Kiryu was always a hassle when it came to keeping as 's gone through over ten different crews in her life as a defender. It takes a crew of six to fully function her. One pilot, relays commands to the other pilots, which in turn act to her signals and operate Kiryu. They operate together in flight, motion, weapons, close combat, doing it all alone is possible, but damned difficult. The last time a solo pilot operated Kiryu alone, he had to take a month off just to settle himself. Guess he'd not been in so much stress in his life.
The pilot I'd recently trained was a young sergeant, Akane Yashiro. She was a work of art in the academy I guess, and was finally selected to take over as one of the pilots in Kiryu, after an unfortunate incident took the lives of three of her pilots. We had two other selections, but she was the only one straight from the academy, and selected from the EDF themselves to have her join the team. She certainly got their attention. Of course when she had mine, it wasn't for the best reasons, and I knew that it would be some time before I would likely see any gift that the EDF saw in her.
The lights overhead began to turn on, and a female computer voice overhead spoke the words "Simulation terminated". The screen which Price had been facing had light behind it light up. The screen was nothing more than a simple glass window, and on the other side, there was a large pod. It looked like the cockpit of a plane almost. Inside, was a female figure. She couldn't see Price, but he could see her. His arms were crossed. He took a breath, and calmed himself.
"Captain Gordon...thank you for giving us your time."
Off on the side, Gordon's face appeared on the window screen. "Was a pleasure. Sorry it didn't go so smoothly."
"Not at all your doing, Captain. As you were." Price replied.
Gordon nodded, and said, "We'll be in touch." And his screen flickered out.
Price then focused his attention back on the woman, now getting out of the pod. She stood to the screen, her face a little down trodden. She knew she was in trouble, and Price was thankful she knew.
"You wanna tell me what you did wrong, Sergeant?" Price asked.
"I...went after the ferry..." Akane Yashiro replied, not daring to look at the glass in front of her.
"That, is just the tip of the iceberg." Price replied. "The loss of Nagasaki, Kiryu, the Gotengo, it all stemmed from one thing, and it wasn't a ferry." Price walked over to the glass, almost like a mother would a disobedient child. "I don't know who selected you for your position in the Kiryu crew, but let me tell you, that if there was any sign of this kind of behavior before you came here, I certainly would not have selected you to enter Kiryu, let alone be a runner up for commanding Kiryu. Get one thing stuck in your head now, you are damned lucky this was a simulation, if all this just happened, you would be more than just off the Kiryu Division."
Akane looked frightened almost, or grief struck. Price could see it, but he couldn't let up. She needed to understand the seriousness of what had just happened. Price continued. "I cannot afford to have any officer on this division not following direct orders. If you are told to stand your ground, you stand your ground. You don't move, I don't care what excuse there is, I don't care if Jesus Christ himself is in the sky, you stand your ground."
"I thought it was going to attack..." Akane said.
"You'll always think that in the field. But you need to understand, that not every MUTO behaves like a suicidal maniac. They know when they are outmatched. And sometimes, they may retreat. If they do that, we can still track them, prevent them from getting too close to civilization, heck we've captured some before, and studied them. The more we know about them, the better we can understand what we can do to protect ourselves from them. The more you fight them, the more you will understand how they behave."
Price took a breath in, and popped his neck. "But because you currently have seen no real combat, you are to follow orders we give you. It is when you don't follow orders, when you take matters in your own hands, make decisions not yours to make, that lives get lost. You are part of a team that pilots a great machine, sergeant. Japan never has had such remarkable defense. Kiryu, is a remarkable achievement. But it is also respected, because the people who operate her, are not piloting her for glory. They pilot her because they love their country."
"Yes, sir..." Akane replied.
"Have you ever met a Jaeger pilot?" Price asked.
Akane slowly nodded.
"I thought so. You acted just like one. That stops now. I don't know what goes through the heads of those pilots sometimes, but though they've saved many people, they've also been responsible for many deaths in the crossfire. Deaths that are easy to prevent. We will not be in that category, we are above that."
"Yes, sir..." Akane said, "But...should I have let the people on the ferry die?"
