Earth

Hell can be quite an educational experience…

                                                From the Harvester's Journal

Cheyenne Mountain three days later:

Death…

Destruction…

Chaos…

Soralis and her Jedi companions felt the tremors through the force as they tumbled out of the StarGate. "Gods, what's happening?" Obi Wan murmured as a dozen soldiers poured into the StarGate chamber.

In the soldier's midst was a tall, balding man of about fifty or so. He was dressed similarly as they were, in green fatigues. "I see you brought friends along with you," he said, looking at Soralis and her Jedi companions.

Soralis had changed from her full ceremonial robes to loose black trousers, boots and a tunic, heavily embroidered with silver. A black and silver handled light-saber dangled from her sashed waist, while a strange, silvery, katana-like sword was slung across her back. Her hair was held back by a slim platinum circlet shaped into an Egyptian asp. The head of the asp was centered on her forehead and held a cut diamond like stone.

Both Qui Gon and Obi Wan were dressed in similar tan trousers, white tunics and brown boots. The only difference was that Qui Gon was draped in his habitual black cloak and hood and the boy was draped in a brown one. Hammond frowned slightly. All three of them were kneeling on the floor, shivering as the dark-side sensations roiled over them

The woman was the first to recover, to recognize what the darkside tremors meant. "General, we don't have much time. A rift to Outland has opened in Los Angles. If we don't stop it, the entire world will become apart of Outland itself."

The General looked at her suspiciously. Cheyenne Mountain had just gone to red alert status after a seemingly massive earthquake had rocked the western seaboard, with the epicenter in LA itself. They couldn't get into the city as almost all of the roads going into it had either been destroyed or suffered major damage.

Getting in by air was nearly impossible due to the fires that were currently ravaging the city.  As it was, they were still scrambling relief and rescue volunteers out to the surrounding areas and were slowly working their way inward to LA itself.

"Who are you?" he demanded harshly.

"I am Soralis de Mordant…" she began.

***

Shao Kahn paced in his throne room, thinking black thoughts. It had been going as planned. Soon, he would have his brother on his knees, and his niece in chains. Perhaps he would keep Rayden alive long enough witness his daughter's corruption and final descent into darkness.

"What you plan is foolish my son," Shinnok said, easily reading the Outland Emperor's thoughts. "You cannot turn Soralis, nor force her to serve you. The last god who tried was banished from the Earth Realms for all time. I am afraid she is more than you can handle."

Shao Kahn snarled. "She has escaped me twice. That cannot go unpunished."

"Then I suggest you do so cleverly. Simply torturing her or her companions will not do anything for you save to irritate her."

"Then how do you propose to do it?" Shao Kahn asked, gritting his teeth.

"Soralis has become corrupted by the mortals she protects. Her emotions run strong. Set them loose. Draw the beast out. Harness her rage to destroy those she cares for most." He smiled slightly. "Let her fall by her own designs, not by yours. Then you are blameless and she will be damned."

"And then, she and all the power she possesses will belong to us," Shao Kahn finished, smiling grimly.

"Precisely," Shinnok agreed.

***

After Soralis had explained what was going on, the General had taken them all into a large conference room. "Is she on the level Jack?" he asked the Colonel.

"Pretty much. Shao Kahn is a threat to the United States and the world in general. We don't deal with him, we're sunk."

"Huh," the General said and looked at Soralis. "So, can you close this rift?" he asked.

"Probably. Most likely way he's done it is by high-end sympathetic magicks. We find his focus, destroy it and the rift will close. Down-side is, he's probably got the focus somewhere in his castle, which is deep within the heart of Outland itself."

"And this Shao Kahn wants you and your companions fairly badly, am I right?" General Hammond asked shrewdly.

 "I'm afraid so,"

"Then, I can't let you go. It's too dangerous. You've already as much admitted that you have enough latent power to lay this entire planet to waste. We simply can't risk you falling into the wrong hands,"

Captain Carter coughed. "With all due respect sir, we can't do this without her. She's the only one who can get us to Outland."

General Hammond leaned back, thinking. "Alright, then let's minimize the risks of capture, shall we?" he said.

***

LA, a day later:

Rayden nearly blacked out as the centaur-like Kitaro flung him into what was once an overpass, but was now, a rubble heap. That's going to leave a mark, he thought sarcastically as the miraculously restored Goro picked him up, cracking several of his ribs in the process.

The rest of his team was having similar problems. The younger Sub-Zero was pitted against his demonically possessed older brother, Sonja was fighting Scorpion and Lui was surrounded by Outland shadow assassins. The rest of their team was scattered across Los Angeles, fighting undead, demons and a host of Outland Warriors. Night had descended on LA, a night that might never see the first dawn of day.

As Goro prepared to deal the final blow to the nearly dead Thunder god, a furious roar shook the ruined buildings around them. Something huge blocked out the soot-filled sky, something terrifying.

A nearly seventy-foot tall, black dragon landed on the ruined overpass. Each of its seven heads snaked down, peering murderously at the combatants. The center head snapped out and bit into Kitaro's back and shook him like a rag doll. It flung the dead Centaurion into a ruined building, while the other heads hissed at Goro, who wisely dropped Rayden and fled. The rest of the Outlanders followed suit.

Lui, Kitana, Sonja and Sub-Zero backed away from the obviously pissed dragon, who ignored the fighters as it bent over the unconscious Thunder-God. "Um, guys, big dragon, our boss, not good." Lui managed, moving forward as one of the heads peered at them.

One of the dragon's heads snarled at Rayden's champions, warning them away. They watched nervously, helplessly as it bent its others heads down; over the fallen, unconscious Thunder God. It opened its multiple mouths and breathed a silvery mist on Rayden which soaked into his broken, battered body. The mist soaked into his body, visibly healing it. Wounds disappeared, broken bones straightened and reknitted themselves.

Rayden shivered and opened his eyes and then closed them, wishing he hadn't. Ok, so I'm about to become dragon bait. Soft laughter echoed in his mind.

Can't recognize your own daughter can you? A very familiar, dry voice asked him.

His eyes flew open and he looked at the black dragon. "Soralis?!" he whispered as the dragon began to glow and shrink.