"Woooow. That... that's something else."
Cherno rumbled softly in agreement.
Gipsy pressed her hands against the glass and leaned forward, as if to phase through it and into the void beyond. Outside the stars twinkled like diamonds, untarnished by the haze of an atmosphere, shining in her visor. "I remember some nights when Raleigh and Yancy would go out star gazing. They would sneak out of the house and head to a field outside Anchorage. I was cold most nights, but it was one hell of a view."
Cherno rumbled a question.
"Aliens actually," Gipsy chuckled. "They would lie there for hours trying to come up with the weirdest alien ever, or just image what it was like up here. They always wanted to meet aliens." Her head bowed. "Until the Kaiju, anyway. Then they just wanted to hit back."
"The Wei's were much the same," Crimson spoke up. "They were big fans of anime, to say the least."
"The giant robot kind of anime?"
Crimson cringed. "Not really. I would prefer not to talk about it. But when they could pull their heads out of the gutter, yes. Giant robots were their fancy, especially after the Kaiju."
"So everyone in Japan wanted a giant robot?"
Crimson snorted. "More or less. For many, it was a dream come true. Giant monsters, giant robots; it was like we stepped into fantasy overnight. Even if the death toll was catastrophic, there were still some living the dream."
The bulky Russian descended into a long-winded series of rumbles and groans, adding his own two cents. He finished with a remorseful moan and bowed his colossal head.
"We all miss them, Cherno," Gipsy said. "But would they really be happy here?"
"What do you mean?" Crimson asked.
"Well... for them, the fight is over. We won. They get to rest knowing they made a difference." Gipsy glanced at them both. "But we just started here. We literally just... began here, really. This is our life. Our story. Please don't spaz out; but what would they do with us? We've done things that would kill regular humans. Really, all we'd be doing is putting them in danger every single day, just by being near us. Wouldn't they rather just rest knowing that it's over, without having to worry?"
Cherno and Crimson had no answer. Together, they returned to staring out at the stars through the shuttle's window.
Crimson's bid with the toilet plunger had paid off. Though details were sketchy, he managed to come up with a rough path to the shuttle the Cerberus team had used to ferry Striker off Omega. The guards didn't last a minute once the Jaegers were through the airlock, and soon they were rocketing away. The encryption on the main computer might have been solid, but stood no chance against Crimson's growing intellect, and gave them precisely what they wanted; the location of the station holding Striker.
Of course, it forgot to mention just how long the trip would take, and Jaegers with cabin fever was the last thing the vessel wanted. Not that it could do anything about it. At least, Gipsy hadn't heard the shuttle protest when she punched a hole in the bulkhead. She'd apologize later, right now she was just worried about Striker.
Worried. About Striker. Now that was something she'd never heard herself think before. Her. Worried about that over polished, egotistical tin can. But also that tin can who was scared of being alone.
Gah! Feelings! Why have you betrayed me?!
"Do you realize that we're the first Jaegers in space?" Gipsy asked. "I never thought about it before because we were on Omega, but we're really the first Jaegers in space. Think about it, just a couple Mark I, III, and IV Jaegers chilling in our own little space ship. Let's see NASA try and pull that off."
"I think they already did," Crimson said. "In this history anyway. As for back home... heh, that would sure make headlines."
Cherno rumbled.
"You're right," Gipsy said, pressing her hand against the window. "There's no going back, is there? This is home now."
"So it is," Crimson said, mirroring her action. "Our new home."
Rumbling contentedly, Cherno followed suit, putting his own hand on the glass. The stars beckoned to them, distant yet so close Gipsy could almost reach out and touch them. This was the future mankind had always dreamed of, but Gipsy never thought of it as hers.
They were Jaegers; machines made to fight and die. Yet here they were, sharing in a future they never hoped to imagine. No longer were they the machines they started out as, they had something else now; a life.
It was a beautiful yet chilling thought. Gipsy loved being alive, yet the mystery as to why was always lurking at the back of her processor. She always kicked it to the curb, however, content to live as she saw fit without worries. But if not for her friends what a lonely existence it would be. She owed them far more than they realized, and she owed Striker most of all. That irritable, shiny, stuck up prick.
But if she thought like that, then why did she miss him so much? Why did she want to rip and tear through the whole galaxy until he was safe?
A ding rang through the cabin.
"And here we are," Crimson said, moving to the cockpit.
"Are you sure?" Gipsy asked, following him. "What if Lawson lied to you?"
Cherno growled as the three armed Jaeger took a seat in the pilot's chair.
"You can't lie through the Drift, Gipsy. It's like lying to yourself, it can't be done." Crimson glowered at Cherno. "And when did you get all paranoid all of a sudden?"
