Sean Catherine Derek – Mortal Kombat Conquest Site

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.

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.

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.

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.

Shadow of a Doubt

Shao Kahn makes numerous attempts on Kung Lao’s (series regular Paolo Montalban) life before being stopped by his stepdaughter, Princess Kitana (guest star Audie England).

Episode opens with Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) being attacked by the warrior Rain (guest star Percy ‘Spit Fire’ Brown), who has the ability to summon lightning from the sky to strike his opponents. Shao Kahn has sent Rain to kill Kung Lao, which would give him control of the Earth Realm, as well as keep Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) in the Cobalt Mines for eternity.

Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) and Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) come upon the fight causing Rain to flee. Unfortunately, Rain has hurt Kung Lao badly and he’ll require a few days’ bed rest. Shao Kahn decides this is the perfect opportunity to infiltrate the trading post and finish the job Rain has begun.

In order to gain access to Kung Lao, Shao Kahn calls upon the warrior Mileena (guest star Megan Brown) who he transforms to look like his stepdaughter and friend to Kung Lao, Princess Kitana. He sends this substitute Kitana to the trading post with orders to kill the weakened Kung Lao. The evil Kitana arrives saying that she heard that Kung Lao needed some nursing, and she wanted to repay the favor for the time he helped save her life.

When Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) learns of Shao Kahn’s plans to kill Kung Lao, he immediately dispatches Vorpax (series regular Tracy Douglas) to foil the plans. If Shang Tsung ever hopes to escape the Cobalt Mines, it is he alone who must vanquish Kung Lao.

Vorpax convinces the evil Kitana that Shao Kahn is using her and once she kills Kung Lao, she too will be finished. Vorpax tells her that the longer Kung Lao lives, the better off she is. The evil Kitana begins an affair with Kung Lao and making excuses to Shao Kahn.

Taja has become suspicious of Kitana’s behavior–it is markedly different from the last time she visited from Outworld. Coupled with the fact that Kung Lao is getting worse instead of better, Taja becomes increasingly wary of this Kitana.

Meanwhile, Siro has been tracking Rain since his attack on Kung Lao. When Siro comes upon Rain in an abandoned temple, he’s not ready for the intensity of his attack. Just as Rain is about to finish Siro with his trademark lightning blast, Rain is struck from behind by one of Princess Kitana’s fighting fans.

It turns out that in a last ditch effort to keep Kung Lao alive, Shang Tsung alerted the real Princess Kitana (guest star Audie England) that Shao Kahn had sent Rain (a former Edenian and friend of Kitana) to kill Kung Lao. In her pursuit of Rain, she came across the fight in the temple in which she saved Siro’s life. Following this, Siro asked how she had been able to get from the trading post to the temple so quickly. At this point they realize that the Kitana at the trading post is an impostor sent by Shao Kahn.

The real Kitana hurries to the trading post and confronts the impostor–a raging fight ensues. In the midst of the fight, the women are transported back to Outworld by Shao Kahn. He punishes Mileena by taking away the beauty she had received to pose as Kitana; when he turns to the real Kitana, she tells him that she was not disobeying him when she went to Earth Realm, rather she was serving him by exposing Mileena as a fraud who was both impersonating her and trying to kill Kung Lao–something Shao Kahn is forbidden to do by the Elder Gods. Kitana trumps Shao Kahn’s plans and is safe for the time being.

Thicker than Blood

Siro’s (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) long-estranged brother (guest star Dean Cochran) turns up in Zhu Zin as a warrior for the evil Scorpion (guest star Chris Casamassa).

While Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) and Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) are busy recruiting prospective warriors, Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) is running her bazaar out of the trading post’s courtyard. A mysterious woman approaches Taja looking for Siro. When this woman, Hannah (guest star Eva Mendez), tells Taja that she once almost married Siro, Taja is stunned and intrigued.

Hannah, it turns out, is now married to Siro’s long-estranged brother, Cassar (guest star Dean Cochran). She has come to Siro because Cassar is missing and she fears that he’s in trouble. Siro, who was dumped by Hannah years ago, is ambivalent toward her plight and tells her she’s on her own.

Meanwhile, Scorpion (guest star Chris Casamassa) reports to Shao Kahn his plans to raise a dark army in the Earth Realm. He’s recruiting only the deadliest fighters to carry out his plans. Unfortunately, Cassar has fallen under the spell of Scorpion and has joined him in his quest.

Cassar and another of Scorpion’s warriors go to the trading post to recruit Hannah to join them. When she resists, a fight breaks out and Cassar escapes, but the other warrior is captured by Kung Lao, Siro and Taja. With a little persuasion and big dagger, Siro and Kung Lao ‘convince’ the captured warrior to tell them where Scorpion is headquartered.

Since they’d be outnumbered by Scorpion’s warriors, Kung Lao and Siro devise a plan to infiltrate his operation and get to Cassar. They decide to send Hannah to Scorpion, pledging her loyalty to the cause as her husband has. Once she gets Cassar alone, Hannah leads him into a trap set by Siro and they take him back to the trading post where they work to ‘deprogram’ him.

Cassar and Siro attempt to sort through years of sibling rivalry which was fueled by their father who always made them compete with one another. Finally, Kung Lao, Taja, Hannah and Siro are able to convince Cassar to stay and join them in their noble quest.

Following a celebratory feast, Siro and Cassar are at the trading post, catching up on the years they’d been separated. Scorpion appears and says he’s come to reclaim what is his, meaning Cassar. For the first time in their lives, the brothers fight alongside each other instead of against each other. Scorpion, seething from Cassar’s betrayal has only one goal–to kill Cassar–and he does, then vanishes into the night.

