Following Shinnok's defeat, Dark Raiden plans to protect Earthrealm by destroying all of its enemies and making an example of Shinnok; decapitating him. This latter act inspires Kronika, Shinnok's mother and the keeper of time, to rewrite history in order to erase Raiden's interference. Two years later, a Special Forces strike team led by Sonya Blade, Cassie Cage, and Jacqui Briggs attack the Netherrealm, with Raiden providing a diversion to aid them. The team succeeds in destroying the Netherrealm castle, though at the cost of Sonya's life. Kronika creates an alliance with revenants Liu Kang and Kitana, now rulers of the Netherrealm, immediately afterwards.
