Portfolio Category: All Episodes

Vengeance

‘Soon everyone will feel my power…I will have my revenge!’ Raiden stands at the portal and calls out Kahn. Kahn appears and tells Raiden that he will bow to him, Raiden replies never and steps through the portal to a dimensional gateway between realms. Raiden tells Kahn to stay back, Kahn tells Raiden that he can’t stop him and that enemies will fall. Meanwhile Zhu Zin is feeling the third aftershock of an ‘earthquake’ and the trading post is a mess.

Taja discovers Kung Lao’s MK Champion Medal, before complaining about the heat and spooky coloured sky. Lao is still searching for Raiden when he meets Kitana who tells him that both worlds are in great danger as Kahn is going to strike and wants Lao to meet her at the temple. In Zaterran, Reptile is fuming that Vorpax has chosen Tsung when Kiri convinces him that Tsung is only here mate and that an alliance between the two races is still possible and thus so is saving their realm and people. Kahn announces to Raiden that he has only one traitor, Raiden says that Reptile is not the only one and that Kahn is alone with only a few worthless pawns to which Kahn replies that if you play your pawns correctly you can still win the game.

As Reptile is heading for a meeting with his generals, Shadow Priests appear. Kiri spits acid at one, only to see him catch it in his hand with no effect; Reptile attempts to become invisible only to be stopped by the priest. A fight breaks out with Reptile no match for the priest, after they snap Reptile’s neck they travel towards Kiri. Kahn announces that he has other traitors too, Kitana, and despite his feelings, all sins must be answered for. Meanwhile, the Earth Warriors arrive at the temple and see Kitana there. But before she can say anything Shadow Priests arrive, placing a force field around Earth Warriors as they battle Kitana. She throws her fans at two of them and as they remove the fans from their faces, they disappear. As one priest gains the upper hand and raises her body into the air, the other two appear holding her in position as the lead priest produces one of her fans and slashes her with it before disappearing. Kung Lao suggests that they seek the help of the immortal, Omegis.

Vorpax meets with Quan Chi on his request only to be questioned about the presence of Tsung at her camp. She tells him that she is using Tsung as a tool due to her needing to mate with an Earth Warrior, once she finishes Quan Chi can kill him before assuming role as sorcerer in her army. Raiden is surprised by Kahn’s plan of lashing out at all enemies real or imagined, and says that he should have destroyed him when they last battled long ago. Kahn tells him that it was a flaw, and that Raiden is a coward and not much of an enemy. Descending down a stairwell in his palace, Quan Chi tells Siann that once he kills Tsung and Vorpax kills Kahn, he will be free to travel wherever he wants and Siann can kill Vorpax. In the dining room, Chi removes a lid to find the decapitated head of Cilene (a new slave) on a plate. He is furious, but distracted by the arrival of Shadow Priests.

They fight, and losing the battle Chi tries to teleport away only to have a priest trap him in the cobalt. Siann is beaten and thrown against a rock when a priest produces a sword and slashes them. Tsung and Vorpax mates after which Vorpax commands that the bed be removed and burned; then hearing the sounds of someone teleporting she thinks Quan Chi has come to kill Tsung. Turning around she sees that they are Kahn’s Shadow Priests who leap into the air and kill her.

Kahn tells Raiden that only one traitor remains, just one; and it crosses to Tsung’s throne room in Vorpax’s camp. Shadow Priests appear and attack him; the battle is close when Tsung attempts to steal the soul of the priest. Weakening as the priest’s soul is leaving his body, the priest uses sorcery to return the soul to his body, weakening Tsung before the fellow priests leap into the air to make the kill.

Kahn begins to question the validity of the decree of the Elder Gods saying that it was something Raiden created to keep Kahn out and that nothing will happen to him if he steps through the portal. Meanwhile, surprised at the Earth Warriors desire to fight in the battle they have no hope of winning, Omegis uses her sorcery to unseal the entrance to Shakka. Lao asks her to join them, but she is intent on bringing an end to her immortality and returns to her camp, pursued by a shadow priest. Raiden wanting to protect the Earth so fiercely saying that he wasn’t always like that surprises Kahn, and he also reveals that he has been studying Raiden’s three mortals and plans to exploit their weaknesses of caring, compassion, and friendship by making them think that the city is their final hope, Raiden was bait. As the warriors approach the portal, Raiden tells them to stay back and that the priests are going to kill them. The warriors try to fight only to be set upon by about twenty priests crowding in from all sides. Furious Raiden challenges Kahn to a fight; it is a fierce fight with swords and war mallets, with Raiden proving the more powerful of the two. It is a fierce battle but with Raiden just about to kill Kahn he discovers that he has lost his powers. Kahn begins laughing and tells Raiden that by fighting he was given enough time to transport Raiden, his friends, and the city to Outworld. Raiden attempts to strike Kahn but doesn’t even cause him to flinch.

