Author's Notes: Thank you all so much for the feedback! Please keep it coming! This chapter references several pivotal events in Aurora Australis as well as my theory behind the backing for the Wall of Life in the movie. (Oh, and Raleigh's explanation of Captain America: The Winter Soldier is oversimplified for the listeners who aren't superhero movie fans.) It also references the ultimate fates of the Shatterdome commanders who are my original characters. See my Tumblr, 3Fluffies, under the "generation K" tag for little biographies of all of them and a timeline of pre-movie major events including every kaiju engagement (why yes, I am that big of a dork that I wrote it all out, how'd you notice?) The U.S. Representative to the PPDC in Pacific Rim is identified only as "L. Taylor," so I picked Lawrence (Larry).

Chapter Twelve: Stand For Us

Washington, D.C…

Both Sasha and her allies among the Americans warned Herc that the final day of testimony wouldn't be easy. This is the last chance for all of us to get our last word in, to control the narrative. Lunk made a fool of himself last night, so his allies need to make up ground fast. That means they'll come at us with everything they've got.

Both the warnings and Herc's own intuition were very, very right.

"Who vetted you as Marshal of the Hong Kong Shatterdome, Marshal Hansen?" Senator Block sneered at Herc.

Herc could almost feel the scowls of Sasha and Aleksis singeing their way past his head, and fought the temptation to throw an elbow. "Marshal Pentecost appointed me when he stepped down."

"How is that possible? You weren't ranking officer; both Rangers Kaidanovsky had higher seniority than you."

"Marshal Pentecost had discretion to choose."

"What military protocol for promotion was Marshal Pentecost following?"

"The PPDC's protocol for Shatterdome Command structure," Herc replied, and couldn't resist adding, "Which anyone who can read English should know was drafted to ensure a designated commanding officer had a designated successor at all times due to the extreme high risk to bases in combat zones. Marshal Pentecost discussed it with all the Rangers who weren't piloting the mission; the Kaidanovskys turned it down. So did Cheung and Jin Wei, since they hold comparable rank," he added. "They were severely injured, but they're recovering, and in command now." Wouldn't hurt to remind these suits that the Wei Tang Clan might be down, but they weren't out, and currently in command of the world's one and only remaining Jaeger.

Congresswoman Wyatt took the floor back, to Herc's intense relief. While her line of questions wasn't any easier to hear, she was at least sensitive about it. "I understand Marshal Pentecost's death is a difficult subject for everyone under his command, Marshal Hansen, but this panel does have some concerns. Why was it necessary for Marshal Pentecost to pilot this mission as your replacement - I understand you were injured and couldn't pilot Operation Pitfall. But wouldn't it have been a better transition for Marshal Pentecost to remain in command and control and have a different co-pilot in Striker Eureka?"

Yeah, Herc supposed these were fair questions, but how the hell was he supposed to explain this in a way that a bunch of suits who knew jack shit about drift compatibility could understand?

Suck it up, Hansen, that's why you're in charge. "Stacker Pentecost..." His voice broke, and he stopped and swallowed hard. Damn, sorry, Chuck. "Marshal Pentecost had been a drift instructor at the Jaeger Academy for years, in addition to being a combat Ranger and Shatterdome commander. We couldn't...couldn't just put anybody in the conn-pod and expect them to be able to drift, even with an experienced co-pilot like my s - like Chuck Hansen. Stack - Marshal Pentecost had known us both for decades, and how to control the drift even with someone he'd never partnered before. He wasn't only our best chance of keeping Striker Eureka in fighting form, he was probably our only chance, and he knew it." He cast a long glare down the panel, particularly at the ones who looked skeptical. "Stacker also knew what getting back in a Jaeger would cost him - his chances of survival of Operation Pitfall were zero. You get that? No...bloody...chance. But he knew he could drift with my son, he knew he could hold out long enough to get Striker and the bomb to the Breach, and he was right on every count!"

An eruption of noise interrupted Herc, and he blinked over his shoulder to see the packed chamber galleries a blur of motion - all the civilians who'd wrangled their way in to watch were on their feet, applauding and cheering.

Oh. Well, that's gratifying. When he turned around, it startled him still more to see almost half of the panel applauding, even several of them rising to their feet. That's more like it.

"Well done," Hermann whispered, and Newt clapped Herc on the back.

