The streets of Hong Kong were bustling as usual, the rain turned into a slight mist off and on throughout the day. Most people were off going home after the long day of work, but a blacked out car was headed the opposite direction of the normal. It headed towards the Bone Slums, careful about which building it was looking for, or who to look for. Deep in the middle of the district, the car stopped outside of a building built up around a kaiju hand and claw. The neon lights shining in the puddles of rain on the pavement as the back door opened.
Stacker had been trying to track her down since before the Jaeger program had been given a set date for discontinuation. They were losing Jaegers right and left, and the longer he tried to keep the program going, the worse the Kaiju force kept coming. Scientists were in a constant state of upheaval trying to predict the attacks and gain whatever they could on the Kaiju. But the Jaeger program was slipping, and to find a good engineer who knew each Jaeger top to bottom, was a task in itself.
The first was Cherno Alpha, with her parents being the ones to spearhead the project and construct the massive tank of a machine. Having been raised around nothing but Russian military and slept to the sounds of welding metal, she was the best out of them all to bring back.
Stacker headed into the building, which was obvious it was a bar or club of sorts, with glasses lining the wall above the cabinet of various liquors. Tables and chairs scattered across the open space and various signs and pool tables there. On the other side of the bar was a staircase that led up to the VIP area and office. A few employees scattered amongst the utilities preparing to open soon. Stacker looked at the bartender, who nodded and pointed at the staircase. They all knew why he was there, it wasn't often they had military in. And when they did, it was always for their boss somehow.
Stacker made his way up the stairs, looking around the ornate decor as he reached the door. The guard nodded and left him in. The office was far different than the rest of the building. The walls were lifted with newspaper clippings and awards. Prototype models of the famous Russian machine on the desk beside a glass of what looked like whiskey.
A woman stood on the other side of the desk, looking out the window across the city. Her long, jet black hair pulled into a ponytail that trailed down over her shoulder and formed curls at the bottom. Her slim figure casting a shadow over the wall adjacent from the fireplace on the other wall. Dark brown lips and soft pale skin lit up by the glow of the fire as she glanced over her shoulder.
"Pentecost…."
A small smile formed across his lips. His stance was open, yet professional as he stood across from her at the desk.
"Talia Draider, you probably already know why I'm here."
She smirked and crossed her arms, turning to fully face him. Her eyes are bright blue, lined with elegant winged liner and dark shadows. The way she dressed was like the kaidanovskys merged. Aleksis and Sasha practically raised this woman, so it's no surprise she's taken after them. A long sleeve, black shirt with a corseted laced bodice, and black sleek pants to match with laces up boots.
"Let me guess, they want me back."
Stacker glanced around the room before looking her in the eyes. It's obvious he wasn't here for a simple visit to check in on her or catch up.
"How'd you know…"
"Because you've lost four Jaegers in a matter of months. The attacks are getting closer together and you can't keep decent engineers who are competent enough to build or maintain them properly. You have a working one sitting there collecting dust with no compatible drivers and the wall is doing jack all shit to prevent anything."
He couldn't help but smile at her. She knew too well for her own good. Cherno Alpha had its picky drivers, only wanting the best on their team. But the government was even pickier, and they realized cutting their best asset for optimal operations was the biggest mistake. With years under her belt and exposure to the Jaegers since she was a kid, Talia knew the procedure inside and out.
"Yeah, they're asking me to get you back on board. But...uh, they're not the only ones." Stacker set his hat on the desk and her mood shifted.
"The Jaeger program is being discontinued. PPDC believes the wall is doing what it's supposed to do so far, so there's no point in keeping a program that costs more than steel and concrete."
Talia watched him, her mood changing instantly at the mention of the program being shut down. Her eyes sparkling slightly and looking up at him.
"We have six months, last stand here in Hong Kong. We're stationed in the shatterdome and moving all the units in as we speak, and Cherno wants her girl back."
She shook slightly as she looked over at the mannequin that had her coat. It was lined with fur trim, and donned Cherno Alpha's name in Russian with the symbol on the back, just like Aleksis and Sasha had. She reached over and grabbed a cigarette and her lighter and lit it as she looked back over at him. Stacker smiled slightly and shook his head.
