Author's Notes: Many thanks to all you readers for your continued feedback and patience!
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Spinejackal
Panama City Shatterdome…
December 29, 2021…
In the infirmary of Panama City Shatterdome, Andrés Alcazar and Daniel Moreno, pilots of Matador Fury, sat rotating shifts with the crews of Diablo Intercept and Yankee Star at the bedsides of their injured teammates. Stephanie Lanphier and Kennedy LaRue had ruptured eardrums, massive drivesuit burns, and contusions all over their bodies from the blast that had fried half of Hydra's systems. Bruce and Trevin Gage both had broken ribs and concussions from the beating they'd taken to drive Screed away from Hydra.
Stephanie and Kennedy were more uncomfortable than the twins; their burns were making it hard to keep the skin-to-skin contact that pilots craved after a fight. It was taking a lot of medic attention just to keep them calm.
"We can't use tranks to the degree we normally would, not with the eardrum injuries," one doctor explained.
"Or concussions," mumbled Bruce Gage.
Andrés and Daniel were tag-teaming Stephanie and Kennedy to keep them from scratching at their burns or moving around too much when the crews PR representatives returned from the post-combat conference. Whenever Matador Fury had an engagement, their crew had a special diplomatic mission. Every time they partnered with a fellow Jaeger, that Jaeger's crew lent their own voice to the mission.
After the battle of Panama Bay, the PR representatives for all five Jaeger crews had gone, including Romeo Blue's esteemed Darrell Sullivan, and Yankee Star's Brady Harris. But Andrés and Daniel knew at once that despite the weight of political pressure and popular support, the result was unchanged.
"The Mexican Justice Department says your request for a pardon can't be granted at this time," sighed Darrell. "The Mexican Embassy rep did say that your service is being taken into account, and if you'll pilot Matador for another mission, they're willing to reconsider."
Yankee Star's Tanisha Davis gave a low growl under her breath. "Didn't they promise a pardon from day one?"
Darrell nodded. "When the Mexican personnel were accepted into the Jaeger Academy, all former prisoners were promised a pardon if they accepted a Ranger position. The Corps wheedled the same for their former prisoners who passed the first cut as long as they took crew positions – which they did."
Brady Harris drawled out the conclusion to a story they'd all heard after every engagement since Matador had launched in late 2017: "Then they said if Matador repelled a kaiju, they'd pardon the crew. Then it was if they killed a kaiju. Now it's 'just one more time.'"
Kennedy sat up gingerly. "You think they'll ever say yes?"
"Not until we have replacements. Qualified, natural-born Mexican pilots out of the Academy," Daniel told her. He almost managed to keep the bitterness out of his voice. It wasn't that he or his partner regretted their lives as Rangers, far from it. But injustice would never fail to rankle.
"Have any more Mexicans made the first cut at the Academy this year?"
"No. And even if they do, the Justice Department will protest. They will want us to stay as the experienced team."
They will let us go when we can no longer pilot. Or when we're dead. Not before.
December 31, 2021…
The Jaeger Program's supporters hailed the battle of Panama Bay as a validating victory.
The detractors ranted that the cost was still two high: two Jaegers damaged and out of action, four pilots injured.
It could have been so much worse. It could have been so much better.
There was no question that Hydra and Romeo could be repaired and back in action in a matter of months. All four pilots had sustained injuries, from cracked ribs to severe internal bruising and concussions, but they too would make full recoveries.
What worried Stacker more was the report from K-Science that Screed had unleashed a percussive attack on Hydra Corinthian, one that was eerily similar to the one that Hydra herself had used against him and his predecessors.
"Whatever mechanism he used was destroyed in the fight by those throat wounds," Newton Geiszler reported. "But Hydra wasn't just hit with a fist, she was hit with a blast, and it wasn't friendly fire from Yankee Star or Romeo Blue. It came from the kaiju!"
"And what does that tell us?" Marshal Quijano asked impatiently.
"Two possibilities. He could be a new species we've never seen before; some animals on Earth use sound and pressure as stunning weapons, so it is possible."
"Or?" asked Stacker.
"Or they're adapting to our own weaponry."
Stacker noticed that instead of scoffing as he usually did at Geiszler's notions, even Hermann Gottlieb was looking grim. God help us.
