Analia moved stiffly as she stepped into the command center, each step sending a dull ache through her body. She tried to hide it, but the soreness was a constant reminder of how long it had been since she'd last piloted a Jaeger in real combat. Her muscles protested with every movement, and her back throbbed from where Gypsy Avenger had been thrown into the buildings. I'm getting too old for this, she thought with a wry smile, but she pushed the discomfort aside, forcing herself to focus on what was in front of her.
Jake was already there, pacing impatiently as the rest of the team assembled. Nate stood beside Gotlieb, who was hunched over the console, his fingers flying over the keys as he worked to decrypt whatever it was that Mako had sent them. The tension in the room was palpable, but all Analia could think about for a moment was the throbbing pain in her side and the stiffness in her limbs.
Raleigh was the last to enter, his eyes scanning the room before landing on Analia. He moved to her side, his hand resting gently on her lower back, just below the sorest part, the touch both comforting and supportive. He didn't say anything, but the gesture was enough to ease some of the tension coiled tight in her muscles. She leaned slightly into his touch, grateful for the quiet affection.
"You okay?" Raleigh asked in a low voice, his concern clear as he looked at her.
Analia gave him a small nod, though the tightness in her jaw betrayed the discomfort she was feeling. "I'll be fine," she whispered back, managing a smile. "Just a little sore. It's been months since I've been in the Conn-Pod."
Raleigh's thumb brushed gently along her back, a subtle reminder that he was there, watching out for her even when she didn't ask. "You did great out there."
Before she could respond, Jake's voice cut through the tension in the room. "What is it?" he asked, his gaze locked on the holographic display in front of Gotlieb.
Gotlieb adjusted his glasses, his voice rapid as he explained, "A message. From Mako."
At the mention of Mako, the air in the room seemed to thicken. Analia felt a pang of sorrow in her chest. Mako had been more than just a fellow Ranger—she had been a friend, a sister in arms. Analia could feel Raleigh's hand tighten slightly on her back, as if he could sense the weight of her thoughts.
"She was trying to send it from her copter right before it went down," Gotlieb continued, his eyes flicking between the data on the screen. "It's a data package. High density."
Analia stepped forward, despite the ache in her muscles, her brows knitting together in confusion. "Obsidian Fury was jamming comms. How could her signal get through?"
"It didn't," Raleigh answered, his voice steady but edged with frustration. "At least not intact."
Jake, still pacing, threw his hands up in frustration. "So it's gone?"
Gotlieb shook his head, his fingers never stopping as he typed away at the console. "Gone is relative in the digital realm. By... By running a modified fractal algorithm, I might be able to reconstruct a few megabytes." He pressed a few more keys, and then something flickered on the screen. "There."
The image on the display was faint at first, distorted with static. But then it sharpened, revealing something monstrous.
"Is that a Kaiju?" Jake asked, his eyes narrowing as he moved closer to the screen.
Gotlieb squinted, adjusting the image. "I'm checking against PPDC Kaiju archives. No match against the database."
Analia's heart raced as she stared at the image. What had Mako found? She could feel Raleigh's tension radiating through his hand as it rested on her back. This was important—Mako had risked everything to get this message out. Whatever it was, it had mattered to her.
"Keep looking," Raleigh ordered, his voice thick with determination. "Whatever this is, it was important to her. I want to know why. And I want to know who was piloting that rogue Jaeger."
Analia took a slow breath, the soreness in her body momentarily forgotten as she focused on the image on the screen. Mako had sent them this for a reason. They owed it to her to find out why.
As the others continued their work, Raleigh's hand remained on her back, grounding her. He didn't need to say anything—his presence, his quiet support, was enough to help her keep moving forward, despite the pain, despite the loss.
The sky was a muted gray, heavy clouds hanging low over the sea as the wind carried the scent of salt and rain through the air. Analia stood on the edge of the platform, her eyes fixed on the ocean beyond, the waves crashing softly against the shore below. Mako's funeral was set to be a quiet affair—dignified and respectful, just like Mako had been. There were no grand speeches planned, no long eulogies. Just those who had loved her, standing together, sharing the weight of her loss.