"Those things will kill you."
"So will radiation exposure from a Jaeger, you of all people know that just as much as we do." She smiled back at him, which made him straighten up and take his hat off the desk and put it back on. He looked at her with a slight fondness, Mako meant to him what she did to the Kaidonovskys.
"I'll see you tomorrow then…."
"Sir, yes sir." She teased and punched his arm playfully as he turned to leave.
Hannibal and his men were preparing to close up shop for the night. With all the recent kaiju attacks, they have been out harvesting double the amounts of what they usually have been. Hannibal had his crew going double time to catch up with inventory before closing. Two of them stood outside the back door waiting for him as he exited, looking down the street he saw Talia exiting her bar after locking up. She pulled the collar of her coat up to shield her neck, the other coat folded and put in her messenger bag with the rest of her stuff. She looked both ways along the empty street, looking his way last and catching his eye. She smirked at him before turning her back and heading down the other side of the street.
"Boss…" the smaller one of the two guards went to speak to him when he spun around and grabbed him by the collar of his suit.
"We're you about to try and tell me what to do? Last time I checked I was the one running this show."
He let go and the man staggered back slightly. Hannibal looked back down the street to watch and make sure Tania was still there...still safe.
"I want you two to watch that woman. Make sure no one messes with her, got it?" He turned back to them and adjusted his suit jacket.
"Yes sir." They said in unison and headed down the direction she went.
What was this, and why was he suddenly so concerned with someone he barely knows? Someone he only ever saw in passing when going out on site or just to get a drink and seeing her briefly at the bar. Hannibal shoved a hand in his pocket before going back into the building, another guard on the inside locking it behind him. He headed into his office and pulled at one of the jars on the case, revealing another room that looked to be a living quarters.
"Who the hell are you…" he mumbled to himself, looking at what looked to be a photo taken of the woman by one of his men during an outing at the bar when she was coming out of her office. He thought he had seen her before somewhere aside from when she's at her little establishment.
He racked his brain for hours, going through the process of unwinding and getting ready for bed. He had picked up his glass of whiskey off the table when his phone rang. He scoffed and set the glass back down on the table and answered it.
"This better be fuckin good…"
"That woman you wanted us to watch? Name's Talia Draider. Parents were dual engineers on the Jaeger program before they got killed by a kaiju attack on their way home. She was adopted by friends of the family and continued the work until she was dismissed."
Hannibal sat on the edge of his bed as he listened. His brows furrowing.
"How the hell she end up in Hong Kong? And how the hell you find all this out in less than a few hours?"
The man half chuckled, he stood outside the apartment building he saw her go into and looked up at the window where she stood.
"She told us herself. Didn't have to dig."
"What do you mean she told you?! You let her see you?!"
"This one, sir, she's not stupid. She knew you sent us after her. She said she appreciates the concern, but if you wanted to talk to just...ask. Also, whoever her folks are now, made sure she didn't go without. Owns a bar in the slums yet has a nice place at the edge of the district."
He couldn't help but chuckle softly. It looks like he wasn't going to be so cagey with this one if he wanted her, which he did. He wanted her, but not like he wanted black market items from kaijus. Not for display in his shop, or as a 'trophy'. No, this one had meaning and he couldn't figure out why.
"She uh- she left her number too on a piece of paper. In case uh- in case you wanted it. This chick, she's different."
He wanted her safe at all costs, sending his men to watch over her walks at night or pop in at the bar to keep an eye on things. He wanted her close, with him at the shop or at the bar, in his arms, her company. He wanted to hear her opinions, her thoughts and about her past.
He shook his head as he hung up the phone, laying back in bed staring at the ceiling. He was brash and cold at times. Only looking into the business and not much else for the well-being or care for others. So, why is he all of a sudden concerned about a woman who is clearly out of his range of possible suitors. And he was too busy to even put that much effort into anything to do with it. Now he's caught some sort of interest or feelings for this woman and he's just as perplexed about it as his men at the sudden change. He eventually drifted off to sleep after almost an hour of pondering, eventually rising to the sun the next morning.
