CANIDATE TRIALS

06:00 HOURS

It was time for Raleigh to pick his new pilot, but how do they test if someone is the right co-pilot.

Well, the pilot fights a bunch of candidates in a sort of martial arts battle, like kung fu, but with a wooden pole as well. Raleigh battles the first candidate. He puts up a good fight, but not for long.

Raleigh whirls him around and pulls him to the ground, pointing his stick at him. He looks up at Mako and Stacker.

"4 points to zero" Mako said before she records on a paper pad in her arm.

Along with the two was the Monarch Team, except Chen. Rick and Sam were standing next to Mako, and Serizawa and Vivienne were standing next to Stacker. Rick was very interested in how pilots chose each other.

"So, this is how they do it. They whack each other with big sticks?" Rick asked, whispering to Mako. Mako nods.

"Well, it's more than that. It also determines if the two will have a good neural handshake in the Drift" Mako replies. Then, Rick nods, understanding.

Stacker nods and the next candidate runs up, whirling his stick at Raleigh, but Raleigh quickly blocks it, and within a few seconds, the second candidate is pinned under Raleigh with his stick on the candidate's neck.

"4 points to 1" Mako said. Then, Stacker nods and the third candidate comes forward. He whirls his stick around before holding it like a two-handed sword and Raleigh prepares for his next move.

He steps towards him before he charges. He tries to hit Raleigh, but Raleigh blocks his every move.

Then, catching him off guard, he puts his stick under the candidate's leg and flips him onto his back, pointing his stick at him. He had beaten all of the candidates.

"4 points to 2" Mako said.

"Okay, what?" Raleigh said.

"You don't like them?" Stacker questioned.

"I thought you selected them personally" Raleigh replied.

"Excuse me?" Mako said.

"Every time a match ends you make this little gesture like you're critical of their performance" Raleigh said.

"It's not their performance, it's yours. Your gambit" Mako replied, "You could have taken all of them two moves earlier".

"You think so?" Raleigh questioned.

"I know so" Mako replied.

Can we change this up? How about we give her a shot" Raleigh said before he pointed his stick at Mako.

Mako looked at Stacker, along with everyone else.

"No" Stacker replied, "We stick to the cadet list we have, ranger. Only candidates with Drift compatibility..."

"Which I have, Marshal" Mako interrupted.

"Mako, this is not only about a neural connection, it's also about a physical compatibility" Stacker replied.

"What's the matter, Marshal? Don't think your brightest can cut it in the ring with me?" Raleigh questioned.

Stacker gave it some thought before he made up his mind.

"Go" Stacker said.

Mako got undressed down to a tank top and sweat pants, just like Raleigh was wearing.

"Four strikes marks a win" Stacker said. Then, they walked to other sides of the battlefield.

"This shall be interesting" Sam said.

"Remember, it's about compatibility" Raleigh said, "It's a dialogue, not a fight. But I'm not gonna dial down my moves"

"Okay" Mako said, "Then neither will I". Raleigh could see determination in her face, which he liked, and he nodded.

"Who are you rooting for?" Rick asked.

"I'm thinking Raleigh's gonna win" Sam said.

"Well, then that means I'm for Mako" Rick said.

Mako went forward whirling her stick. Raleigh did the same, except his whirling was slower. He then held his stick up to his shoulder. They stayed in their battle positions for a second before Raleigh strikes. He holds the stick just above her head.

"One-zero" Raleigh said. But then, suddenly, Mako retaliated. She held her stick to his forehead.

"One-one" Mako replied.

"Get em', Raleigh" Sam cheered.

"Kick his ass, Mako" Rick cheered. Then, as Mako retreated her stick, Raleigh put his stick against her arm.

"Two-one. Concentrate" Raleigh said. Then, the two got into a fight before Mako held her stick to Raleigh's arm.

"Two-two" Mako said, "Better watch it". Then, after a second, they battled again, only to have Mako flip Raleigh and hold her stick to his neck.

"Three-two" Mako said.

"Miss Mori, more control" Stacker said in Japanese. Then, they fought again, putting up a good fight with each other before Raleigh flips Mako and holds his stick towards her.

She then gets back up. Then, they fight again, they're sticks clashing and them dodging. Then, Mako grabs Raleigh by his legs and flips him onto his back.

"Enough" Stacker said. The two then get to their feet and Mako bows.

"That was awesome!" Sam said.

"It was a very good fight" Rick said.

"I've seen what I need to see" Stacker said.

"Me too" Raleigh said, "She's my copilot".

"That's not going to work" Stacker said.

"Why not?" Raleigh questioned.

"Because I said so, Mr. Becket" Stacker said, "I made my decision. Report to the Shatterdome in two hours and find out who your copilot will be". Stacker then turns around and leaves and Mako follows.