Analia swallowed hard, her throat tight with the effort of holding it together. She felt the dull ache of soreness in her body from the fight in Sydney, but it was nothing compared to the hollow feeling in her chest. How is she gone? The question had been running through her mind over and over again since the day Mako's helicopter went down. She couldn't make sense of it. Mako had always been there—strong, determined, a leader in every sense of the word. And now, there was just... silence where she had been.
The wind tugged at Analia's hair, pulling strands loose from her tight braid as she stood there, unmoving. She could hear the others gathering behind her—Jake, Raleigh, Nate, Gotlieb, and the rest of the crew. They were quiet, their voices hushed as they prepared for the ceremony. Analia closed her eyes for a moment, her hands gripping the railing in front of her. Hold it together. But it was hard, harder than she had imagined. Mako had been more than just a colleague, more than a fellow Ranger. She had been family.
"She would have hated all this," a voice said softly beside her. Analia turned her head slightly and found Raleigh standing next to her, his hands shoved into his pockets as he stared out at the ocean.
"Yeah," Analia said, her voice barely above a whisper. "She wasn't one for fanfare."
Raleigh gave a small nod, his gaze distant. "She just wanted to do her job. Save the world." He let out a soft, humorless laugh. "And she did. More times than we can count."
Analia looked down at her hands, the roughness of her palms, the small scars from years of fighting. She hadn't cried, not since it happened. She hadn't allowed herself to. But standing here now, on the edge of saying goodbye, she could feel the tears pressing against the back of her eyes.
"I still can't believe she's gone," Analia whispered, her voice tight. "It doesn't feel real."
Raleigh didn't say anything for a long moment. When he finally spoke, his voice was thick with emotion. "I know."
They stood in silence for a moment longer before the sound of footsteps behind them pulled Analia's attention. Jake had approached, his face pale, eyes red-rimmed from the grief he was barely keeping in check. He looked lost, standing there in his uniform, his shoulders slumped in a way that Analia had never seen before.
Without a word, Jake stepped up beside them, his gaze focused on the simple wooden casket at the center of the platform, draped with the PPDC flag. His jaw clenched, and Analia could see the way his hands tightened into fists at his sides, the battle he was fighting with himself.
"She saved my life," Jake said quietly, his voice rough. "Back when I didn't deserve it."
Analia nodded, her heart aching at the rawness in his voice. "She saw something in you," she said softly. "Something worth saving."
Jake didn't respond, but the way his shoulders trembled for a brief moment said more than words ever could.
The ceremony began not long after, with the quiet hum of a mournful tune filling the air as the casket was lowered. Analia stood beside Raleigh, feeling his hand slip into hers, his thumb brushing gently across her knuckles. It was a small gesture, but it grounded her, kept her from falling apart completely.
As the casket descended, Analia's mind drifted back to all the moments with Mako—training together, fighting side by side, the quiet conversations late at night when the weight of the world felt too heavy to carry alone. Mako had been a constant, an unwavering presence. And now, there was just... emptiness.
The final words were spoken, and the casket disappeared beneath the platform. Analia's chest tightened, her grip on Raleigh's hand tightening as well. The ceremony was over, but the grief lingered, raw and painful.
When the others began to disperse, Analia stayed behind, her eyes still on the ocean. She wasn't ready to leave yet. Not just yet.
"You okay?" Raleigh asked softly beside her, his hand still holding hers.
Analia shook her head, the tears finally slipping down her cheeks. "No," she admitted, her voice breaking. "Not really."
Raleigh didn't say anything. He just pulled her closer, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and holding her against him as the wind blew around them.
And for a moment, Analia let herself be held. Let herself feel the grief, the loss, the weight of it all. Because Mako was gone, and nothing would ever be the same.