Since the first Kaiju invasion, the massive bones left scattered across the land had become grim, unofficial landmarks. While the toxic blood was purified and the flesh cleared, the remaining skeletons attracted displaced people, forming new settlements.
In San Francisco, USA, near the skeleton of the Kaiju codenamed Trespasser, residual radiation from the nuclear blast still lingered. However, homeless refugees, with nowhere else to go, gathered here, creating a chaotic marketplace of ruins and scrap metal.
Beneath this sprawling, makeshift settlement lay a hidden base.
"Pentecost's forces have begun their operation."
"What do you think their chances of success are?"
In a tech room filled with monitors, the image of the UN American representative appeared on a screen, addressing the man inside.
"Zero," replied Zachary Lehmann, his brown hair immaculately groomed.
He sat in his chair, holding a translucent tablet, calibrating the system for his Jaeger drones.
"Destroying the Breach is no easy task. They have too few Jaegers, and Stacker Pentecost refuses my assistance. The plan is doomed to fail."
"Their operation is simply a waste of existing resources."
When Leatherback attacked Sitka, Lehmann realized a Traveler was among the Precursors. This confirmed that Marshal Pentecost's plan was compromised; the Precursors would certainly know about the Breach bombing operation.
"But don't worry, Mr. Taylor."
Lehmann set down the tablet and looked at the screen, speaking with confidence.
"The Hunter Program's biggest flaw is the reliance on pilots. Training an excellent pilot is harder than building ten Jaegers. This fundamentally limits our power."
"Unmanned Jaegers, which require no internal pilots, have no such weakness. They can be mass-produced, rapidly boosting our overall strength."
"I have completed the first batch of mass-produced drones. With your continued funding, the factory has expanded. More Jaegers are under construction. Global deployment of unmanned Jaegers can be completed in less than a month."
Hunter Jaegers were too costly and required two exceptional pilots to function. With Kaiju growing stronger daily, Marshal Pentecost's forces were a money pit—constantly losing Jaegers and pilots. The UN had lost faith in his approach.
Lehmann's proposal, which eliminated human casualties, was far more appealing.
The UN backed Lehmann precisely for this reason.
"We will increase the funding. We must complete the defensive deployment as quickly as possible," Taylor said after a moment of consideration.
When the giant of light first appeared in Sitka, Leatherback's EMP attack prevented any footage from being recorded. Only a few workers witnessed it, and Marshal Pentecost had kept Natsuki's existence classified to prevent further complications.
Thus, the UN assumed the Marshal's forces would fail. They saw no need to invest in a doomed plan and preferred to allocate funds to a more reliable alternative.
"I appreciate your generosity," Lehmann said, his lips curving into a smile at the promise of increased funding.
He picked up a glass of red wine from the table, raising it toward Taylor.
"To humanity's future."
"To... humanity's future," Taylor echoed firmly.
Meanwhile, at the Shatterdome base command center.
"Mr. Natsuki has reached the battlefield."
"Crimson Typhoon is safe," Tendo Choi said, sighing in relief as he watched the holographic screen.
Marshal Pentecost also relaxed slightly.
Misjudging the enemy Kaiju's strength was his failure. He hadn't expected Tailspitter to counter Crimson Typhoon so perfectly. Honestly, that Kaiju's performance was closer to a Category V than a Category IV.
"Looks like this battle won't take long to finish." Raleigh, ordered to stand by, crossed his arms. He smiled, having witnessed Natsuki's fighting style before. Calling it a 'crushing victory' was an understatement.
Though he couldn't fight, hearing his alien friend dominate the battlefield made him happy.
"After Shaolin Rogue killed Tailspitter, it rescued Cherno Alpha and is preparing to engage Leatherback and Otachi..." Tendo relayed the updates.
Suddenly, he spotted an anomalous signal on the radar.
"Wait... something is approaching the base!"
Everyone in the command center turned toward him.
Tendo immediately pulled up the detailed information.
"This is... a Kaiju!?" Tendo's eyes widened at the scan results. "The Breach shows no activity—why is there suddenly another Kaiju!?"
"What?" Marshal Pentecost and Raleigh both rushed over, looking at the massive silhouette on the infrared image.
"This movement pattern..." Tendo's fingers flew across the keyboard. "This Kaiju didn't come from the Breach. Strange, why is that?"
Where had this Kaiju come from?
"That shape..." Raleigh stared at the infrared image. It looked familiar. A memory flashed through his mind.
"It's Knifehead!" He recognized the Kaiju, which was extremely similar to the one he had killed five years ago.
"Knifehead?" Marshal Pentecost frowned. "It was killed five years ago. The body sank into the Gulf of Alaska. We confirmed it."
Raleigh frowned as well.
Tendo thought for a moment. "It might be a similar species, like the second Leatherback that appeared today."
"Its appearance raises countless questions," Tendo continued. "But what we know for certain is that it is heading directly toward this base. It will arrive soon."
The Kaiju's sudden appearance demanded an immediate decision.
"We will deploy immediately," Herc Hansen said, approaching the Marshal with his son, Chuck.
The base could not be destroyed. As a fifth-generation Jaeger, Striker Eureka was fully capable of solo-killing a Kaiju.
"No. The nuke needs ten more minutes to finish installation," Marshal Pentecost denied the deployment request.
The moment he said that, Chuck stepped forward.
"If you won't let us go, are we supposed to wait for the Kaiju to tear this place apart?" he challenged the Marshal.
"Or... are you planning to let these two failures feed the Kaiju's belly?"
He noticed the Marshal glancing at Raleigh. The thought of the two pilots who had nearly destroyed the base made him furious. Why was the Marshal still trusting them?
"Do not question my decisions," Marshal Pentecost said, his voice cold. His commanding presence forced Chuck to swallow his remaining words.
He turned to face Raleigh and Mako Mori.
"Before Mr. Natsuki departed, he left me with a message."
"He said that warriors who haven't lost their inner conviction always deserve trust. And he heard your convictions loud and clear."
"So I am giving you both one more chance. One final chance."
Marshal Pentecost issued his order formally: "The situation is urgent. You two will immediately deploy in Gipsy Danger and eliminate the Kaiju attacking this base."
Raleigh and Mako's eyes lit up instantly.
"Yes, sir!" they answered in unison.
"I'll prove he was right!" Raleigh said, his voice resolute.
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