Talia had risen before the sun, racing around getting a shower and packing her messenger bag with everything she would need. She pulled the coat up over her shoulders as she heard a horn honk out on the street. Grabbing her bag, she headed down the stairs and put onto the street where the car waited. The driver held the door open for her with a small smile. She smiled back and quickly got in the car and they headed out.
She looked out the window at the passing people and cars. It wasn't long before they made it to the gates of the Shatterdome and the car came to a stop. The driver helped her out before getting her two bags out of the trunk. Tania looked around at the many military trucks and personnel running around, some staring and pointing at her in surprise. They would dash around to groups of people near them and talking, drawing attention towards her as she headed into the shatterdome.
Pentecost stood with two of his main technicians in the control room, going over schematics and regular calibration check ups on the Jaegers. One of his men came over and whispered in his ear, peaking his interest as he turned to see Talia. A grin spread across his face as he greeted her with a warm hug.
"You ready for this?" He asked softly as the technicians left to go about their usual business. Talia glanced around the room at all the equipment before out of the glass windows towards the main floor. Her eyes scanning each Jaeger, evaluating and taking in their upkeep and progression in development. She looked back up at him with a sly smirk.
"You didn't tell them, did you." she already knew that this wasn't brought up to the Kaidonovskys. Pentecost was a soft one for reunions, and it wasn't just the jaeger drivers that didn't exactly know just yet. Their maintenance crew knew beforehand so they could assist with keeping the secret until otherwise. A small yet mischievous smile spread across his lips, which in turn made her do the same.
"Not exactly, but it wouldn't hurt them to have a little bit of a surprise now would it?"
Talia shook her head and laughed before he led her out of the control room and down towards the main hanger. As they walked, he ordered one of his higher ranking officers to call everyone together for a brief announcement. Everyone started slowly coming together as they stopped what they were doing. Some of the Cherno crew wrapped around the back behind Pentecost, shielding Talia from any possible view of their drive team as they approached the front beside Striker's team.
"Everyone, I know you all have been concerned about the recent termination notice by the PPDC of the Jaeger program. It is with a heavy heart that this is true, and we have been given a last chance to defend ourselves here in Hong Kong, which will not go unnoticed or without valor. I have called each and every one of you here for your bravery and relentlessness towards this war. Striker Eureka, Crimson Typhoon, and Cherno Alpha."
Pentcost gestured towards each Jaeger and their set of drivers before looking around the room, his eyes falling on the drive teams, the Kaidonovskys last, He took a deep breath and smiled wide before going back to addressing the room.
"This is our last stand, so why not go out with full force. As stated, only the top candidates have been pulled for this final mission. With that being said, a Jaeger may only be as good as their pilots, but their roots stem from their creators. Each being individually crafted with care by only the top engineers, and I promised them both that their work will continue as long as this program stays active." Pentecost started to smile as he spoke, seeing the blonde pilots start to perk up the more they heard his words.
"Everyone, please welcome back combat engineer Talia Draider, daughter of the late Amaree and Nicholai Draider, and now Aleksis and Sasha Kaidonovsky."
Pentecost moved to the side of where he stood, the crew of Cherno following suit to reveal Talia standing in the middle of them. The last person barely got to move out of the way before Aleksis was already rushing over and picking her up in a tight hug. The echo of applause and cheering were drowned out at this point to the three of them as Sasha came up beside them with tears in her eyes as Aleksis set Talia back down on her feet and got a hug of her own.
The crowd dispersed after a few minutes, giving them more space as they talked quietly. Talia looked over at Pentecost with a wide smile on her face as he came over.
"I'll give you three some time to catch up. Just keep an eye and ear out in case. Welcome home, kid." He smiled back at her before leaving them be.
Talia watched him go before she was gently tugged by Sasha taking her hand and leading her off to a more quiet space. It was true, she was home again. Back with what she knew best, with the people who cared for her so much and gave her everything to live a good life. But she couldn't stop thinking about the night before, in the street where she saw him. It was like a magnet, drawing her in more and more and she couldn't understand any of it.
She wanted to know who he was, to know more about him. And why he had an interest in her...
