SINDEL: Such a pity my daughter embraces their sentimental values.
SHANG: Having second thoughts, Sindel?
SINDEL: Hardly. Kitana courts a peasant and obeys the Thunder God.
She couldn’t be a bigger disappointment.
SHANG: One can only imagine. The Isle… do not be late. An
eternal empire awaits you.
He waves a hand and the hologram disperses. Sindel smiles wickedly
to herself, but promptly changes her expression to a regal
indifference when she hears a knock on her door.
SINDEL: Enter.
Kitana opens the door and walks into the room. Sindel immediately
gets off her armchair and bows to her.
SINDEL: Kitana Kahn.
KITANA: Oh, don’t be so formal, mother.
SINDEL: You are Kahn, Kitana. Command the awe of your subjects…
even me.
Her expression changes to a (seemingly) warm smile.
SINDEL: Ah, I shall never tire of greeting you.
KITANA: Nor will I tire of calling on you.
Kitana’s smile is genuine, which seems to amuse Sindel.
KITANA: Our battalion is leaving for the Sea of Blood. Queen
Sheeva and the Shokan will follow as rear guard.
Sindel walks up to a dressing table and drops her talisman in
a drawer, away from Kitana’s eyes. As she closes the drawer,
Sindel calculates her next move.
SINDEL: May I request something?
KITANA: Mother, you don’t have to–
Sindel looks over to her daughter, silently reminding Kitana of
her earlier words. Kitana takes the hint, replying in a more
formal tone.
KITANA: Make your request.
SINDEL: Sheeva… Queen Sheeva risked everything to restore me.
Honour demands that I accompany her into battle.
KITANA: Yes, it does. And that display of loyalty is sure to rally
the Shokan’s spirits.
Sindel walks up to Kitana and performs another bow, this time going
down onto one knee before her.
SINDEL: Thank you, Kitana Kahn.
Kitana reaches out her hand. Sindel takes it and gracefully gets
back to her feet. Her daughter throws her arms around her in a
loving embrace… but Sindel’s face, now it is no longer visible
by Kitana, shows nothing but cold contempt.
The scene cuts to the underground dungeons of the Outworld
Koliseum. Two Shokan walk into the prison room of a large,
severely beaten and bloodied, but still monstrous looking humanoid
with draconic arms. As the camera zooms in, we see that this
monster is in fact the former Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn.
He holds out a hand in front of him, as if trying to find his
bearings. His eyes are dripping with blood and are blackened.
Clearly, the injuries caused by Kitana’s fans in their climatic
battle have left him blind.
Sindel approaches the prison cell as the two Shokan begin beating
Shao Kahn offscreen. He struggles to stand, but they continue
to rain down heavy punches on him.
SHOKAN 1: Hah! Doesn’t know when to quit. Let’s finish him.
The Shokan pulls out four knives from his belt, brandishing one
in each of his arms. Before he can do anything else, a banshee
scream echoes out from behind him, instantly flaying the skin off
both him and his companion. As the guards fall over, killed
instantly from the shock, Sindel walks into the cell. Shao looks
up and reaches out a hand in front of him.
SHAO KAHN: Wife. It’s you.
SINDEL: Hush, husband. I’m here.
She walks to him, kneels down and embraces him.
SINDEL: The Soul Chamber will heal your wounds. Then we’ll
discipline Kitana and take back our throne.
UNSEEN: Empress?
Sindel looks around in shock. Sheeva approaches the prison
cell from behind her.
SHEEVA: Tell me I misheard. Tell me you would not betray your
daughter.
Sindel stands up and turns to face Sheeva, walking out of the cell.
SINDEL: She takes after her father, Sheeva. Jerrod was a weak
king, Kitana is a weaker Kahn.
SHEEVA: Weak?! She defeated Shao Kahn!
They begin to circle one another.
SINDEL: Yet she lacked the resolve to kill him! Now she will
learn; enemies must be crushed, lest they rise again.
