CHAPTER 15

Chapter 15

The battlefield was eerily silent after the chaos. Smoke and embers rose into the sky, the sea churning as the massive bodies of the fallen Kaiju drifted lifelessly in the dark waters. The battle had been brutal, but Shane had survived. Rajah stood tall despite missing its right arm, its frame battered and battle-worn.

Shane exhaled heavily. His neural link was still stabilizing after the intense combat. His entire body ached, and his pulse pounded in his ears. But there was no time to rest.

He turned his attention back to Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha, both heavily damaged. Crimson Typhoon's triple-arm system was completely destroyed, while Cherno Alpha had taken catastrophic damage to its reactor core. Neither Jaeger could move on their own.

Shane (gritted teeth, activating comms):

"Command, Crimson Typhoon and Cherno Alpha are down. I'm moving to evacuate them before their systems fail completely."

Tendo Choi (from the Shatterdome, tense):

"Copy that, Shane. But be careful—Rajah isn't at full strength either."

Shane (grinning despite himself):

"Yeah, yeah. Just keep the lights on for us."

Evacuation Begins

Shane moved Rajah toward Crimson Typhoon first. The Wei Tang Brothers were still conscious, their breathing ragged over the comms.

Wei Tang Brothers (weakly):

"Shane... we owe you one."

Shane (chuckling, positioning Rajah):

"Yeah, yeah. Just try not to pass out before I get you home."

With only one arm left, Shane had to be careful. He knelt Rajah down, securing Crimson Typhoon onto Rajah's back, holding onto its core frame with his remaining left arm. Sparks rained down as Rajah's joints strained under the additional weight, but Shane powered through.

Step by step, he carried the damaged Jaeger toward the evacuation point.

The ocean sloshed around them as Rajah trudged forward. Shane could feel the strain of piloting with an injured Jaeger, his neural link flickering as exhaustion set in. But he didn't stop.

When he reached the safe zone, recovery helicopters and personnel rushed to secure Crimson Typhoon. Shane carefully lowered the Mark-4 Jaeger, making sure it was stable before pulling back.

Shane (panting, over comms):

"One down… one to go."

With no time to waste, he returned for Cherno Alpha. The Kaidonovsky pilots had suffered worse injuries, but they were alive. Shane took a deep breath and repeated the process, securing Cherno Alpha and dragging it toward the safe zone.

By the time he was done, Rajah's power levels were dangerously low.

Checking the Kaiju Corpses

With the other Jaegers safely evacuated, Shane turned back toward the battlefield. The corpses of the three Kaiju floated lifelessly in the black waters. But Shane wasn't taking any chances.

Shane (muttering):

"Let's make sure you stay dead."

He carefully scanned for any signs of movement.

Silence.

Then, a faint, barely perceptible pulse from one of the Kaiju.

Shane's eyes narrowed.

"Not on my watch."

He activated Rajah's final energy reserves and aimed at the bodies.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Rajah unleashed a barrage of missiles and plasma rounds, striking each Kaiju until nothing remained but burning flesh and sinking debris.

Only when the scanner confirmed zero life signs did Shane exhale, leaning back in exhaustion.

Standing By for Gipsy Danger

With his job done, Shane turned toward the distant battle. Gipsy Danger was still fighting.

He watched as Raleigh and Mako battled against the final Kaiju, Leatherback and Otachi. The battle was unfolding just as it did in the simulation feeds—exactly like in the movie.

Shane tightened his grip on the controls. If they needed backup, he was ready.

Rajah stood tall in the waters, damaged but unyielding, watching over the fight like a silent guardian.

For now, he would wait.

But if things took a turn for the worse—

He'd be ready to jump back into the fight.

End of Chapter.