Cherno growled again, clenching his fists.
"Lawson has her own problems to deal with," Crimson said as he examined the control screens. "We didn't need to kill her over that."
"But who knows what she saw in that head of yours!" Gipsy threw up her arms. "The Drift works both ways, I know that much."
"We came to an agreement." Crimson gave her a stiff look. "She won't say a word. Trust me."
Gipsy huffed irritably and crossed her arms, but her irritation was soon wiped away as their target loomed in the distance. So, Lawson hadn't been lying... though she was most decidedly wrong about one thing.
Crimson gaped as the shuttle drew closer. "What in the world..."
The station was torn to shreds, whole sections hung together by minuscule threads of metal and supports. Gipsy winced as the shuttle entered the debris field and passed through the clouds of corpses floating in the cold vacuum. Fires still burned and clouds of escaping gases leaked from the wreckage, so attack had to be recent. Now Gipsy wasn't the most perceptive Jaeger, but even she noticed the lack of any battle damage. With the giant guns they had in the future there had to be some signs of explosions along the hull. Instead, it looked like the station had been torn apart from the inside.
There was only one explanation.
"I think Striker got loose."
Cherno snorted in amusement, then rumbled at Crimson.
"That... I don't know." The crimson Jaeger scratched his chin thoughtfully, examining a piece of what looked like a hanger bay floating by. "I wonder... No. That's impossible."
"But would Striker still be alive?" Gipsy asked, sudden fear taking hold. "What happened? Where is he? Oh god... he didn't blow up, did he?!"
Cherno stiffened at the possibility, then both he and Gipsy looked to Crimson for confirmation.
"I... don't know," Crimson admitted at last. "Striker and I, we're not nuclear like you."
Cherno growled, the sound ringing through the cabin.
"I don't know!" Crimson snapped. "Just... gah! Who knows what Cerberus did."
Gipsy crossed her arms, scowling. "We really should have killed Lawson."
Cherno nodded in agreement.
"Look, just because the station is gone doesn't mean Striker is." Crimson pulled the shuttle to a stop and activated it's sensor suites. "He might still be out there."
"Might?" Gipsy spat. "Some help that is."
She stormed from the cockpit, anxious energy flooding her systems as she ended up in the private bedroom in the back. Striker had better be okay or else... she didn't know what. When did that little shiny prick start meaning so much to her?
Heavy footfalls broke through her internal ramblings as Cherno stepped into the room. He rumbled softly at her.
"I don't want him to be dead," she said, her emotions finally leaking out as her voice broke. Her shoulders shook as the real possibility settled over her. "I mean, I just..."
With a strangled sob she sat on the edge of the bed. Was this what the others felt like when she was... gone? Taken to that place? Would that happen to Striker? It had only been her shoulder, but she was still in one piece. But Striker... was there be anything left of him?
The bed wailed in protest as Cherno eased down beside and gently wrapped an arm around her. Though he spoke in nothing more than metallic moans and rumbles, the reassurance was welcome, easing Gipsy's maelstrom of emotions.
Then, from the cockpit, came Crimson's shouts. "I got something!"
Afterwards, Gipsy never remembered the mad dash to the airlock, or Cherno tying the length of emergency rope around her waist, her entire being was set on finding the asshole that now meant so much to her. It was only the opening of the airlock that snapped her back to her senses. She felt a momentary flash of panic as her vents sucked in nothing but vacuum, but Crimson's reassurance that they'd be fine in space steadied her. They weren't organics after all who needed to breathe. Still, it was disconcerting, feeling space suck the air from her systems. Also, it was cold, the coldest she had ever been.
But she was still online, that was all that mattered.
The artificial gravity was still active in the airlock and she stepped the edge and looked down. Pure emptiness opened up beneath her. It took her breath away... literally.
She looked back to Cherno, who was still in the airlock, gripping the rope to keep her from drifting away. He nodded. Gipsy nodded back, tried – and failed – to take a deep breath, and jumped.
Instantly every sensation of weight vanished, and then she was flying through the air, just like when she was in... that other place. But the sight, the beauty, that was empty space kept her from slipping back into those painful memories. Out here she was free, weightless, not trapped with precursors.
"Wow... this is..." Gipsy laughed, spinning in a cartwheel. "One small step for this Jaeger, one giant leap for Jaeger kind!"
"Yes, we'll mark it down in the history books," Crimson's voice came over the radio. "Now that you're out there... Got it."
"Got what?" Gipsy asked, grabbing a nearby piece of station to steady herself.
"Your power signature. I have to give Cerberus credit for the shuttle; it's picking up your core quite nicely."
"And that helps us how?"