In Kahn’s throne room, a beaten Raiden is brought before the Emperor as Kahn displays his gifts. Opening the treasure box, he produces Reptile’s mask, Quan Chi’s blades, Shang Tsung’s vest, Queen Vorpax’s robe, Kitana’s fan, Siro’s dagger, Taja’s metal finger protector, and Kung Lao’s shirt, proclaiming them all dead. He then forces Raiden to bow to him as the Emperor of the combined realms as he leads his extermination squads on a worldwide assault.

                                     

Stolen Lies

It begins in a city where the priests are beginning to make a sacrifice to their God, Shakka. They are preparing for their holy week and are sacrificing a woman in his name as they prepare to welcome his return. At the temple, Kung Lao is meditating when he is haunted by visions of Earth realm’s annihilation.

That night at the trading post, a thief breaks in and is about to make off with some jewellery when Siro discovers her. Siro is holding her against the wall, as he is about to punish her, Taja walks in and recognises the thief as an old friend, Dion, from her life as a thief. At the tavern, Kung Lao discovers Raiden trying to get drunk with a beautiful lady sitting on his knees. Raiden warns Kung Lao of the impending danger with a crazed emperor seeking revenge and says that he is just getting a little R&R.

While Dion is stealing at the market, much to Taja’s disapproval, a masked warrior who is after what was stolen from his people attacks the trading post. The warrior is killed and upon removing his mask Siro and Kung Lao notices a skull tattoo on the warrior’s forehead. They begin to grow very suspicious of Dion. That night as Lao recovers from the fight, he receives another second vision depicting the annihilation of Earth Realm. Outside in the courtyard, Taja catches Dion studying the dagger that the warrior had been after and tells her the two are travelling to the city to return it. Dion protests but Taja says they are going and that’s that. Dion tells her that she will need help to get in, and so Kung Lao and Siro decide to accompany them.

Arriving at the entrance of the city, Shakka’s guard, a cat woman, attacks them and a fight begins in which Siro has his arms slashed by her claws. Maybe realising that these warriors are too much, the guard retreats allowing them to enter the city, however unknown to them once they enter the entrance is sealed.

Inside the city, Dion returns the dagger when a high priest appears and confronts them. He informs them that their presence was foretold and he explains to the warriors about their city and the God, Shakka, who is said to be coming back tonight. Walking around, Kung Lao watch as children are play fighting and overhears the winner telling the other child to give him his soul which frightens Lao. Upon seeing the shawl that Dion obtained from the city, everything seems to make sense. The six-armed centaur on the shawl is like the ones he has seen in his visions before, the skull on the warrior’s head, the children fighting; Shakka is Shao Kahn! Racing to the entrance, they see that it has closed over.

Returning to the city centre, they see the High Priest standing on an alter and placing a dagger in the skull’s mouth he turns it, opening a massive portal. Three shadow priests enter the realm asking if they are here? Dion stands up and says they are, revealing herself as a traitor before travelling through the portal to Outworld, as the Earth Warriors are placed in captivity. Later that evening Raiden realises that something is very wrong and teleports. As the shadow priests return that evening, a voice announces that the people’s salvation awaits; only one sacrifice remains.

The three priests merge into one and attack Kung Lao. Lao is no match and just as he is about to be killed, a bolt of lightning kills the priest. Sensing the danger, Dion wants to go to Outworld, so removing the dagger from the lock the priest stabs Dion and takes her body through the portal, thus keeping the portal open indefinitely. Raiden tells the Earth Warriors to run like hell before frightening off the Shakkans with a fury of lightning strikes. Walking over to the portal he calls out Kahn, and after Raiden unleashes a fury of lightning, Kahn appears and says Raiden will bow to him.