After the post-engagement teleconference had concluded, Stacker heard the report from Matador's crew on their appeal for clemency from the Mexican government. It didn't surprise him, but each successive one disappointed him. It wasn't the first time he'd been disappointed by the impact of politics on the Jaeger Program, and he knew it wouldn't be the last.
The next attack was proof of that.
January 31, 2022…
The Breach monitoring system had been severely damaged by the failed depth charge, and again by Screed's passage at Christmas. As a result, when Spinejackal emerged in January, K-Watch missed detection entirely. The first alert came when the kaiju surfaced to tear apart a fleet of cargo ships in the South Pacific.
The next sighting was bloody Fiji. One of the last remaining Pacific island paradises saw its tenure as a kaiju-free enclave come to an end as Spinejackal tore through its resorts and rainforests without even slowing down. Spinejackal was already laying waste to the capital city of Suva by the time the PPDC got the alert, and crossed over to the second-largest island in the archipelago to tear it apart for good measure.
There were two cyclones and multiple tropical disturbances in the southwestern Pacific, making it almost impossible for spotters to stay on the bogey once it left Fiji behind.
The holoconference of the commanding officers and K-Watch sounded even more panicked than usual. "Where the hell is it going? East or west?" Stacker demanded.
"The spotters lost visual after he dove off the reef. Current is good for Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania."
Marshall Ketteridge demanded that Japan send Tacit Ronin and Coyote Tango to join their partners in Sydney. "We're going to be deploying from here, if at all. I can't leave Sydney undefended."
China was arranging their teams in a perimeter north of Australia, but the cyclone activity was forcing the Japanese Jump Hawks to detour, adding at least two days of travel time.
So Sydney Shatterdome was alone with its two Jaegers when Spinejackal resurfaced in the Bass Strait, between Tasmania and Australia's southeast coast.
All hell broke loose. China scrambled to move Shaolin Rogue from New Guinea, hoping to bypass the bad weather by crossing the continent. Marshal Morais in Lima had dispatched Amazon Delta to Chile, and promptly ordered her to head across the South Pacific as fast as possible.
It wouldn't be fast enough. "Target bearing north-northwest! At current speed, target will make landfall within three hours!"
"Then he hits Port Phillip Bay and gets to make a buffet line out of five million people! I need fucking backup yesterday!" Marshal Ketteridge bellowed. "Lift crews, ETA to Portsea!"
"Two hours, sir! We can get there before he makes landfall; who do you want touching down first?"
"Vulcan Specter."
"Copy that. Where do you want Striker Eureka?"
"Striker's staying here."
Despite the frenzy visible in Sydney's war room, crews and Rangers froze. In his war room in Anchorage, watching the action across the lake, Stacker and Caitlin Lightcap exchanged baffled looks. Who exactly was Ketteridge thinking would partner with Vulcan, if not Striker?
In Sydney, it was Chuck Hansen who found his voice first. "Huh?"
Devi and Susanti Hassan stared at Ketteridge, then looked at each other. Their expressions hardened, but Devi muttered, "Fine," and they started for the doors.
Herc and Chuck and half of both crews came out of their seats. "Wait just a bloody minute! No, Dev, hang on!"
"You can't send them out without back-up!" Indra Hassan protested.
"I'm not leaving Sydney completely exposed," Ketteridge shot back. "Shaolin Rogue is going straight to Melbourne to back them up."
"Shaolin Rogue's at least twelve hours away from you, sir!" Caitlin protested. "Tactics directed no more solo engagements without back-up!"
"It's only a Category III - "
" - KNIFEHEAD was a fucking Category III, and this bastard's almost as big with twice the toxicity rating!" Indra shouted.
"INDRA, that's enough!" Susanti yelled, but Herc slammed his chair into the table, beckoning to Chuck and his crew.
"Striker Eureka, prepare for deployment. We're going."
Oh shit. A lot of crew were going white even as Ketteridge was going red, but Stacker could see that most of them were starting to move towards the door. In Anchorage, the officers around him were muttering obscenities under their breath, and he had a feeling the same scene was playing out in the war room of every Shatterdome.
In Sydney, a mutiny was brewing. "I...say... Striker Eureka stays in Sydney," Ketteridge snarled.