Unholy Alliance

Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) partners with the evil sorcerer Quan Chi (guest star Adoni Maropis) to lure Kung Lao away (series regular Paolo Montalban) from the Earth Realm, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) is once again being plagued by visions of his own defeat–visions that Rayden (series regular Jeffrey Meek) tells him can only affect him when he’s filled with self-doubt and uncertainty. Kung Lao is feeling the pressure of being the victor of Mortal Kombat and is becoming resentful of the sacrifices he’s had to make because of it.

In an elaborate and ambitious attempt on Kung Lao’s life, Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) engineers an uneasy partnership with the evil sorcerer Quan Chi (guest star Adoni Maropis). While both are powerful in their own right, this alliance, in theory, could make them unstoppable.

With Kung Lao in his weakened and vulnerable state, Shang Tsung has Quan Chi lure him away from the Earth Realm into a parallel realm that contains everything his heart desires, including his simple pre-Mortal Kombat life and his beloved Jen. As is most often the case with Shang Tsung, there’s more, much more, than meets the eye.

The ‘parallel realm’ that Kung Lao has been lured to does indeed have everything he’s been longing for–in fact, whatever he desires appears before him. What Kung Lao doesn’t know is that this isn’t a parallel realm at all, but a 24-hour illusion being maintained by Shang Tsung. When the 24 hours has passed, Kung Lao will become Shang Tsung’s prisoner for eternity, which would leave the Earth Realm without a defender in Mortal Kombat and could ultimately free Shang Tsung from the Cobalt Mines to return to his destructive ways.

The plan is proceeding without a hitch, until Shang Tsung double-crosses Quan Chi. Originally Shang Tsung had agreed to share the secret for drawing the life force out of one’s victims and harnessing that power for one’s own gain (in exchange for Quan Chi luring Kung Lao away from the Earth Realm). Once Quan Chi had this knowledge, however, he would become much more of a challenge to Shang Tsung, so Shang Tsung reneged on his deal.

As one good double-cross deserves another, Quan Chi goes to the trading post and tells Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) and Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) exactly what’s going on and what they can do to stop it. While they’re reluctant to believe him at first, they realize that if Quan Chi has come to them in an effort to foil Shang Tsung, there must be serious trouble.

Quan Chi transports Taja and Siro to the ‘parallel realm’ and they’re able to see that it is an illusion and one that’s fading fast. Kung Lao, on the other hand, isn’t as easy to convince–it’s not until Siro drives a dagger into Jen and nothing happens, nothing at all–that he’s able to see he’s being manipulated by the forces of evil. With only seconds to spare, Kung Lao, Taja and Siro make it through the portal back to the Earth Realm, once again scrapping Shang Tsung’s plans.

Debt of the Dragon

An ancient underworld organization threatens to overrun Zhu Zin unless Taja, Siro and Kung Lao can stop them.

To make extra money, Taja (series regular Kristanna Loken) opens a bazaar in the trading post’s courtyard. One night as she’s closing up, Jola (guest star Andreea Radutoiu) and her body guards force their way into the courtyard and demand that Taja, Siro (series regular Daniel Bernhardt) and Kung Lao (series regular Paolo Montalban) vacate the premises.

According to the intruders, the trading post is theirs, owed to them by the Baron to cover a gambling debt. When they won’t surrender the post, Taja, Siro and Kung Lao are attacked by Jola and her co-horts. As the fight intensifies, Jola’s brother, Kebral (guest star Greg Vaughan), arrives and demands that Jola stop the fight and leave. Kung Lao, Siro and Taja mistakenly think that Kebral has put an end to this nonsense when he ominously states that they will be back to take possession of the trading post.

It turns out that Jola and Kebral are members of The Black Dragon, an underworld organization known for its deviousness. The Black Dragon is a familial organization led by Bannak (guest star Dave Corey), who opposes Jola’s use of force and agrees with Kebral that there are other ways to intimidate, extort and exploit.

Siro knows of The Black Dragon and their ways–he wants to strike back at the organization and show them that they will not be able to prey on him, Taja or Kung Lao. Kung Lao is opposed to any use of violence against The Black Dragon and asks Siro to restrain himself.

Concurrently, Jola is furious that the men in her family have sided against her and seeks out Shang Tsung (series regular Bruce Locke) in the Cobalt Mines. It turns out that Jola and Shang Tsung have had dealings before and were once lovers. In the Cobalt Mines, Jola begs Shang Tsung to return to her the powers of the Dragon–forces that her family once used to control and destroy their enemies. Over generations, the powers surged out of control and the family turned away from them as they became too dangerous. Jola seeks the powers to settle the score with her family and anyone else who gets in her way.

True to their word, The Black Dragon begins a campaign of terror against Kung Lao, Siro and Taja by killing one of the Temple’s monks and hanging his body on the wall of the trading post. Affixed to the monk’s body is a note that says one more shall die each day the threesome resists The Black Dragon. Against the counsel of Kung Lao, Siro begins a retaliatory crusade of his own.

When Bannak turns up dead, The Black Dragon assumes it’s the work of Siro. Unbeknownst to everyone, it is Jola who killed Bannak. Later in the Cobalt Mines, Jola makes a deal with Shang Tsung for the powers of The Dragon.

With her new powers of darkness, Jola visits the trading post with the intent to kill Kung Lao and settle her debt with Shang Tsung. What she’s not counting on is the unified front presented by Taja, Siro and Kung Lao. Despite the fact the her new powers have made her a fierce fighter with the ability to throw flames from her palms, Jola is pulled back to Outworld by Shang Tsung just as Kung Lao is about to finish her. Telling her she’s failed him, Shang Tsung intends to keep Jola in the Cobalt Mines where he will train her in the use of the powers.

For the time being, the trading post and Zhu Zin are free from the reign of The Black Dragon.