But Senator Block wasn't going to admit defeat. "You were very close to Marshal Pentecost, weren't you?" he asked as the noise died down.

This'll be interesting. "Of course. We knew each other before K-Day, trained together for the Mark-1 Jaegers, then I saw a lot of him as a commander," Herc replied. "So I had plenty of opportunity to see his judgment in action."

"Are you saying he was never wrong?"

Herc let himself roll his eyes. "No, I'm not saying that. I don't know a human being on this planet who never made a bad call - I think I've seen a few headlines questioning the judgments of your Congress now and again."

Okay, that was probably unnecessary, but the burst of laughter from all around the room and even the grins on some of the panelists' faces did a lot to improve Herc's move. Block, however, just scowled.

"Why did Marshal Pentecost resign from command of Anchorage Shatterdome after the Knifehead disaster?"

Shit. Herc had known it was coming, but his stomach still twisted. "Marshal Pentecost had taken command of the Anchorage Dome after Marshal Gagnon had a heart attack. They split their duties: Pentecost commanded the Shatterdome and deployments, and Gagnon handled the Jaeger Academy. By summer 2020, Marshal Gagnon had recovered and was able to resume full command of the Alaska protection zone."

He couldn't deny it having anything to do with Knifehead without lying outright - and the Jaeger Program's detractors knew it. Block leaned forward. "So to your knowledge, Marshal Hansen - and I remind you that you're under oath - did Marshal Pentecost's departure in 2020 and subsequent...looks like, six months without a reassignment...have anything to do with the deployment of Gipsy Danger against the kaiju Knifehead where Yancy Becket was killed?"

...Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. Please don't let Raleigh be watching this. Seconds ticked by as Herc struggled to put words together that were both true and non-inflammatory. "Officially, no. But Marshal Pentecost confided to me that he suspected his actions to protect Raleigh Becket afterwards had something to do with it."

Even as Block and his allies had tried to tarnish Stacker's memory, some of the committee had looked bored, sifting through papers or looking at their phones. Some of the media reps had been letting their cameras do the work and not really listening.

Now Herc had the undivided attention of every politician and reporter in the room.

"What exactly did Marshal Pentecost tell you? What did he do to 'protect' Raleigh Becket that Secretary General Krieger and the PPDC delegates would deem punishable?" Block pressed.

To Herc's relief, Congresswoman Wyatt intervened. "Statements made confidentially between military officers shouldn't be casually made public."

"Why not? There's no legal privilege," said one of Block's allies. "Not unless Marshal Hansen is claiming he was Pentecost's priest."

Herc fought not to react to the snide laughter that rippled among the detractors. Fortunately, there were a few familiar faces among the military witnesses, and one of them, former Marshal Ana Ramirez, spoke up. "There are other privilege and confidentiality provisions at work for disclosure of military information, Senator, and the Jaeger Program delegates don't have counsel of their own."

Congresswoman Wyatt frowned as if just now noticing that. "Marshal Hansen, where is the Jaeger Program's attorney?"

"We don't have one," Herc replied, trying not to sound sarcastic. "No budget for one - all the funds we did have went into trying to prevent the apocalypse." That got him another round of applause.

Block called on Secretary General Krieger. "Is there any reason Marshal Hansen can't testify as to what Marshal Pentecost told him about the Knifehead incident?"

Krieger, of course, had a lawyer to whisper in his ear. At least he had the grace to look uncomfortable - nah, whatever Krieger's uncomfortable about, grace has nothing to do with it, shameless bastard. "Er, no, Senator. Since the investigation is closed, none of that information is classified."

Block smirked. "Then, returning to subject, Marshal Hansen, what did Marshal Pentecost tell you about why he was removed as commanding officer of Anchorage Shatterdome?"

Through gritted teeth, Herc said, "Pentecost wasn't 'removed.' He resigned by agreement with Marshal Gagnon. He suspected his superiors - " now he allowed himself a snide look at Krieger and Representative Taylor, " - made funding decisions in retaliation against him. He thought it would be better for the Jaeger Program and everyone under its protection if he stepped away."

A murmur rippled through the room, and Krieger and Taylor both went pale, as did several of the other PPDC reps in attendance. So, they knew exactly where this was going.

