Pacific Rim: Legacy

Chapter 16 - Analia

Analia stood at the center of the room, her gaze locked on the massive holograms towering over them. The images of Hakuja, Shrikethorn, and the hulking Raijin flickered in ghostly blue, casting an eerie glow across the presentation room. Each Kaiju was grotesque, nightmarish in design—towering, monstrous figures of muscle and alien rage, their details so vivid that it was hard to believe they weren't standing right there. The low hum of the hologram projectors filled the air, but it couldn't drown out the palpable tension.

The room was dim, illuminated only by the light of the projection and the soft glow of monitors lining the walls. Outside, the shattered remnants of the base were still smoldering, the devastation left by the rogue Jaeger attack fresh in Analia's mind. The destruction was staggering—Jaegers were torn apart, equipment smashed beyond recognition, and everywhere she looked, she saw the scars of battle. And now, they were faced with something even worse.

Her pulse quickened as she glanced around the room. Nate, Jake, Shao, and Raleigh were all gathered around the map, their faces hard with grim concentration. Everyone knew what these three Kaiju meant—another catastrophe on the horizon. The weight of it all bore down on her shoulders, heavier than the smoke that still hung in the air.

Nate leaned in, studying the shifting lines on the map with narrowed eyes. "Well, the spiky guy and the big idiot are moving away from the cities and toward the ocean. What does that mean?"

Analia turned her attention to the map, her sharp eyes following the Kaiju's movements. She could feel the exhaustion creeping in—her muscles ached from the long hours of battling and strategizing, but she couldn't afford to let it take hold. There was no room for weakness right now. Shao, standing near the edge of the room, broke the silence.

"Maybe they're trying to link up with Hakuja in the East China Sea."

Analia clenched her jaw. The implications were terrifying—if these Kaiju were strategizing, acting with purpose, then their threat was far more coordinated than they had anticipated. Jake's voice broke through her thoughts, pulling her back into the moment.

"Yeah, I bet Newt would know what they're up to... if we can get it out of him," Jake muttered darkly, his arms crossed as he studied the holograms. His words dripped with bitterness, and Analia couldn't help but share the sentiment. Newt, their former ally, now twisted into something dangerous by the Precursors.

The group moved closer to the map as if proximity might make the situation any clearer. The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken fear and uncertainty. Analia crossed her arms, her gaze fixed on the glowing lines that represented the Kaiju's trajectory. She could hear the distant rumble of equipment being moved outside, the clatter of repairs being made in the wreckage of the Shatterdome. It felt like a countdown had begun, each second ticking away as the Kaiju drew nearer to their target.

"Yeah, we'd have to find him first," Analia said, her voice sharp with determination. "Any Jaegers closer to those Kaiju than us?"

Raleigh, standing beside her, shook his head grimly. His face was lined with exhaustion, but his eyes remained fierce. "What was left of the Chin-do and Sakhalinsk domes tried to intercept."

Gottlieb, always the bearer of bad news, stepped forward. "Emphasis on tried," he said, his tone filled with the resignation of someone who had seen the worst. "I'm afraid we're on our own."

Analia felt a knot tighten in her chest. The reality of their situation was becoming painfully clear—they were outmatched, outgunned, and running out of time. Her mind raced, searching for answers, for something that could give them an edge. The flickering map of the Pacific loomed large before them, but it was Jake who voiced what she had been trying to figure out.