The Swordmaker Chapter 4: Jess and Tess, a pacific rim fanfic

When Mako Mori was eighteen, she joined the Academy.

The revelation that Stacker was sick had made her promise him that she wouldn't pursue it. She had sworn never to push for Combat again... And a week later, she knew she shouldn't have made a promise she'd never be able to keep.

Stacker never asked her about it again, but he had to know. The mortal fear of letting him down haunted her, because she knew it would happen...

The recruiting station was outside the Shatterdome. Mako had snuck out of her room before dawn and down to the Loading Bay. Even before the sun came up, the Shatterdome was a hive of activity. The dayshift and the Jaeger Pilots were all asleep, but there were still Watch Commanders, Maintenance Crews, Supply Runs to be made for everything from food to engine parts, and everything else a small city needed.

Before the sun came up, the only people in the Loading Bay were the supply truck drivers getting ready to make their runs, and the garbage truck drivers taking the combined garbage of the whole Dome to be dumped.

And beyond the doors, the open road.

"I had wondered if you were going to say goodbye before you left."

Mako spun. Herc Hansen had been waiting for her. He was standing behind the doorframe, where Mako couldn't see him, until she had walked into the bay itself.

Mako slumped, caught. Other than the Sensei, Herc Hansen was the man that Mako respected most. If Stacker was her father, then Herc was her uncle. "I... I have to." She said finally.

"I know." Hansen didn't seem at all surprised. "Six months at Basic, then you get assigned to a Dome for Training. Smart money says you'll be right back here before Pentecost goes on rotation to another base."

"Six months?" Mako challenged. "I'll do it in three."

Herc sighed. "I just bet you will." He stared at her. "You weren't even going to tell him you were leaving."

She looked down. Not often did she feel like a coward, but she did just then. "I told him I wouldn't push for it, but... I can't just be here when I could be there."

"You could at least wait until tomorrow. The cake's sitting on ice for tonight."

Mako had a ghost of a smile. "Give it to the Pit Crew."

Herc snorted and called to one of the truck drivers. "Hey, Briggs? You're heading out to collect supplies for the Mess?"

"Yessir!" The driver called back.

"Give Miss Mori a ride into town." Herc commanded.

Mako was surprised, and a little touched. She quickly schooled her expression before anyone saw, but for a split second, she was smiling.

The Recruiting Office opened at nine in the morning. At 8:40, a man in a uniform came by to open up the office, and found Mako sitting on the curb outside the office door, with her backpack beside her. "Hey there."

Mako rose to her feet smoothly. "I want to enlist."

He smirked. "How old are you?"

"I turned eighteen today." She told him, already holding out her paperwork. Birth certificate, identification, transcripts, medical files.

The uniformed man unlocked the office door and switched on the lights. "Happy Birthday."

The recruits were all within a year or two of eighteen. Mako had joined up on her birthday, which made her the youngest in class. The first day was nothing but paperwork. Mako was impatient with it, but she'd lived in enough Domes to know the whole PPDC ran on triplicate.

The other recruits had to phone home to get extra paperwork, Social Security, things like that. Mako had it all with her. She'd rehearsed this so often, she almost didn't need them.

They all filled their paperwork quietly. Mako scribbled down the numbers without even looking at her documentation.

"You have those numbers committed to memory?" One of the other recruits asked in jaded awe.

Mako glanced up at her. She was young and blonde, and sitting beside her was an almost identical girl. They were clearly identical twins, though the other had longer hair, dyed black, making her look a little older. But identical twins signing up together meant they were aiming for the Jaeger program. "Yes." Mako told the blonde. "I've been waiting for this my whole life. I have everything I need memorized."

The blonde let out a low whistle. "All this paperwork, I don't know if they want to be sure I'm me, or if they're trying to convince me I'm really someone else in disguise."

Mako smirked. "It takes a lot of paperwork to buy someone's soul."

The blonde smirked grimly and held out a hand. "I'm Jess."

Mako returned the handshake. "Mako."

The other twin held a hand out too. "Tess."

Mako blinked. "Identical twins named Jess and Tess?"

The two sisters smirked grimly, having heard it all before. "Our parents were good people. Not imaginative, but good."

The Boot Camp was grueling.

Their Drill Sargent was named Sgt. Shilihu. He wasn't one of the Instructors trained by Pentecost, so he hadn't met Mako before, and she was glad for it. Nobody knew what country he was from, and nobody knew for sure how to pronounce his name. He would ask, and if you tripped over the pronunciation, he would make the whole class run the obstacle course again.

The Class of 2021 agreed he was a sadist, and named him Sgt Slaughter. A nickname he seemed to delight in.

Mako had less of a learning curve than the others. She'd been training for these trials her whole life. Their class of over a hundred and twenty nine people shrank to ninety five after the first month.

The scoreboard was all. It was a whiteboard version of the viewscreen in the Shatterdome Mess hall, and unlike the win-loss ration, this one had a series of percentages. Every physical and mental exam changed the percentages for each name. At the end of Basic Training, those scores would have a huge bearing on what department they were assigned to in the Dome.

Most of the recruits knew they'd never make Combat, and were aiming for posts as technicians, maintenance, gunners... Mako respected them, but dismissed them. They weren't competition, and they weren't like her. Even at the table full of hopeful pilots, she was off to the side; the only one without a partner.

The fact that she was ahead of them on points made them nervous. None of them knew what would happen once they made it to Stage Two. If the Commanders decided to put their top student with another recruit, then it meant a team was being broken up.

In fact, the only one that seemed eager to have Mako around was Jess. Tess was more polite than friendly, but Jess had endless enthusiasm.

"It's why we work well together." Tess had explained once, when Mako commented on the difference. "She rushes in like an out of control bowling ball, and I put the brakes on."

"I need it, too." Jess agreed brightly. "But she doesn't so much as hold me back as I drag her forward." Without noticeably pausing to take a breath, her head tilted as she studied Mako. "You've got really pretty hair."

Mako twitched. She hadn't bothered to dye it again since that stupid night, and it had since grown enough that her hair now changed from blue to black at about the halfway point in an almost perfect line. "Thank you."

"Settle a bet for me?" Jess asked sweetly. "My sister, misguided as it may be, thinks that Kiloton was the ugliest thing the Breach ever spat out, and I say it's Onibaba."

Mako gave her The Look. "This is what you make bets on?"

"Not us, our little brother." Tess put in. "He's a collector. Has a complete set of the Kaiju vs Jaeger Action Figures. He found out we were signing on, and wanted to let us take one of his action figures each." She shrugged. "I don't want Kiloton's ugly mug sitting on my beside table every night; I'd be afraid to close my eyes."

"And that makes her a wuss, because the one that will give you the willies is Onibaba, not Kiloton." Jess responded. "So. How do we judge that?"

Mako responded automatically. "Find some Kaiju-websites and check their images section. Whichever one is linked into the least is the ugliest." She paused. "And Onibaba is the ugliest; your sister is out of her mind."

Jess threw back her head and laughed.

She had no idea how it happened, but Mako suddenly found she had made a friend.

The scores were close in the lessons. They could work in teams if they wished. Teamwork was the heart of their style of combat. Mako worked solo, which was fine with her. Her score was at the top of the list. Having Jess and her sister around as study partners was surprisingly helpful.

The Drills came at odd times of day. Sometimes mid-meal, sometimes mid-class, sometimes at two in the morning. Like any training camp, their routine was very regulated; but Shatterdome Staff had to be on call 24 hours a day.

Pentecost tried to call Mako twice more during her first week. She refused both calls; and he didn't try again until the second week.

Every night, the twins sat, Jess on the bunk, and Tess cross-legged on the floor, and Jess would braid her hair elaborately, making it impossible to tangle during the night.

Every night, on the opposite bunk, Mako would sit upright on top of the blankets, one hand holding up a technical manual, her other hand sketching at a pad on her knee. Her eyes flicked back and forth between them, never slowing down.

Mako heard her phone buzz, and she winced.

Sensei Is Calling You. Receive/Refuse?

"Mako, who is it?" Jess asked once, after Mako sent the call to voicemail. It was the third one that day. "Ex-boyfriend?"

"No." Mako said shortly.

"Well you're trying to avoid someone, and they're not giving up." Jess insisted.

"Leave her alone." Tess said lightly, as Jess brushed her hair. "If Mako doesn't want to talk about it, then don't talk about it."

Beat.

Jess set down the brush and held out her phone. "This is our family." She said brightly.

Mako looked over, surprised by the sudden jump in topic. On the screen was a family photo. The twins, an older woman, a small boy, and a bulldog puppy. "This is us, and mom, and Petey and Max. Petey is the small, fuzzy, drooling one. And Max is the dog."

Mako smirked at the joke.

"If you don't mind my saying, Mako..." Jess said brightly. "You don't seem to talk about your home very often."

Mako was already back at her textbooks. "Mm."

"Stone." Jess said, not offended. "Face made of stone. Sis, remind me never to play poker with Mako Mori."

Days turned into weeks, and the next round of scores were put on the leaderboard. Mako was in first place. Jess and Tess were a close second; though they counted as a single team.

The class of ninety five were reduced to eighty, as some of the students dropped out. The whiteboard changed after every test, every pop quiz. Mako was getting a feel for the others. Jess and Tess were scoring high in physical team skills. They were going for Combat.

Mako was at the top of the list in physical challenges, Kaiju knowledge, and her engineering marks were breaking records. Slaughter made the comment that if she didn't get Combat, she'd probably be designing Jaegers one day.

In the Academy, you could apply for a position before you started, or you could wait and let them assign you to a post once you graduated. It was unusual for any military to offer options, but it was a vary particular kind of combat; the kind that no other branch could prepare you for. Choosing a post you wanted to aim for was like choosing a class to Major in. There was no guarantee you'd get what you were aiming for.

"What did you put as your backup?" Tess asked one night. Mako wasn't sure who she was talking to. Mako had the lower bunk, with Tess above her, and Jess to their left. "Mako, I mean you."

Mako looked up from her textbook. "What did I put? I didn't."

Jess looked over. "You don't have a backup?" She seemed surprised. "I put down three. At least two of them suck, but... You don't have a backup, and you're at the mercy of the bureaucrats."

Mako returned to her textbook. "I don't need a backup. I'm Combat, all the way."

