Chapter I

"New Recruit"

Reiko stood calmly in the village street unaffected by the chaos around him. After King Jerrod's death, Edenia merged with Outworld and the pillaging began. Villages and cities were raided, plundered and burnt to the ground by Shao Kahn's ruthlessly efficient armies. Although Reiko was a general of these armies, he had no interest in raiding. He found no honor or pleasure in terrorizing helpless women and children so he left that to Kahn's seemingly endless army of footsoldiers and mutants.

"Let's keep it moving! We haven't got all day!" a voice yelled from behind Reiko. The voice belonged to Ash. Ash was Reiko's partner and brother-in-arms. They had grown up together and served Shao Kahn from when he first raised an army. Together, Ash and Reiko were Shao Kahn's most formidable and trusted generals.

"Not much action here Reiko." Ash moaned, obviously bored, "Why don't we just call it a day?" Reiko nodded in agreement and signaled his units to prepare for the march back to the fortress. Word spread fast and the troops were quickly in formation and ready to return. They all left the village, still burning and countless people without homes.

It didn't take long for the armies to return to Shao Kahn's fortress. Ash and Reiko entered the castle and headed to the throne room. Ash was a tall man who only appeared to be in his twenties with spiked black hair. He favored the double-bladed sword as his weapon and was quite deadly with it. Reiko favored shuryuken, or "Ninja stars" as they're commonly referred to, as his weapon of choice. His accuracy with the stars was unmatched.

Ash and Reiko entered the throne room where they saw the Emperor Shao Kahn standing in front of the throne talking with the Queen of Edenia, Sindel. Sindel was holding her infant daughter, whose name neither Ash nor Reiko could remember. They stood at attention waiting for Kahn to acknowledge their presence. They dared not interrupt him.

"If I agree to be your bride, do I have your word that no harm will come to my daughter?" Sindel asked, rather coldly.

"My dear," Kahn began amused, "I am many things, but I am not a monster. You have my word that no harm shall come to young Kitana. She is my daughter now too, after all."

That last comment made Sindel flinch slightly and she nodded saying "Then...my husband....if you'll excuse me, I'll return to my chamber." She then bowed and left the throne room. Shao Kahn let out a slight laugh and motioned Reiko and Ash to approach.

"Ah, my two finest warriors. What news have you?"

"Thirty more territories have been subjugated, my lord." Ash quickly answered with a bow. "Only five more remain."

"Excellent work." Kahn said sitting on the throne. "What of the rebels?"

"What's left of the Edenian rebels have retreated to the last remaining territories, but they are weak and ill-prepared. They will fall within the week." Ash answered referring to the last remnants of Edenian soldiers who were still trying to resist the Outworld invasion.

"Excellent. I trust the two of you shall make quick work of the fools." Kahn laughed. "You are dismissed." Reiko and Ash bowed and left the throne room.

They went to the dining halls where Ash gathered a large platter of food for himself while Reiko was content to simply have some Edenian rum. Ash began stuffing his face with food and said "Gotta say, these Edenians really know how to eat. I haven't eaten this good in years. How's the rum?" Reiko nodded and handed Ash the bottle. Ash took a large gulp and said "Not bad. Nothing compared to the mutant's liquor, though." Reiko smiled and nodded in agreement. The mutant Tarkatans were many things, unpleasant, ugly, violent, unreliable, but their taste in alcohol was unmatched by any realm.

"I heard the boss saying that from here we can attack the Earth." Reiko again nodded. With Ash, it didn't matter that Reiko was mute. Ash did enough talking for both of them. "And once we take the Earth, it'll be done." Ash continued. The theory was that if Shao Kahn were able to conquer Earth, he'd have power unmatched and could easily conquer every other realm in all reality. Reiko shrugged. He didn't really care. "It'd be nice y'know? To be able to retire. For good." Ash finished.

Ash was a good fighter and Reiko trusted him with his life, but he knew that Ash's heart was not in battle. At least not anymore. Not since his sister Riana died. Reiko, Ash, and Riana were Shao Kahn's first recruits and they loyally served him from his beginning. She died shortly before Kahn challenged Edenia to Mortal Kombat and Ash hasn't been the same since. It's almost as if he lost his will to fight.

He probably just needed to something else to fight for. He probably just needed to find a good woman, although he would never admit it out of fear everyone would think he was soft. Reiko on the other hand was content to be a soldier. He was warrior who lived for battle and honor. Kahn's goals and purposes were irrelevant.

Ash and Reiko were interrupted by one of Shao Kahn's messengers. "Generals! Lord Kahn has requested your presence immediately!" They quickly went to the throne room where Kahn was waiting for them.

"Reiko! Ash! Come. I have just received a message that what's left of the Edenian rebels are camped in the Kuatan Canyons and are vulnerable to ambush there." Kahn proclaimed upon their entrance.

"A message, my lord? From who?" Ash quickly asked.

"Uncertain. The message was given to one of our scouts by some kind of sorcerer in that area." Kahn answered.

"Could it be some kind of trap?" Ash asked.

"No. The scout later confirmed the sorcerer's claim. However, they will not stay there long. Ash, Reiko, gather the troops. I shall accompany you." Kahn said rising from the throne. "We shall wipe out what's left of the rebellion in one fell stroke!"

In just a few days time, Shao Kahn's army was positioned near the Kuatan Canyons. As the message from the sorcerer said, the Edenian forces were camped within. They were well hidden; if it wasn't for the message they received from the sorcerer, the Outworld army would have never found them. Unfortunately for the Edenian forces, hiding within the Canyons meant giving up the high ground which Kahn's forces now occupied. The Edenian army was now trapped in a low ground with few resources, fewer numbers, and caught off guard. This won't be a battle. It'll be a massacre.

The Outworld army split into three units: Reiko leading one which would attack from the left bank of the canyon, Ash who would attack from the right, and Shao Kahn who would personally lead the vanguard down the middle.

At dawn the signal was given and the three units all converged on the Edenian camp at once. The Outworld army was brutally efficient. Most Edenian soldiers immediately gave up once they realized they were surrounded. Others tried to fight back. All of them were killed. Kahn himself slew the Edenian general who was leading them.

By the end, the ground was soaked with the blood of the Edenian soldiers. The dead bodies were impaled on stakes and spread out around the battlefield. With this victory, Edenia was no more. There was only Outworld now.

Kahn gathered his troops around him and began to proclaim "We are victorious! Let this be a reminder to any who oppose our might! Now we are closer to ultimate power than ever before! We shall gather our strength here and prepare for the invasion of our true goal: EARTH!" With this, Kahn was answered with drunken cheers from his army. Kahn took Reiko and Ash to the side and said to them "You two are truly my finest and most loyal warriors. With you at my side, I fear nothing."

"Thank you, my lord." Ash humbly said. Reiko nodded and gave a humble bow.

Behind Kahn, a light clapping could be heard coming from a single cloaked figure. He approached Shao Kahn and said "I offer you my congratulations on the victory, my lord. I trust the information I supplied you was helpful, yes?"

"Who are you? Show yourself." Kahn demanded from the stranger who then removed the hood of his cloak revealing a dark haired man with glowing white eyes.

"My name is Shang Tsung. I am the sorcerer who gave you the location of the Edenian army. I have come to offer my services, my lord."

As he said this, Reiko suddenly felt that chill again.

End of Chapter I