Price took a breath and for a moment, he sympathized with her. "Akane, we all at one point have had to make the difficult decision. While I understand your concern for the safety of other civilians, sometimes, you need to cut the rope to save others. Is the decision we make always the best? No. I knew many pilots of the bombers who leveled Manhattan. They didn't like the fact that they had to destroy the entire city, a city still filled with so many people, just to kill off one monster. They had their orders. They had to carry them out. Was it a decision I could have made? Probably not...but I would have had to honor the order all the sample if I were flying over Manhattan." He took another breath. "We send out priority one warnings, to let others know not to travel near certain areas. That doesn't mean they always work. There will be stragglers. In the case of the ferry, those who let the ferry travel in those waters, will be in trouble with their own superiors. We are not responsible for deaths, when we give out the correct warnings. The people who decide for themselves, to venture close to MUTO combat for thrills, or because they were told it was okay, take their lives into their own hands, and will face consequences of their superiors or other forces. Understand?"
Akane bowed her head slightly. "I...understand, sir."
Price nodded. "Hit the showers, Sergeant. You're dismissed."
Akane bowed and made her exit, her short black hair hiding a small amount of shame as she made herself exit. Price wanted to feel sorry for her, but knew she'd be fine. He'd dealt with worse cases, and she actually had potential not only to understand her mistakes, but learn from them, and become a better pilot. Perhaps that was why she had been sent here. The EDF did make some great decisions, and knew what they were doing. All Price could really do, was train to the best of his ability, those sent his way. A day in the life.
"Major Price," an officer said walking into the room he stood in, as the other officers who were involved with the simulation were clearing the room. Price turned to see a young man saluting him. He saluted back, and said, "At ease. What is it?"
"Sir, your audience is requested in your quarters."
Price nodded, and asked, "Anything else?"
"No, sir. Just a call, requesting your audience."
"I'll be there shortly. Dismissed."
Price sighed and turned away. He walked toward a screen, and shut the system down. The lights in the room dimmed, and the simulation room shut down. Price then grabbed his olive green boonie hat, and exited the room. He walked through the hallways, toward his office, not taking much in around him. The soldiers in the hall cleared out of the way for him, but he didn't notice much. He loved his troops, but he wasn't always for the whole formal thing. Respect was really all he cared about. He respected his troops, they respected him. That was all that mattered.
Upon entering his room, he tossed his jacket on his bed, and turned on his lights. He cleared his throat, and said, "Answer call."
A few beeps later, a screen off to the left displayed a larger man, short gray hair, and a prosthetic arm, appeared on screen. The soldier had seen a lot of action, and was a man that Price treated with the upmost respect. "Colonel Hicks." Price said offering the old soldier a smile, and his formal salute.
"Hello John. At ease. How's things on your end of the world?"
"Pretty quiet here. Kiryu hasn't seen action in a month or so. Giving us time to train the new pilots. That's a pretty little trip, if you catch my drift."
"I can imagine." Hicks replied giving Price a friendly smile.
"So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Anthony?"
"Not sure how connected you are to the news, but the MUTO attacks seem to be moving."
"I'm sorry, what exactly do you mean?" Price asked.
A map showed on the screen as the colonel's screen got smaller. The map showed Southeast Asia for the most part, and a red circle began to show in an area described by him. "Breach openings have started going in a pattern. A lot of the openings seem to be taking place in Southern Asia, mainly parts near southern China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and parts of the Philippines. We still have openings elsewhere, but we've noticed that the amount of appearances here, has increased sharply. As of now, almost 75% of all Breach activity happens in this area."
"You're implying that we might get busy in the following weeks." Price replied.
"We've got plenty of reason to be thinking that. You can't deny that MUTO seem to target the Asian lands very frequently."
"Gamera...Godzilla...no monster ever misses a chance to visit the East." Price said trying to subdue any humor.
"Which is why the heads of the EDF are ordering additional reinforcements to the Asian shorelines. We don't know why they are targeting Asia so much, or originating from the area they are as much as they are, but we aren't gonna let them get the better of us."
"Reinforcements against MUTOs are always welcome, Colonel, but I believe you underestimate the infantry of the EDF. They advancements they are developing right now are powerful enough to fight category one, or even category two MUTOs without assistance. Imagine it, Colonel. Kiryu wouldn't always need to be summoned to fight. With a better ground force, and more ships like the Gotengo, we'd be one step closer to finishing this war. If anything, I'd just advise the EDF to request the materials to further develop such weaponry and-"
"They did at first...sorry Price, but you and I both know that times are tough, and materials can be hard to transfer nowadays."