Jess and her sister traded a look. "Mako..." She said gently. "That's like winning two lotteries. We want Combat too, but... You gotta play the odds."

Mako didn't even blink. "I know the math."

The subject had caused a certain awkwardness, and Tess changed the subject. "You guys hear about Gyro Thunder?"

Mako nodded. "No survivors, from what I hear. It took them, what? Almost an hour to get two more Jaegers on the scene?"

"Had to bring them from Alaska, it's amazing it only took that long." Mako commented.

"What I wanna know is why they only put one Jaeger at the California Base." Tess commented.

"The other two were destroyed." Mako said absently. "It takes a while to build new Jaegers."

"Which is kind of my point." Tess pressed. "There aren't that many war machines to go around, so you need a backup."

"I know the math." Mako repeated, unconcerned.

"Cadets, I have good news, and bad news." Sgt Slaughter reported. "The bad news, is that this branch of the Academy is being... scaled back."

Loud murmuring. Mako felt her heart give a solid thump.

Their Instructor looked quietly outraged. "The United Nations have seen fit to scale back the budget for nonessential operations." He said, as though he was reciting something he'd read.

"Nonessential? Like training new recruits?" Someone said, furious. Mako didn't see who it was, but she agreed with him.

"Don't worry." Slaughter said grimly. "The only one out of work here is me."

Stunned silence.

"That's the good news." He continued. "The decision has been made that instead of the Top Tier Cadets training in Shatterdomes, it will now be the Top Two Tiers. Which means your graduation from Boot has been moved up to next month. Top Twenty Percent will be sent to the Canada Dome for On-Site training and deployment."

Mako felt a thrill of horror go through her. She was being sent back to the Dome.

"Top Twenty Percent?" Jess whispered in her ear. "Ohmigawd! We're shoe-ins! We're going to the Dome!"

Mako plastered a smile on her face, but inside she was panicking.

She hadn't told anyone but Jess that she'd been to Shatterdomes before. Nobody knew about her connection to Stacker Pentecost at all.

She had expected to be back in six to eight months. She had expected to have her lessons and assignments within the Pilot Program set up and approved. Then she would reconcile with her father. Once her career as a Steel Samurai was assured, no matter what he thought, she would return, victorious...

But now she'd be back a lot sooner, and Stacker would be her Sensei again. After running away and joining up without even saying goodbye, she was being shipped back to face him again...

...And he'd have final say over what department she was assigned to.

Everyone was excited on the way to the Dome. Mako had shrunk into her seat like she was expecting to be punched in the head any second. Her knees were bouncing restlessly and she was wringing her hands.

"Okay, time's up and the judges are tied." Jess declared on the bus ride. "Mako: What is worrying you? You're fearless, except for today."

Tess nodded. "Normally, I wouldn't care, but I gotta admit; I'm curious. I've never seen you nervous before."

Mako was tempted to tell them. If it had just been the three of them, she might have done it. She glanced over her shoulder. The bus was taking them to the Dome. The top twenty percent of their class came to fifteen people. And four of them were listening in.

Mako gave them a tight smile. "Nervous? Me? Never."

Her nerves only got worse as they pulled into the Dome. Mako had seen it before. Everyone else was openly gaping at the huge space. The Desk Sargent met them at the Loading Dock, and directed them to the Briefing Room. He smiled broadly at Mako, who smiled back tightly.

Jess and Tess noticed the little exchange, but didn't remark on it.

The Briefing Room was as she remembered it, with a small amphitheater style classroom, with about twenty seats, and a large viewscreen at the front of the room.

The cadets all sat down, waiting for someone to show up and tell them what to do.

They didn't wait long. The door opened again, and half a dozen cadets walked in. Chuck Hansen was one of them. He looked them all over, sent Mako a nod, and sat down.

Tess sent her a look. "Why do I get the feeling you've been here before? Did you have a relative who worked here, or something?"

The door opened. "Ten-Hut."

"Something like that." Mako winced as everyone leaped to full attention.

Stacker Pentecost came into the room, and Mako could feel the silence become charged. They all knew who he was. The powerful man looked them all over, left to right. His gaze didn't so much as linger for an instant when he saw Mako. "Good morning." He intoned.

Mako felt a thrill go through her. She hadn't heard that voice in months. He hadn't changed a bit.

"You will be the first class to be judged and assigned completely in house within the Shatterdome. Make no mistake, your task just became infinitely harder. You've been following the news. Since the Jaeger Program was put into effect, there have been ninety two engagements, and ninety victories. Except for the last year, where there have been seventeen defeats. Our enemy is evolving faster than our weapons can be upgraded. It takes almost four years to build a functional Class-4 Jaeger. It takes eight minutes or less to engage a Kaiju. A loss means the death of an entire city. We respond to this by being better than we've ever been. You've never even seen a Jaeger, but you will be held to a higher standard than every warrior that has come before you, by virtue of fighting an even greater enemy. So I expect more of you than anyone ever has. I will expect you to reach that standard, because it's the standard I expect every man and woman under my command to achieve. A billion people live along the Pacific Rim, and less than fifty people stand between them and total destruction. So if by some miracle, you have it in you to make that team... then you will live a life of constant danger, full of incredible mental, emotional and physical stresses, with an eighty percent chance of dying, cold and insane, somewhere along the Miracle Mile."

He paused to let that sink in.

"However, you also get the chance to save lives." Stacker finished. "This isn't the Army. This isn't the Navy, or the Air Force, or the Marines. Those guys have no chance against the sorts of things we fight. We aren't soldiers, we're Dragon-Slayers. Monster Hunters. We're Steel Samurai. This is the Shatterdome. Welcome to the War!"

Mako saw the effect he was having on the rest of the recruits. But the Sensei hadn't even looked in her direction since he came in. Part of her was glad for it. The rest of her was afraid to face his wrath.

Pentecost generally ran the base, and left the training to his Lieutenants. Mako could feel his eyes on her from time to time, but didn't know where he was watching from. You should just go see him. It's not getting less awkward.

But she just didn't have the nerve to face him. He must have been furious.

If the Cadets thought that things would get any easier once they were past Boot Camp, their first day soon changed their minds. Reveille was usually at 0600. In Marshal Pentecost's Shatterdome, it was an hour earlier. Other Domes started with calisthenics and breakfast. In Pentecost's Dome, it was a Launch Drill first, then calisthenics, then breakfast, and then another Launch Drill.

Jess groaned from the effort it took to pick up an empty Mess Hall tray. "Tess, carry me."

"If I did that, who would carry me?" Tess groaned back. "Pentecost is a sadist. I know I said that about Slaughter, but he was a pussycat next to The Old Man."

Jess groaned louder. "Full drill at 0445. The sun woke up and sneered at me!" Her nose twitched. "I smell bacon and eggs."

"Oh come on." Tess yawned. "Lack of sleep is making you hallucinate." Then the scent hit her. "And me too. Eggs! Real eggs!"

Mako was ahead of them in line, flawless and full of energy. She collected a tray of her own. "Eat light." She told them. "The Marshal will probably hit you with another drill before classes start."

Her friend clutched at her tray as her eyes tripled in size. "Eat light? Do you not see this? Eggs! Chicken eggs! Real eggs, Mako! I haven't seen an actual egg in... I don't know, but I was still putting ribbons in Tess' hair. Does the Dome always eat like this?"

"Worth a 4:30 start, huh?" Chuck commented from a nearby table. Mako passed him a tray automatically, and collected another for herself. Both she and Chuck took a light breakfast.

Tess woke up enough to notice that she and Chuck were acting like they'd done this before. "You two know each other?"

Chuck blinked, and looked the question to Mako. You didn't tell her?

Mako shook her head quickly, and felt the hairs on her neck stand up. She sent a quick glance back toward the door. Stacker Pentecost had just walked in. He was looking her way.

"And of course GI Joe over there looks perfect!" Tess almost whined, waving a hand at the Marshal. "He even showered and shaved. He did three extra laps on all of us, and somehow looks like he just stepped out of a movie!"

Mako looked away from her Sensei, unable to hold his gaze, even from across the room. Stacker's Aide came by and presented him with a tray of food. Stacker would usually eat with the rest of the staff. Today he just handed the tray back and left the room, going back to work.

Mako's eyes locked on the aide. She didn't recognize her. That's the girl that replaced me.

Mako turned back to the Mess Hall when Jess nudged her. Jess was watching her sister, who was having a conversation with Chuck. Mako couldn't hear them, but Tess had a truly hungry look on her face, blatantly checking out the younger Hansen every time he looked down at his tray.

"Who's the Torso?" Jess whispered.

Mako sighed. "His name is Chuck Hansen. His father is one of the Marshals in the Australian Program. He's still in training, but it's pretty much guaranteed he's going to get through."

"With his father as a partner?" Jess shuddered. "I'd never let my dad in my brain. But why's he eating with the newbies?"

Mako's lip curled in disgust. "He always comes to check out the new recruits. He calls it a 'target rich environment'."

Jess snorted. "High School, College, Boot Camp... There's one in every Co-Ed situation."

Mako noticed that Stacker's policy on training Cadets was similar to the way she herself had been trained when she was a girl. She could see Tasmin's impossible standards in every training schedule. She could see Stacker's hard line attitude in every class.

As when she was a girl, the training was designed to break them. Stacker made them work harder than their Drill Sargent. The physical demands of the training were nearly inhuman. But every morning, before the sun rose, Stacker Pentecost was there too. He ran the training course with them, and always beat them to the finish line by at least a few solid minutes. By the time Mako caught up with him, he wasn't even short of breath. By the time the rest of them caught up, he had already gone back to work.

Mako had been running the course her whole life. He always beat her. When she got older and her legs got longer, her time improved; but he was always waiting for her at the finish line.

But not any more. Now he just finished the course, and went back to work. She saw him every morning before dawn, and neither of them had spoken to each other.

For the first time, Mako realized the Sensei was afraid to talk to her too.

Classes began with Tendo Choi. He took the morning lesson when they discussed theory, and the other Marshals and Department Heads took over for the afternoon classes, after another series of Drills.

The screen lit up as the class sat down. "Cadets." Tendo intoned. "I'm willing to bet you can all name at least two dozen Jaeger Pilots, just off the top of your head." He tapped at his tablet. "Let me introduce you to some of them now."