"I picked another signature a few minutes ago. Now that I have something Jaegerish to compare it to I can... wait... Yes, I got him!"
Gipsy's whole frame shuddered in relief. "Well, where is he?"
"Look up."
She did so and finally noticed the massive segment of station hanging above her. Against the backdrop of space, it looked like one of those cutaway books Yancy liked to read, though she was sure they never showed the bodies that usually accompanied the wreckage.
And right in the middle of it all was a small speck of polished silver plating.
Gipsy gasped and pushed off, flaring her back jets as she rocketed towards the still form. In the heat of the moment, however, she misjudged her speed and slammed into Striker like Cherno's fist. She barely wrapped her arms around him in time to keep the Australian from rebounding away.
"I got him! Pull us in, Cherno!"
The Russian growled an affirmative and reeled them in. As the rope tugged at her waist, Gipsy gripped Striker tighter, as if anything less would lose him for good. His plating was cool and smooth against her own, seemingly untouched by Cerberus, so why was he still offline?
"Striker? Striker, can you hear me?" She peered into his dark visor, worry clawing at her. "Crimson, Striker isn't talking. What's wrong?"
"I don't know. Get him inside so I can have a look at him."
Weight returned as they entered the airlock, sending them both crashing to the floor. Once it was sealed, Cherno helped her hoist the limp form inside and gently laid him down inside the main cabin. Yet still, he remained motionless... dead.
No. Gipsy shook her head, willing the thought away as Crimson approached. He's not dead... he can't be...
"Well, his systems are still working," Crimson said after a quick examination. "He's just... sleeping it off, I guess."
"Are you sure?" Gipsy asked. "I mean, what if he-"
"He's fine, Gipsy. I suspect that if there was any permanent damage he was... taken." He gave her a knowing look. "Just like you and I."
Cherno rumbled in concern.
"Well nothing bad came of it," Crimson shrugged weakly. "As for Striker... all we can do is wait."
Gipsy crossed her arms, Striker's words from weeks ago echoing in her processor; don't leave me alone again... please. Striker had been terrified of losing them... and now Gipsy couldn't lose him.
Her hands began to tremble. He couldn't be dead... he just couldn't.
Crimson moved over and rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "He'll be alright, Gipsy. He'll pull through, just like he always does."
But it was all white noise on her audio sensors. She hardly noticed Crimson and Cherno sealed themselves in the airlock as she knelt beside the limp body. His hand was open and she grasped it, squeezing gently.
"I'm not leaving you, Striker," she whispered, fighting back a sob. "I'm not going anywhere."
She squeezed tighter. As if that was the magic kiss, his visor brightened, flickering weakly for a second as it adjusted. Gipsy froze, hardly daring to believe it. Blinking blearily, Striker's head twisted this way and that, taking in his surroundings with a feverish intensity. Then his gaze locked on Gipsy.
Before the American Jaeger could react, Striker had thrown his arms around her in a bear hug as ragged sobs racked his frame.
"I... I thought ya' left me," he choked through his heaving vents. "It hurt... it hurt so much and I thought... I thought..."
Recovering from the shock, Gipsy returned his embrace with a fervour that surprised even her.
"Never," she hissed, running a soothing hand down his wings. "We would never abandon you, Striker. We're friends, and friends never abandon each other."
"Thank you," he gasped, burying his head in her chest. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."
-Linebreak-
"We're back. How is... Oh."
Crimson paused halfway through the inner airlock, part of the station's data-core clutched in his hands. Behind him, Cherno rumbled irritably at the delay, struggling to hold the mountain of electronics in his arms. Failing to hold back a grin, Crimson motioned him to be silent, then stood aside, providing an unobstructed view of the cabin.
Gipsy and Striker were asleep on the deck, arms wrapped around each other, the Mark V cuddling his older counterpart.
Cherno cooed quietly.
"Yeah, they are cute together. We need pictures to... commemorate this great moment, don't we?"
-Linebreak-
Gone?
Gone?
Though he did his best to maintain a calm demeanour, the Illusive Man could feel his composure slipping, and who could blame him? Billions of credits worth of assets, all the data, and some of the brightest engineering minds of the age, simply gone. He had hoped the loss of contact with Hunter Station was only a glitch, but that was until he had seen the wreckage from the live feed from the recovery frigate sent to investigate.
Such a waste. All the data, the resources, even the wreak of the Jaeger was gone. And for what?
"This... is regrettable," he said, taking a careful drag on his cigaret. "Is there anything we can salvage?"
"We're combing the wreckage now," Miranda's voice emanated from the holographic screens before him. She sounded well, if slightly shaken. He would have to ask about that later. "But... there's not much left."
