Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong - December 8, 2024
Marshal Stacker Pentecost watched as several battles between Jaegers, Kaijus, and the Titans. Arachnid Vortex was being torn to shreds by Titanus Scylla in San Diego, Striker Chinook was fighting Frostweaver in Alaska with the aid of Titanus Typhon, and Crimson Typhoon was fighting two Kaijus with Godzilla. The most active Titan in the war against the Kaijus. Monarch was still getting Jaegers and sending their men to every Shatterdome. It was still all surreal to him. Monsters fighting with humans against alien monsters. Ever since Gipsy Danger was deactivated, the Kaiju attacks increased. Both in numbers and power. Pentecost knew his options were closing. But today he receive good news. He was good for Operation Pitfall. For this mission, four Jaegers will take part in the battle.
"Sir, Breach twenty eight miles East of Taiwan." an enlisted officer reported as a new dot appeared on the digital map.
"Category?" Pentecost asked and silence. The Marshal repeated and the officer looked at the commander.
"Cat Five." he answered and the Marshal's heart sank. The first Cat Five Kaiju has breached their world.
"Sir Godzilla abandoning Crimson Typhoon." another officer reported and Pentecost saw that the Jaeger was now fighting one Kaiju while the second was KIA.
"Make sure Echo Widow holds it off and get Monarch forces to assist." the Marshal ordered knowing the war was drawing to a close with the Apocalypse starting.
Jaeger Alaskan Factory, Anchorage, Alaska, United States - December 18, 2024
Raleigh Becket sat down at a table with his rations after putting the finishing touches on a Monarch Jaeger head. In an hour the head will be placed on Pheonix Omega. A new Mark Five Jaeger to be sent against the Titans and Kaiju. This war was changing and Raleigh remembered the first Titan he has ever seen. Godzilla rescued him and now he wished the Titan never surfaced. The world would be so much simpler. As he ate, his coworkers discussed the latest exoduses from the Pacific. Millions have abandoned their homes aft the war increased in battles with not just the Kaiju but the Titans as well. People were afraid. Just like they were when the war began. Before the Jaegers and the Titans.
"Mr Becket. It has been awhile." a familiar voice greeted behind Raleigh. "Everyone out."
"Good to see you to Stacker." Raleigh replied as his coworkers left the break room. "Haven't you heard? I retired."
"Well I hate to break this to you, but the world is ending. Operation Pitfall has received the green lite." Stacker remarked as he sat across from the ex Jaeger pilot.
"Well you'll have all the Jaegers you need." Raleigh said gesturing to the factory.
"Jaegers aren't the problem. I need pilots and pilots who know what to do when the battle begins. I'm running low on both." Stacker added as Raleigh continued to eat. "We've had two Cat Five breaches." the Marshal said and Raleigh stopped. "One East of Taiwan, another in Hawaii."
"Why hasn't it made the news?" Raleigh asked.
"Because the one in Taiwan nearly killed Godzilla. We were lucky he had the backup of Echo Widow and Crimson Duke." Stacker answered before he gave a sigh. "We weren't so lucky in Hawaii. Three Jaegers lost. Shatterdome destroyed. Contingency Plan Alpha Titan went into effect."
"You mean?" Raleigh asked before the Marshal finished.
"Yes. A nuclear missile was launched. No civilians were killed thanks to the mass exodus." Stacker replied before looking directly at the pilot. "The Apocalypse is upon us. So where do you want to die? Here or in a Jaeger?"
Hong Kong Shatterdome, Hong Kong - December 20, 2024
Raleigh watched as the Shatterdome lum closer from his seat in the helicopter. It has been years since he saw a Shatterdome. Now he was going to pilot a Jaeger. But there was hesitation in him. He remembered how his brother was ripped from the Drift. How he fought Knifehead and struggled against Godzilla. When the helicopter landed, Raleigh and Stacker got off and greeted a young woman. She reported of several Kaijubreaches and attacks. Another Cat Five was located near Australia. Then she started to speak Japanese. "I imagined him differently."
"Better or worse?" Raleigh asked in Japanese and the young woman was surprised.
"I apologize Mr Becket. I heard a lot about you." the woman answered in Japanese.
"Mr Becket. This is Mako Mori. One of our brightest and in charge of the Mark Three Restoration Project." Stacker remarked in English and Raleigh nodded in approval They began to walk to the elevator. "She handpicked the co pilot candidates for you." he added as they entered the elevator with two men one of which was checking on several large vasts of Kaiju organs. "Mr Becket. Meet Doctor Geiszler and Doctor Gottlieb. They are our K-Scientist."
"Please call me Newt." the man studying the Kaiju remains remarked.
"Who's that. Yamarashi?" Raleigh remarked noticing Newt's tattoo.
"Oh this little Kaiju. Yeah, you got a good eye." Newt answered painting at the Tattoo.
"My brother and I took him down in 2017." Raleigh remarked and Newt was unfazed.
"You know he was the biggest Category Threes ever. He was two thousand five hundred tons of awesome." Newt replied with excitement before realising the coldness of the elevator. "Or destructiveness. Whatever you prefer."
"You got to excuse him. He's a Kaiju Groupie." Doctor Gottlieb remarked and Newt laughed.
"I'm not a Groupie, I just like to study Kaiju to learn from them Hermann." Newt replied and Gottlieb shook his head.