Mako felt her eyes blaze as the large viewscreen gave them a clear view of Tasmin, lying in a hospital bed, nearly skeletal. A small army of doctors and nurses were working frantically around her, trying to make her heart start beating again. Mako felt sick. She hadn't been there when Tasmin died.

Mako turned to stone at the sight. She could hear the rest of the class gasping, making quiet comments to each other.

The image on screen changed, showing Herbert Taylor. He hadn't adopted any prosthesis since Mako had seen him last, still thrashing around in his Boneslum squat. Mako wasn't sure what he was doing as the video continued; but it soon became clear he was trying to kill himself with a kitchen knife, while a few people in uniforms tried to wrestle the blade away from him. Even with the missing limbs, he was wild enough to make them fight for it.

Mako hadn't seen him in years either. In fact, she'd bowed out whenever Stacker checked in on him. Part of her felt bad about that. The images continued, one after another; pilot after pilot, until Tendo had the mercy to shut them off.

Stunned silence.

Tendo spoke up. "You're wondering why I'm showing you this." He said simply. "It's because if you're going to lose your lunch and give up, we want you to do it now. In fact, we encourage you to give up now. The point of this little exercise is to remind you of one thing: If you manage to make it through all the misery we're eagerly putting you through every morning before dawn, you still have a war to win. The average life expectancy of a Jaeger Pilot is less than a year. The truly exceptional ones? They last almost three years. And for all that, the ones that die fighting are the lucky ones. Of all the pilots out there, only four have made it to retirement alive and sane."

Long silence.

And then, to the surprise of everyone, Jess stood up. "Excuse me, sir?" She said carefully. "But that's sort of true in lots of places."

Mako blinked. She hadn't heard this.

Jess kept going. "Pretty much everywhere along the Pacific Rim has been hammered at least once. Back before the Domes were ready, the only option for defense was full on nuclear. I... You won't find one family out there that hasn't lost someone. Me and Tess lost our dad and uncle. Dad held on for a few weeks too. Radiation scarring, starvation, dismemberment... It's not like people are living long healthy lives out there."

Tess rose to stand with her sister as she spoke. "That's right. We've already seen it. Suicides too. When a Kaiju hits landfall, it's like another suicide cult or batch of Kaiju worshipers pops up every other month. You think you can scare us away with madness and death? Dude, that's why we're here!"

Beat.

Mako stood up to join them. She didn't say anything. Tendo already knew what she'd say.

Chuck rose to his feet a moment later.

Then the Coleman Brothers. Mr and Mrs Harmon. Guillermo Tucker. Mario Fox. Clay Sanchez. Garrett and Petra Pittman. Elliot Juarez. Gus Kowloski. Susan Ivanov.

Until the entire class stood united, ready to keep going, no matter the cost.

Chuck was becoming a fixture at the recruits table. Mako knew him well, of course; but it was pretty clear he was there because Tess' interest in him was more than friendly.

Chuck was mostly oblivious to her interest, because Tess hadn't actually said anything to him, waiting for him to make a move. Mako was amused by the whole thing, but had a secret of her own with the younger Hansen. Jess and Tess were the first friends Mako had made without her 'father' being part of the discussion. Mako had noticed a difference in how these recruits treated her, compared to the rest of the Dome. It wasn't obvious, but the Twins were the first real friends who didn't know she was 'The Marshal's Daughter'.

Chuck was in a perfect position to torpedo that, but he hadn't. Mako was glad for it. She didn't know how it would affect their friendship, and the distance between her and Stacker had only grown colder.

Go and see him. She told herself for the billionth time.

Jess swept up to the table and pushed a smartphone at Mako. "Did you see this?"

Mako looked at it. "I saw it. I don't believe it."

Tess blinked. "Saw what?"

"There's a story in the New York Times, saying that the UN is going to scrap the Class-Five Program, and redirect construction funds to the Anti-Kaiju Wall." Jess read. "They say that it's time 'for the PPDC to start working for the people they're meant to be protecting, instead of feeding themselves, when there are equally viable methods to save lives'."

"The Wall? That's insane."

"More than insane, it's stupid."

Chuck was notably silent.

Tess whirled on him. "Chuck, what are you not telling us?"

Chuck sighed. "I hadn't read the story because I didn't need to." he confessed. "My dad told me the same thing three days ago."

Stunned silence.

"They want to shut us down?"

"No, they want to make noise about taking money away." Chuck told them. "It's an election year, and the hot topic is the food shortages. If they give us money, they don't spend it on food. If they take money away from us and put it into the damn Wall, then they get to hand out food to hungry people and save a lot of cash for themselves. You can promise people anything if you've got the money to back it up."

"Do they honestly think the Wall is going to do anything?" Jess scorned.

"It can win them an election, that's all they care about." Chuck shook his head. "Just empty suits."

"What does that mean for us?" Jess demanded.

"It means Striker Eureka will be the only one of its kind once it's finished." Mako sighed. "It means they're going to be cutting back on new Steel Samurai."

"It means the stakes just raised." Chuck told them grimly. "I mean, I've been here for two rotations now. My scores are good enough that they can't place me anywhere else, but there's no spare Jaegers waiting for me. I've been in limbo for two years."

Long silence.

"Two years, and my sister and I are kicking your ass on the scoreboard after six months?" Tess said finally.

"By a tenth of a percent." Chuck shot back instantly.

The tension was broken, more or less, and conversation continued.

"When I was a little kid, top ten qualified for a Jaeger." Mako said quietly to Chuck. "Now it's top five. After this, it'll be top three."

"What are you worried about? You're top of the list." Chuck whispered back.

"Did I say I was worried?" Mako hissed quietly.

Chuck glanced at the Twins and answered. "Are we whispering because you can't talk about your childhood in front of other people without them asking about The Old Man?"

Mako leaned away from him, making a face. She hated that Chuck had known her for so long.

"I'm worried about Mako." Jess told her sister one night.

Tess was sitting in front of Tess, getting her hair braided. "Really? Why?"

"She hasn't put down any backups, she doesn't have a partner, and she's so obsessed with becoming a pilot..."

"You're worried she'll burnout?"

"I am." Jess nodded.

Tess sighed, as her brother picked up a hairbrush. "Well, we've both tried easing her into reality. Any new ideas?"

Jess licked her lips. "We could help her out."

"You remember she's the competition, right?" Tess pointed out.

"She's helped us with how much?" Jess shot back. "She's our girl. Plus, I honestly think if she doesn't get a Jaeger, she'll go a little insane. And by 'a little', I mean 'a lot'. And by 'a lot' I mean 'completely whackadoo."

Tess sighed. "You're probably right. Okay... We can't fund a dozen new Jaegers. We can't improve her grades any, because she's already top of the scoreboard..."

"We could find her a partner." Jess said with silky menace.

Tess leaped up, bouncing away from her twin's hairbrush. "Oh, I KNEW IT! I knew you were going to go there! Jess, have you learned nothing from the other friends you've tried to set up on dates?"

"I only picked wrong one time!" Jess insisted. "And if he'd just gone along with it, they'd probably been married by now."

"Yes, but instead he needed to get a restraining order. You were forbidden by the Sheriff, and by mom to ever set up a friend on a date again." Tess' eyes narrowed. "And so help me, sis: If the guy you have in mind is Chuck..."

Just then, Mako came in and both twins fell silent in their near-telepathic unison. She gave them both a nod, and went over to her bunk.

Jess smiled at Tess. I'm gonna do it.

Tess shook her head slightly. No.

Jess smiled broader. Yep.

Tess shook her head harder. No.

"You know, Mako..." Jess said aloud. "I hear recruits with partners pre-approved have a much higher rate of acceptance."

Mako nodded. She felt a knife's edge of fear whenever the subject came up. "So I hear."

"We should get you a partner." Jess said sagely. "Otherwise they'll pick one for you, you know."

Tess swatted her sister hard. "Excuse Jess. She's got this thing about setting up people she doesn't know on dates."

Mako tried to smile, but the whole subject made her a little uncomfortable.

Jess was oblivious to the tension. "I'm quite serious." She said. "It's a competitive business. I've got you, sis. But you've seen Mako's scores. Who would you rather have watching our six when we're a mile out in the ocean? Chuck?"

Tess smirked. "I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'm pretty sure I can feel him watching my six every time I walk in front of him."

The three girls broke into laughter.

Jess returned her attention to Mako. "So. You got any siblings? Ones you get on with at least?"

Mako felt a spike go through her. "No. No family." She looked around again. "Um... in fact, I haven't spoken to my father in months."

Jess noticed the reaction and blew right past it. "Hm. Old boyfriend? Even a two-night-stand? You don't strike me as the type to go for slow and fat; so there's probably a potential Samurai somewhere in your contact list."

Mako looked down. "No, no boyfriends."

Tess glanced over. "Really?" She reached out and plucked at Mako's bangs. "I figure anyone with blue highlights would have at least one wild night to talk about."

Mako shrugged, trying to make light of it. "I grew up in Shatterdomes. Not much chance to date."

Tess looked over, eyes calculating. "Really? Army brat, huh?"

"Something like that." Mako blew right by it. "I was years older than the kids in the school, and years younger than the recruits. I never... well, ever."

That got both their attention. "Really?" Jess was surprised. She looked at Tess. "Sis, we gotta get this girl laid."

Mako choked on her own tongue. "I... #koffkoff# I don't think-"

"The Mixer!" Jess interrupted, excited. "The Sadie Hawkins Dance!"

"Good grief, they have that at the Dome?" Tess was too surprised to argue for once. "The ratio of female cadets to male is like three to one!"

"Exactly!" Jess beamed. "Mako could have her pick! Besides, I think they're bringing in some people from the Air Force Academy to make up the numbers..."

Mako looked awkward about it. "I... I don't think I even own a dress."

That only seemed to spur Jess on. "Excellent!" She almost hissed in delight. A moment later, she jumped up and headed for her locker. "Be right back! I've got to get my ration book! We're going shopping!"

Tess leaned in closer to Mako. "I'm sorry about this. When we were kids, she blew all her Rations on outfits for her Barbie Dolls, so I took the dolls off her. She hears the word 'party' and 'dress' and her brain switches off."

Mako groaned. "I can't even dance."

"I've seen you on the agility drills, kid. You can dance just fine with footwork like that." Tess promised her.

Mako sighed.

