chains and wires from Jupiter's grasp and freeing her. 

"Thank you..uh..." 

"Quentin." He said with a smile. "Unfortunately, the extractor will still function for a bit longer before the engineers realise the power source is gone. So what is your plan?"

Jupiter stood up straight and paused. "I'm not sure, but maybe if we--ouch!"

A burning sensation suddenly emerged on her leg - she hopped lightly in pain, then realising what it was. 

"Are-are you alright?" Quentin asked curiously. 

Jupiter reached into her boot and pulled out what she had forgotten was inside - the Sky Jewel was interestingly hot, glowing all sorts of colours. Quentin gasped quietly. 

"You have the Sky Jewel? B-but how? It was destroyed!"

"My friends managed to put it back together, in hope that we could use it against Sigma somehow. But we haven't really figured that part out yet."

"Well, you need to be careful - you can't let anyone see you holding that, especially the Chief."

With that being said, Jupiter shoved the burning jewel back into her boot, securely. Her eyes drifted over to the ginormous canister of the machine, filled with the stardust of so many innocent people and materials. 

"We need to destroy the machine and return all that stardust to Ninjago City," she pointed at the giant weapon. "Is there any way we can do that?" 

Quentin picked up the tablet from the floor and started searching for an answer, when out of nowhere, a heavy thud came from the door across the room, then a yell. Quentin and Jupiter both looked at the door in surprise and confusion. 

Suddenly, six ninja burst into the room, ruffled from what looked like an intense brawl. They hastily shut the door behind them and exhaled deeply.