"Herc!" Devi exclaimed
"Ranger Hansen!" one of the other Marshals snapped, but Herc might not have even heard.
"He's setting them up," Herc hissed. He looked directly at the holo camera. "He means to kill them. Couldn't get rid of them any other way, so he'll have the kaiju do it."
Everyone started yelling at once. "Of all the outrageous - "
"Rangers, Marshall," Stacker shouted. "ALL of you, get a grip - "
"Dammit, Herc, we haven't got time for this!"
"He's right! This is a set-up!"
"Hansen, you'll be watching this engagement from the brig."
"And you'll go down for murder for them and every man, woman, and child who dies in Victoria," Herc shot back.
"For fuck's sake! Herc, stand down!" Susanti shouted, striding back to try to grab him, but he shook her off. "We can hold the line for a few hours 'till Shaolin Rogue gets there!"
Stacker's mind raced and he shot a quick glance over his fellow commanders, all staring with equal shock and indignation at their screens. If both Herc and Ketteridge refused to yield, it would come down to whether the crews were willing to join Herc in insubordination. Knowing a Jaeger's crew... Stacker had a feeling he knew how that would shake out, especially considering the relative esteem of Hercules Hansen and Blake Ketteridge among the Sydney personnel.
And there was still a kaiju on its way to Port Phillip Bay and multiple major cities.
"Enough!" he stood up and leaned towards the holo screen for good measure. "Marshal Ketteridge, if you'll send Striker Eureka with Vulcan Specter, I will personally guarantee that you have at least two active Jaegers remaining at your Dome after the engagement. If necessary, I'll assign you one from Anchorage."
"Agreed!" Marshal Ramirez from Los Angeles stood. "If Vulcan or Striker are damaged, I'll give you one of mine, but we have two deployment ready Jaegers in Sydney. If a solo Jaeger has trouble, we're risking millions of lives without need."
"No more Jaegers should go without backup unless there's no choice!" one of the Tacticians put in.
Ketteridge hesitate, his eyes darting from the screen to the side where Stacker knew Herc was standing, ready to push the issue. But then, he took a step back. "Fine. I'll deploy Striker." To Herc, he added, "And I'll deal with you after."
Herc just turned his back and stalked for the door, an ashen-faced Chuck at his heels. To Stacker's further dismay, the Hassans looked angrier at Herc than at Ketteridge.
He and Caitlin Lightcap put in a private call to Marshal Ramirez once the Jaegers were in transit. "Looking for ideas on how to keep Blake from putting Herc up against a wall when this is over?" Ramirez said dryly.
"You're assuming there'll be anything left of him once Devi and Suze are through," Caitlin sighed. They all fell silent, avoiding each other's eyes. Finally, Cait spoke up again. "Well, I'll say it if nobody else will: I'm not sure I think Herc was wrong."
"About which part?" Ramirez asked wryly.
"Both."
Stacker took a deep breath. "You really believe Blake Ketteridge means the Hassans harm?"
"I think that if he really thought a solo Jaeger could take Spinejackal, he'd have sent Striker and kept Vulcan back. I think the Hassans are expendable to him at best."
"Then we need to reassign Vulcan, somewhere other than Sydney," said Ramirez. "And assign at least two other Jaegers, because Blake Ketteridge won't give up Striker."
That may be the one factor that saves Herc from a court martial. Here was the second time in as many months that Stacker had witnessed an act of blatant insubordination... and found himself having difficulty blaming the rebellious officer. A few years ago, he would never have tolerated the near-mutiny that Ranger Hansen had instigated. Would I have silenced my misgivings and let Blake Ketteridge send Vulcan Specter and its pilots out alone? The Hassans were the most successful Rangers in the world - then again, so were their best friends, the Beckets, until they and their commander assumed they were invincible.
Granted, Devi and Susanti Hassan weren't nearly as prone to risk-taking as Raleigh and Yancy had been; they were cautious, methodical fighters, and it had served them and their Jaeger well over the years. But why risk their safety and the safety of all they were charged to protect when it wasn't necessary? That was the central point: it hadn't been necessary. There were two proven Jaegers in Sydney - what was the point of leaving Striker Eureka to sit and stew in the Shatterdome rather than available on-site as back-up? Highly questionable priorities...but was there any chance that Herc was right as to Blake Ketteridge's motive?