"Listen, not for nothing, but Jess isn't totally insane. I mean, she is; but she's not wrong. The Jaeger Program isn't for the stoic, independent type. You want to handle everything on your own, that's fine, but... At some point, you'll be paired up with someone, and probably someone at the Dome. If you don't pick a partner, the Marshal will. Would you trust Marshal Pentecost with picking someone to climb inside your head?"

Mako shivered violently. "You have no idea."

Jess had dragged Mako through every department store in Anchorage. Between both sisters and Mako, they had enough ration cards to actually have a small spree.

Mako had been poked and prodded by Medics, surgeons, customs agents and combat security across three continents. Jess was the most... thorough of all of them. It took them an entire day, but eventually, the pair returned to the Dome.

Tess was the first one to see the new look. Mako's hair had been done, her nails painted, hand and foot, makeup was applied for the first time in her life and Jess had overruled her every choice on the subject of clothing. Mako was wearing the first party dress she ever owned. It was a blue dress, knee length, but with a split that went almost to her hip. It was Asian style, somewhere between a miniskirt and a Kimono. Her shoulders were bare, and every curve was flaunted carefully. On her feet were sandals, three inch spikes and the shoe completely open, held in place by a thin gold strap that wrapped around the bridge of her foot, and wound up her curve of her calves.

Tess let out a low whistle.

Jess stepped back as though presenting a work of art. "So?"

"She looks too good for anyone that'll be there tonight." Tess offered.

Jess giggled. "Exactly what I was going for."

Tess watched her go and quietly stepped over for a private word. "Okay, Shatterdome Barbie, how bad was it?"

Mako looked emotionally exhausted. "She picked out my underwear for me." Mako winced. "Do other women usually wear strapless bras? I could feel them tearing holes in my ribcage."

"Could?" Tess repeated. "Past tense?"

Mako glanced after Jess. "Don't tell her, but I can barely breathe in the dress. I ditched that medieval torture device while she wasn't looking."

"The dress is tight enough she can probably tell." Tess smirked. "Look, I know Typhoon Jess is hard to say 'no' to, but are you sure you want to go through with this?"

Mako sighed. "I'm in a dress. I haven't worn a dress since I was a little girl. I feel so... obvious. I feel like I'm wearing a neon sign that says 'look at me!'."

"Well, that's sort of the effect she was going for." Tess offered.

"Which would be fine if I didn't feel so ridiculous."

"It's the shoes, right?"

Mako wobbled a little. "Never worn spike heels before either."

"Shows off your legs." Tess offered. "In a good way."

Mako looked down, posing a little, despite herself. "You think?"

"It's all that sprinting you do on the Obstacle Course. Always go with your best feature." Tess nodded. "It was either going to be your legs or your ass, and we both know that's my best feature."

Mako shuddered. "How did I let you your sister talk me into this?"

Tess took Mako's freshly manicured hands in her own and looked deep in her eyes. "Listen to me. If you're not comfortable with this, then we can call it off. If you're doing this to make Jess happy, then you can call it off."

Mako bit her lip. "Tess, you said yourself that I can't be the stoic and independent type much longer. I have to get out there eventually."

Tess' face hardened. "If you're doing this because of the damn Kaiju, then forget it. Forget what Jess was yapping about ex-boyfriends and Two Night Stands. Sleeping with someone doesn't make them a good Co-Pilot. Or even a good date, come to that." Tess reached out and lifted Mako's chin. "Hey. I'm serious. You're obsessed with getting into the fight, and that makes you the best in the Dome. It also makes you... neglect yourself. You skip sleep, you skip meals... You ignore what's good for you, Mako. Take some advice from a girl that's been there: If you're going to do anything for the right reasons, it has to be this."

Heavy silence.

"Mako, you know I love you, right?" Tess told her. "I know I always treat Jess like a little sister, but the fact is there's only twenty minutes difference between us. Let me give you some 'big sister' advice."

Mako nodded.

"What you're looking for in the Program is total compatibility. What you're looking for on the Dance Floor is a first dance. They're not the same thing. You need someone who thinks like you do. What makes you think you'll find it that the last place you'd ever go?"

Mako sighed. "Because I haven't found it anywhere else."

Silence.

"I'm nineteen." Mako said softly. "I've never been kissed, never even held hands. I barely know what a civilian is, and for most of my life, the only difference between boys and girls was which dorm they slept in. I learned about the 'facts of life' from seminars on how Kaiju might reproduce given the chance; and I've chosen a crusade that depends totally on finding a scientifically proven, Command Approved Soul Mate."

Tess smirked. "I agree, you're behind the curve." She admitted. "I read somewhere that most families started these days are having their second or third kid by twenty. Ration cards. You get one to every mouth, but you can keep a newborn baby fed for the first year on milk alone. If supplies are tight, have another kid and keep your head above water for another year."

"Populate or Perish." Mako nodded at the familiar slogan. "Look, I'm not an idiot. I know I'm not likely to meet my perfect partner tonight. And for all the talk about the Co-Pilots that aren't related being perfect couples? Who's to say that I'm looking for a guy? You said yourself, sleeping with someone doesn't make a Co-Pilot. It doesn't have to be a guy, or even someone I'd be interested in."

Tess nodded. "Very true. I'll be honest with you, Mako. Part of me worried that Command would split up me and Jess; give the higher scoring Twin to you as a partner."

Mako blinked. "You think?"

"Before we got here? I was convinced they'd do that." Tess nodded. "You're like me. You reign her in. And your scores... jeez, you break records. They're not going to bounce you." Tess gave her a serious look. "They won't kick you out."

"The Marshal might ask me to resign." Mako whispered.

Tess was surprised. "Why would he do that?"

Mako licked her lips. "Tess, there's something I haven't told you." She said quietly. "About... I mean, you've probably figured out most of my story."

"We know you grew up in the Domes." Tess nodded.

"Right, but what I didn't tell you was how I got such a... 'Marshal's Pet' reputation with the others."

Tess was about to say something when Jess came back in like a hurricane with half a wardrobe over her shoulders. "Okay, sis. We've got Mako set up; it's our turn now!"

The Sadie Hawkins Dance was an old tradition in many places in America. It flipped the rules on most dances, by having the women choose a date for the evening instead of the men. A lot of people thought it was an outdated tradition, as women were much more active in picking up a date in modern times.

But the PPDC was begun by merging several combat units, and the military was all about its traditions.

The Alaska Base had several common rooms, most of them too small. But The Recruits were closing in on the end of their first elimination round, and none of them knew for sure if they would make it to the second round, no matter what their scores said. As a result, there was a lot of tension in classes, and the instructors made an effort to let them have a party.

It also meant that the party was chaperoned by Dome Staff. Including their instructors. Mako understood the reasons. In Alaska, the drinking age was twenty one. Most of the newer recruits, herself included, were under twenty.

The three of them arrived at the Dance, and took a moment to take it in. The Viewing Room, with its view of the hangar, had been converted into a ballroom.

"I still can't believe how big this room is." Jess commented, excited.

"They used it for showing off to dignitaries, private investors, things like that." Mako explained, still trying to get used to her heels. "They held a lot of functions in here, back when the Dome started up."

"Is that Mako?" A stunned voice asked dramatically.

The trio turned to see Chuck Hansen, dressed in a sharp tuxedo.

"You girls did a hell of a job." Chuck said approvingly. "First time The Marshal's... Pet has ever shown up to one of these things."

Mako noted the barely perceptible pause. He'd stopped just short of calling her 'The Marshal's Daughter'. Is he teasing the information, or warning me that Sensei will be here tonight? She put that thought away instantly. Stacker never comes to these things.

"Mako, I can feel your muscles twisting into knots from here." Jess commented. "The point of tonight is to loosen up."

"Get a few drinks in her." Chuck commented with a smirk.

Mako pointed. "Don't you dare!"

"Dare what?" Jess pounced.

Chuck grinned and gave them half the whole story. "Mako's only ever gone wild once in her life. The result was bright blue hair." He explained. "I was her designated driver. I bought her drinks, The Old Man held her hair while she puked, and we agreed never to speak of it again."

Tess snorted a laugh, despite herself.

"And to his credit, he didn't speak of it again until just now, when he finally met someone who hadn't already heard the story." Mako said though a gritted smile.

"Well, not much chance of that happening again tonight." Chuck offered. "The Instructors have the place under their Eagle Eyes."

This was true. Tess looked around casually and their Class Instructors were all present. Stationed at the door, at the bathrooms, at the food table, the bar...

"Well..." Jess drawled, picking up a small stack of plastic drink cups from the food table. "If there was somewhere a little more private, we could probably help with that."

Chuck and Mako traded a pointed look.

Mako was happy enough to get away from the rest of the crowd, a lot of which were checking her out. "The Booths. There is a corridor with three or four private rooms for video conferencing. This place was meant for visiting dignitaries after all."

They made their way out of the main room, away from prying eyes, and into a corridor. There were four rooms on one side of this corridor. Jess chose the second, and they all moved into a small room with a large touchscreen, and a low table. Only one chair, and not much room; but the four of them crammed in.

"We'll have to make it quick and get back before someone wonders where we went." Jess told them. We're the top four, which makes us Rock Stars. Someone's going to notice if we don't show up."

And from her shoulder strap bag, Jess produced two water bottles, the same kind used in the gym by everyone.

"How'd you fit two of those in there?" Tess asked, despite herself.

"Simple. I crammed all my lipstick, money, ID and assorted other things into your purse."

Tess snorted and started passing out the cups.

Chuck was looking at the bottles. "What's in them?"

Jess poured Mako a drink. "There's a guy just over the border, where we're all legal. He lost his job as a bartender when the world went to crap, so he started supporting himself as a bootlegger. His homebrew is pretty wild."

"I can't believe you actually snuck booze over the border." Mako deadpanned.

"And I can't believe they got you to go out in public wearing that dress." Chuck retorted, holding out his cup for Tess to fill. "But it seems to be that sort of night."

Mako looked into her own cup and shrugged. "I had to get out and about at some point."

Chuck sipped his drink and gave Mako a sharp look. "Tell me you aren't here trolling for a Drift Partner."

"I've already had 'The Talk' with her." Tess promised him seriously.

Chuck shrugged. "I just figured they'd pair you with me."

Mako let out a bark of laughter before she could stop herself.

Chuck just looked at her. "I'm going to assume that little cackle was about something else?"

