Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the characters of Isabelle and Anna Duncan.

Chapter 1.

Anna Duncan regarded the Hong Kong Shatterdome and felt a wave of despair sweep through her. A massive metal construct, that resembled an air raid bunker crossed with a rabbit warren. Nothing but huge metal hangers, where the handful of active Jaegers were housed, breaking away into steel corridors that lead into tiny metallic boxes that served as living quarters for Rangers and other former PPDC personnel. This was all that was left of the Jaeger Programme, one Shatterdome housing four Jaegers, five once Herc and Chuck Hansen finally arrive with Striker Eureka.
She smiled at the thought of the Aussie father and son team. Hard hitting, bold as brass and completely out spoken.
Days after Striker Eureka had been officially retired from her defence post a category 4 Kaiju, Mutavore, took down a section of Sydney's, supposedly indestructible 'wall' in less than a hour. Forcing Herc and Chuck to go back into combat and protect the harbour.
Both had voiced their heated opinions during the post combat interview on international news feeds, even with 'weak' pilots the idea to scrap the Jaeger programme in favour of the (in Chucks' words) 'shit house' Anti Kaiju wall was ridiculous and clearly whichever bloke thought it up was a 'whacka'. Though a lot of Australian slang had been banded about in the interview, people got the message. The 'Wall' was not going to stop the Kaiju attacks.
On a few occasions, Anna and Isabelle had been drafted to run defence missions with Striker, helping fend off two category 3 Kaiju attacks from Sydney's 'Wall'.
She'd lost count of the times she'd been involved, well more like blindsided by Chuck into drinking contests after another victory against the Kaiju. Contests that while usually ended in her losing, were for the most part an absolute riot; they'd drink, laugh and celebrate, refusing to think of what could've gone wrong.
Anna by passed Hanger 4, where the last of the restoration work was taking place on the rescued Mark 3, Gipsy Danger, under the skilled supervision of Pentecost's adopted daughter, Mako Mori.
She'd been surprised when Pentecost had explained his plan, to reinstate the Jaeger and her one surviving pilot, Raleigh Becket.
Anna had met the Becket brothers only once, a few weeks prior to the Kaiju attack at Anchorage that killed the eldest brother and co-pilot Yancy.
Entering Hanger 5, Anna regarded her gleaming black armoured Jaeger affectionately, the 240ft high mech weighed in at just under 1,850 tons and while she looked decidedly 'petite' in regards to the sheer bulk of the other Jaegers, Ebony Siren was a brutal weapon to wield. She moved with a grace associated with martial arts, fluid and agile, adapted perfectly for the chosen fighting styles of her pilots.
Armed with a pair retractable mounted chain blades, capable of severing limbs and reinforced plating around the hands, meant any punch thrown had a bone crushing affect on the enemy. Ebony Siren was also equipped with a mounted missile launcher on the left shoulder, for when she wasn't engaged in close combat fighting.
"Anna Duncan."
Turning at the heavily accented version of her name, Anna smiled as she came face to face with the Russian Jaeger pilots, Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky. She hadn't seen either of them since Ebony Siren's brief spell at the Russian shatterdome in Vladivostok, back in 2019, a few weeks after Ebony was launched and a mere six months before the Jaeger programme was first given the news of its impending closer.
"Sasha, Aleksis," Anna laughed, grasping the normally, stoic, blonde Russian woman in a warm hug. "It's good to see you both again," she admitted as she stepped to greet Aleksis with the same warmth.
The mountain of a man, wrapped her in a tight bear hug in return, displaying a rare moment of open affection. "How are you?" She giggled, the question rolled off her tongue effortlessly in Russian.
Offering a slight smile, as she observed her husband, Sasha nodded, "We are all the better for having you here with us."
Setting Anna back on her feet, Aleksis hummed in agreement, "You are well, yes?"
She nodded in affirmation.
"Isabelle?"
"Oh she's around here somewhere, actually you'll probably approve of her new hair cut too," Anna commented glancing at Sasha's shorn blonde hair.
"Didn't I mention that Sasha was my inspiration?" Isabelle grinned, as she appeared on the walkway behind them. "It's good to see you," she smiled offering both the Russians a brief hug, which while lacking in her sisters enthusiasm, still held the same warmth.
Ruffling a hand through Isabelle's short hair like an older sister, Sasha nodded, "It suits you."
"Easier to tell you apart," Aleksis commented with a rueful half smile.