SHEEVA: That was true once. But now there is a better way to lead.
They fight. Although Sheeva is both strong, fast and skilled
enough in kombat to face Sindel, she ends up being conflicted in
facing the woman she dedicated her life to. With no such qualms of
her own to battle with, Sindel ruthlessly presses the advantage,
managing to overwhelm the Shokan queen and beat her unconscious.
SINDEL: Elder Gods tremble before me, Sheeva. What hope did you
have?
Moments later, three Shokan males and two females run into
the dungeons. They spot the broken body of their queen on the
ground and start growling in anger, looking directly at Sindel.
Sindel doesn’t panic, instead pointing back at the prison cell.
SINDEL: Kitana murdered your Shokan brethren. Sheeva challenged
her and suffered this punishment.
She calmly walks around them, letting her words sink in.
SINDEL: Swear your allegiance and I shall see her avenged!
The Shokan consider her words. Amazingly, in spite of having no
evidence to back up her audacious claim, one of the Shokan males
bows to her in submission. The others follow suit soon after,
leaving Sindel smiling victoriously.
The scene cuts to the Soul Chamber. Shao Kahn floats within it,
letting its energies heal his body. Sindel stands watching,
smiling to herself. Eventually, the former Emperor of Outworld
steps out of the chamber, bending down to pick up his skull-faced
helmet, which he dons once again.
Sindel walks up to Shao and throws her arms around him. He returns
the gesture with suprising tenderness.
SHAO KAHN: Wife, I have missed you.
He caresses her hair while she brings her hand to his cheek (or
rather, the side of his helmet).
SHAO KAHN: If Quan Chi were here, I’d hoist him by the ankles and
split him through for all the time he stole from us.
SINDEL: Soon we will have the Hourglass. Eternity will be our
empire.
Both of them share smiles of equal glee. Shao Kahn takes Sindel’s
hand on his own and places her head on his chest.
SHAO KAHN: We’ll have all the time we need.
As they embrace, a tornado of sand rises in the Soul Chamber, and
Geras steps out from it. He approaches the two of them.
GERAS: Shao Kahn, Sindel. Come with me. Kronika has need of you.
SHAO KAHN: Kronika?! Where was she when Kitana stole my throne?
We’ll make her choke on her empty promises.
—–
[PLAYER CHOOSES SINDEL]
SINDEL: Allow me the privilege, husband.
SHAO KAHN: It will be mine to watch you punish him.
Sindel walks forward, facing Geras down.
SINDEL: Your maker sends you to die, Geras.
GERAS: As she has done billions of times before. Each time, the
perfection of her design grows closer.
They fight. Even Sindel, with all of her magical power, finds
a challenging foe in Geras. Every time he is blasted or knocked
down, the construct rises again. But in turn, Geras is unable to
find an opening in Sindel’s relentless barrage, and after a long
battle, the Empress floors him.
SINDEL: All that grows closer is her defeat, Geras.
She unleashes a banshee scream that pushes Geras back, sending him
rolling across the chamber. He lands hard at Shao Kahn’s feet
and she walks over to join him.
[PLAYER CHOOSES SHAO KAHN]
SHAO KAHN: Observe, wife, as I disassemble this construct.
SINDEL: Nothing would please me more.
Shao Kahn walks up to Geras, facing him down.
GERAS: Do not invoke Kronika’s wrath, Shao Kahn.
SHAO KAHN: Fear that gold-plated relic? HA!
He readies his warhammer.
SHAO KAHN: I’ll pulp you and send you back to her in jars!
They fight. Even the might of Shao Kahn proves to be evenly matched
by Geras. No matter how many times he is hit and knocked down, he
gets back up again. But Geras is unable to counter Shao Kahn’s
aggressive assault, and after a protracted fight, the Outworld
despot manages to knock Geras down to the ground.
SHAO KAHN: Do you enjoy this?
As Geras tries to rise, Shao Kahn picks him up, presses him over
his head and throws him across the chamber. He crashes down
hard, rolling to a stop at Sindel’s feet. Her husband rejoins her
side soon after.