Mako immediately realized she had insulted him and tried to backpedal. "No, not that... I mean, it's not that I find the idea of having you as a partner laughable, it's just that..." Mako spun. "Would you top up my drink, please?"

Jess giggled and did so.

"Be careful with that. You've never seen Mako drink." Chuck commented lightly. "She has the tolerance of a four year old."

"Really?" Jess hesitated, still holding the bottle.

Mako took a big sip to fortify herself and turned back to Chuck. "Look, you're good at what you do, Chuck... But remember the dojo?"

Chuck rolled his eyes. "It's been how many years, and you're gonna bring that up? I've been in training here, you know."

"What happened in the Dojo?" Tess asked.

"Don't ask." Chuck responded instantly, and Tess topped off his cup.

There was a moment of silence as everyone drank.

"So." Tess commented to him quietly. "What say we have another drink and cut the kids loose?"

That was blatant enough a suggestion, even for Chuck to get the point. "Sounds like a plan."

Tess lifted her own cup to him and toasted. "Here's mud in your eye!"

"Cheers!" Mako sighed and slugged back a third of her beer in two gulps.

"Hey, you should sip that if you're not used to it." Jess told her friend.

"Ohh, can't risk that." Mako shook her head. "We're not supposed to have beers at all in here, and the party is in there!" She threw back the drink enough to scull down another third of the cup. "This is actually pretty tasty!" She said. And then hiccuped.

Chuck threw back his drink too. "So. What n-now?" He let out a whistle and looked at his cup. "Whoa. Let me know where that bartender of yours is sometime?"

"That can be our second date." Tess promised.

"Um, sis? Can I have a word with you?" Jess whispered.

"Not now." Tess said without taking her eyes off Chuck.

"I'm sorry, let me rephrase that." Jess commented, and her normally sweet voice turned colder. "Sis? Can I have a word with you?"

"Don't worry, I'm the only bartender in the world that knows what a flyweight Mako is." Chuck promised and poured another round of beers into all their cups. "One drink maximum for the girl in the blue dress."

Jess giggled, a little unnerved, and hauled her twin off to the side.

Tess followed her twin out of the booth and into the corridor until they were out of earshot. Jess picked another private room and pulled her sister into it so they could speak privately. "What?" Tess demanded. "I was kind of in the middle of someone."

Jess looked nervous. "You got that cup you gave Chuck from the homebrew bottle, right? The one I poured for Mako?"

"Right." Tess nodded.

"Well, um... You know how we wanted Mako to loosen up and have fun tonight?"

Tess felt her face turn to stone. "What the hell did you do?"

"Well, I sort of... It's not like I knew Mako had a history with booze." Jess defended. "I sort of... drained about a third of that bottle and refilled it up with vodka before we left tonight."

"You what?" Tess hissed.

"I know, it was stupid, but Mako was so determined to have fun tonight, and I practically forced her into coming along, and it wasn't like at least one of us wouldn't be with her every second... It was just to make her relax. But if Chuck's right, and she's got like zero tolerance, then a shot or two of vodka in her beer might be... how shall I put this? Bad."

"Oh god, we are in so much trouble." Tess moaned.

"What do you mean?" Jess felt her face harden too. "What did you do?"

Tess winced. "Well, it was just... Chuck, you know? He hadn't made a move, and... I sort of... did the same thing to that bottle before we left. I didn't think Mako would drink at all so it seemed like a fairly safe move."

Jess paled. "Oh no. So with both of us spiking the same bottle, how much vodka do they have in them now?"

"Not enough to kill them." Tess offered optimistically. "Maybe enough to get both of us killed."

The twins turned and ran back to the corridor and into private booth they had left. Mako and Chuck were gone. "Man, sometimes I hate that we think so alike!" Tess complained. "All right, let's find them before an Instructor does."

And then the Alarms went off.

"Breach!" The twins yelled in horror and ran for it.

But when they made it back to the Dance, there was almost no change. Except that half a dozen places in the room were suddenly empty. The door, the bathrooms, the drinks table, all left to themselves.

"No instructors." Jess breathed. "Okay, is that good for us, or bad for us?"

"Hey, did you guys hear the alarm?" One of the recruits laughed. "There's been a Breach."

"Pete, what happened?!" Tess demanded.

Pete told them. "Well, I don't know where you guys went, but when the alarm went off, there was a rush for the door. The Instructors said that since the Recruits don't have an Action Station, we might as well stay and enjoy the party. Everyone else, all hands on deck." He shrugged. "Hey, we're just in the way, unless we're in here."

"Where's Mako?" Jess demanded.

"And where did all the scotch come from?" Tess demanded.

Jess looked around and realized her sister was right. As if like magic, everyone had a drink in their hands. "And I thought I was being sneaky."

"Hey, most of these recruits come from a place where they're allowed to Drink. The Marshal's aren't stupid. They know if they don't have a bartender who knows what he's doing, then someone will just sneak something in." Pete toasted. "Fortunately, the bartender split when the alarm went off. He's got a battle-station too." Pete pointed. "And Mako's over there."

The twins turned to see Mako and Chuck at the other end of the room. Trading a bleak look, they hurried over.

Chuck and Mako were 'dancing' or more accurately, they were twirling each other around dizzily. Both of them were laughing like it was a rollercoaster. Every now and then they would stop spinning, holding each other upright, and switch to another dance move. It was somewhere between a swing dance and a game of tag, but neither of them were particularly steady on the feet, and they as a result, Mako kept her face pressed against Chuck's neck at every step.

As the twins got closer, Mako finally overbalanced on her unfamiliar heels, enough to put them both up against the glass wall. They both giggled outrageously... when Mako closed the last few inches and scored her first kiss.

A chorus of catcalls rang out, and Chuck extended one hand to flip off anyone watching, not breaking the lip-lock. Tess strode forward and tried to pull them apart. Mako ignored her, and those watching booed, getting a free show. Tess glanced at the dozen or so people around them, and drifted casually back to speak with her sister.

"I think we may have made a tactical error with the drinks." Tess told her.

"No kidding." Jess nodded, gesturing at Chuck. "Are you okay?"

Tess snorted. "Of the two of us, which one has a history of embarrassing moments involving vodka?"

"That would be you." Jess agreed.

"I'm fine." Tess promised her sister. "But we've got another problem here. Mako's a little out of control, and it's our fault."

"So's Chuck. In fact, this whole party is getting out of control." Jess agreed. "And if it goes like it seems to be, Mako's never gonna forgive us once she wakes up hungover in bed with Hansen."

"Right. And that's my plan." Tess agreed helpfully.

"But if we try and drag those crazy lovebirds apart, it may... 'cause a scene'. If that happens, word's gonna get out who spiked their drinks."

"Mako and Chuck won't turn us in."

"I know, which is why they'd both get drop-kicked out of the program." Jess hissed. "We make this official, and we're slightly screwed."

"Them and both of us." Tess shot back. "We were the ones with the vodka. So how do we do this without Mako despising us, and without getting all four of us bounced out of the Academy?"

Jess bit her lip. "Think Chuck was right about Mako being a Marshal's Pet? Because if she is, The Old Man wouldn't want to see her washout. He's maybe the only one in the Dome that can keep this quiet."

Tess winced. "Ohh, this is gonna be bad." She complained. "Give it five minutes. Kaiju battles don't tend to last much longer than that. Cross your fingers that the war goes well for us tonight, or the Old Man's already gonna be in a bad mood."

"We'll both go." Jess agreed. "I'm better at breaking bad news, but you take a punch better."

"No. You better stay and keep an eye on our girl. Five minutes is long enough to... Never mind." Tess told her. "And just so you know, Mako's not wearing a bra right now. Don't let anyone else find out, if you know what I mean?"

Tess turned to the door and found Marshals Hansen and Pentecost in the doorway. "Oops, never mind."

Jess noticed the Cavalry come in too. "Well, look on the bright side. We got away with it. For now."

The Twins thought alike to the point of near telepathy, even without drifting. The second they saw The Law had entered the room, they both turned at once and quietly vanished into a corner.

Mako was feeling a little hazy, a little flushed, a little too warm. Chuck was doing weird things with his tongue, and she could feel his hands exploring the neckline of her dress. She wasn't sure she wanted him to, but she wasn't disliking it at all. The room was spinning around her, and she found she was clutching at his hair to stay upright.

"Be honest, Mako." Chuck groaned in her ear. "You never really liked me, did you?"

Mako grinned, finding that hilarious. She pulled him in for another kiss and found herself biting down on his lip. He yelped in pain, and she giggled harder.

"HEY!"

The bark was loud and ferocious, and Chuck and Mako broke apart instantly. Marshal Stacker Pentecost was standing over them, fury on his face. Marshal Herc Hansen was right beside him, trying not to laugh.

The whole room came to a screeching halt.

"This party is OVER!" Stacker roared.

Chuck saw him and stammered. "Sheriff Pentecos'... I me'n... Stacker Pente-dad. I mean..." He gulped and took a large step away from Mako. The young woman overbalanced without him and fell on her rear. "I would never... ever... not ever... not in a million years..." Chuck blinked a few times. "What was I saying?"

Herc looked more than a little amused at Pentecost's reaction to his son. "Kid, do yourself a favor and stop talking."

"Yessir."

Pentecost's deathstare moved to Mako. "Miss Mori?"

Mako was seeing six of him. "Six again' one s'not fair!" She slurred from the floor. "Oh, help; Daddy, I'm so wasted."

Stacker glanced at the rest of the party. None of them could meet his gaze. "I had come up to tell you that the battle went well for us. It's the first engagement in almost a year without massive repairs needed. I had come to show you the gun camera footage and show you something the news won't get for another fifteen minutes. I had to come to tell you that I knew each and every one of you here had it in you to do even better than that, against much tougher opponents." He looked at them, Chuck almost passed out, Mako sprawled on the floor, and everyone else watching it happen with drinks in their hands. "Let me ask you something." He said, suddenly so calm and polite that everyone had to strain to hear him. "If you found yourself with confused mental judgment, your motor skills compromised, and your senses overloaded... which is something that happens fairly often in Jaeger Combat... would you want your backup watching and laughing?"

Deathly silence.

"Marshal Hansen, move'em out!"

Herc wasn't smiling any more. Pentecost's little speech had shamed them all. "Yessir. All right, Cadets, you heard the man! Dis-MISSED!"