But every bloody one of the PPDC brass had a lawyer of their own, and every bloody one of them jumped up and objected at almost the exact same second...but if that doesn't lend a little credence to Stacker's theory, what else does? Herc thought. While he stepped back from the microphone to let the lawyers and the committee argue, he saw every one of his fellow delegates giving him intense looks.

"What?"

"Be careful," Hermann whispered. "I'm all for implicating those louts, but doing so may mean exposing far more of Raleigh's suffering than anyone has a right to know."

Sasha shook her head. "The time has come to expose their machinations. Millions of lives were lost because so much funding was diverted in 2020, and those decisions stemmed directly from Stacker's refusal to allow Raleigh to be used as a propaganda toy, and his obstruction of their efforts to do the same with Chuck when he was still a child. They should answer for it. The boys will understand. Raleigh's already making efforts in Hong Kong to clear Stacker's name."

"Mm?" Herc blinked. Chuck hadn't mentioned that, though he'd told Herc vaguely about a late-night meltdown in the Kwoon that'd led to Mako and Raleigh's decision to drift again.

"Don't you remember the efforts we all went to after Christmas 2020, to reinstill faith in Stacker so he could take command after Vincent Gagnon was forced to retire? That loss of faith was caused by the Corps' assumption - as Stacker intended - that Stacker had dismissed Raleigh for insubordination and abandoned him. You and I know that isn't what happened, and Raleigh is now correcting his friends' beliefs on that score."

Herc was stunned, completely deaf to the politicians' debating behind him. He'd never forgotten Stacker's confession after Raleigh was dismissed, and he'd cautiously helped push the Hassans into supporting Stacker's reinstatement as Anchorage commander months later. "I know...there were parts Raleigh didn't know. Stacker had someone looking after him; he never said who."

"Chuck told Raleigh. Stacker's intentions were pure, but he did deceive Raleigh too as to his reasons, so Raleigh wouldn't realize Stacker was taking all the blame and recriminations onto himself, including the retaliation of those cowards there," Sasha said, smirking as the brass sweated while their lawyers tried to prevent further testimony. "Until Raleigh's departure, Striker Eureka would have been the first of more than one Mark-5, and Stacker would never have had to resort to black market deals to repair Diablo Intercept, Silver Lion, and Horizon Brave. Many battles after Knifehead would have ended differently, especially in the last two years, if they'd continued to fund us rather than drain our funding away."

Herc hesitated. None of this was really news...but hearing it put in those simple, blunt terms by Sasha made him want to say to hell with it and roar out everything he knew in front of this committee, point at those conniving, corrupt bastards in front of the reporters and let the wrath of the entire world come down on them...but what would come down on Raleigh along with it? He could implicate Blake Ketteridge at last, about what the bastard had done to get Chuck into the conn-pod...but what would Chuck feel about being treated as a victim now?

Or would Chuck think it was worth it to bring justice for Devi and Susanti for what Ketteridge had done to them? Would Raleigh think it was worth it to vindicate Stacker's memory and expose the bastards who'd tried to exploit him at his darkest hour?

No way to know...unless I ask them.

When the panel called for a break to mull over all the brass's objections, Herc made up his mind...partly. He dodged reporters and Krieger and Taylor (no doubt they were desperate to try to persuade Herc to drop the subject), along with the Kaidanovskys, the Gottliebs, and Newt until they were back in their private conference room. And he vidcommed Hong Kong.

"I need Raleigh and Chuck - actually, get me all the Rangers. We need to talk now."

Tendo didn't ask questions, and in a matter of minutes, Raleigh and Mako, Chuck, Cheung, and Jin were assembled alone in a room. "What're you gonna tell them?" Chuck asked. Undoubtedly they'd been watching.

"That's what I have to decide. The brass are shitting their pants because Stacker knew they cut funding in 2020 at least in part to retaliate for him getting you out of their reach," Herc told Raleigh. "They also know I've been holding my peace for five and a half years about what they did to get my sixteen-year-old into a conn-pod."

"This is not only about you," Sasha put in. "Krieger, his supporters, and your government have a cause in common: to keep control of this Program. They know it means they must take control from Herc and us, the surviving pilots. To do that, they must discredit us as well as Stacker Pentecost's memory. They've already tried, and they will continue as long as they have any credibility themselves. We know enough to end that game."

The Weis looked at each other. "You could tell them what was done to Shaolin Rogue, when Fei-Yen became pregnant. It would damage the faction here in China who see us as only propaganda props."