—–
Geras once again tries to rise to his feet, but Sindel walks up to
him and unleashes another banshee scream, targeted directly at his
head. Geras screams in pain and is blown across the room once
more. Shao Kahn strides over to him, summons his warhammer and
smashes Geras across the top of his skull, splitting part of it
open and exposing his brain. Shao slams the hammer down on his head
again, sending his helmet bouncing across the chamber.
As Sindel walks up to them, Shao Kahn smashes the hammer on Geras’
head twice more, drawing large splatters of blood. We get a
glimpse of Geras’ face, and he looks a mess – his skull has been
caved in and one of his eyes has been popped out of his head, and
he holds up a hand as if to try and beg Shao Kahn to stop. But
Shao hammers down on him again, scalping the top of his skull and
fully exposing his brain. Shao swings his hammer over his head
once last time and brings it down, and this swing utterly crushes
the remnants of Geras’ head, turning it into pulp, skull fragments,
blood and brain matter.
Sindel walks up to Shao and takes his arm.
SHAO KAHN: A thousand years, and you haven’t lost a step.
She looks up to him and smiles wickedly.
The scene cuts to Kronika’s Keep. Kronika floats in the air toward
the Hourglass, accompanied by the revenants Liu Kang and Kitana.
LIU KANG: Now Shao Kahn turns against us?
KITANA: Perhaps we should send the fleet.
Kronika floats up toward the Hourglass.
KRONIKA: No.
She begins to manipulate the sands within using her magic.
KRONIKA: Shao Kahn and Sindel have unwittingly given us back the
advantage. Their army will battle Raiden’s for possession of my
crown, weakening them both.
KITANA: Then we crush what remains of them with strength to spare.
KRONIKA: The crown, once again, will be mine. When it is, the New
Era will begin.
The scene cuts to the Netherrealm shores. Kharon’s ships are
readying to navigate the Sea of Blood. On one of those ships,
Nightwolf, Jacqui and the younger Jax Briggs are sailing off
alongside numerous soldiers from the Special Forces. Jax and
Jacqui salute Cassie Cage, who is watching from the docks. As she
returns the salute, some other Special Forces soldiers walk onto
a ship still waiting in the docks. Another person walks up behind
Cassie, easily recognisable by his open jacket and the tattoo
across his chest that clearly spells out his name.
JOHNNY: Captain Cage, reporting for duty, sir! Uh, I mean ma’am.
He salutes her (with an informal two fingers to his head). Cassie
looks a little surprised at the sight of the younger Johnny
before her, but she smiles at him nonetheless.
CASSIE: Woah there, Nineties Dad. You’ve already got one bullet
wound too many.
JOHNNY: I’m healed, Cassie. Raiden gave me one of his “Thunder
Hands” massages.
He flexes his fingers, attempting to imitate what a massage might
look like. Cassie shakes her head in amusement.
JOHNNY: Speaking of, where is Mama Bear?
Cassie points along the dock.
CASSIE: She’s over there, waiting for Sheeva at the rendezvous.
But we cast off in five. Where are they?
The camera cuts to Sonya standing along with a group of S-F
soldiers on the beach side. A portal opens up before them. All of
them, along with Cassie and Johnny, watch it with suspicion. That
proves to be validated, as Shokan warriors suddenly pour out of
the portal, charging toward the soldiers with battle cries.
CASSIE: No… no!
The soldiers immediately open fire with their assault rifles,
cutting down a few Shokan, but one leaps into the air and smacks
a female soldier down to the ground. He finishes her with a stomp
that crushes her head.
Sonya pulls out her service pistols and opens fire. The soldiers
continue to concentrate their fire, downing more Shokan, but
they keep charging, heedless of the bullets tearing into them.
Several leap into the lines of soldiers, either outright crushing
them with their jumps or finishing them by pounding them into
the ground.