The party broke up instantly, and everyone ran for their lives. Except for Mako, who stared blearily up at Pentecost. "Hey-y-y." She slurred. "So, I guess you wanna apologize, huh?" She was about to say something else, when she promptly threw up all over him.

Mako was staring at her tray in the Mess Hall, feeling vile. The tray was full of fresh food, fresh eggs, fresh toast... The Shatterdome quite possibly had the only fresh food on the continent, and she found it stomach-turning.

That morning there was an announcement declaring that the PPDC would no longer host mixers and parties for the recruits. Any future parties would have to be organized and held off-base. As a result, Mako and Chuck were feeling some disdain from the rest of the staff. Mako had the table all to herself, but was hungover enough to be grateful for it.

Chuck sat down across from her. "Never again." He moaned.

"Never, ever again." Mako agreed miserably.

Chuck looked up at her bleakly. "Mako, I'm trying to remember... how far did we go last night?"

"Not as far as you would have, if they hadn't stopped you." Jess said brightly as she came up to the table, and slapped her steel tray down on the table hard. Mako and Chuck groaned at the noise.

"Good MORNING, campers!" Tess almost shouted, and slapped her tray down too.

Mako would have cried if she hadn't felt so dry. She pushed her tray away and lay her face down on the table, covering her head with her arms. "I'm sorry!" She wailed.

"For what?" Tess asked brightly.

"Anything you want, just please stop screaming!"

"Never again." Chuck moaned, almost weeping.

"Never, ever again." Mako groaned. But she sat up and regarded Jess. In a lot of ways, her only real friend. "Are we okay?"

Jess took the question straight. "You and I will be okay when you and she are okay." Jess jerked a thumb at her sister.

"Why?" Chuck groaned. "What happened?"

Tess held up a hand. "Shush." She told him, before turning back to Mako. "Miss Mori, there's only one question I need an answer to."

"If I was sober, it would never have happened." Mako promised. "And certainly not with Chuck."

"What do you mean, 'certainly not with me'?" Chuck demanded, offended.

"Quiet, Chuckles, the grown-ups are speaking." Jess cut him off. "Mako, if I'd known you were such a flyweight, I never would have snuck a doubleshot of vodka into your beer."

"And if I'd known Jess was gonna do that, I wouldn't have done the exact same thing for Chuck." Tess confessed.

"Oh. Is that what that was?" Mako groaned.

"Twins. Freakin' twins." Chuck commented. "Thinking alike, so why not join the Jaeger Program?"

Jess glanced at her sister. "And since they were using cups, Chuck got hit as well. So if it's their fault, it's my fault. And if it's vodka's fault, then it's your fault too." She reasoned.

"Looks like we should be the ones apologizing." Tess agreed. "Especially since we were the ones that got away with it."

"Plus, she's known Chuck longer than we have put together. It might be awkward. You know how needy boys can be after getting to First Base."

"I'm sitting right here!" Chuck complained.

Mako was sobering up enough to realize how the two sisters had rehearsed this, and was actually starting to feel less awkward about it. "Guys, I think the best option here is for one of us to throw ourselves on the grenade." She said somberly.

The twins broke into heartless cackles.

"The Grenade? Are we talking about me, here?" Chuck demanded. "What do you say about me when I'm not around?"

"We're sorting out last night, Chuck; kindly butt-out." Jess said politely.

"I know you are, what I don't get is why you're ignoring me. I get that it wasn't the proudest moment; but it was sort of between me and Mako."

"And Tess." Mako groaned, still rubbing her head.

"Why Tess?" Chuck asked, oblivious. He looked at her in a panic. "Oh hell, did we... I can only remember half of last-"

"Hush, you!" Tess reached out a hand and put a finger over his lips. "I'll let you know when to start begging forgiveness. And I'll give you a hint, it won't be in the Mess Hall, and it will involve fuzzy pink handcuffs and some soft candle-light."

"...oh." Chuck commented, finally catching up.

Tess turned her imperious gaze to Mako. "Now. I will pretend last night didn't happen if you will. I will prevent Jess from ever attempting to get you to another party, ever again, and I will even take Chuck off your hands. Abs like his are a terrible thing to waste. But in return, I want one thing."

Mako nodded. Jess was her friend, and if making peace with her sister required something, she was willing to do it. "That is?"

"Last night, when Marshal Pentecost shut down the party... There was a split second when I thought I heard you call him 'Daddy'." She and Jess were both grinning like demented lunatics, waiting for the whole story. "Dish."

Chuck looked over. "You never told them?"

Mako shook her head. "You might know this, but when I was nine, my family was killed by Onibaba. A month later I spent my tenth birthday in an orphanage and-"

"Tokyo Girl!" Jess slapped her forehead. "Of course! Mako Mori! Gawd, that's where I heard the name. That's been bugging me for months!" She gasped suddenly, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Stacker Pentecost was a MK-2 Pilot. He killed Onibaba that day!"

Mako nodded. "And not long after that, he... well, he adopted me."

"The Old Man is your freakin' FATHER?!" Tess blurted in jaded awe.

Mako nodded.

Jess broke down laughing, almost in hysterics. She was laughing so hard she was almost rocking the table back and forth. Mako groaned and tried to block her ears.

Chuck took up the story. "She's followed him around every Dome he's been assigned to for ten years. Her eighteeth birthday, she stood up her own party, because she was already joining the Academy." He sent her a look. "We were at the Mess Hall. Pentecost pulled some strings to get you your gift."

"What was it?" Mako asked without thinking.

"A Diploma." Chuck groaned. "You knew all the basics, all the Regs... If you'd stopped for breakfast that morning, you could have skipped Boot Camp altogether."

Mako felt her stomach drop again. She was lucky she had nothing left to throw up. "No." She moaned. "So... all those times when he tried to call me and I refused the call... He wasn't trying to order me to come home, he was..."

Chuck nodded. "He was trying to tell you you could come home as a Full Fledged Cadet."

Mako reeled back enough that she fell off the bench. "I screwed everything up!" She whispered from the floor. "It was my fault!"

Jess came around the table and gave her a tight hug. She sent a look to her sister. "We're all good with her." She said. It was not a question.

"We are." Tess confirmed.

"What about me?" Chuck asked.

"Fuzzy handcuffs and candles." Tess reminded him. "I'll let you know in the morning."

"You know, we haven't actually been on a date yet." Chuck pointed out.

"Shush, you. My sister and her friend are in need of Girl-Talk." She told him seriously. "Go have breakfast and throw up again."

Chuck almost fled the table, in over his head.

Tess rose to her feet. "All right, let's get her some place private."

The twins managed to lead a blubbering Mako all the way back to the Female Dorms, which were mercifully empty. Mako managed to tell them her entire life story on the way.

"I left because I never thought he'd let me join up." She said, winding down. "And now it turns out that if I'd just stayed where I was another hour..." She covered her face with her hands.

"Mako..." Jess said softly. "I've never once known you to need someone's permission."

"Pentecost's not 'someone'." Mako sniffed. "If he'd told me to come back, or to quit the Acadamy... I think I would have said yes."

"But he never asked you to." Tess pointed out.

"I never gave him the chance." Mako moaned. Jess was pushing more sports-drink at her. She gulped it down to fight the headache and kept going. "I got a dozen messages. I never dared read them. I got a dozen phone calls. I refused them all. I just knew he'd tell me to come home, and... I couldn't refuse him, so I didn't let him try."

"He could have made it official." Jess offered. "He could have had Sgt Slaughter pull you out of class with a message. Or shown up himself."

"What would you do, if you send a hundred messages three different ways and the person you're trying to reach actively tries to avoid you?"

Jess sighed sympathetically. "I would stop trying."

Tess looked at her with open sympathy. "And now you've found out that the whole time, he was actually willing."

"Willing would be okay. He actually helped me skip the baby steps; and I ignored him. In fact, last night was the first time we've seen each other outside a class room. I was so sure I knew what he'd say that I never let him speak."

"Mako, it might not help, but... this is what kids do with their fathers. You know what your dad will say so you don't ask? Across the planet, a billion families are having this fight. Admittedly, not with Kaiju involved, but still..."

"My own stupid pride... I was just so sure I knew him so well. Part of me always thought that he'd be my partner. When I realized that wouldn't happen, I had to leave. I thought I knew how he thought, and I didn't know anything at all." She covered her eyes, doomed. "He'll never forgive me."

The twins traded a look. "We need more than hangover cures for this." Tess said seriously. "Where in the Dome would we find ice cream?"

The two of them had kept Mako company until she settled. Mako didn't know what she was going to do about Stacker, but was relieved that a moment of drunken stupidity hadn't cost her any more than her pride.

Eventually, the other recruits made their way back to the Dorm Rooms, and the three of them went about their day. Tess prepared for her first official date with Chuck, and Mako decided to turn in early.

"Mako?" Tess asked as she checked her make-up. "I think we've achieved some level of... whatever it is we are. At this point, I feel comfortable asking a deeply personal question."

"Is it about my hair?" Mako asked from her bunk without opening her eyes.

"Mako, why do you have blue hair?" Tess asked sweetly, and Mako could hear the smirk in her voice.

Mako sighed. "I got very stupid one night, and started a fight with my... With Marshal Pentecost."

Jess let out a low whistle, and Mako gave up pretending it was a private chat.

"What was the fight about?"

"About me joining the Academy without having a partner." Mako confessed. "He won. Or I did. I'm not sure. That night I went out and got drunk... and somewhere in there I dyed my hair bright blue. I'm not sure if it was meant as self-punishment or an apology; but I was very definite about making some kind of statement when I was drunk."

Tess laughed.

"It's not funny!" Mako insisted. "If my eyes were bigger, I'd have looked like an anime character!"

Jess burst out laughing too. "Well, I like the look." She offered. "Tell you what, Mako: You get a Jaeger, and every teenage girl in Japan will want two-tone hair. Black and blue will be the new fashion."

"It probably will." Mako agreed ruefully.

"And I guess we still have to find you a Drift Partner, huh?" Jess said, with a note of eagerness in her voice, ready for a new project.

Mako knew she was right, but faced with Jess' impossible enthusiasm, she just laid her head down slowly and groaned miserably.

With the First Round over, the class had been reduced by over ten members that didn't make it. Mako didn't even know their names. She had known from the start that those ten wouldn't make it.