Mako opened her mouth, then shut it again, shooting an anxious look at Raleigh - who wasn't looking at the vidcomm. Herc sighed and confessed, "Raleigh...there's more about what happened after Knifehead that you never knew. Stacker went to huge lengths to keep the brass's claws off you, but yeah, it'll mean talking about the condition you were in."

For a few moments, Raleigh didn't answer, and when he finally spoke, he didn't look up. "I...in a way, I didn't leave Marshal Pentecost any choice. I know he blackmailed the brass, but he may've had to do that, 'cause I blackmailed him." With a deep breath, he explained, "I threatened - not outright, not really, but I hinted...if they tried to send me on a tour like Duc Jessop, I'd kill myself first. He offered to dismiss me like I wanted as a bargaining chip, so I'd promise not to." Now Mako looked away, but Herc could tell she was holding Raleigh's hand.

Sasha turned the pressure on Chuck. "Remember another bargaining chip your father's superiors used - not merely you, but Scott. They would not agree to prosecute him for a life sentence unless Herc agreed to your application."

"I remember," Chuck murmured. He wasn't looking up either, but he looked far less distressed than Raleigh, more...thoughtful. Like Stacker Pentecost when he was pondering a set of unpleasant choices, trying to figure out which would do the least damage. But the moment passed, and when Chuck sharply looked up and met Herc's eyes, he was all himself, angry and frustrated. "I remember when that Morton bitch and her cronies turned up the heat, Ketteridge threw you under the bus, said it was your idea for me to go to Academy at sixteen, when he'd been the one leading me on through the whole bloody application." His fellow Rangers looked startled. Yeah, apart from Sasha and Aleksis's uncanny ability to find out everything, most of the other pilots would've had no idea what manipulations had gone into getting Chuck into the Academy - except Devi, Susanti, and Stacker. "Do it," Chuck concluded. "Tell them everything."

Raleigh slowly nodded. "There's...not a lot that can really hurt me now. I can't pilot again. Everyone knew I was fucked in the head from...Yancy dying in the drift, nobody whose opinion matters'll be that surprised to find out anything I said or did. If they...well, better they know what I'm responsible for instead of blaming Marshal Pentecost."

"You and Marshal Pentecost were left with no good options," Mako countered. "If Secretary General Krieger and the UN representatives had truly cared for you or any other pilot's welfare, it would never have come to that. They should be held accountable. They cut funding for the Shatterdomes, the Jaegers, the pilots, and the crews, but paid their own salaries to the very end - they are still paying their own salaries from the PPDC budget," she added, scowling. "Every one of them bought property in the central United States mountains and Asia while Rangers were dying, and the poor living in coastal regions had no chance of affording inland homes anywhere. Sensei told me," she explained, seeing the others' curious (but unsurprised) looks. "When Tamsin was still alive, sometimes he ranted." She smiled sadly.

Herc looked around at his companions, then back at his pilots on the vidcomm. "Are we agreed, then? Time for the great reckoning?" All of them nodded. "Right." Except... "Now someone who knows a bloody thing about politics tell me what I do next."

Well, at least it lightened the mood; every one of them broke up laughing. "Leave this to me, Herc," said Sasha, and swaggered out the door with Aleksis at her heels.

Raleigh elbowed Mako. "Called it!"

Cheung and Jin exchanged bloodthirsty smiles. "All this time, they've paid nothing for abandoning us all to die. Make them regret it now."

"And make Jerry bloody Lunk regret getting his picture taken with them last night," Chuck added.

A few minutes later, Sasha and Aleksis returned - with former Marshal Ana Ramirez in tow. "We've spoken with an aide to Congresswoman Wyatt and one of the Senators friendly to us," Sasha announced. "We've told them there are many things we wish to tell this committee about the last years of the Jaeger Program, and they should reconvene as soon as possible."

Ramirez was staring at the vidcomm - at Raleigh. Oh. Oops. Gipsy Danger had been stationed in Los Angeles for a long time. Even the personnel stationed there who weren't part of Team Gipsy had been devastated after Knifehead. Ramirez had always shown herself to be one of the C.O.'s who'd put her Rangers and crew first; Herc had seen that when he'd deployed from L.A., and Stacker had trusted her.

Raleigh said hesitantly, "Hi, Marshal."