Sonya cuts down two Shokan females with unwavering accuracy and
shoots at a male Shokan leaping at her, but he survives the
barrage and lands at her feet, grabbing her wrists with two of
his arms. She rolls backwards, using his momentum to leg-throw
him over her head. As he rises, she shoots him once in the back
and then point blank in the face, finally killing him. She
immediately turns around and puts two bullets into the chest
of another charging Shokan, finishing with a headshot that
actually makes his head explode.
Yet another Shokan charges her. She shoots him in the chest
multiple times, but the bullets do not faze him. He grapples
her but she manages to hip-throw him to one side, plugging
his chest with more bullets. A fourth Shokan gets in range and
tries to punch her, but she pulls out her energy pianowire and
entangles one of his wrists and neck with it. She kicks him in the
crotch to double him over and pulls hard on the wire, trapping his
arm and wrist. Sonya then vaults over the Shokan, launching into a
kick on another Shokan who she shoots at point blank range with
her energy gauntlets. On the third blast she blows a hole straight
through his stomach.
SHAO KAHN: Try that on me!
Sonya turns to see Shao Kahn leaping at her with his warhammer
raised. She dodges backward just in time but is suddenly kicked
in the head by Sindel, knocking her out. The two of them walk
over to her unconscious form.
SHAO KAHN: What a fine trophy for my arena!
Cassie and Johnny run across the beach up to them.
JOHNNY: We doing this by gender, or is that sexist?
Cassie rolls her eyes at this remark.
CASSIE: Just zip it and try not to die.
SHAO KAHN: Enough prattle, fools! You will bow and serve the
Empire.
CASSIE: Make us, you authoritarian asshole!
—–
[PLAYER CHOOSES SINDEL]
Sindel points a hand at Cassie.
SINDEL: I want her.
Johnny immediately tries to get in the way, but Shao Kahn readies
his hammer and swings repeatedly, forcing him to duck and backpedal
to avoid getting smashed. While they fight, Sindel and Cassie
circle one another.
SINDEL: A fearless gladiator like you would entertain well in our
arena. Until your death, of course.
CASSIE: Mom used to say, “Death smiles at everyone, but the Blade
women? We smile back.”
They fight. Though Cassie has bested Sindel before, she battled
the weaker revenant version of her. Revitalised by Jinsei and
at the peak of her old strength, Sindel proves to be too much for
Cassie to handle. It isn’t long before Sindel overpowers her
and knocks her unconscious.
SINDEL: Not smiling anymore, are we?
Johnny dodges a swing from Shao Kahn and hits him with a left
hook, a right uppercut and a left jab, staggering him. Before he
can do anything else, Sindel grabs him by the neck with her hair
and throws him over her head. He lands hard and writhes on the
floor for a moment.
[PLAYER CHOOSES SHAO KAHN]
SHAO KAHN: Deal with the jester. I’ll school this unruly child.
Sindel smiles and beckons Johnny to her. He immediately rushes
her, and while they fight offscreen, Cassie and Shao circle each
other.
CASSIE: You school me? Y’know I toasted Shinnok, right?
SHAO KAHN: Ha! Shinnok schemed because he was worthless in battle.
That you beat him only proves that truth.
They fight. Unlike in her battle against Shinnok, Cassie is
unable to bring her true superpower to bear. With this limitation,
she cannot match the might of Shao Kahn, who is quick to overpower
and defeat her.
SHAO KAHN: Now you understand true power.
Following this, Shao immediately charges Johnny and shoulder
barges him, sending him skidding backward.
—–
Johnny rests on a nearby rock. He looks over, spots both Sonya and
Cassie down and out and struggles back to his feet, clearly upset.
SINDEL: The poor man is heartbroken.
SHAO KAHN: Why waste tears on weaklings?
JOHNNY: Those woman are braver and stronger than FIFTY of you put
together! Okay, bozos!
He throws off his sunglasses and readies himself.
JOHNNY: No jokes, no gimmicks, just kombat. You wanna get nuts?