Stacker hadn't come to see her, even after the party. It seemed he was determined to leave her alone, no matter what she did.

"You may have to be the one to break first and go talk to him." Tess told her quietly.

"I know." Mako whispered back. "But I still don't know if I can face him."

The Second Round began with combat training. The first thing they saw when they entered the Mess Hall was their names, written on a new screen. Every Dome had the combat stats for each pilot team, simulated and real. It kept the teams competitive.

In a training Dome, there was another screen for the cadets. Their test scores, both academic and physical. For the first time, the cadets got a look at the scoreboard. Those that had a Drift Compatible Partner were listed as a team. Those that were still looking were listed solo.

Mako checked the scores as she got her breakfast. She was at the top of the list. In second place were Jess and Tess. Chuck Hansen was in third place, by a tenth of a percent.

"Close only counts with hand grenades." Tess told Chuck with a cold smirk. They had been unofficially dating for almost a week, but they were still competitors.

"The game is won or lost in the last round, kitten." Chuck shot back. "I've been playing a lot longer than you."

"And yet, I'm still winning." Mako taunted them all lightly.

"Why do you think I dropped to third?" Chuck grinned. "How can anyone keep their edge around here without you to beat us up?"

"I don't get it, if you've been here that long, how come you're training with us?" Jess asked.

Chuck shrugged. "It takes time to build Jaegers. I train until there's somewhere for me to graduate to. It's not like there's a shortage of work to do in the meantime."

Mako nodded. "Cadets work everywhere. Assembly, supply, construction, repair... Everywhere in the Dome."

Tess and Jess traded a look. Neither of them had been trained in any of that. The look they traded made them shiver.

Chuck caught Mako's gaze, and the young woman nodded. The twins were practically Drifting already, just by virtue of being together so long. They were a natural fit for the program. A fit that Mako and Chuck didn't have.

At least not yet.

"Don't worry." Chuck soothed the girls unspoken worry. "You'll pick it up. The Dome doesn't leave any of its own going hungry."

Mako shivered. She hadn't missed the sudden change in her diet. The Boot Camp was supplied by civilian donations... and they were barely staying healthy. Coming back to the Dome was a feast.

If the PPDC Entry Schools were so short of food rations, she dreaded to think what the Boneslums and the Orphanages were like by now.

And if it hadn't been for Stacker, I'd probably be in one or the other. Mako thought miserably to herself. And now I can't even...

She shook that thought off. She told herself it didn't matter. Stacker wasn't just my father, he was my Sensei, and I have new teachers now.

The thought made her want to kick herself. Did I really just think that? Did I really just say that I don't need to talk to him any more because I made it to the Academy?

Mako studied Jess in the Dojo. "Bring your foot a bit further forward."

Jess adjusted her pose. The Kwoon combat room was a big part of their scores. An even bigger part of their training. But it was a style of combat not often covered outside the PPDC. Mako knew the routine as well as her own heartbeat, and had no problem teaching Jess. Jess had insisted Tess come along for their lessons, and Chuck hung around Tess wherever she was.

Tess and Jess moved in almost unison, though they weren't even looking at each other. They paused between motions, holding the position of each strike and return.

"Remember, it's all about balance." Chuck reminded them. "Balance and control. Marshal Zane had us run these drills over and over, and without warning, he would say 'freeze'."

Mako nodded. "If you can keep your balance mid-movement, you've got the right stance. If you have to shift your feet or if you fall over, you're off." She watched them move for a moment. "Freeze!"

Jess and Tess both did so... And they were both rocking back and forth, trying to hold their balance. Jess dropped first, trying to stay balanced, right to the last.

"To be fair, it's not like we're going to be posing for statues in a Jaeger." Tess complained.

"If you can't stay on your feet when you're standing still, you'll never stay on your feet when a Kaiju is hitting you." Mako told her. "Chuck, demonstrate."

Chuck collected a staff and stepped into first position. "Hai!"

Mako came at him, unarmed. He slashed the staff out at her, and she flowed around it instantly, twisting into impossible positions without a wasted movement. He reversed the swing, and this time she caught it, using it as leverage to reverse the hold, and Chuck was suddenly unarmed.

Jess whistled. The whole thing had taken less than two seconds.

"Balance." Mako said simply. "Now, you, slowly." She swung the staff at them, much slower. Tess tried to move as Mako did, twisting her body out of the way. She avoided the staff, but the position was awkward, and she overbalanced, falling back to the mat. "Lesson learned?"

Tess held up her hands in surrender. "Lesson learned."

Mako tossed her the staff. "Again." She told Tess seriously. "The scorecard is updated daily, and you don't want Chuck to take second place away from you."

Jess actually giggled, and started the routine again.

The training continued, and so did the War. Two more Kaiju attacks came, both ahead of schedule. Nobody could figure out the progression, and nerves were getting frayed in the Command and Control Center.

The Kwoon Room became a regular part of their training, and the scores went back and forth for a few weeks. Mako stayed at the top of the list, but Tess and Jess traded second place for fourth place, before working their way back up to third. Chuck took second place, and as before, there was less than a percent between them.

Mako was perched on the edge of a heavy support girder, almost three stories above the ground. The hangar was a huge open space, and you had to get a decent altitude to get a good look at the Jaegers, even during construction.

But if you climbed up the outside of the Control Room, you could walk across the girders that held all the spotlights. On the far side of the girder was a concrete ledge that had the best view in the dome, and enough room to set up a picnic if you could get it there.

Mako went there often. Chuck knew where it was, but never joined her. Nobody did... until that night.

"There you are!" Jess said brightly, from a distance. Mako looked and saw her climbing up the access ladder on the outside of the Control Room. Jess waved and cat-walked out onto the girder. "I brought chocolate!"

"Where did you get chocolate?"

"Chuck won a bet with his dad." Jess explained. "He wanted to score points with his girlfriend, so he gave it to Tess. Tess wanted to keep an extra two ounces off her thighs, now that she's got a steady guy, so she gave it to me." She promptly broke the small chocolate bar in half. "It's a thank you, for helping me with the bo fighting." She gestured back the way she came. "Look! I managed to keep my balance all the way out here."

"Good thing you did, or you'd be dead." Mako said blandly.

Jess' impossible cheeriness didn't even register that. "So, this is your spot?" She guessed. "Did I just invade your treehouse?"

Mako snorted. "Looked a lot different back in the day."

"How so?"

Mako gestured out at the hangar. "Well, for one thing... The hangar was always full."

They both looked out at the huge hangar, with open spots. Half a dozen empty places... And one Jaeger, mid-construction. "The first Class-5 Jaeger." Jess commented.

Mako nodded. "They're naming her Striker Eureka. Going to be the best Steel Samurai ever built. All new combat chassis, a dozen different launchers..."

Jess nodded. "I looked at the construction timetables. They'll be polishing the chrome just as we're graduating." She licked her lips. "One of us is going to get Striker Eureka."

Mako nodded. "Looks that way." She said lightly. "Jess... you're the first real friend I've ever had."

Jess looked over. "Really?"

Mako nodded. "Yeah. You know what my life was like before we met. I grew up in Shatterdomes. I never had a best friend before." She took a deep solemn breath. "So, I hope you won't hate me when I get Striker Eureka and you... y'know, don't."

Jess grinned. "I'm your best friend!" She enthused.

Mako almost laughed, but it wasn't her nature. She wasn't quite sure how she had managed to become best friends with this... hyperactive pixie, but she had.

The sound of the bay doors opening made the girder they sat on shudder, and both young women turned around to look in the opposite direction. The large bay doors were opening over one of the empty Jaeger slots.

And being lowered into place, was something Mako never expected to see. "Gipsy Danger."

The huge machine was polished steel grey blue. But the thing was barely recognizable as humanoid. The torso had a huge chunk torn from its side, one arm missing, and one leg snapped clean off, being carried in after the rest of it. The turbine in the centre of its chest was dark and cracked, and its head was bent halfway out of the neck. It was unable to remain in standby position on its own, and it was being held up with dozens of suspension cables. Her skin was covered in large square holes, too neat to be done in combat. Someone had taken a cutting torch to its body.

Jess let out a low whistle. "Looks like she took a hell of a beating."

Mako nodded. "She'll never fight again. I hear The Marshal is bringing all the wrecks together. For training, I think. Showing up working components."

Jess nodded. "I hear one of the pilots survived."

Mako nodded. "Beckett. Lost his co-pilot. His brother." She shivered. "I've met three pilots that lost their partner. Two during combat, and one long after their last Drift. The guys that lose a partner mid-Drift? It would have been kinder to take them out and shoot them."

Jess nodded. "What's with all the slices?"

Mako shrugged. "They look small, but they're still at least ten feet square. Probably taken by someone as scrap. If she's been brought here, then Marshal Pentecost probably wants to do something useful. I think she's beyond hope, but it's still good alloys, gears, moving parts. Someone will no doubt strip her for parts, cannibalize her for repairs..." Mako trailed off suddenly.

"Mako?"

The young Samurai in training didn't hear her.

"Mako?" Jess pressed.

Mako shook her head hard, as if to clear it. For a long moment, though it sounded insane... It felt like Gipsy Danger was staring at her. "I'm... I'm fine." She said finally. "We should get back."

Jess reached out a hand and caught her wrist. "Just... before we go, I need to know that we're okay."

Mako blinked. "Why wouldn't we be?"

Jess sighed. "I was stupid. I was pushing you into something I had no right to, when you clearly weren't interested, or ready. And then I spoked your drink to help you along? It's not the act of a friend."

Mako sighed. "Jess, I've been hiding who my father was all this time, when he was right here. You never actually asked, but whatever you want to call it: I lied. For months. That's not the act of a friend either." She pulled Jess up. "Jess, if I'd stayed here for another hour or two, I would have got that diploma, I would have skipped Boot altogether, and we never would have met. I've never had a best friend before. So-"

She would have said more, but Jess suddenly yanked her backwards into a tight hug. Mako felt herself freeze for a moment, and hugged her back lightly.

Jess broke the hug and turned to go. "Okay. We can go now. If we can make it back across without falling a thousand miles."

Mako glanced back at Gipsy Danger. It was the strangest feeling, like she was seeing something in the mirror, except there was no mirror. It's like Gipsy Danger was looking at her from behind her own eyes.

"Mako?" A distant voice called.