"Don't bother reminding me." Price replied.
"In the coming days, you'll be assigned more infantry, and Kiryu can expect backup of six Jaeger pilots."
"I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" Price asked with a frown showing on his face.
"I said you'll be assigned more infantry, and Kiryu will get the backup of six Jaeger pilots."
"Whatever for?" Price asked. "Kiryu already has her own pilots. I understand that fighting in her is risky, and even dangerous sometimes, but we constantly train pilots in case she needs replacements."
"You misunderstand, John. We are currently dispatching three Jaegers to your division, along with the infantry units. Coming with this are some officers you may get acquainted with to your division, and even a small amount of materials for your research." Hicks corrected.
"What? I have no need, or desire for Jaeger backup. You know how I feel about them, sir."
"Yes, I know exactly how you feel about them, but it wasn't my call to make. You're gonna need to work with me on this, John. Something tells me you may be thankful for their help."
"They don't help. They just go vigilante on you. Out to save the day, be a hero, get a trophy." John said taking a sip out of a glass of water he just made for himself. "I don't need to deal with any insubordinate behavior from them."
"John, I don't think you're giving the Jaeger Program enough credit. I know some of the pilots have showed such behavior, but not all of them. And even if they do, they still know how to fight MUTOs."
"Kiryu knows how to fight them too!" Price replied to the statement. "There isn't one she's faced that has managed to take her down."
"That doesn't mean her record will continue. We can't take anymore chances with her." Hicks replied. "I know you look to her as a great method of defense against the MUTO threat, and I agree with everything you say about her, but you know as well as I do, that if she does fall, it won't be easy to replace her, in fact...we may not be able to."
Price was silent. It was a day he would dread. The day that Kiryu would finally meet her final fight. Price always thought she would be the one to end threats like Godzilla, but she had become a weapon in their biggest war. A weapon that like others, wouldn't last forever.
Hicks gave another thing for Price to think about. "Another reason I want Jaegers there...is because of other threats you know to exist. You've already talked about them."
"You're talking about Godzilla and Gamera." Price said turning back to the screen. "I shouldn't have to remind you that we monitor both monsters very closely, and bother are in hibernation-"
"That's just it, Major. Just two days ago, we lost Gamera's signal."
Price widened his eyes. "Gamera's gone?!"
"Settle down, Major." Hicks said. "It could be the rough seas outside the area we normally monitor him in his sleep. But yes, visual contact was lost, and has yet to be found. There was no sign of him waking up."
"He can fly, Colonel. He could be anywhere by now." Price replied.
"Negative on that. Our scanners don't show any hostiles in the air."
"With all due respect, Colonel," Price spoke up, "but Gamera is not a hostile. If anything, his awakening could be the turn of a tide for us. I remember him protecting Japan in the 1990s, and watching him was still an experience I've yet to see any Breach MUTO replicate. If Gamera is indeed awake, he might fight for us."
"You know my orders from the top on dealing with any MUTO threat, Major. We are aware of his past actions, but it doesn't meant he'll repeat them."
"And with all due respect, we keep an even bigger eye on Godzilla. What we've got stationed up there monitor everything from brain activity to heartbeats. If Godzilla does wake up in the near future, we will be ready."
"I don't doubt that, but with his past especially, even you would be cautious of pitting Kiryu against him. She's never faced that monster." Hicks said in concern.
"Yeah...but let's just hope he won't wake up. He hasn't been seen in over forty years. And I'd like to keep it that way." Price said.
"So let the Jaegers help in that area. If the worst does happen, you'll be ready."
Price was very skeptical to that claim. "I'm not in a position to argue, but with all due respect, Colonel, you've never fought Godzilla."
"I've got my own experience in fighting MUTO threats, John. You know that." Hicks said.
Of course he knew that. Hicks was not afraid to show his losses to anyone. Hicks had lost his arm in the early years of the war, and even without his arm, in action, he could fight and hold his own ground. Not many could say that they could do the same thing.
"What Jaegers are being sent over?" Price asked, arms still crossed.
"Thunder Snake, Gypsy Danger, and Inferno Wolf." Hicks replied, bringing designs of each to the screen.
"Inferno Wolf?" Price asked. "New Jaeger? I'm not familiar with that one."
"Yeah, we've got no pilots for her yet either. EDF may train a couple for it."