Ho ho, let’s get nuts!
—–
[PLAYER PICKS SINDEL]
SINDEL: May I finish this?
SHAO KAHN: By all means.
He hoists his warhammer over his shoulder as Sindel approaches
Johnny.
JOHNNY: Every fight I’ve fought, I’ve fought for myself. But this
one? THIS one’s for my family!
SINDEL: You poor pathetic man.
They fight. In spite of his best efforts, fighting for his family
does not enable the younger Johnny to unlock his hidden power.
Without it, he is unable to match Sindel’s magic prowess and
fighting ability. She soon manages to overpower him and leave
him beaten on the ground.
SINDEL: You’re in luck, Johnny Cage.
As he struggles to get to his feet, Sindel approaches him.
SINDEL: In my care, you and Sonya will breed many fine slaves.
She wraps her hair around his neck and drags him across the ground,
finally stopping by Shao Kahn. As she lets him loose, he falls
over unconscious. Sindel places a hand on her husband’s chest.
SINDEL: Shall we?
[PLAYER PICKS SHAO KAHN]
SHAO KAHN: How many of his bones shall I break for you, wife?
SINDEL: Surprise me.
Shao walks up to Johnny, facing him down.
SHAO KAHN: Twice you fought in the tournament, and twice you
failed. Why Raiden thought you a contender baffles me.
They fight. Unlike his older counterpart, the younger Johnny has
no knowledge of the hidden power within him, and is unable to
bring it to the bear when fighting Shao Kahn. As a result, he
is quickly overwhelmed by the strength of the Kahn and beaten
into submission.
SHAO KAHN: Was that your best?
As Johnny remains down on his knees, Shao Kahn holds him up by
his head, and then swings with his hammer, catching Johnny across
the mouth and sending him flying. He rolls to a stop by Sindel’s
feet, writhing in pain. Sindel laughs and applauds the display
of violence.
—–
The scene cuts to the beach. The Shokans have managed to overpower
the Special Forces and are in the process of beating and carting
off the survivors and throwing the dead onto a giant bonfire.
Shao Kahn points to the last of Kharon’s ships.
SHAO KAHN: Seize the vessel and dump its cargo! We need speed to
overtake Kharon’s fleet!
A large portal opens up before him. Several Shokan drag the
surviving soldiers into it. Among them are Johnny, Cassie and
Sonya.
The scene cuts to the Sea of Blood, among the flagship of
Kharon’s fleet containing the Outworld army. The other two
flagships are nowhere in sight. On the ship deck, Kitana speaks
with Liu Kang and Kung Lao.
KITANA: Raiden and Fujin have gone ahead to storm the Isle, but
we’ve lost all contact with our rear guard. Commander Cage and
the Special Forces, Queen Sheeva and the Shokan… and Mother.
KUNG LAO: I am just going to say what we are all thinking–
KITANA: She did not betray us.
Liu Kang quickly steps in between them before they come to blows.
LIU KANG: Let’s not jump to conclusions.
He spots something in the distance.
LIU KANG: Look!
He walks to the port side of the ship and points out. Kung Lao
and Kitana follow his gaze and spot the rearguard ships.
KUNG LAO: Is that the Special Forces?
Kitana looks at the ships through a spyglass.
KITANA: No…
She pulls the spyglass down. Even with her face partially
obscured by her battle mask, she looks absolutely livid.
KITANA: Elder Gods damn you, Mother!
The scene cuts to Kronika’s Keep. The Titan of Time continues
to manipulate the sands in the Hourglass. As she looks into
the sands, she smiles with glee.
KRONIKA: Kill each other.
The scene cuts to the Sea of Blood – this time, underwater. A two
pronged spear falls into the bottomless depths, followed by the
corpse of a Tarkatan, then a Shokan. As we pan up to one of the
ships, another dead soldier falls into the sea, followed by
two Shokan, and as the camera breaks through the water another
body falls in directly in front of it.
