ℙ𝕒𝕔𝕚𝕗𝕚𝕔 ℝ𝕚𝕞 : 𝔼𝕧𝕖𝕟𝕥 ℍ𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕫𝕠𝕟 • 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐨 & 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐧𝐞

ᴘʀᴇsᴇɴᴛ ᴅᴀʏ - 9 ᴅᴇᴄᴇᴍʙᴇʀ 2034 - 1.37ᴀᴍ
~𝐿𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝐶𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝐶𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑒, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑃𝐷𝐶 𝑁𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑖 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑚, 𝑁𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑖, 𝐽𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛.

Mako stared blankly at the holographic scene as the Category IV Acidquill is shredded to pieces by the Obsidian Fury's dual plasm chainsaws. It was the swift defeat of the Kaiju that brought another casualty free victory for humanity along the coast of Otaru, but another humanity for the Marshall.

"Saber Athena," her voice echoed to the pilots through the speakers in the Conn-Pod, "It's time to come home."

Marshall Mako Mori closed her eyes and crossed her arms, unwilling to spare any time to listen to the Rangers whine over how they rushed to the scene, only to be hung, dry and out staged once again by Shao Industries' unmanned Jäger.

There was no more denying it. For the past year, the Pan Pacific Defense Force was being outperformed by the Chinese company all around the globe. The Obsidian Fury was faster and more resilient than any of the Mark-6s they've built so far. The state-of-the-art weaponry is a struggle to compete with, effective enough to easily take down a Category IV in one strike. Not to mention how much safer it was to use a Jäger that didn't need pilots. No room for error. It was simply perfection. They were not.

"Marshall's orders boy! Bring her in!" Hercules Hansen barked, prompting groans and an unwillingly 'Yes Sir!' sound from the Conn-Pod.

The gray-haired man puffed up his chest and let out a chortle. At least the Sydney Marshall could find a laugh out of the situation.

"Hey!" He shuffles over to the deflated woman and places a hand on her slim shoulder. "Don't be in a funk about it. Happens in my yard too these days."

His strong accent rang loudly in her ears.

"In many ways, we should be glad that it went well Cadet."

Mako shrugs off his hand and puts on a gummy smile.

"I was certain we've grown past the age of name calling, Herc," the woman said.

"Well, it's hard to say that you've grown up when you don't look a day over 23 kiddo."

"Being 31 is a luxury," she retorted. "Being 54 must be a bore."

The older man nods in defeat, rubbing his beard hair, as Mako walks over to her Jäger Technical Chief, Tendo Choi.

"Keep an eye on the water for me."

"You mean like I always do?" Tendo's vibrance airs as he swings around in his rotating chair.

"You still got it," she sang as she walked to the elevator with Marshall Herc following behind her.

"I'm glad I know how to dye my hair," his words earned him a scoff from Herc as the elevator doors closed.

Tendo hugs his arm rests and turns his attention to the reflection of shiny, slicked back black hair on the display.

Maybe 40 sounds better than 42.

5 ᴍɪɴᴜᴛᴇs ʟᴀᴛᴇʀ
~𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑠ℎ𝑎𝑙𝑙'𝑠 𝑂𝑓𝑓𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑃𝑃𝐷𝐶 𝑁𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑖 𝑆ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑑𝑜𝑟𝑚, 𝑁𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑠𝑎𝑘𝑖, 𝐽𝑎𝑝𝑎𝑛.

Mako sinks back into her chair as Herc ignores the guest chair in favor of lifting his leg onto the corner of her mahogany table.

"I know you didn't call me away from Sunnyside Sydney to talk about the weather in good old' Nagasaki," he breathed. "I'm all ears."