"I'll speak to Colonel Okita," he finally said. "Perhaps we can persuade her to let Coyote Tango be transferred to Sydney for the time being. She and Admiral Yamamoto might be willing if it means Vulcan would be assigned to Japan, in close proximity to Tacit Ronin."
"We'll still need someone else in Sydney," said Marshal Ramirez. "We're not likely to have any volunteers, but I'll talk to some of my Rangers."
"None of ours are going to want to cross the lake," Caitlin agreed. "Not after Blake Ketteridge's display."
"But most of ours will follow orders," Stacker finished. "And perhaps we can prevent a dispute like that from occurring again by balancing out the strength of the bases. Sydney is the least manned, and today demonstrated that we should do something about it. Romeo Blue should be back on his feet in a few weeks."
Ana Ramirez said neutrally, "I'll talk to Team Mammoth. They might be willing to go. Their ties aren't local to Los Angeles." Stacker didn't bat an eye, but Caitlin's face couldn't quite hide her bemusement. No one in this conversation could miss that the potential transfers they were considering were for all-male teams.
Quietly, behind the scenes, Stacker would also investigate whether there might be grounds for "suggesting" that Blake Ketteridge should retire and put someone else in command of Sydney Shatterdome.
Port Philip Bay, Australia…
February 1, 2022…
Susanti Hassan and her sister spent the next sixteen hours calling in all their focus to keep their attention on holding Spinejackal's ugly carcass back from the mouth of Port Phillip Bay - and off all thoughts of strangling Hercules Hansen. Of all the bloody, patronizing, interfering asses!
But then there was also the nasty little awareness in the back of their minds as the fight went on and on that... without Striker here backing them up, Suze and Devi might have had a really hard time slowing this kaiju down. Spinejackal was one of the ugliest bastards they'd seen even by kaiju standards, and he was also the most armored yet.
Vulcan and Striker made the intercept together at the miracle mile off Point Lonsdale and Portsea, and spent the first four hours of combat just pounding Spinejackal with their meteor hammers to break through the thick Stegosaurus plates that ran down his back and wrapped around his stomach like a multi-layered turtle shell. At one point, they managed to pin him in thick mud of the shallows, and Herc and Chuck tried to get one of their sling blades under the plates. The blade broke off, sending Striker staggering back as Herc yelled and cursed in pain.
"Gotta break them first," Chuck concluded, and they sheathed their remaining blade in favor of their brass knuckles, just battering the kaiju's neck until the armor began to crack.
Not unlike a Stegosaurus, Spinejackal had a spiked tail - and spiked limbs - that the two Jaegers had to continuously dodge and block. They rolled through blinding silt in the shallows, and Devi and Suze were tossed almost a hundred meters, luckily only doing damage to the scenic drive. They scooped a boulder off the shoreline and went charging back to bash Spinejackal over the head, finally stunning the bastard long enough for Striker to hack the tail off.
Then the two of them slammed him on his back into the rocky shoreline, wedging his plates like anchors, and pummeled his neck until the armor broke, and they could empty their lava reserves into him.
Panting, Suze and Devi looked each other over, then turned to Striker. "You two okay over there?"
"Yeah," Herc grunted. "I think I pulled a few fingers out of the joint when that blade snapped."
"I'm good," said Chuck. Striker splashed down his torso to wash off the Kaiju Blue, then he said suddenly, "Hey, have you got any lava left?"
Suze checked her reserves. "About half full on the left side."
"Maybe burn up the end of that tail so he stops leaking all over the wildlife preserve."
They had to grin. "Hey, who's being all environmentally conscious? Right, hang on. LOCCENT, tell the trash carrier they're clear to move in. We're gonna cauterize the open wounds as best we can with our remaining incendiary."
"Copy that, Vulcan, carrier's already on his way - oh, wait. Hey, can one of you pull those rocks back out of the shallows? Those two big ones behind you - they're blocking the carrier's approach. The closer the carrier can get, the less contamination for the lift choppers."
"We'll do them one better," said Chuck, sounding smug. Suze and Devi worked their way around the kaiju's back end and shot each other snide grins as they jammed Suze's thrower against the the torn stub of its tail and burned it out with the remains of their lava. "Give us a hand, hey?"