Mako woke up suddenly, as if from a trance. Jess had already made it across to the other side of the hangar. Mako had been standing in the middle of a steel girder, holding onto nothing, hundreds of feet in the air, staring at a wrecked Jaeger... completely unaware of time passing.

Marshal Herc Hansen was in the house for the start of the second round. He was still based out of Australia, but when he was in Alaska on business, he took part in the training schedule.

The Recruits were assembled in the Kwoon Combat Room. Marshal Hansen came in, and made his way over to the rack of hanbo staff weapons. Mako noticed that at the bottom of the rack was a much smaller one. The one her father had given her when she was a little girl. Pentecost had never taken it down, and nobody else had gone near it.

Hansen strode to the rack and selected one, without so much as a glance at the recruits. He moved to the mat and slipped off his shoes... And then produced a blindfold, covering over his eyes. "Son."

Chuck quickly got the point and selected a staff of his own.

The recruits murmured to each other.

Chuck lashed out with the staff. Herc moved without hesitation and blocked it. The impact was loud enough to ring through the whole room, almost echoing off the walls.

"How often have they rehearsed this?" Tess whispered.

"It's not rehersal, it's compatibility." Mako whispered back. "They think like each other. They fight the same way. They know what the other will do, because it's exactly what they do. They're not fighting each other, they're fighting themselves, and happen to be doing it at the same time."

It was like watching a fight scene out of a movie. Father and son were dueling, one of them blindfolded, the other with his eyes closed, and they were moving so fast that nobody was entirely sure how to even copy what they were doing. It was electrifying to watch, but the fight continued long enough to have everyone holding their breath, waiting to see where the fatal mistake would come from.

It came a few moments later. Herc went into a low speed strike, just as Chuck made the same move, only higher. The strike was fast enough that none of them could follow it...

And both of them froze, staffs both at a dead halt, both less than an inch from each other's cheek. They both struck and held back in the same nanosecond. A draw.

Those watching broke into applause as Herc took his blindfold off. "It looks impressive, and it is. But everyone rated for combat will be doing the same soon enough."

Low murmuring broke out.

"Remember, the point of this is not to see who wins a fight, it's to see who fights most like yourself. This isn't a measure of better or worse, it's about compatibility. Those of you without a partner already, pair off. You'll be sparring in turns until we get a feel for your different styles."

Those that had come solo started looking at each other. Mako did not. There was nobody in the Class of 2021 that could match her, and she knew it.

"Mako." Herc said politely. "We haven't got a partner for you yet, and we both know you can take anyone here in about three moves, so you'll be sparring with me."

Mako nodded.

"I'll spar with her."

Everyone turned to the door... Where Stacker Pentecost was watching, eyes fixed on Mako.

Mako felt her heart stop, and then start again at triple the normal rate. Her hands were opening and closing, her mouth was dry, she could feel electricity running through her limbs to the point where she could swear she had lightning coming from her eyes.

A chorus of catcalls rang out. Mako's lessons with the Twins had gained some attention, and almost everyone had dueled with Mako unofficially. She had defeated them all easily. Having the Old Man show up Himself for a showdown was almost cinematic.

But those that knew the truth were energized. It was a sparring match that would bring down the entire Shatterdome in a fiery explosion, or heal a broken family. There was no chance of anything in between.

The Twins were openly staring, with their jaws hanging open. The Hansens were watching with careful calculation, as though they were watching it happen from far away. Everyone else was placing bets, making jokes, getting a good spot...

Stacker was as calm as a frozen lake as he stroke over to the rack and selected a staff. Mako calmly stepped to the mat and waited for him. The eagerness was a living thing on her face.

Everyone felt like they could hear a bass drumbeat ring out slowly as they both bowed to each other, and moved into the first positions. Kwoon Combat was a mix of Yin Sho Gun and fencing. The weapons were used as swords, or as a short staff in equal measure. It made for close quarters battle.

Most combatants started out with a few exhibition moves, showing off their skills, showing off their speed. These two did nothing of the kind.

Stacker opened with an attack. It was a sudden vertical slash that would have caved Mako's skull in half if it connected. By the time Stacker had made it halfway across the mat, she was somewhere else.

The best move would have been to strike the opening his attack had made, but Mako knew exactly how fast the Sensei was; and he would be expecting that. Instead, she tried to use his speed to trip him up.

The attempt failed completely, and she had to dance backwards before he flattened her.

He had trained her. He had taught her. Every work out method, every Kwoon technique, every bit of her endurance and agility training had started with him.

But not ended with him. He had taught her how to fight, she had taught herself how to move. Mako realized suddenly that the style of combat he had taught her was not the kind she used herself. He fought patiently, drawing his enemy in close.

She struck out with everything she had. All her training had equipped her, and her fury made her more aggressive than anything Stacker Pentecost had taught her.

Mako fought to keep her control. She was fighting the Sensei. She hadn't done that since she was fifteen. She was fighting the Sensei.

If you'd just had the nerve to face him, we wouldn't be having the conversation here.

Because that was what it was. The whole point of the Kwoon Training was to see if you and your opponent could naturally speak the same language.

And as she let loose another series of quick attacks, she was starting to get frustrated. His first strike had goaded her. He wasn't pressing his advantage, he wasn't counterattacking. he was just blocking her attacks. The stance made it impossible for her to exploit a weakness in his defense, because he didn't have any.

The frustration built. She was lashing out faster and faster, and he was still blocking her.

She held her staff up defensively, too high to be smart. She gave him the opening. He didn't take it. She went low, low enough that she couldn't maneuver. It was another opening. He didn't take it.

Mako's teeth bared. He was giving her the combat equivalent of the silent treatment. If you didn't want to come at me, why did you step into the ring?

Stacker finally got fed up with her blatant taunting and took her feet out from under her. He hauled her over his shoulder in a judo throw like she weighed nothing. Mako slammed into the floor hard enough that the air exploded from her lungs. His staff was at her cheek instantly.

She didn't bother to step back up, she struck from the floor. He jumped back, and she came up swinging. There was fury in her strikes, and icy distance in his. She was getting angry, and he was thinking about something else.

Come on. She thought at him, teeth bared. I'm a big girl, just say what you want to say to me!

They moved fast, flashing their staffs back and forth. Mako made a forward roll, trying to get under his defense. He brought his staff down vertically to cut her off, and she had to break off the attack to hold her staff up above her head protectively. The two weapons slammed together hard enough that Mako felt her staff crack. She swept her leg out and hooked his feet out from under him.

She was already attacking as he dropped to the ground. He brought his staff up to block, and she slammed hers down hard enough that her own staff snapped in two at the impact. The broken edge of her staff was suddenly an inch from his throat, with her on top of him.

Herc called from off to the side. "You want to hold until we replace the broken-"

Pentecost managed to get both his knees under Mako's stomach, and he tossed off hard enough that she went sprawling. Mako wasted no time rolling to her feet. She held half of the broken staff in each hand and came forward, almost savage, striking at her Sensei with as much speed as she could. He matched her fury with cold calculation, dancing backwards, then sideways, then around her. He was moving twice as fast as usual, just to keep up with her frenetic assault, but he was blocking both her hands easily.

Mako was breathing hard, but from the exertion or the emotion she wasn't sure. She threw everything she had at all. All her fury, all her guilt, all her anger and apology, honed to the speed of thought, and he was keeping her out, just like he always did.

She. Just. Couldn't. Get. Through!

Stacker saw his moment and took it. The staff hooked at her hands, one after the other, and suddenly she was unarmed.

She didn't care. She kept up the assault anyway. She darted forward, almost like a dancer, and bent over backwards, almost folding herself in half to get under his guard. She went under his staff like it wasn't there and was suddenly right in his face.

Stacker pulled his staff in tight, and Mako felt it across her shoulderblades, pinning her to her father's chest. She clasped her hands around the back of his neck, ready to flip him over, when he suddenly dropped his staff and grappled her close enough that she couldn't get leverage enough to flip him, or to break away.

They froze. The recruits watching froze. The Instructors froze. The whole world froze.

Both of them were breathing hard, suddenly locked in a fierce bear hug that went on and on.

"A conversation, huh?" Tess whispered.

"One they should have had a year ago." Herc responded quietly. "Come along, class; let us away."

The Recruits that didn't know about Mako and Stacker's history would find out any second. The ones that did know were quick to leave the father and daughter alone.

The hug continued a long time. Mako held on tighter than she'd ever held onto anything; and it suddenly dawned on her. Stacker wasn't her partner. Not because of the radiation scarring, or because of the age difference, or anything else.

When Herc and Chuck Hansen fought, they were able to predict each other perfectly, as though they were fighting themselves. Mako and Stacker were better fighters, but not the same. It wasn't about skill, it was about compatibility. She was all fury, while he was cool and untouchable.

And now that she thought of it, they had always been that way. Her entire life she'd been aggressive, pushing the edges, driving harder and further... And Stacker had absorbed all of it without hitting back.

Because that's who he is. She thought. He can take anything. He can take on the burden of an entire war when everyone, including his own weapons and workforce are taken away from him. He just absorbs the hits and remains untouchable.

Except that you ran away. A little voice reminded her. A little voice in her soul that sounded so much like Tasmin. You ran away, and didn't even fight with him about it. If you'd just picked a fight like you always did, he would have absorbed it without blinking, and given you the diploma, and everything would be okay. You don't run away, Mako. You attack. Why did you run away from this, of all things?

"It's my fault." She whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear it herself.

She felt Stacker twitch. It was the first words spoken in almost ten minutes. And then he absorbed that too.

He set her down, and they stepped away from each other, bowing respectfully on autopilot.

Mako found she was smiling. They'd finally had the conversation. Practically a screaming match. The fact that they hadn't used their voices had nothing to do with it.

She knew she should have rejoined her class, but she didn't. She went back to the Hangar, and stared up at the shattered wreck of Gipsy Danger.

She didn't know why or how, but she knew it was staring back at her. As if it knew her. As if it missed her.

As if she belonged to it.

Her father had taught her a lot of the old traditions. One of them was that spirits could live in things created. Good spirits, evil spirits, familiars... Statues in particular were meant to house spirits of protection.

Mako had never believed that. And yet, here she was, staring at a torn down steel statue, designed to protect. And somehow, it was staring at her.

She shook it off and rejoined her class.

AN: I know, Chuck is still OOC. Brace yourselves for the next chapter.