"Still, that was an amazing fight" Sam said.

"Thanks" Raleigh replied. Raleigh then looks to see that Chuck was watching. He then turns and walks away. Mako soon leaves as well, along with the Monarch Team.


Later, Mako was finishing getting dressed when Raleigh appears.

"Mako" Raleigh said as she finished tying her shoe.

"What was all that about?" Raleigh questioned. "I mean I'm not crazy. You felt it, right? We are Drift compatible".

"Thank you for standing up for me" Mako said, "But there is nothing to talk about". Mako then turns to her room, but the door wouldn't open.

"That's my room" Raleigh said. Realizing her mistake, she heads to her actual room.

"Excuse me" Mako said and Raleigh stepped aside.

"I mean, come on. I thought you wanted to be a pilot" Raleigh said, "Mako, this is worth fighting for. We don't have to just obey him".

"It's not obedience, Mr. Becket. It's respect" Mako said before she headed for her room.

"Would you at least tell me what his problem is?" Raleigh questioned. However, she didn't respond and she shut the door to her room.


Meanwhile, an elevator descended. Stacker stood in it, all alone, thinking. Then, suddenly, his nose starts bleeding. Droplets of blood fell on his left shoe.

He puts his finger to his nose and looks at the little droplet of blood on the tip of his finger. He then opens a metal container and takes a pill.

On a TV, a Mutavore attacks a city. Then, the TV shows riots breaking out in cities.

"In the wake of the Sydney incident, which showed the in effective nature of the Wall of Life program, many are questioning the government's motives and wondering why the Jaeger Program has been discontinued. Riots have erupted along the coast lines of several Pan Pacific cities" a news lady said.

"We have now relocated millions of civilians and supplies 300 miles inland to the safe zones" the American UN representative said.

"Safe zones?" the news lady asks, "For the rich and powerful? What about the rest of us?"

"Yeah, answer the question" a man said.

"I believe the Wall of Life is still our best option at this time. And that's all I'm gonna say on the matter. Thank you" the American UN representative finished.

Meanwhile, Raleigh opens his locker and puts on his sweatshirt as the TV in his room continues. He then walks over to his pictures on the wall and looks at the one of him and Yancy.

He touches it, remembering the loss of his brother as if it was only yesterday as that day haunted him for the rest of his life.


Meanwhile, Newt was ripping parts off of something. He then hooks up two pipes to a machine.

"Kaiju/Human Drift experiment, take one" Newt said into a recording device.

"The, uh... The brain segment is the frontal lobe. Um, chances are the segment's far too damaged to Drift with". He then plugs in a cord to the kaiju brain sample.

He then attaches a head piece of his head, types in something, and holds a swith with a big red button on it.

"Unscientific aside: Hermann, if you're listening to this, well, I'm either alive and I've proven what I've just done works in which case, "Ha, ha", I won, or I'm dead and I'd like you to know that it's all your fault. It really is. You know, you drove me to this. In which case, "ha", I also won. Sort of" Newt said, "I'm going in in three, two, one".

Then, he clicks the button and the Drift initiates. His memories and the Kaiju's mesh together. Then, he sees what he was looking for.

It shows a Knifehead, being put together by robotic arms, the same way they use to build a Jaeger. It then shows an assembly line of Kaiju, with some alien creatures overseeing the process.

Then, just as it began, it was over. Gottlieb had just walked in and he saw Newt on the floor shaking.

"Newton. Newton! What have you done?" Gottlieb said as he takes off the head piece.


Meanwhile, Raleigh is packed up and ready to go for his Gypsy Danger test.

"Gipsy Danger neural test commencing in 20 minutes" a woman said over the comm. "Gipsy Danger neural test commencing in 20 minutes".

He exits his room and begins to walk down the hall. But then, he stops. He instead goes to Mako's door. He is about to knock, but he stops himself.

He's unaware that Mako is watching through the peep hole in her door. She backs away as she prepares for the knock. However, Raleigh doesn't and moves on.

Mako, however, was still waiting for a knock. Then, one came. She got up, a smile on her face, thinking it was Raleigh. However, when she opens the door, she is met with not Raleigh, but Stacker.

Mako's smile disappears as she is disappointed. Stacker bows and she bows back. "May I come in, Mako?" Stacker asks and Mako obliges. Stacker enters and checks out the room. Then, he turns to Mako.

"A long time ago, I made you a promise" Stacker said as he unwrapped a small red shoe from a piece of cloth. He then hands it to Mako.

"Get ready" Stacker said in Japanese and Mako was speechless.


Author's Note: Sorry for the cliffhanger and short chapter, but this was a good stoping point. However, next chapter, we'll have some more action and information.