They could hear cheers from LOCCENT on the speakers as they hefted the carcass between them and carried it out to meet the cargo ship, sparing the Hazmat teams the risk of attaching it to a collection of lift lines and slings.
Marshal Ketteridge huffed and puffed. "This is not the Jaegers' jobs!" But he didn't flat-out order them to stop, and as torqued as Suze and Devi were at Herc, they weren't about to start doing Ketteridge any favors. If getting the kaiju off the shoreline and its toxic byproducts contained that much faster could be accomplished with a Jaeger's help, without any great risk, why not? So much the better if it gained them some good PR.
When they were off the comm connection to LOCCENT awaiting pickup, Suze was ready to call Herc and launch into reaming him out, but Devi stopped her. If it had merely been due to Devi's lingering crush, Suze would have pressed the matter, but it wasn't. Devi was as ticked as her sister by Herc's overreach, but she didn't want it on the black box records. They'd have to wait until they were face-to-face to talk it out the old fashioned way.
But it turned out that there had been others talking too, and by the time the Rangers were back in Sydney, the controversy was in full-swing. Someone had leaked to the media the near-mutiny that Herc had sparked, and all hell was breaking loose.
The UN representatives were already on-site, along with Secretary General Krieger and some PPDC investigators, and half the commanding officers for the other Shatterdomes were conferenced in. Bloody hell.
Indra barely had time to update them before everyone was being dragged into the meeting room. "Herc's already complained formally, and Ketteridge is threatening a court martial against him." He shot Suze a reluctant look. "Even Kyrra's in Herc's corner. She agrees with his take: that Ketteridge deems you expendable at best, or wants you dead at worse."
Suze faltered, but Devi was still bristling. "And has it occurred to none of them that it ought to be up to us whether a complaint gets filed on our behalf?!"
'I did point that out," Indra sighed. "For what it's worth, it's not just Team Striker. I think the wheels started turning after that debacle on the deployment while you and the Hansens were still engaged."
Suze spotted Chuck Hansen peering at them from the entrance to Striker's bay. "What does the kid think?"
"I'm not sure. I'm not sure he's sure either - he's being uncharacteristically quiet while Herc and Ketteridge are busy pounding their chests."
"Hell." Suze could feel Devi getting a headache. "Well, unlike his father, I'm not dragging him into this pissing match." Devi shot their youngest Ranger a weary smile, but Chuck just nodded and vanished. "Not much of a celebration for his second kill. So do we plunge on in or wait for a sign?"
A long nap to tally their bruises and burns and get back into their own heads was usually the only concern after an engagement. It was sorely tempting to just say, "fuck it," and let the brass and the buffoons sort themselves out. But Suze sighed and wrapped an arm around Devi's shoulders, massaging her temples for her while they were standing up. "We might as well keep on top of what's going on, remind them, hello, we exist!"
But it turned out the train had already left the station.
They got to the conference room to find Herc fuming and half the commanding officers already conferenced in. "Rangers Hassan, we were just about to call you," said Colonel Okita. "You are being reassigned to Nagasaki Shatterdome."
Devi just stared. Suze finally blurted, "You're reassigning us because Herc Hansen threw a fit?!"
Almost everyone on Team Striker winced. Secretary General Krieger said hastily, "No, this is simply because Sydney has not had a rotation since the Tango Tasmania days, and I think recent... tensions are an indicator of the problems that can arise if there aren't rotations of Jaegers. Striker Eureka is the Jaeger most recently launched with the least experienced Ranger," (Chuck winced), "so he will remain at his primary base."
Devi put a restraining hand on Suze's arm before Suze exploded, but did ask in a frigidly-polite voice, "Do we get no say in this, sir?"
"Ahem." Krieger looked awkwardly at the other brass.
Finally, Marshal Pentecost spoke up on the video feed. "We assume you are objecting, Ranger Hassan?"
"Yes," Suze ground out. "Vulcan Specter's Australian too. Our family is here, most of our crew are local. This is our home base as well. Whatever tensions have come up, they should be resolved by the people who are actually instigating them." She shot a meaningful look at Herc, who had the grace to look down.