"It's Doctor Gottlieb Newt. I worked on that title for ten years before I got stuck with you." Gottlieb said angerly as the elevator stopped.
"Follow me Mr Becket." Stacker ordered and both Raleigh and Mako followed leaving the two scientists to a large room where eight Jaegers stood. One of which caught his attention.
"Gipsy Danger." Raleigh remarked with a smirk.
"Thank Mako for the resurrection of the old girl." Stacker said as they walked down the busy room.
"Two Cat Fours. Nightowl Ronin. Cherno Ace. Preparing for launch." the intercom reported and Raleigh watch with pleasure as two massive Jaegers were hooked up to a fleet of V-50 Jumphawks.
Raleigh put his bags in his Bunk after meeting the Jaeger pilots for the coming Operation. He was going to get a new co pilot in an hour or so. Then they'll test the rebuilt Gipsy Danger. He sat on his bunk and looked at a picture of his first victory. Yamarashi was a tough battle, but while in the drift, the brothers felt more connected than ever. Then Knifehead came. His brother was ripped away in the drift and Raleigh's mind hasn't been the same since. After an hour of waiting, the pilot walked out of his bunk and headed for the Kwoon Combat Room where the candidates for his co pilot will be tested. When he arrived a dozen young men and women were lined up for the test. Raleigh was given a bo staff and began the test. The candidates were easy to take down and he could tell that none of them were Drift compatible. After every match, Mako made a gesture. After another match ended Mako announced the points.
"Okay what?" Raleigh asked walking towards her and Stacker. "You don't like them. I thought you selected them personally?"
"Excuse me?" Mako asked.
"Everytime a match ends, you make this gesture. Like you're critical of their performance." he remarked taking a breath.
"It's not their performance. It's yours. It's yours gambit." she answered surprising the Jaeger Pilot. "You could have taken all of them two moves earlier." she added earning a look from the Marshal.
"You think so?"
"I know so." Mako replied confidently.
"Can we change this up?" Raleigh asked before pointing the staff at Mako. "How about we give her a shot?" he asked and Mako turned to Stacker with an eager look.
"No." Stacker answered coldly. "Stick to the cadet list we have Ranger. Only candidates with Drift Compatability." he added before Mako said something that Raleigh didn't catch and as the Marshal explained to her about Drift Compatability, the Ranger smiled.
"What's the matter Marshal? Don't think you brightest can cut it in the ring with me?" Raleigh asked baiting his CO. Stacker grabbed the clipboard and sent Mako in. As she got ready for the match, the Marshal got everyone's attention.
"Most strike marks a win." he reported as the two fighters walked to each other.
"Remember it's about compatibility. It's a dialogue, not a fight." he said as they passed each other. "But I'm not going to dial down my moves."
"Okay." Mako replied as they turned to face each other. "Then neither will I."
She twirled her staff around getting into a fighting stance. Raleigh did the same thing and made the first move. Her stopped just short of her head. "One zero." he remarked and Mako swung the staff only for it to be blocked by his weapon. But her staff stopped in front of his face.
"One one." she replied earning a smirk from the pilot. When she walk back for the next fight, Raleigh swung the staff at her side.
"Two one." he said before walking back twirling his staff. "Concentrate." he ordered and moments later he charged. The two traded blows forcing each other back listening to the sound of the staff hitting the other. As Raleigh tried to make a new move, Mako's staff stopped short of his face one more.
"Two two." she replied as she backed up. "Better watch it." she warned as they went back to fighting stances. Raliegh charged first hitting her staff. She blocked several attacks before forcing him back and she managed to get her staff between his arms and flip him to roll. As he stopped rolling, Mako had her staff close to his face. The cadets clapped at the fight. "Three two."
"Miss Mori. More control." Stacker ordered in Japanese. Two more matches came and Mako had Raliegh on the ground holding his leg up. "Enough." Stacker ordered and Mako let the pilot go. "I've seen what I need to see."
"Me to." Raleigh said as he got back up. "She's my co pilot"
"That's not going to work." Stacker replied and Raleigh turned to the Marshal surprised.
"Why not?" Raleigh asked.
"Because I said so Mr Becket. I've made my decision. Report to the Shatterdome in two hours. Find out who your co pilot will be." Stacker ordered before leaving. The room began to clear out and Raleigh saw a hallucination of his brother. A side effect of being pulled out in the drift.
"Mako!" Raleigh yelled to get the young woman's attention in the hall. She turned to face him. "What was all that about? I mean I'm not crazy. You felt it right? We're Drift Compatible."
"Thank you for standing up for me. But there is nothing to talk about." Mako replied before walking to her room, but the doors wouldn't open.
"That's my room." he remarked and Mako turned to walk to her own room.
"Excuse me." she said and Raleigh followed her.
"I thought you wanted to be a pilot?" Raleigh asked. "Mako this is worth fighting for. We don't have to just obey him."
"It's not obedience Mr Becket. It's respect." she replied before shutting the door in his face.
Raleigh opened his locker to see a picture of his brother Yancy. The pain of the loss still felt the same as it did yesterday. That day haunted him forever. He always tried to come up with scenarios that could have changed everything. What he could have done differently and maybe Yancy would be alive. But he just touched the photo and knew that no matter what, Yancy was gone. There was no changing it.