"Are there any clues to what happened?" A wave of his hand brought up the video feed of the last moments in the lab. "The Jaeger's power source is the obvious culprit. A component of the nature going critical would have enough power to destroy the Citadel. However, the damage to the station doesn't fit."
He tapped out his cigaret and pressed his hands together as the screens showed him the floating wreckage. "This wasn't an explosion. Something tore it to pieces from the inside."
He got no answer, but for once he appreciated the silence as his mind slowly churned. What could have caused this? The Jaeger was an obvious suspect, but that was impossible. It didn't matter how strong that machine was, the scales didn't add up. The station had been almost three hundred meters from stem to stern, and its attacker had to at least be half that size.
Half.
This had to be the Reapers. There was no other explanation. But what did this all mean? Were the Jaegers Reaper constructs? If that was the case, they would have to keep a tighter eye on the rest.
"I'm transferring command of the investigation to Captain Harvard," he said at last.
"And what of me, sir?"
"You are being transferred to the Ice-Man project."
"Ice-Man?" He couldn't blame the confusion in her voice. "I've never heard of it before."
"I know. It's the replacement for Project Lazarus," he said, massaging his temples at the growing headache that always came with dealing with that man. If he could even be called such a thing.
Even halfway across the galaxy, he could feel Miranda's stunned expression. "R-replaced? But what about Shepard?"
The Illusive Man sighed "He's alive... Mostly."
"Mostly?"
"The planet Alchera is well known for its sub-thermal temperatures. Lesser known facts are the pools of liquid nitrogen that have formed on its surface." The image of a man suspended in a block of ice appeared before him. "It's possible he was trying to save himself using some misguided idea of cryo-stasis. Or he just slipped and fell and ended up frozen. Yes, that does sound more like Shepard. Intelligence was never his strong suit."
"So he survived a fall from orbit?" Miranda asked.
"Indeed."
"Then... slipped?"
"Hardly a surprise."
"This is the icon of humanity? He killed a Reaper with his bare hands only to slip and..." The Illusive Man heard teeth grinding in the background. "Why are we even trying to save this man? He's an idiot! A bomb on legs!"
"And yet he is our best shot we have against the Reapers." He pulled another cigarette out of his breast pocket. "I want him thawed and on his feet as soon as possible. Collector activity is increasing and we need him now more than ever."
He paused, his lighter halfway out of his pocket. "On second thought, take DNA for clones as well. Given his... aggressive tactics we'll need replacements.
"I'll do my best," came the strained reply."
-Linebreak-
"See that you do."
With that, the call cut out. Exhausted, Miranda tossed the pad aside and sagged back in her chair, brushing a lock of greasy hair out of her eyes. Her uniform was filthy, unsurprising given how she had woken up in a dumpster somewhere on Omega just a day prior. What was surprising was that the Jaegers had let her live.
She looked down at her hands. It had all felt so real. The water crashing against her legs, the metallic groaning of her body and... death.
Miranda shivered, shutting her eyes and clenching her hands into fists. Was that what dying felt like? More importantly, where those actual memories or just something he had made up? It was impossible to tell, but... had she really seen into his mind? Viewed his memories?
And had he seen hers in return?
The tiny slip of paper in her pocket was all the proof she needed. Just a few scribbled words.
I don't want to hurt Oriana, Miranda. But secrets have to be kept. I know where she is, but I won't tell if you don't either.
The paper burned away into ashes with a biotic warp, destroying any evidence.
There. It was done. No going back now. She hadn't said a word, and she didn't intend to either.
Now, however, she had more problems to deal with. Namely, the biotic madman known as Commander G. Shepard.
A/N:
I can not tell you all how proud I am right now. Two weeks ago, I set a goal, put it on the wall, to post the next chapter of Team Jaeger on Dec 23, and I did it! And this work isn't shoddy or rushed either. No! I think it's one of the best I've put out so far! The content is nice and tight, and nothing here is unnecessary.
Yes, I am extremely proud of myself. Not only can I set the goals, I can accomplish them!
*Deep sigh*
Now that I got that out of my system, I want to ask you guys something: What do you want to see most? What do you want out of me, as an author? You guys and your feedback are my life source, my drive to keep writing, and I want to know what makes you happy. Please, feel to share.
One last thing: Merry Christmas to all, and a happy New Year! I have a little gift for you (besides this); one free request! It could be about anything; a one shot of the Jaeger's adventures, Ruby in Rose of the Stars, anything related to fanfiction. Send me a request and on Dec 27 I will hold a draw and one of your requests will be chosen. If you have a request please send it to me via private message. Any request in the review page will NOT BE CONSIDERED. Please keep the review page free for those who use it.
Also, big thanks to my beta reader The Pegasus Box!