                   

Balance of Power

The search for Shao Kahn’s traitor is heating up with a General of his army being interrogated to the point of torture by a shadow priest. Kahn enters accompanied by Reiko and forces him to confess even though he has no idea of what the charges are. Reiko argues with the treatment saying that he has fought alongside this man countless times and that he can not be the traitor, Kahn tells Reiko that nothing is certain, and not even Reiko can be trusted before fatally stabbing the tortured general with his sword. The torture room of Kahn’s palace and an Edenian warrior who is one of Kitana’s guards is being questioned regarding the claims of treachery.

After the shadow priest makes a threat against the man’s life, he breaks free and challenges the priest to a fight. Fast and furious, the warrior is no match for the priest as the hot coals burn his face before his body is kicked into a chair that has a blade protruding from it from earlier in the fight, he has died his noble death. At Kreeya’s camp Vorpax confronts the Empress about the recent number of deaths in their losing war against Outworld. After Kreeya threatens her, she takes a dozen warriors to the trading post to strike an agreement with the Earth Warriors. Her request is quite simple; kill Kreeya. She tells them that once this is done, her race will leave for their home world and not return. Siro and Taja immediately agree, and after much deliberation so does Kung Lao. In Shao Kahn’s throne room, a shadow priest meets with Kahn saying that the search for a traitor is a waste, and so by killing another shadow priest with Kahn’s sword, the priest creates a link that will allow Kahn to actually hear the traitor confess his treachery so that no more lives will be wasted. Kahn orders each of his servants to bow down and swear allegiance to him, Reiko does so, as does Reptile, however with a certain amount of trepidation. At the trading post Vorpax and Kung Lao enact their plan, fooling Kreeya.

Thinking that Kung Lao is alone and in a weakened state, Kreeya enters only to be confronted by the three earth warriors. As Vorpax and her warriors slam the door closed behind her, trapping her inside, a fight erupts. It is long and fast and Kung Lao is injured in the process. After Siro delivers the blow that levels her, Vorpax enters plunging a sword into her empresses’ back. This seems to set off some strange reaction as something is happening to Vorpax. At Kreeya’s camp, Taja watches as Vorpax receives the Empresses’ powers and assumes the position of queen.

As Taja returns to the trading post to warn Kung Lao, Vorpax searches for Shang Tsung and chooses him as her mate. Tsung agrees to it, but only if Kung Lao is killed. Taja informs Siro and Kung Lao on the latest turn of events and together with Siro, she goes off in search of the hives. After discovering that Reptile and Reiko are not the traitors, Kahn departs his throne room leaving his sword leaning against his throne under the close watch of his guards. Making the most of the opportunity, Kiri appears from spying on the emperor and steals the sword, allowing Reptile to confront Vorpax on the control of the Earth Realm. Once he sees that Vorpax has chosen Tsung, a fight erupts. It is a brutal fight that Tsung wins, but only just. Once he had discovered his sword he had been stolen, Kahn became furious, vowing that he will have his revenge.

                           

Flawed Victory

With Shang Tsung missing from the Cobalt Mines after Empress Kreeya’s attack on Outworld, Shao Kahn summons the free roaming sorcerer from Netherealm, Quan Chi to travel to the Earth Realm and capture him. Meanwhile, on the Earth Realm Shang Tsung is travelling around the forest outside the city stealing the souls of unsuspecting persons as he is trying to regain his strength after being wasted from destroying Kreeya’s hives on Earth. At the trading post, Siro returns from a lunch with a woman in a foul mood telling Taja that even after one a short time this woman was trying to change him. He tells her that the next woman he goes out with will have to be someone more like Taja, and there is an awkward pause.

Kung Lao is concerned about the recent deaths around the city and begins looking for a pattern in the killing. Upon realising that Shang Tsung is heading towards them, they decide to go out and find him first when Raiden appears telling them that Kung Lao cannot fight Shang Tsung to which Kung Lao objects saying that as Shang Tsung no longer serves Shao Kahn he is able to fight him. Raiden is confused and says that he will have to check but advises against it, Kung Lao says to hell with the rules and goes off. In Shao Kahn’s throne room, Quan Chi makes an appearance upsetting Kahn. Quan Chi tells him that the job is being done and he has come to speak of the war between Kahn and Kreeya.