It was a few seconds before she could find her voice, then she answered roughly, "Not Marshal anymore, Ranger Becket. But my God, you are a sight for sore eyes."

"Good to see you too."

She took her eyes off him with an effort and turned to Herc and the Kaidanovskys. "So? What's in the works that I can help with? Raining hell down on Dustin Krieger and Larry Taylor, I hope."

"I knew there was a reason I liked you," said Chuck.

The others laughed, and Raleigh said, "Hey, you guys all seen The Winter Soldier?" Most nodded, but at the few blank looks (Hermann and Mako), he clarified. "Second Captain America movie, 2014. The Department of Defense was infiltrated by Nazis all the way to the top, so Cap and his team expose everything online, from top to bottom. Every decision, every secret gets revealed. It has to be rebuilt from the ground up."

"And it's the Russian who does it," Jin Wei put in, and they all laughed harder. Sasha was downright smug.

"I'm flattered. And the Hollywood precedent is sound." She smirked at Ramirez. "I take it you are in?"

"Ohhh, yes."

"Let's do this," said Herc.

He'd never imagined being this excited about walking back into that suit and reporter-filled committee room. It's time, you corrupt bastards. Maybe the mistake we all made was being silent too long.

Hong Kong Shatterdome…

"Which commanding officers are even left?" Raleigh asked the others after the call.

They all started counting on their fingers. "General Liang died in May," said Mako. "He was commander of Hong Kong until we consolidated here in December last year."

The Weis exchanged a look. "He was a good commander…in many ways. Most of the time. Some of his choices, we found very wrong, like allowing the propagandists to make a fetish object of Fei-Yen Wang. But he did defend the Jaeger Program against the supporters of the Wall."

"Admiral Yamamoto died right before Pitfall, after Tokyo Dome closed, but Colonel Okita's still alive and kicking – and heading up the reinstated Japanese Jaeger Program," said Chuck. "Ketteridge is still around, but that bastard deserves to rot with the rest of the brass. He's gonna be one of the ones my dad has things to say about."

Something in his eyes made Raleigh ponder all he'd heard. The stuff about Chuck's unorthodox entry into the program and Ketteridge's manipulation of Herc about Scott was not big surprise, but…all that sex discrimination stuff…the only female pilots ever assigned to Sydney were Devi and Susanti Hassan. What the hell had that son of a bitch done to them?

Still, this wasn't the time. They were looking for allies, and it sounded like Ketteridge would get his. "We know we've got Ramirez. She was great."

"Yeah, but the US tossed her and put a Wall-humper in charge of Los Angeles Shatterdome after Yankee Star went down," said Chuck. "That's when Dad knew the screws were turning for good, and we couldn't count on American help. He was surprised we got to keep Gipsy."

"Marshal Quijano from Panama City was always with us," Mako mused. "They forced her into retirement after she denounced Panama's de-funding of the Jaeger Program in favor of the Wall. I don't know where she is now, only that she retired to the U.S. I went to school there with her grandchildren. I'll try to contact them."

"Sasha and Aleksis will call Colonel Rabinov if they aren't already," said Cheung.

"Gabe Morais was C.O. of Lima after Pentecost went back to Anchorage," Raleigh recalled. "Yance and I only worked with him when he was head of the Southern Hemisphere J-Tech, but the guys stationed in Lima after us said he was good."

Chuck sighed. "I think he's still alive, but he got radiation poisoning after Horizon Brave went down in Lima – damn near everyone at that Dome did. So I dunno what kind of health he's in now."

"Still, that is at least four former Shatterdome commanders who can speak for us along with your father," said Cheung, as Jinn tapped away on his phone. "Sasha probably knows, but we're reminding her."

Mako let out a genuine snort of laughter from something on her phone. At Raleigh's startled look, she handed her phone over; it was a text from Herc: Krieger and Taylor are knocking on the door wanting to talk. Sasha just told them to fuck off.

"HA! What I wouldn't give to be a fly on the wall in the brass's offices right about now," Raleigh crowed. "Retribution's coming, and those fuckers know it!"

Chuck grinned nastily at his phone. "Ramirez already has Quijano and Okita in touch; Sasha's on the phone with Colonel Rabinov They've all got documents they're gonna release – today. And they're all gonna go straight out and start giving interviews. Hey, Mako, guess who Sasha just tapped for Herc's up-close-and-personal interview?" At her curious expression, he said, "A…Matthew Davis, Harvard undergraduate? Ring a bell?"