"If we may, sir?" Much to Devi and Suze's mortification, it seemed there were not only commanders, but other crews on the vid comm. Vic and Gunnar Tunari stepped into view next to Colonel Okita in Nagasaki's war room. "We're willing enough to take reassignment, since we have no binding local connections to any Shatterdome. But is switching us with Vulcan Specter really efficient? I don't know if either of you have any Japanese or Korean," Gunnar said to Devi and Suze. They shook their heads. "We were going to re-form the A-Team after this engagement. The logistics of deploying us with Vulcan and Typhoon will be the same."
"Which is why this is an ideal plan," Krieger insisted. "You'll each also be far closer to the junior partner you've been training: Vulcan with Tacit Ronin, and Coyote with Striker Eureka."
"Rather than simply move us around, why not assign a third Jaeger to Sydney?" Devi protested. "Wasn't that being considered before the engagement? This won't solve the problem of us being the least-manned Shatterdome."
Suze's heart sank as more awkward glances were exchanged. Marshal Ramirez spoke up from Los Angeles. "Mammoth Apostle is coming to Sydney as well."
Of all the... now Suze and Devi's disgust was almost forming a feedback loop between their heads. Really? Ketteridge is so fucking useless that you're giving him all-male teams just to make sure he doesn't try to screw female pilots over?
Before either of them could speak, Herc Hansen barged into the discussion - again. "And speaking of measures that won't solve the bloody problem. Rather than cater to this C.O.'s out-of-control misogyny, maybe you ought to actually deal with it - "
"GOD FUCKING DAMN IT, Herc, will you bloody shut up?!" Suze exploded, rounding on him. "You and your condescending shit're the reason we've got this mess!"
"Suze!" Indra grabbed her arm. Chuck looked like he wanted to crawl under the conference table.
"Rangers!" several voices exclaimed.
Now Ketteridge was puffing up. "There is nothing to deal with here except your insubordination, Hansen!" he thundered. "I have never given Vulcan Specter any less resources that you have, and I certainly was not trying to commit the 'perfect murder' rather than preserve as much of our Shatterdome's arsenal as I could! For God's sake, we're having to operate with less and less resources every year while the kaiju are getting bigger and bigger and more of our budget is being diverted to the wall! Vulcan Specter's the most proven Jaeger in the world - as I'm frequently reminded - it was reasonable that they could handle a Category III!" Suze managed not to scoff (and Herc didn't restrain himself) but to all three of their alarm and disgust, Ketteridge abruptly looked for support from Chuck. "Unlike your father, you don't have an irrational grudge at work. I lost two daughters and a granddaughter to Scissure, as I told you back when you applied. Do you really think I've given Rangers Hassan anything less than the best?"
Even Herc went speechless - or maybe, judging by the way Chuck shifted, the eighteen-year-old cut off his co-pilot's protests in the ghost drift. As unusually silent and clearly dismayed as he'd been through all this, Chuck didn't cringe from the sudden pressure.
The kid locked eyes with Ketteridge for a long moment, then answered: "Yes." Ketteridge looked ready to spontaneously combust, but Chuck wasn't done. "They've been an inconvenience and an afterthought to you ever since they got here. Even when I was a kid, I picked up on that; they were never the crew you wanted, and no matter how many kills they made, that's not changed. Every other chance, you've pushed for Striker Eureka to take the lead, never mind I'm the least experienced pilot. You even wanted us to join the A-Team for an engagement without having done a single simulation. This time, you put them out in front? It's right to question your motives."
All Susanti's fury congealed into something cold and tremulous inside, and she knew from the ghost drift that her sister felt the same. They both doubted they were the only ones frozen as silence settled over the conference room and vid comm feed. Chuck Hansen was a creature of rants and snarled insults and temper. Hearing him speak like this, all hard calm and laying out the evidence... it was terrifying for reasons neither Hassan sister could quite place. Everyone who wasn't staring at Chuck in complete shock was looking at Ketteridge - and those eyes from the Sydney crews and the PPDC brass seemed to be calculating, re-assessing the Sydney Marshal's actions.
"We...we..." Secretary General Krieger groped for words. "The PPDC takes complaints of bias seriously, and, of course, we'll investigate these concerns fully." He rallied to finish, "But at this moment, our concern should be ensuring that all bases are fully equipped and prepared to operate with as little tension or distraction as possible."