During their discussion, Quan Chi suggests to the Emperor that the two form an alliance to destroy all enemies of the realm. At Shang Tsung’s camp, Quan Chi’s assassins show up and battle the sorcerer, it is during this fight Mika has some ribs broken by the sorcerer, and just as Tsung looks like he is about to lose, he fires fireballs at the trio sending them away and realises that Kahn has a new sorcerer. A few hours later Siro and Taja show up where Taja sets off a trap sending a spiked log swinging towards her. Siro saves her by jumping at her and pushing her out of the way before there is another awkward pause between the two. Back at the trading post Kung Lao is trying to solve the mystery when Siro and Taja walk in. He tells them that he has worked out that the killings are in a circle around the city and that Tsung is moving in closer, but Siro and Taja aren’t interested in what Lao has to say and the two end up spending the night together.

In the morning, Lao discovers the two in Jen’s bed and returns downstairs trying to recover from what he just saw. In the room, Siro unmorphs to reveal that he is actually Quan Chi while Taja is actually Mika, it was all a plan to get Tsung to come to them and it is working.

Meanwhile the real Siro and Taja, who are chained up in Chi’s prison set about aggravating Siann to the point of forcing her to fight them. They free themselves in the process and knock out Siann before escaping back to Zhu Zin. While this is happening, Sora appears in Kahn’s throne room to offer herself to the Emperor, and as the Emperor is leading her to his chamber she pulls a knife on him. Kahn takes it from her and forces her to reveal herself, which she does, revealing herself as Quan Chi. He tells him that Kreeya made a better offer; outraged at the treachery, Kahn sentences Quan Chi to an eternity in the Cobalt Mines. When he arrives, he takes out a prisoner and unmorphs to reveal that he is actually Tsung. With his plan succeeding, Tsung opens a portal and sets off to kill Lao. When he arrives at the trading post, he finds that Lao is gone having received a message from the real Taja but Quan Chi is awaiting him.

With his three assassins taken care of the two battle fiercely using skill and sorcery and just as Chi is about to kill Tsung, he is told that Kahn thinks Quan Chi is the traitor after Tsung shape shifted to threaten the Emperor’s life. Tsung then teleports back to the forest while Quan Chi travels to Kreeya’s camp to form an alliance with the Empress.

In Kold Blood

Kreeya (guest star Fabiana Udenio) is back in Earth Realm and has partnered with Reptile (guest star Jon Valera) to raise an army.

A villager comes to the trading to post trying to sell Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) something the likes of which he’s never seen–a comb from one of Kreeya’s (guest star Fabiana Udenio) hives. Taja, however, knows exactly what it is and calls to Kung Lao and Siro (series regulars Paolo Montalban and Daniel Bernhardt) with the news that Kreeya is back in Earth Realm, most likely to raise another army. All three know that they need to move fast, as Kreeya’s offspring only need days to incubate before being born as fully grown adults, ready for battle.

Kreeya was forced to reinfiltrate Earth Realm because Shao Kahn has made the destruction of her hives throughout Outworld a top priority, weakening her empire. When Kung Lao, Taja and Siro inform Rayden (series regular Jeffrey Meek) that Kreeya has returned, he warns them that she has probably aligned herself with another of Earth Realm’s enemies and they should be doubly careful.

Kung Lao, Taja and Siro set out to destroy the hives that Kreeya has established around Zhu Zin. During the outing, Siro is attacked by a warrior guarding one of the hives. The warrior turns out to be one of Reptile’s Zaterran fighters, thus solving the mystery of Kreeya’s new partner. It’s a brutal fight, with the Zaterran fighter nearly killing Siro, until he’s rescued by Kiri and Ankha (guest stars Sung Hi Lee and Tahitia Hicks), who were last seen fighting against the Earth Realm alongside the evil Noob Saibot. Kiri and Ankha are superior fighters and make short work of the Zaterran fighter.

After Kiri and Ankha save Siro’s life, they help him to the trading post, explaining along the way that their last encounter wasn’t personal, they’re just mercenary fighters and now the money’s on keeping Earth Realm safe. Kiri and Ankha explain to Kung Lao, Siro and Taja that they all share the common goal of keeping Kreeya from taking Earth Realm, however, their loyalty is to Shao Kahn, who more than anyone, wants to thwart Kreeya’s plans–again.

Reptile’s (guest star Jon Valera) association with Kreeya hasn’t been embraced by his key warriors, who feel Kreeya is using the Zaterran race as a pawn against Shao Kahn. When one of the Zaterran warriors turns against Reptile, pledging allegiance to Shao Kahn, Reptile kills him on the spot, thus quelling any further resistance from his troops.