Mako actually squealed. "Ex-boyfriend?" Raleigh teased.

"Actually, yes," Mako replied smugly. "But more important, there is no writer more friendly to us – given that his mother is Tanisha Davis."

Raleigh rocked back in surprise. "Seriously? That's Tanisha's kid – wait, you dated Tanisha's son?!"

She poked him. "We were only a year apart. He came to my school after the press began hounding him at his grandmother's home in Los Angeles. We went to prom together."

What a mental image. "How did Marshal Pentecost and Tanisha react to that?" demanded Cheung.

Mako blushed and shrugged, but Chuck knew the answer: "I think they made a deal: he wouldn't threaten Matthew if she didn't threaten Mako." All of them burst into laughter. "Don't be too smug, Becket. Another name on the 'friendly reporter' list is that Jaeger Fly you and your brother brawled over in 2016 – Naomi Sokolov."

It probably wouldn't have hurt at all if Raleigh didn't ache for Yancy again, but he smiled. "Yeah, I've been seeing her name on a lot of the pro-Ranger press since Pitfall. Tendo said she interviewed him and Marshal Pentecost and wrote a really strong piece in favor of us back when they were closing down the Domes and Pitfall was still top secret."

As if on cue, Tendo pounded on the door. "Guys! The session's re-starting in ten minutes! Get this – Krieger and the brass and all the Wall-humpers tried to adjourn, but they lost the vote! A bunch of the 'neutral' committee members voted with our supporters – they're going until the end of the day!"

Rangers and crew streamed back into the mess hall and officers' lounge. "What the hell do your old man and Sasha have in the works?!" Kyrra Taior demanded of Chuck.

Chuck winked at Jake Pentecost, who was re-claiming his usual spot at Mako's left side. "They've had enough being on the defensive, for Marshal Pentecost and all of us. Time for Secretary General Krieger and the rest of the PPDC brass who sold us out to answer for it."

To Be Continued...

Coming Soon: Retribution rains down on the PPDC brass and politicians who sold out the Jaeger Program during the war! The world learns the truth behind the decline and fall of the Jaeger Program, and many fallen and still-living heroes finally see justice done in Chapter Thirteen: Character Evidence!

PLEASE don't forget to review!

Original Character Guide

President Jerald "Jerry" Lunk: President of the United States. Billionaire hotel mogul who ran on a campaign of "make America safe again" in 2024, proponent of the Wall, now arguing over who has the strongest Jaegers. Likes to use Twitter. No, he's not based on anyone in the real world. Seriously. No, really.

Senator Gill Block: United States Senator from the plains states, was pro-Wall and backed by inland real estate owners, now part of the joint committee investigating the Jaeger Program and debating America's future with it.

Congresswoman Andrea Wyatt: United States Representative from the Pacific Northwest states, pro-Jaeger Program throughout her career, now part of the joint committee.

Marshal Ana Ramirez: former Commanding Officer of Los Angeles Shatterdome, 50ish, Mexican-American, US Army officer. She was in command when Gipsy Danger and Yankee Star defeated Yamarashi in 2017 and several of Gipsy's other engagements, and got to know the Beckets very well. She was also commander when Striker Eureka and Coyote Tango defeated Ceramander in 2021, but after Yankee Star was destroyed in 2024, she was removed and replaced by an unsympathetic, anti-Jaeger Program general who closed the Los Angeles Shatterdome soon after.

Marshal Blake Ketteridge: former Commanding Officer of Sydney Shatterdome, mid-60s, former Air Vice Marshal of the Royal Australian Air Force. Lost his daughter and grandchildren in the nuclear bombing of Scissure, but also misogynistic and bigoted, was investigated for biased treatment of female Rangers and turned a blind eye to Scott Hansen's sexual misconduct until it was too late.

Marshal Vincent Gagnon: late Commanding Officer of Anchorage Shatterdome, Canadian, replaced Marshal Pentecost in 2017 but then jointly commanded Anchorage with Pentecost in 2020 after suffering a heart attack. Was forced to retire in late 2020 after suffering a second heart attack and Marshal Pentecost replaced him with the support of the majority (but not all) of the Rangers. Passed away before the end of the war, but his family's retreat in Whistler, Canada was a secret refuge for Duc Jessop until his death and several other retired Rangers hiding from media harassment even after his death.