On the ship deck, a Shokan throws a soldier overboard, and the
camera pans up to see an outright brawl between the Shokan,
Tarkatans and Outworld loyalists. While Jade fends off a Shokan
with her staff, Kitana stabs a Shokan through the sternum with her
bladed fans, stabs him a few more times in his side and the side
of his head and then finishes him with a throat slice, kicking
him away.
Another Shokan charges in, but Kitana catches his swing, ducks
under another punch and slices across his chest. The camera
pans over to Jade, who knocks a Shokan back with a swipe of her
staff, then charges in while he is staggered. It then pans to Liu
Kang, who knocks down three Shokan charging him with nunchukau
strikes to their heads. Behind him, a plank slams down onto
the ship, allowing more Shokan to board. One immediately jumps
onto a Tarkatan and starts pounding him to death, and Sindel and
Shao Kahn strolls onto the ship behind him.
Sindel punches a charging Outworld soldier and kicks him down,
while Shao clubs another in the stomach with his warhammer and
smashes him across the deck.
SINDEL: Now… where is Kitana?
SHAO KAHN: No doubt the little princess is hiding.
On the other side of the ship, a Tarkatan swipes at a Shokan,
who easily catches his blow and punches him. As the Tarkatan
reels, time slows down as a bladed hat flies over his head and
straight through the neck of the Shokan, decapitating him and
three more of his brethren. The hat is then caught… by Sindel.
Kung Lao walks toward them, ignoring the fighting occurring around
him.
KUNG LAO: Nobody is hiding, Shao Kahn. Not after your epic failure
at the Koliseum.
He looks over at Sindel.
KUNG LAO: That belongs to me, Sindel.
SINDEL: Have it.
She throws the hat straight back at him, bladed edge first. Kung
Lao catches it, but it cuts into his hand, causing him to wince
in pain. He nonetheless puts it back on his head, looking quite
annoyed. He flexes his bloodied hand and continues walking toward
them.
KUNG LAO: I hope you have more than that for the heir of the Great
Kung Lao.
—–
[PLAYER CHOOSES SINDEL]
Sindel steps toward Kung Lao.
SINDEL: (To Shao Kahn) Find Kitana, husband.
He walks off, leaving them alone.
KUNG LAO: Why am I always right? You’re breaking Kitana’s heart.
SINDEL: A eunuch monk can’t hope to understand the ways of mothers
and daughters.
KUNG LAO: You did NOT just call me a eunuch.
They fight. As impressive of a fighter as Kung Lao is, with both
speed and skill of immense proportions, his arrogance proves to
be his undoing. Sindel is able to match his speed and use her
magic to break through Lao’s defenses, eventually leaving him
unconscious on the ship deck.
Sindel lets out a bark of laughter and readies her hair into
two long ponytails.
SINDEL: I could call you worse.
She grapples Kung Lao around the waist and torso with both
ponytails, turns to one side and throws him through the air. Kung
Lao sails overboard and splashes into the Sea of Blood offscreen,
with Sindel looking on in satisfaction. She turns around to find
Shao Kahn.
SHAO KAHN: I have found Kitana. Come!
[PLAYER PICKS SHAO KAHN]
SHAO KAHN: (To Sindel) He and I have unfinished business.
SINDEL: I’ll find Kitana.
She walks off, leaving them alone.
SHAO KAHN: It’s a pity the time merger disrupted the tournament. I
was about to snap your neck.
KUNG LAO: Why? Because you were afraid to face me head on?
SHAO KAHN: I fear nothing, monk.
They fight. Even with his speed and skill in battle, Kung Lao’s
arrogance gets the better of him in his fight with Shao Kahn.
The former Emperor of Outworld powers through his defenses and
brings his overbearing strength to bear, swiftly beating the
Shaolin monk to the deck floor.
With Kung Lao down, Shao Kahn de-summons his hammer and walks over
to him.
SHAO KAHN: You’re a disgrace to your line. Kung Lao, snapping your
neck would be too easy for you.