"And I thought Gypsy Danger was destroyed, decommissioned, something along those lines."
Hicks laughed a bit. "She's been refurbished, but she's still a great fighter, and her new team will prove themselves just as great."
"Oh, who replaced the Becket brothers?" Price asked.
"Raleigh is still involved. He's been paired with a Japanese woman named Mako Mori."
Price gave a sigh. "You would give me a Becket..." He had heard of the Becket pilots. And those two were one of the bigger reasons he viewed Jaeger Pilots as he did. The Becket brothers learned the hard way what could happen when orders were not followed. Or at least the surviving brother learned the hard way. Price of course sympathized with the surviving brother over his loss, but it was a loss that could have been easily prevented. Now he and his Jaeger were back in in the war. Price was skeptical as to whether or not he would have learned his lesson. Price didn't like this, and the Colonel knew it.
He spoke up, "John, I know it's a decision you don't like. But for now, friend to a friend, I'm gonna ask you to go with it for now. If the MUTO threat does grow bigger, we may need extra defense in your area. The Jaegers will provide that..."
Price sighed and finished his glass of water. "Fine, Anthony...when can I expect the company?"
"They'll be heading your way in a few hours actually. Expect them to reach your division within 48 hours." Hicks replied.
Price nodded. "Please don't make me regret allowing them here..."
Hicks gave his old friend a smile and said, "Just don't make us regret sending them there. Keep us updated on any activity. Hicks over and out." And the screen went dark.
Price sighed and sat down. So there were Jaegers coming his way. Wonderful. Just damn wonderful. He couldn't deny that it would perhaps give him more time to train Kiryu's new pilots, but he didn't want to deal with their stubborn attitudes. He could only pray that these pilots were more disciplined than the pilots he had previously been acquainted with. But he knew that was a fat chance.
He exited his quarters and headed to the mission briefing room. Upon reaching the familiar room filled with holographic maps, screens, chattering officers, and radio chatter galore, he heard someone shout, "Officer on deck!"
All over the room, the officers stood at attention in his direction. He however already headed down the stairs to join them. "At ease!"
He approached his first lieutenant, who joined him immediately. Price looked to him, and began speaking. "We got a busy agenda now. I need three deployment stations prepped and ready to house three Jaegers."
"Jaegers sir?"
"Yes, Lieutenant, Jaegers. The top office has ordered them here, but that's not on my biggest priority. Stand by."
He grabbed a chair and stood on it, and called out. "Attention please!"
Once the room quieted down, and focused on him, he clapped his hands once. "I've been informed of something that needs our upmost attention right away. We are unsure of the exact reason, but Gamera's signals have been lost. Rough seas, or some other thing may have knocked them out, but I need all Pacific patrols on their best guard. If Gamera is perhaps awake, we need visual confirmation. I need you all watching the skies, and any ocean signature you get, I want reported. We can't afford to turn a blind eye to any known Earth MUTO, so as an act of caution, I want visual confirmed reports of Mothra, Anguirus, Rodan, and Godzilla in their habitats. Do I make myself clear? You have your orders carry them out."
As the room got busy, Price went back to his lieutenant, "Relay these commands out to every major battleship we have, the Ashiro, the Gotengo, everyone."
His lieutenant nodded in confirming the order, and Price gave him one last order before sending him away. "And get me Base 211 on the line. I want to personally give them my order."
Major Ellesbury sipped his coffee, and bundled up. The heating unit had gone out on them about an hour ago, which wasn't the first time, but not a common occurrence. He'd have to finish his tea fast if he wanted it to stay hot. He stuck his hands in his coat pockets, when someone approached him.
"Sir, Major Price of the Kiryu Division has ordered a confirmation report on the subject."
"Confirmation report?" Ellesbury asked in confusion. "Whatever for?"
"He didn't say much sir, just that he's getting reports on each Earth MUTO we know of. Make sure they're still in their habitats and such."
Ellesbury nodded and sipped his coffee, which was already losing its heat. "Wouldn't call it a habitat so much, but deliver what he requested. Subject One is still here, and is not going anywhere..."
The young man nodded and left him. Leaving Ellesbury to look at a screen. With the touch of a button, the screen turned to a patch of ice. Down below that ice was a distorted view of something big. Something that had been hibernating for almost over forty, almost fifty years now. Yes. He was still here, and he wouldn't be leaving his icy prison anytime soon...
