Borg Tower, Ninjago City
Skylor, as soon as she returned with Zane to Borg Tower, called the ninja remaining in the city together, ordering them to meet in the conference room.
"Skylor, you have our attention," Master Wu nodded.
"Last night, I figured out the one most likely responsible for Ambassador Nina's murder," Skylor stated.
"We found him that quickly," Cyrus Borg questioned. "I find that hard to believe, and I doubt the mayor will believe it either when we brief him."
"The mayor will find out soon enough," Skylor replied.
"Who is this elusive assassin you found," Master Wu asked.
"The assassin, I believe, is a nindroid warrior called Salvo," Skylor said.
"A nindroid warrior? Preposterous," Cyrus Borg laughed. "I stopped manufacturing those years ago, after the Overlord virus corrupted them."
"You might have, but others haven't," Zane nodded.
"Salvo, it turns out, was constructed after the Overlord virus, in a secret facility buried beneath Chen's Island," Skylor sighed. "Lord Chen, or Clouse, was likely manufacturing nindroid soldiers, and I suspect they were going to brand them with the Anacondrai tattoo as well."
"And how did you find this factory," Cyrus Borg asked. "When we searched Ninjago for nindroids, we found no such factories anywhere else."
"While you guys cleaned up the Time Claws mess, I removed a lot of my father's booby-traps," Skylor sighed. "During that clean-up, I stumbled upon the secret entrance to the factory, although it looked like the nindroids at some point managed to slip away via some sort of teleportation device."
"So, there's nindroid soldiers at large in Ninjago," Cyrus Borg sighed. "Sounds like déjà vu to me."
"Not quite," Skylor said. "Ninja records indicate that a few months after Iron Doom vanished with Master Wu, Lloyd, Ronin, and Cole attacked and wiped out a renegade nindroid army on the verge of invading Ninjago. After that, the records are blank."
"Salvo survived the attack," Zane noted.
"As did a few others," Skylor added.
"What others," Borg asked.
"Last night, I tried calling Lloyd and Ronin on a private conference call, to inform them of what we learned," Skylor said. "I couldn't reach Lloyd, but I did briefly connect with Ronin. He didn't have the time to explain everything, but he mentioned that the nindroid renegades, known now as the Retributionists, have constructed an army of 10,000 soldiers, under the command of one called Zytron."
"10,000 soldiers," Borg gasped. "That's as large as the old Sons of Garmadon cult."
"More like four times as large," PIXAL sighed.
"How do we fight an army of that size," Zane asked.
"We don't," Skylor said. "Right now, the Retributionists are divided into several cells, the largest of which is here in Ninjago City. Ronin, Jay, and Nya, if I heard Ronin correctly, are working with a traitor to infiltrate from within, with 2,000-3,000 men hunting for them."
"How many are in the city," Borg asked.
"Our best estimates say 4,000," Zane said.
"4,000 men are difficult to conceal," Wu noted. "It is possible that they are scattered about in various safe houses, only striking in small units to avoid detection."
"They won't hide forever," Skylor said. "I just discovered their leader as well, and she is bound to strike in larger numbers soon enough."
"Who is this mysterious leader," Wu asked.
"Her name is Jael, and she is the one who stole my powers," Skylor answered. "Lloyd and Cole bumped into her once, when she helped them break up a Sons of Garmadon gang and capture their leader Kuriam. Neither of them, though, had a clue about her, though."
"An elemental thief," Wu mused. "One who steals the powers of ninjas is one who understands their potential, and that is the most dangerous enemy of all."
"But who can harness a power like that," PIXAL asked. "I thought elemental powers couldn't be stolen, let alone used by someone else."
"There are methods," Wu admitted, "although they are rare. For one with no power to gain power, though, it can be injected into them via the use of dark ore needles."
"Dark ore," Skylor questioned.
"Dark ore, the ancient stone from which the Stone Army emerged," Wu sighed. "Since my father buried the Dark Island, it has not appeared in Ninjago…till now. Jael, the one who took amber, likely mined it off the Dark Island, or bought it from someone else who did."
"But we told no one of the Dark Island's existence," Zane noted. "Who could have found out about it?"
"An astute scholar of history, and an expert in navigation," Scales interrupted, entering the room with an escort of Hypnobrai guards.
"Scales," Skylor sighed. "Who let you in?"
"Where I go is not your concern," Scales grumbled. "But I won't entertain your hostility. The matter of Jael is more pressing."
"What do you offer as advice," Wu asked. "Any input from our friends below is appreciated."
"This Jael of yours, I know her," Scales nodded. "She tried to recruit us into an alliance with the Retributionists against you."
"A tempting offer," Skylor mumbled.
"Not to me," Scales answered. "Fighting against you taught me a lot, and I used those lessons to steer the Serpentine a different direction. We are no longer warmongers, as we once were under Garmadon and Pythor. No, we see ourselves as protectors, friends of those who preserve Ninjago's peace. Thus, I refused Jael's offer."
"I doubt she was pleased to hear that," Zane noted.
"No, she wasn't," Scales sighed. "She promptly refused to leave, and in so doing, declared war on the Serpentine."
"That's foolish," Cyrus Borg sighed. "Does she not know the tenacity and power of the Serpentine tribes, or that their armies can overwhelm whole villages?"
"Foolish or not, she is winning," Scales sighed. "Our resources, strong as they are, cannot resist her Retributionist soldiers alone. But with your help, we can drive them out."
"You propose an alliance," Zane remarked.
"I do, and I am willing, if you are, to forgive past offenses and unite against Jael," Scales sighed. "For far too long, Ninjago suffered from the enmity of ninja and snake. Now is the time to tear down those walls of hatred. Neither of us can defeat the Retributionists alone, but together, we stand a chance. You provide the strength we need to flatten strongholds; we provide the intelligence required to knock out cells."
"What sort of intelligence," Skylor questioned.
"My spies have infiltrated Jael's network, and they have disclosed the location of 47 depots, safe houses, and cells, scattered about the city," Scales reported. "My men are too busy defending home to strike on these cells, but you and your police forces, however, might be able to knock them out."
"Master Wu, it is your call," Skylor deferred.
"Scales, though our history suggests distrust and prejudice, I also will ignore the past, for the sake of our future," Wu smiled. "Let ninja and Serpentine join hand in hand, so that together we can end the Retributionists."
"Our alliance will not be in vain," Scales said, shaking Wu's hand.
"Forty-seven safe houses," Zane observed. "If what you say is true, then it will be quite difficult to take them all out ourselves."
"Agreed," Scales nodded. "I propose that we divide and conquer between north and south districts, splitting the army to sweep both sides. Then we will converge in the central districts."
"Zane, you and PIXAL lead the campaign in the north districts," Skylor said. "Since the noddle shop and palace are both there, use those as command centers. I will lead the south campaign, using Laughy's and the Serpentine tombs as command centers."
"And we'll use Borg Tower as the central command," Wu added. "I will stay here with Cyrus Borg and coordinate with the police commissioner and mayor. If there is to be war in the city, we must warn them of the fight ahead."
"It is settled then," Skylor smiled. "Let Jael beware, for today we bring the war to her."
[Skylor's story continues in chapter 41]