With Siro out of the game, Kiri and Ankha agree to help Kung Lao and Taja search for hives and destroy them with bombs that they’ve made. Taja and Kung Lao find a hive and destroy it after killing the Zaterran who was guarding it.

The news of the two fallen warriors, in a fight that’s not even his own, sends Reptile into a rage. He tells Kreeya that her plan to have Kiri and Ankha divert the attention of Kung Lao, Taja and Siro is not working and now the lethal twosome must kill the Earth Realm warriors. Meanwhile, Siro, has discovered the double-cross and sets out to warn Kung Lao.

Kiri and Ankha have transformed themselves into Zaterran reptilian warriors in order to kill Kung Lao. Just as Kiri is about to unleash the trademark Reptilian deadly acid blast on Kung Lao, Siro knocks him out of the way and the acid spray kills Ankha. Kiri escapes into the night.

With her Earth Realm invasion yet again thwarted, Kreeya convinces Reptile to abandon his people and become her mate to raise countless armies of dark warriors to unleash against the forces of good.

                     

The Master

A mysterious Master comes to Zhu Zin to settle a old score with Shang Tsung and train new warriors with Kung Lao.

Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) has escaped to Earth Realm and is enjoying his freedom when he comes upon Master Cho (guest star George Kee Cheung)–the very Master Shang Tsung turned against many years ago to join forces with Shao Kahn. Master Cho has been waiting a very long time to settle the score with Shang Tsung, and in no time, physically beats him and then reverses his immortality, turning him into an ancient old man.

The Master leaves Shang Tsung to die and heads to the trading post to find Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) and begin training him for future Mortal Kombat matches. When Taja and Siro (series regulars Kristanna Loken and Daniel Bernhardt) see this old man wanting to join their ranks, they’re both skeptical and amused–until Master Cho demonstrates some moves that remove everyone’s doubts.

The Master reveals his history with Shang Tsung to Kung Lao. Long ago, Shang Tsung was a sorcerer being training to defend Earth Realm in Mortal Kombat. In his first match, Shang Tsung violated the rules of Mortal Kombat and was basically given the choice to join Shao Kahn’s dark force or die (Shao Kahn sensed the inherent evil in Shang Tsung and exploited it). Among the moves Shao Kahn taught Shang Tsung was how to take a victim’s soul to fuel one’s own immortality. What the Master leaves out of his story is that Shao Kahn has also touched him with the ‘curse’ of immortality and what it takes to maintain–the taking of others’ life force.

Meanwhile Shang Tsung has summoned Omegis (guest star Angelica Bridges) to bring her potions and reverse the Master’s aging spell. Omegis comes as beckoned, but only reverses the physical effects, returning Shang Tsung’s youthful looks, but leaving his body on the verge of death. Omegis, it turns out, was double-crossed years ago by Shang Tsung and sees this as her opportunity for payback. Many years ago, Omegis had helped Shang Tsung betray Master Cho, with the understanding that they would partner for eternity in Outworld. Instead, Omegis was cursed to immortality by Master Cho and left behind in Earth Realm by Shang Tsung.

Concurrent with Master Cho’s arrival, a flu-like epidemic sweeps through Zhu Zin. The illness is revealed to be the work of Master Cho, who, to stay alive, must take a bit of life force from the mortals around him–not enough to kill them, but enough to make them physically ill. When Kung Lao learns of this (and after Master Cho has tapped Taja), he is repulsed and throws the Master out of the trading post.

Finally, Omegis agrees to once again help Shang Tsung if he promises to remove Master Cho’s curse and make her mortal again. Shang Tsung agrees, and Omegis reverses Master Cho’s curse. Presently, Master Cho arrives on the scene and thanks Omegis for falling into his trap of aiding Shang Tsung–now the two who betrayed him are together and he shall finish them off once and for all. In the ensuing melee, however, Master Cho is beaten by his former students, who then seal his not-dead body in a cave to perish.

Her end of the bargain fulfilled, Omegis seeks her mortality from Shang Tsung. As he did many years earlier, Shang Tsung laughs at Omegis, telling her he can’t reverse the Master’s curse and then leaves her. Not one to be fooled twice, Omegis returns to the cave and unbeknownst to Shang Tsung, frees Master Cho–now she will have the last laugh.

                   

Kreeya

She-warrior Kreeya plans to conquer Earth Realm and wage battle with Shao Kahn.

Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) is brutally attacked in the Cobalt Mines by three female warriors. Just as he’s about beaten, Vorpax (series regular Tracy Douglas) appears, but instead of helping him, she delivers the blow that levels him. Shang Tsung is spirited from the Cobalt Mines and taken to Earth Realm as a prisoner.

Vorpax and the warriors, it turns out, are subjects of Empress Kreeya (guest star Fabiana Undenio), a woman warrior determined to topple Shao Kahn’s empire. Like Shao Kahn, Kreeya has been amassing her universe realm by realm, growing stronger with each conquest. Now she has her sights set on Outworld–thus the invasion of the Cobalt Mines.

Kreeya has settled on the neutral, and therefore relatively safe, Earth Realm as the place where she will raise her army to defeat Shao Kahn.

Meanwhile, Rayden (series regular Jeffrey Meek) warns Kung Lao, Taja and Siro (series regulars Paolo Montalban, Kristanna Loken and Daniel Bernhardt) that something is amiss in their realm. He can’t quite name it, but something is definitely not right.

Presently, that something arrives at the trading post in the form of Vorpax and two of Kreeya’s warriors. Vorpax invites Kung Lao, Taja and Siro to meet with Kreeya and hear her plans to bring peace to all realms through the destruction of Shao Kahn–the three are even asked to join Kreeya’s armies. Taja and Siro are intrigued by the invitation and meet with Kreeya; Kung Lao is skeptical and stays behind. In an effort to woo Kung Lao, Kreeya shows up at the trading post with Shang Tsung in chains.

Kreeya tells Kung Lao of her people and their quest. She goes on to tell him that her people are a powerful race and when they breed with others, their traits prevail–eventually erasing all traits other than their own. Kreeya proclaims this is all in the name of peace and harmony, however Kung Lao sees it more as the conquering and vanquishing of entire races and realms.

Reluctantly, Kung Lao goes to Kreeya’s compound to learn more of Kreeya and her people. Simultaneously in Outworld, the Shadow Priests have brought Shao Kahn news of Kreeya and her impending attack. Shao Kahn now declares war on Kreeya–even though she is on Earth Realm, which is technically off limits to him. Shao Kahn will deal with the Elder Gods once he’s dealt with Kreeya.

At Kreeya’s encampment, Kung Lao learns much more about Kreeya and her ways than he planned. He discovers a ‘hive’ filled with thousands of incubating female warriors who will grow to adulthood in a matter of weeks–all spawned by Kreeya! When he confronts Kreeya, he and the others are given a choice: join them or perish. When they refuse, they are taken prisoner with Kung Lao being put in the cage where Shang Tsung is being kept. Kreeya, it appears, plans to ‘mate’ with each of them to create new legions of super warriors.

Kung Lao, realizing the desperation of their situation, goads Shang Tsung into a fight. Once Shang Tsung strikes Kung Lao, Rayden appears–the rules of Mortal Kombat have been violated and he can now intervene. Rayden frees Kung Lao and Shang Tsung and, ironically, the mortal enemies must fight together to stop Kreeya and save the Earth Realm from her invasion. The two are successful in destroying Kreeya’s compound and the hive, but disturbingly, when the dust settles, Shang Tsung, Kreeya and Vorpax have all gone missing in the Earth Realm. Back in Outworld, Shao Kahn has discovered that Kreeya deposited thousands and thousands of hives on her visit and his kingdom is about to be attacked by hordes of her warriors.

                   

The Serpent and the Ice

Sub-Zero and Scorpion band together in Shao Kahn’s plan to destroy Kung Lao and conquer Earth Realm.

Shao Kahn summons the warriors Sub-Zero (acting on behalf of the Lin Kuei) and Scorpion to Outworld where he informs them that though enemies, they will partner to destroy Kung Lao. Their payment for this task: they will share Earth Realm equally. Both reluctantly agree to the arrangement, while simultaneously trying to figure out a plan to double-cross the other.

Rayden (series regular Jeffrey Meek) gets wind of Shao Kahn’s plan and alerts Kung Lao, Siro and Taja (series regulars Paolo Montalban, Daniel Bernhardt and Kristanna Loken). Rayden’s advice to the trio is to learn as much as they can about their enemies in order to defeat them. Kung Lao and Taja consult a monk knowledgable of the Lin Kuei; Siro sets out to find a woman, Peron (guest star Josie Davis), he believes may have ties to Scorpion.