Admiral Daichi Yamamoto: late Commanding Officer of Tokyo Shatterdome, mid-60s, devoted to his pilots and crew throughout the war. Lost his son, a strike trooper, in an accident that destroyed Chinese Jaeger Silver Lion during deployment against Raythe in 2018, but the PPDC declared the Jaeger and crew destroyed in combat. He died mysteriously immediately after the destruction of Japan's last Jaeger, Echo Saber, and the closing of Tokyo Shatterdome.

Colonel Sanae Okita: former Commanding Officer of Nagasaki Shatterdome, second-youngest commander after Stacker Pentecost, removed when Nagasaki Dome closed but remained a vocal advocate for the Rangers, now spearheads the post-War Japanese Jaeger Program.

Colonel Pavel Rabinov: former Commanding Officer of Vladivostok Shatterdome, early 60s, formerly part of Russia's elite Strategic Missile Troops. Unconfirmed rumors are the Aleksandra Rabinova (later Kaidanovsky) is his relative, perhaps even his daughter. Helped obtain the bomb and naval support for Operation Pitfall.

Marshal Columbina Quijano: former Commanding Officer of Panama City Shatterdome, former officer of Panamanian Public Forces whose daughter and grandchildren moved to the US while she spearheaded Panama's defense of the canal. Her grandchildren attended Nittany Valley Preparatory Academy in Pennsylvania along with the children and grandchildren of other PPDC officers - including Mako Mori.

General He Liang: late Commanding Officer of Hong Kong Shatterdome, asked Stacker Pentecost to take over in late 2024 as the Jaeger Program consolidated in Hong Kong so he could retire to join his family in the US due to illness. His granddaughter, Liling Gáo, also attended Nittany Valley Prep and was Mako's roommate and best friend.

Marshal Gabriel (Gabe) Morais: former Commanding Officer of Lima Shatterdome, successor to Stacker Pentecost through the end of the war. Brazilian J-Tech engineer and head of the South American Jaeger Assembly Facility until taking command of Lima Dome in 2018. Suffered radiation poisoning from Horizon Brave's meltdown in Lima in late June 2025.

Devi and Susanti Hassan: late Rangers of Vulcan Specter, Australia's Mark-3, first generation daughters of Indonesian Muslim immigrants, they were not who Marshal Ketteridge had in mind, and he never got past his sexism or bigotry despite their unmatched record. Graduated Jaeger Academy Class 2016-B along with the Beckets, they were very close until Yancy's death, but also very close to Chuck and Herc during his childhood and after he became a pilot. Killed in action when Vulcan suffered a meltdown after fighting Rakshasa in late 2024, they chose to walk Vulcan off the continental shelf and self-destruct, knowing they'd already sustained fatal radiation exposure and to prevent contamination of the coastline. They held a record 9 kills, surpassed only by Striker right before Operation Pitfall.

Fei-Yen Wang: late Ranger of China's Shaolin Rogue, the beautiful Chinese woman seen briefly during Pacific Rim's opening montage, she was used as a propaganda figure by Chinese PPDC authorities throughout her life, required to keep her relationship with her rather plain co-pilot, Huan Che, secret. Her treatment was deeply resented by her fellow pilots, who rallied behind her when she became unexpectedly pregnant in 2020, though she returned to active duty after suffering a miscarriage, but also defied her superiors by announcing she and Huan had married. Killed in action when Shaolin Rogue was destroyed in June 2025, devastating the Wei triplets, who she and her husband were very close to.

Tanisha Davis: Ranger of Yankee Star, America's Mark-2, former U.S. Marine under the command of Bruce Gage who matriculated along with him to the Jaeger Program. Outstanding record with her co-pilot, Caleb Mitchell, and successfully defended her hometown of Los Angeles three times. Yankee was destroyed in summer 2024 after Caleb suffered a seizure caused by cancer. Both were diagnosed, but while Caleb died in early 2025, Tanisha lives in his former hometown in Oklahoma with his family and her mother. Her son, Matthew, lived with her mother in Los Angeles until media harassment forced her to enroll him in the higher-security Nittany Valley Preparatory Academy, where he meant (and briefly dated) Mako. Matthew chose not to attend the Jaeger Academy but was admitted to Harvard and pursued his passions of art and writing in vocal support of the Jaeger Program.