Marshal Stacker Pentecost regarded the rare display of affection between the Russian and British pilots; he's gaze sweeping over the identical twins critically. He had no qualms about sending Cherno Alpha into battle, Sasha and Aleksis were two of the most decorated pilots in the PPDC, more than capable of taking any advancing Kaiju down. Isabelle and Anna Duncan however were more of a question mark.
The twins themselves were small in build, barely scathing the five foot mark in height and slender. Both dwarfed by the two Russians, they were currently conversing with. Isabelle the elder seemed to lack the vibrancy of her sister, as though she was suffering from loss of sleep. Her eyes were bright, but her pale features were bought into sharp relief by the shortness of her hair.
He made a note to review their medical files, encase there was something he'd missed.
Anna Duncan resembled her PPDC file photo. A picture of youth, with the identical pale features of her twin, framed by a mass of dark, long hair and bright blue eyes.
Pentecost pursed his lips, thoughtfully. Was he over analysing? The twins had an impressive enough record; Ebony Siren had helped defend both the Russian and Australian coastlines, having been stationed at which ever shatterdome had needed them at the time. With six confirmed kaiju kills, three of which were category 3's, although it was hazy as to whether the last kill could be claimed by Ebony or the Australian's Mark 5 Striker Eureka.
What truly bothered him was the actual design of the Jaeger itself. Could it stand up against anything bigger than a category 3? Ebony Siren was by far the smallest of the active mechs and built for speed rather than strength, could he live with the deaths of another team on his conscience, because of a design fault? The former pilot in him served a calm reminder as the words whispered through his doubts, 'A Jaeger is only as good as the pilots controlling it.' The Duncan twins were good pilots, their records showed that and they came with several commendations from other pilots. Herc Hansen amongst them and that counted for something, not many people could claim they held the absolute trust and respect of the Striker Eureka pilot or his egotistical son.

The sound the klaxon alarm snapped Anna awake and had her rolling from her top buck, just as the mechanical voice blared into her room. "Ebony Siren, Kaiju alert detected in the breach. Report to drive suit room immediately."
"Isabelle lets go!" Anna called, nudging her stirring sibling with a foot as she scrambled into her combats, checking the nearby console, as information from Loccent flooded the screen.
"Alright, alright. I'm moving already," Izzy yawned, placing a hand against the pounding in her right temple as the ever present pain flared abruptly as she sat up.

"It's a category 4, you sure you're up for this?" Anna questioned softly as they made their way to the suit room, where the technicians were waiting for them.
Isabelle didn't look so good, her eyes were narrowed against the pain and her skin was even paler than normal. Even Anna knew, her sister looked down right sickly stood beside her.
Her twin merely glared at her, the look filled with a warning to shut up.
As the techs began suiting them up, Anna felt the wave of dread rush through her again. She needed to talk to Marshal Pentecost, for Isabelle's sake if not her own.
As if sensing her thoughts, Isabelle caught her gaze and smiled slightly, "Trust me."

"Pilot to pilot connection, engaged."
Pentecost stood behind Tencho Choi in Loccent as the Jaeger technician over saw the Duncan's drift, dividing his attention between several screens before him. Relaying information on the pilot's synaptic readings and simultaneously gathering all information on the Kaiju coming through the breach.
"Isabelle's the right hemisphere, Anna the left." Tencho offered, sparing Pentecost a brief glance over his shoulder.
As he'd expected the twins drift was seamless and after allowing a moment to make sure their connection remained stable, Marshal Pentecost nodded at Tencho, "Initiate neural hand shake."
"Initiating neural handshake," Tencho echoed, more for the benefit of the two pilots in the Conn-Pod than himself. "In 4…3…2…1."
"Neural hand shake, engaged."
Through the viewing screen, Pentecost watched in muted admiration as the black Jaeger hummed and came to life under the connected neural bridge of Isabelle and Anna Duncan.
Within minutes the Jaeger was in transport and in the field.

As they prepared for the drop, Isabelle glanced at her twin with a sigh of relief, as soon as Anna had connected with her the pressure in her left temple eased. With a smile she recalled a memory she'd glimpsed in the drift.
"So…You and Chuck…"
"Not really the time, Iz." Anna countered instantly.
"Chuck Hansen, you and him," Isabelle pushed again, a grin lighting her features as she sensed Anna's discomfort, float through her mind.
"Drunken, one night stand." Her sister offered, even though they both knew she didn't need to say anything, the drift left words some what unnecessary.
"Ahem. Chit chat, later, ladies," Choi' voice echoed around them, sounding harassed. Maybe the tech man didn't like the direction of their conversation. Both the twins grinned.
"Preparing to drop, in 5…4…3…2…1"
The moment of weightlessness preoccupied their conversation, before they braced for the landing. Ebony's huge legs bending as the Jaeger landed in the bay, thigh deep in sea water.
"Ebony Siren, your mission is to take a defensive position in Hong Kong's bay. You're to stop the Kaiju's advance by any means necessary."
Listening to Marshal Pentecost's orders, Anna glanced at the illuminated HUD before her. "Affirmative Sir, but I'm picking up multiple fishing vessels in the immediate area."
"Negative, your primary is to eliminate the Kaiju. No matter the cost you can not let it reach the city."
"Shit," Isabelle cursed with a shake of her head, "What about the preservation of human lives?" she countered sharply, her legs moving in sync with her sister as they guided Ebony through the shallow bay towards the open ocean.
"Your orders are to defend Hong Kong city. The loss of a hundred, is acceptable if it saves millions." Pentecost snapped.
"Jesus, that's cold," Anna sighed, just as she sighted the tale tell signature of the Kaiju. "Izzy, get ready."
"It's another category four, Mutavore."
"Kaiju sure are turning up more frequently than before, don't you think?" Anna mused, her gaze sweeping over the display.
"The science division's looking into it, Miss Duncan." Pentecost assured her, in his usual clipped, no nonsense tone.
"That is one ugly bastard," Isabelle commented raising her arms in a fighter's stance.
To her Left Anna mimicked the movements instantaneously, a dark smile lighting her features, visible through the visor of her helmet,"Let's give him a face lift, shall we?"