Colonel Okita and Admiral Yamamoto were exchanging looks as if they'd been privately messaging back and forth during all this, and Okita said, "I recognize your concerns, Rangers Hassan, but I think it would be for the best if we proceeded with the transfer. It will not be permanent," she added. "And Rangers Tunari can vouch that I'm as generous as possible with granting leave to the foreign crews so they can remain close to their families." The Tunaris nodded in unison, but both were clearly uncomfortable.
Devi prodded Suze in the drift. We can't very well refuse to obey orders. There's been enough of that for one engagement.
So we uproot ourselves, Indra, and the entire crew because Herc thinks we're damsels in distress? Suze fumed, but she already knew the answer.
Better than yet another mutiny. We obey the orders but look into our own complaint options - maybe one against Herc. That was a significant consideration from Devi Hassan. Or maybe if this investigation does bear fruit, Ketteridge will be gone and we can request a transfer back after the next event.
"Rangers?" Krieger prompted.
Suze nodded to her sister and let Devi talk. Dev was always more capable of being diplomatic and keeping both anger and hurt in check. "We'll obey any transfer order from Command, sir, but we do formally protest. A complaint of bias by another crew shouldn't result in our crew being the one forced to move."
"Noted for the record," said Marshal Ramirez. "I suggest we revisit the transfer during the course of this investigation."
"Done," said Krieger. "Marshal Ketteridge, I think the commanding officers should continue discussions in private while the crews proceed with post-engagement reports and recovery."
He might not have been entirely off the hot seat, but Ketteridge looked relieved. "Non-command personnel, dismissed."
So that's that. We're indeed dismissed.
To Be Continued...
Coming Soon: Our heroes are separated from their most trusted teammates, and when Matador Fury goes back into combat, they get another reminder of the ugly influence of politics on the Jaeger Program. Soon after, Herc and Chuck face their harshest test yet in Chapter Thirty-Nine: Damage Report!
PLEASE don't forget to review!
Original Character Guide
Andrés Alcazar and Daniel Moreno: Matador Fury's Rangers, Mexican nationals, early 40s. Andrés was a historian and Daniel was a lawyer, both writing and working against institutional corruption before imprisoned for an unknown period. They were released along with other non-violent prisoners to attempt the Jaeger Academy, but have not yet been granted a pardon.
Darrell Sullivan: Public Relations liaison for Romeo Blue and its crew.
Brady Harris: Public Relations liaison for Yankee Star and its crew.
Tanisha Davis/Caleb Mitchell: Rangers of Yankee Star, America's Mark-2 Jaeger. Former US Marines in their 30s. Tanisha is African-American from Los Angeles, Caleb is from rural Oklahoma.
Marshal Columbina Quijano: Commanding officer of Panama City Shatterdome. Panamanian Public Forces officer, early 60s. Married to a Chinese national with one daughter and three grandchildren who also attended Nittany Valley Prep with Mako and Liling.
Marshal Blake Ketteridge: Commanding Officer of Sydney Shatterdome. Australia's senior liaison to the PPDC, a former Air Vice Marshall of the Royal Australian Air Force.
Colonel Sanae Okita: Commanding Officer of Nagasaki Shatterdome, Japanese Air Force colonel in her 40s.
Admiral Daichi Yamamoto: Commanding Officer of Tokyo Shatterdome, Japanese Naval officer in his 60s.
Devi/Susanti Hassan: Rangers of Vulcan Specter, Australia's Mark-3 Jaeger. Sisters, ages 26 and 24, first-generation daughters of Indonesian immigrants to Australia who graduated Jaeger Academy's Class 2016-B along with the Beckets, Kennedy LaRue, and Stephanie Lanphier.
Kyrra Taior: Chief Engineer for Lucky Seven, then Striker Eureka. Aboriginal Australian, Herc's age. Youngest and sole surviving daughter of Marian Taior, an elderly aboriginal woman who occasionally looked after Chuck when he was younger. Susanti Hassan's long-term girlfriend.
Indra Hassan: Devi and Susanti's cousin, early 40s, failed the Jaeger Academy's second cut for drift compatibility but stayed on to become a LOCCENT technician. He serves the same role on Vulcan Specter's crew that Tendo Choi did for Gipsy Danger and now Striker Eureka.