In a war of wills, the Lin Kuei order Sub-Zero to kill Scorpion, while Peron, who it turns out is now Scorpion’s second in command, is plotting Sub-Zero’s demise.

Meanwhile, Kung Lao and Taja learn from the monk that the Lin Kuei has a history of kidnapping teenagers and making them prisoners to the Lin Kuei. They surmise that since Sub-Zero is a fighter from Earth Realm, and aligned with the Lin Kuei, it’s quite possible that he was once one of those kidnapped youths.

Following this idea, Kung Lao visits the home of a family who lost a child to the Lin Kuei years ago. As he arrives, he comes upon two masked ninjas attempting to kidnap the family’s daughter. Kung Lao defends the family and takes them to the trading post for safekeeping. Sub-Zero, who is trailing Kung Lao, sees him rescue the family–and something unfamiliar stirs inside him. The family, it turns out, is Sub-Zero’s and he now feels a debt of honor toward Kung Lao for saving his family.

Kung Lao wrongly suspects the Lin Kuei is involved with the kidnapping–which is exactly what Peron had hoped for. Her plan to crush Sub-Zero involved finding his family in Earth Realm, kidnapping his long-forgotten sister and using her to get him to surrender to Scorpion. Kung Lao, however, foiled this plan–bringing Scorpion, Peron and Sub-Zero to a face-off in the courtyard of the trading post. Fearing another kidnapping attempt, the teenage girl, Sub-Zero’s sister, flees, running into the streets of Zhu Zin. A seemingly kindly woman offers her shelter– just before brutally killing her. The seemingly kindly woman, it turns out, was Peron.

Sub-Zero witnesses his sister’s murder and in retaliation kills Peron. This infuriates Scorpion who goes to the Lin Kuei and tells them Sub-Zero has turned against them and is now fighting with Kung Lao instead of against him. All of this infighting infuriates Shao Kahn, who is no closer to conquering Earth Realm than he was at the beginning of this mess–he orders both Scorpion and the Lin Kuei to finish what’s been started.

The Lin Kuei dispatches an army of ninjas to kill Sub-Zero, but they are no match for him. Next, Scorpion enters the fray and the two fight savagely–but there is no victor–neither can land the final, crushing blow. When the fighters are momentarily distracted by Kung Lao, Scorpion vanishes into the night, as does Sub-Zero, seconds later. The inability of these two warriors to cooperate has inadvertently spared Kung Lao and the Earth Realm from Shao Kahn’s evil.

                     

The Festival of Death

A traveling festival visits Zhu Zin, secretly raising an army of undead warriors.

Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) has taken a friend from his past, Lori (guest star Brooke Burns) on as a martial arts student. Although Lori’s enthusiastic and hardworking, Kung Lao and Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) doubt her abilities as a fighter. Lori, on the other hand, is overly confident about her ability and wants nothing more than to fight.

One day, a traveling circus of sorts arrives in Zhu Zin with the fighter Qali (guest star Roshumba Williams) as its ringleader. On the surface it appears to be just another carnival with acrobats, jugglers and costumed characters, but as Kung Lao, Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) and Siro know, where Qali’s involved, trouble is sure to be close at hand. (The last time Qali was in Earth Realm, she betrayed Princess Kitana on behalf of Shao Kahn.)

Taja and Siro warn Qali that they’re watching her and will not tolerate any trouble. Qali claims that the festival allows her to make a living since being shunned by both Kitana and Shao Kahn–which is only partially true. She has been shunned, but the festival isn’t a living, it’s actually a means for Quan Chi to collect humans to raise an army of undead warriors!

Each night, the festival holds secret fighting contests in which the villagers compete for a chance to win money. At the end of the night, the strongest villager (and thus, the best candidate for Quan Chi’s army) faces the assassin Mika (guest star Jamie Pressly), whose stunning beauty belies her deadly skill. Once Mika has beaten the villager, Qali releases one of Quan Chi’s undead souls to take over the body.

Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) is concerned that Quan Chi is raising an army as a way to strengthen his alliance with Shao Kahn. If Shao Kahn begins to look favorably at Quan Chi, then he’ll have no use for Shang Tsung, when and if he is ever freed from the Cobalt Mines. Shang Tsung knows he must put a stop to Quan Chi and dispatches Vorpax (series regular Tracy Douglas) to Earth Realm to investigate.

