The commotion was impossible to ignore. The unmistakable sound of battle rang out from right outside the large doors that separated the Kahn's throneroom from the filthy peasants and pathetic would-be-usurpers of Outworld. Mileena Kahnum sat upon her throne, reluctantly admitting to herself that she was afraid. Since the death of Shao Kahn, Outworld had fallen into the clutches of his two assassins, the treacherous Shang Tsung and Quan Chi, and then his own former master, Dragon King Onaga. With the fall of her most recent master, Mileena had been convinced to ascend to the now vacant throne by both Tanya and Baraka, her two most trusted advisers.

Despite their insistence of her right and capacity to rule, Mileena didn't see herself as the ruling type. She was much more comfortable serving than leading. Perhaps, it was just how Shang Tsung had created her - submissive and loyal. But, Tanya had convinced her that her greatest loyalty was to her commissioner, Shao Kahn, whose influence on his domain had been waning since his death, and Mileena ascending the throne to hold Outworld together in her 'father's' absence was the ultimate form of obedient servitude. Tanya understood Mileena better than anyone, which made Mileena feel simultaneously amorous, and susceptible to the Edenian's manipulations (which, itself, also made Mileena feel all the more amorous).

Mileena was shaken from her thoughts as the doors exploded open with enough force for large, bloodstained dents to be left in the centre where one of her guards had impacted them, and to completely shatter the hinges of one of them, whereupon it fell and crushed another unfortunate member of her entourage. There were only a handful of individuals Mileena knew to be quite so powerful, and one of them confirmed her fears as he slowly stepped into the room, holding four of her guards by their skulls.

The long-thought-dead Prince Goro cracked the guards' heads together and casually tossed them aside. According to Tanya, Goro had betrayed Outworld and allied with Kitana's Edenian forces after the war with Shinnok. Shao Kahn had then allied with the Brotherhood of Shadow, who had dispatched Noob Saibot to assassinate the former Mortal Kombat Champion - a task he had been reported to have succeeded in. Evidently, the Netherrealm wraith was not quite as proficient as had been alleged. Granted, no one could blame a warrior for being unable to slay the nine-time Mortal Kombat victor, which only made Mileena worry further, suspecting that the Shokan were now making a move to usurp control of Outworld due to their long-standing grudge with Shao Kahn for how he had degraded them after Kintaro's defeat in the Outworld tournament.

Rather than advance towards Mileena and attempt to crush her skull like a grape, however, Goro instead turned towards the doorway and lowered himself to one knee. Expecting King Gorbak to enter, Mileena's eyes widened until they threatened to pop out of her head, as a similarly-thought-dead titan of Outworld stepped forward, his large hands and famous Wrath Hammer stained a deep crimson.

"E-Em-Emperor!" Mileena stuttered as Shao Kahn himself entered the throneroom, the shockingly lizard-like Reptile skulking in his wake. Mileena quickly vacated her throne- his throne, and stood aside to allow him to pass.

With deliberate, thunderous footsteps, the rightful ruler of Outworld crossed the chamber, not even sparing a sideways glance towards Mileena as he passed her. He dropped his blood-soaked weapon into its dedicated holster beside his throne and sat down, only then turning to face her, expectantly.

"M-M-Master, I-"

"Kneel," the Emperor interrupted imposingly.

Mileena closed her mouth, nodded and obeyed. On shaky legs, she approached the throne and dropped to one knee before her master. She stiffened up as one of the Emperor's massive hands placed itself atop her head and ruffled her hair.

"Do not shy away from your ambitions, Mileena," he commanded. "You have proven yourself conniving enough to be my heir, should I perish in the battle to come, unlikely though that may be."

"Battle?"

"Never you mind that. Right now, you need only concern yourself with gathering your inner circle to inform them of the return of their Emperor."

"You aren't... going to kill me?" Mileena spared a glance up at her Emperor, who seemed to be mulling over his response, though she suspected he already had one prepared.

"You may live to serve me once again. You may have betrayed me during the invasion, but I am no fool. I know your actions were Shang Tsung's design to see me overthrown. But, willing or otherwise, it is a part of your nature that has served you well. But know this." He moved his hand down her cheek to cup her chin and force her to look into his eyes. "Should you ever betray me-"

"Never, Emperor!" Mileena insisted.

"Should you ever betray me," he repeated, more forcefully, "you had better be sure that you can do what no enemy of mine has ever succeeding in doing." After Mileena stared with no sign of understanding, he leaned closer and elaborated: "That you can kill me."

She nodded as best she could with her head in the iron grip of the Kahn's mighty hand.


"What do you mean, you're just giving him back the throne!?" Tanya demanded once Mileena had gather and explained the situation to her inner circle.

"Exactly what I said," Mileena responded in a manner casual enough to flare up Tanya's frustration even further. "The Emperor eluded death and I have returned to him what is rightfully his."

"But you're just pretending to serve him so you can betray him and retake the throne, right?"

"Not at all. I am loyal to Shao Kahn and I was merely keeping his throne secure until he returned."

"That was your throne, Mileena. Not his! He lost his claim to it when he fled from the sorcerers!"

"You speak as if I handed over your throne, Tanya," the now former Kahn retorted, feeling frustration of her own at Tanya's treasonous words. As you say, it was mine to do with as I wished, and I wished to please my father."

"That man is not your father! Baraka! Surely, you can see some sense here." Tanya turned to the tarkatan general, who looked to her, then to Mileena, and then back to Tanya.

"Shao Kahn dominated our people long ago with his sheer might. If he truly evaded his assassination through his own power and guile, then his dominance is unquestioned. As is the tarkatans' loyalty to him."

After a few moments of gaping in disbelief, Tanya turned back to Mileena. "Even after everything you've done to build your powerbase - killing, coercing, blackmailing, sabotaging - you're just going to give it all up and invalidate all these months we spent securing your throne-"

"You don't understand anything!" Mileena snapped, taking even Tanya aback with her ferocity. "Shao Kahn is my father, my master. I was created to do his bidding. Just as your nature is to scheme and manipulate, my nature compels me to obey him above all else. So long as he sits on that throne, I am his to command. If you cannot accept this integral part of my being, then I suggest you..."

She had been about to suggest Tanya leave, but she lacked the conviction to send her lover away. However, it was clear that Tanya knew exactly what she had been about to say, but knew nothing of the inner turmoil that prevented Mileena from doing so. Shaking her head in frustrated disbelief, Tanya wordlessly turned and left the chamber. Mileena reached out a hand and stepped forward to follow, only for Baraka to place a firm hand on her shoulder and shake his head when she turned to face him.

For a 'savage tarkatan', Baraka was surprisingly adept at reading the mood of a situation and advising Mileena against submitting to her tarkatan instincts. Following Tanya with emotions so high would be a mistake. With but one adviser left, Mileena knew she must heed his counsel. She was unable to hold back her tears after this. Baraka pulled her close and wrapped his large, deadly arms around her, enveloping her in a blanket of protection. She was grateful that her oldest companion would never forsake her.

She wanted to chase Tanya, to beg her forgiveness, but she knew that was something she would not receive for a very long time. Tanya had believed in Mileena's rule. It was more obviously true now than ever before, thanks to her response to learning that all her hard work had been so abruptly invalidated. Mileena had made her choice and would have to live with that choice until fate deemed her worthy of a chance at reconciliation.

But, despite the heartbreak of the situation, and she hated herself for feeling this way, Mileena found strength in a strange sense of comfort that had begun to envelop her since she had laid her eyes upon the triumphant form of her returned master. Mileena had enjoyed ruling, to be sure, but serving at the feet of another, especially her father... that was the way things should be.