He grabs him by the back of his shirt and hoists him up.
SHAO KAHN: Tell me, did your masters teach you to swim?
He heaves to one side and throws Kung Lao overboard. Lao only has
time for one last scream before he splashes into the Sea of Blood
offscreen. Shao looks on in satisfaction until he hears Sindel’s
voice beckoning him.
SINDEL: Come, Kitana awaits.
—–
On the other side of the ship, Kitana stabs a Shokan in his side,
kicks him in the leg and then in the face, following through
with a roundhouse kick. Behind her, Kotal slices a Shokan across
the stomach with his sickle and stabs him straight through the
face. He slices him twice more and shoulder barges him away. Kotal
then slashes a female Shokan charging him, stabs her through
the chest and then the side of her head, snapping her neck in the
same motion.
Behind him, Liu Kang kicks a male Shokan away, then hits another
male and a female in the face with his nunchukau, pushing them
back. Another Shokan charges in but eats a nunchuk to the face,
knocking him back. To the side, Jade batters a female Shokan
with her staff, hitting her in the leg and face, then leaping
in the air to slam the staff down onto her spine and finishing
with a backswipe that floors her.
As the Shokan drops to the deck, Shao Kahn and Sindel walk up
to her and Kotal. Wordlessly, Shao points at Kotal with his
warhammer, while Sindel glares at Jade and charges. Jade swipes
at her with her staff but Sindel parries the blows. Kotal
readies his sickles and charges Shao, swinging his weapons. Shao
blocks several strikes with his hammer and then goes on the
offensive, swinging wildly. Kotal blocks his swings but is
forced back by the sheer power of them.
Shao Kahn swings his hammer overhead, prompting Kotal to block
with both sickles. He manages it but is forced to his knees.
Shao takes advantage by planting his knee into Kotal’s kidney,
and with Kotal stunned, Shao swings the hammer and nails Kotal
directly in his spine. As Kotal reels in pain, Shao swings the
hammer in a backswipe and smashes Kotal across the face,
knocking the sickle from his hands and sending him to his knees.
Jade spots Kotal is in trouble and tries to intervene, but this
gives Sindel the opening she needs and she wraps her hair
around Jade’s neck. As Shao smashes Kotal with his hammer one
more time, knocking him out, Sindel lifts Jade into the air and
slams her down on the deck so hard that she breaks through
the decking, falling into the ship hold below.
Kitana walks up to Sindel. She has since lost her battle mask,
and we can see her face is etched with pure horror.
KITANA: Please, Mother, what spell has Shao Kahn used on you this
time?
Liu Kang walks up behind her in the midst of the conversation.
SHAO KAHN: Naive girl, your mother is not bewitched. She never
has been.
KITANA: She had a husband! And a kingdom! And YOU took them away!
Sindel laughs at the accusation. Shao Kahn nonchalantly punches
a charging Tarkatan without even looking him, knocking him out.
He turns away to beat another Tarkatan with his hammer while
Sindel starts walking toward her.
SINDEL: Oh, Kitana. My first husband – your father – was a fool.
Jerrod believed that we were no better than commoners. He refused
to assert the privileges of our throne. He traded away our powers,
our diving rights. Edenia grew weak and vulnerable.
Kitana takes in these words with increasing anger. Sindel
continues to stride forward while Shao Kahn flattens any attacking
Tarkatan and Outworld soldier near him.
SINDEL: Then Shao Kahn invaded, embracing his power, taking what
was his. Here was a man unashamed to assert his privilege and who
vowed to protect mine.
Having finished beating up everyone around him, Shao walks back
to join Sindel’s side, proudly slinging his hammer over his
shoulder.
SINDEL: I had found my true love.
Liu Kang looks on, disgusted at her words, while Kitana seems to
be entering a tranquil fury. Sindel places a hand on Shao’s
shoulder.
SINDEL: And to consecrate our bond… I killed Jerrod for him.
Kitana’s eyes widen in horror.