Vorpax reports back to Shang Tsung and the two devise a plan. If they can get Kung Lao to fight at the festival and he is beaten, then Qali would unleash a soul to take over his body. If Shang Tsung could control the soul that’s put into Kung Lao’s body, then his value to Shao Kahn is restored.

Shang Tsung needs Qali to help him carry out his plan, so he tells her that once he’s back at Shao Kahn’s side, she will benefit–perhaps even getting Princess Kitana’s throne. She agrees to have Shang Tsung’s fighter face Kung Lao and will make the soul transference as instructed. Getting Kung Lao to fight, however, is another thing.

Lori has heard about the fighting contests and thinks she’s got what it takes. Determined to fight, Lori sneaks out to the contest. Once there, she’s taken in by Qali, who is using her as bait to get Kung Lao to the fights. It works.

When Kung Lao agrees to fight in Lori’s place, Qali presents Shang Tsung’s fighter–a giant of a man who looks as if he’ll crush Kung Lao. It’s a fierce battle, but Kung Lao manages to get the upper hand. As Kung Lao delivers the final crushing blow, the giant falls to ground knocking over the chest containing the undead souls of Quan Chi and creating a firestorm of unworldly pandemonium. Kung Lao, Taja and Siro literally run for their lives, leaving Lori behind–for she’s already joined Quan Chi’s dark legions.

                       

Twisted Truth

Shao Kahn uses the evil Vorpax (series regular Tracy Douglas) to keep Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) from recruiting a fellow Mortal Kombat warrior to defend Earth Realm.

A traveler, Tomas (guest star Alex Walters), arrives in Zhu Zin and tells Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) and Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) that he wants to join their cause defending Earth Realm. He tells them that he was supposed to compete in the Mortal Kombat tournament which Kung Lao won, but he was trapped in his village by an avalanche.

When Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) returns to the post and meets Tomas he is immediately skeptical–and a bit threatened. When Siro challenges Tomas to a ‘training match,’ Tomas ends up being the better fighter and actually hurting Siro. Siro’s not the only one Tomas is having an effect on–Taja is seriously falling for the guy.

Around the same time Tomas arrived in Zhu Zin, a barmaid at the tavern (who Siro had feelings for) was murdered. A few days later a second barmaid was also killed. Kung Lao and Siro set out to investigate the murders and avenge their friends’ deaths. The only evidence they find at the crime scene is a man’s bracelet. When they take it back to the trading post, Taja reveals it is very similar to one she had bought for Tomas the day before. When Kung Lao and Siro ask to see Tomas’ bracelet he cannot find it.

The ‘evidence’ against Tomas grows: Siro saw him washing up in the courtyard late the night of the second murder and he has scratches on his chest (as though he had struggled with woman) that he can’t explain. Tomas swears he’s being framed and sets out to clear his name.

Kung Lao, in a quandary, seeks counsel from Rayden (series regular Jeffrey Meek). Rayden tells Kung Lao that as a fighter he must follow his instincts about Tomas.

Traveling outside the city, Tomas hears a woman being attacked and rushes to her aid. It turns out the ‘victim’ is Vorpax (series regular Tracy Douglas) setting a cleverly designed trap to make it appear as though Tomas was attacking her. When he goes to help her, her ‘attacker’ disappears, Vorpax tears her own clothing and starts screaming that she’s being attacked. When a crowd of villagers appears, Vorpax tells them of Tomas’ attack and suggests that he’s also responsible for the murder of the two barmaids.

Following the incident in the woods, a group of villagers returns Tomas to the trading post and demands justice. Kung Lao says that he will take responsibility for Tomas.

Back in OutWorld, Shao Kahn is quite pleased that Vorpax’s plan has gone so well. It turns out that Tomas is, in fact, who he says he is and if he joined forces with Kung Lao, they could present a formidable front against Shao Kahn–hence Tomas must be destroyed by turning Kung Lao against him. Tomas continues to defend his innocence and when Kung Lao and Siro will not change their minds, Tomas says he’s leaving. Kung Lao tells him he cannot leave as he’s under house arrest–and this begins a brutal fight. Taja is able to interrupt the fight just as the two warriors are about to kill each other.

His plan temporarily foiled, Shao Kahn sends in the warrior/creature, Reptile, to finish them off. Just as Reptile sprays a shower of deadly acid toward Kung Lao, Siro and Taja, Tomas jumps in front of them to take the hit. Tomas is killed instantly and Reptile disappears back to OutWorld, his job done.