LIU KANG: You love Shao Kahn more than your own daughter?
SHAO KAHN: Let the women be, Chosen One.
He points his hammer at Liu Kang.
SHAO KAHN: You owe me kombat.
—–
[PLAYER PICKS SINDEL]
Shao Kahn swings his warhammer at Liu Kang, forcing him to
backpedal. As they fight offscreen, Kitana stares down her mother
with contempt.
KITANA: You should have stayed dead.
SINDEL: Please, that wounds me, daughter.
KITANA: I am prepared to do much worse.
They fight. In spite of Sindel’s magical power and skill, Kitana
proves to be a worthy challenge of Sindel. She fights with a
ferocity unseen, using all of her speed, skill and agility to
her fullest. But even this is not enough to overcome her mother.
Sindel manages to weather Kitana’s assault and weaken her with
her own magic, eventually bringing her own strength to bear.
After a fierce battle, Sindel leaves her daughter a bloodied and
broken mess on the ship deck.
SINDEL: Learn or be punished, child.
[PLAYER PICKS SHAO KAHN]
Sindel unleashes a banshee scream, forcing Kitana to cartwheel
away. She plants her hair into the ground, using it as stilts,
and stalks off after her daughter, leaving Shao Kahn to face Liu
Kang down.
LIU KANG: It is my destiny to defeat you, Shao Kahn.
SHAO KAHN: Yours is to grovel before me, boy! After we kill
Kronika, that will be everyone’s destiny.
LIU KANG: Even for you, that is madness!
They fight. The Shaolin monk proves to be the fight of Shao
Kahn’s life, as he has never before found an opponent who can
outmatch him in sheer martial ability. But for all of Liu Kang’s
speed and skill, the confines of the ship work against him and
he is unable to escape Shao Kahn’s assault. Pressing the
advantage, Shao Kahn uses his pure brute force to overpower
Liu Kang and leave him face down on the deck, beaten and broken.
SHAO KAHN: It is genius, you pathetic fool!
—–
Shao Kahn drags Liu Kang’s beaten body over to Sindel, who is
holding an equally beaten Kitana by her shoulder. Not long
afterwards, the Shokan, Tarkatan and Outworld soldiers still
fighting each other gradually draw themselves to a halt. Shao
Kahn steps in front of them, pointing to Kitana.
SHAO KAHN: Kitana was a false Kahn, a traitor to Outworld! She
conspired with Raiden to lead you astray!
SINDEL: He seeks Kronika’s power. Why? To destroy the Empire! All
who followed Kitana are complicit in her treason. Your sentence is
death.
The Tarkatans and soldiers slowly take in this words. Shao Kahn
holds a finger in the air.
SHAO KAHN: But… we will grant clemency now, and riches in the
New Era to all who renounce Kitana and fight under our command.
The Shokan start to chant Shao’s name. After a few chants, the
Tarkatans and soldiers join in as well. Sindel points to the
ship deck.
SINDEL: Now man the oars, we have a battle to win! For the New
Era!
The Outworlders all erupt in cheers. Sindel drops Kitana to the
deck, taking in their praise alongside Shao Kahn. Behind them
Liu Kang outstretches his hand towards Kitana. Tearfully, she
tries to pull herself closer to him, but just as they are about
to touch fingers, Shao Kahn steps on Liu Kang’s hand, crushing it
and causing him to scream in pain. Both he and Sindel look down
on Liu Kang, relishing in his suffering.
SINDEL: Kitana shall be put in chains. Let her suffer the anguish
of defeat. And what of him?
Shao Kahn says nothing, but summons his warhammer, his eyes
flaring up in glee and a sadistic smile on his face.
The scene cuts to the beach of Kronika’s Keep. Dead oni are
strewn about the place, as the alliance of the Special Forces and
Shaolin Monks walks toward the Keep. Leading them are Shang Tsung,
Raiden, Nightwolf, Fujin, Young Jax, Jacqui and Old Jax.