Glory and Gore

[YAVIN - KAIJU YEAR 15]

Ezra moves alongside Luke towards the main control room. The alarms sound different. Shrill. Deafening. The hallways stream with panicked cadets and exhausted employees who have dealt with this too many times.

Are the blaring alarms necessary, Mon?

There is a log jam in the hallway. Shoves occurring in various directions create a scatterplot wherein no one reaches a destination. This results in extremely loud shouts followed by relenting uniforms.

As Ezra studies a bobbing blonde head a couple feet away, a wolf whistle slices through the crowded atmosphere. Employees duck and curse at the sound.

Beaming, Luke removes his fingers from his lips and shouts, “MOVE, I’M GAY!”

Grumbles resound in the hallway, but various uniforms part and hug the walls. A gaping hole leaves Luke and a blinking Ezra in the middle of the hallway.

Luke’s grin lingers as he turns towards Ezra. “Come on,” he says brightly, “they’re probably all waiting!”

“You’re such a drama queen,” a man mutters amongst the ranks.

Luke laughs and points at the dark-haired man. “Thanks, Wedge! Great to see you out in the trenches!”

“It’s great to be here,” the man, Wedge, rolls his eyes and mutters. “Now walk your designer boots in there before everyone gets mad.”

Luke winks. “I sure will. Let’s get after it!”

Luke disappearing into the main control room spurs Ezra to follow. He’s still stunned over that interaction, plus the knowledge that Luke is ridiculously and handsomely available.

And Luke wears designer boots? Well, to each their own.

Luke and Ezra reach the semicircle of Jaeger pilots standing before Mon. Ahsoka is beside Leia, Han is with Chewbacca, and Hera is between Sabine and Zeb. Kallus and Ketsu linger in the wings as concerned parties.

Mon sends Aphra a look from across her hypothetical podium. She is beside a trio of droids, Ezra only recognizing Chopper. He figures the other two are Luke’s droids, Artoo and Threepio.

A haggard Aphra sighs, “well kids, before you go out there, you should learn the latest update. And it’s a real doozy.”

“Fantastic,” Zeb mumbles.

Aphra grins, her hands clasping together behind her back. She rocks on her feet and says, “I just returned from Tatooine City, where I met with Lando about retrieving a Kaiju brain. He already knew the situation, and it’s this: the Kaiju need to recognize one of their own kind when we get a shot to destroy the Breach; it’s the only way they’ll let us near it. Unfortunately, by finding this out,” she wrings out her hands, “I exposed us to them. This attack isn’t going to be pretty; there are two of them out there at once.” She grits her teeth and shows them. “That’s the price we pay for science, everyone. Okay!” She claps her hands once. “Good luck cleaning up my mess!”

“Great,” Sabine crosses her arms and glares at the woman, “how many of us are going?”

“All of you,” Mon stares pointedly at Luke and Ezra, “except them. They’re on reserves.”

“Reserves is better than suspension!” Ezra sings.

Han grins over his shoulder at Ezra. “Yeah, I like you, man.”

“Get moving,” Mon clips.

Hera prompts Sabine and Zeb with a throat clear. They share goodbye looks with Kallus and Ketsu, then trail after Hera.

Chewbacca mumbles a sound, and Han says to Leia, “good luck out there, fire goddess.”

“Don’t do anything reckless, trash digger,” Leia deadpans, walking with Ahsoka to the hangar bay.

Han and Chewbacca follow, leaving Luke and Ezra in the room. Aphra observes them warily as she faces the holo screens.

Mon says, “stay here, both of you. Watch with me.”

Luke squirms. When Mon’s back turns, Ezra sends him a concerned look.

“We might have to go out there,” Luke says quietly.

Ezra nods. “We’ll be ready.”

Luke’s brows furrow in endearing confusion. “How do you know that?”

Ezra smiles wanly. “Just a feeling.”

Luke purses his lips. When Mon flicks on a news report tracking the two Kaiju, they turn their attention to the screen.

“-are distinguishable by their animal-like physiques,” a female reporter says in a voiceover, the helicopters sweeping over the rumbling ocean. “The larger Kaiju seems to resemble the body of an ape while the other is reptilian in nature.”

The ape Kaiju emerges from the rippling tides and roars. It is closest to Tatooine City. It can’t be a coincidence that Aphra just returned from there after discovering the key to destroying the Kaiju and the Breach. They are sniffing out Aphra, exactly how she said it. And now she’s a couple feet away from Ezra and Luke.

Splendid.

“They’re going to head for us, you know,” Ezra says under his breath.

Aphra frowns over her shoulder. “I don’t know what you’re getting at, dude. They’re going for Lando because he talked.”

“How do you figure they would know Lando talked?” Ezra wonders.

Aphra faces him, the holo screen giving her a dark silhouette. She folds her arms and replies, “we were in a room full of active Kaiju specimen. Twitching body parts. We still don’t know how their physiology works. They could have ears in their kidneys.”

“You hacked a Kaiju brain,” Ezra says, “and you said they have a hive mind. Tell me,” he tips his head to the side, “which is more likely: that they have ears in their kidneys,” he switches feet as Mon regards him, “or that they accessed information from your own mind?”

Aphra’s mouth falls open. “Oh, fuck.” Her boot stomps loud on the floor. “FUCK!” Her hands fly to her messy hair, free of a pilot’s cap and goggles. “Oh no,” she sighs at Mon, “I fucked up so bad! Like, way worse than usual! Shit!”

“Calm down,” Mon says curtly at the display, “they won’t get close to Yavin.”

“-are getting dropped right now,” a frantic male reporter says on the holo screen. “All three Jaegers at once!”

Ezra watches the helicopters unlatch the cords on each Jaeger. The Prowling Ghost is released in front of the ape Kaiju, the reptilian Kaiju having retreated underwater. A splash gives the three-pilot Jaeger enough time to power up their weapons. The hands retract and form high-powered buzzsaws, taking up a crouched position.

“I have a bad feeling about this,” Ketsu mutters from the corner.

“Me too,” Kallus agrees.

Their communication systems filter from a screen in the room.

“-to take Form III,” Hera commands.

“Its fists are the size of my body!” Sabine exclaims.

The ape Kaiju eyes the Jaeger and growls, rattling the news microphones. Studying its target, the Kaiju charges with fists raised.

“Top arm calibrated,” Zeb says gruffly.

“Left ready to arch,” Hera clips.

“Right ready to slice,” Sabine recovers.

As the Kaiju arches left with an arm, the buzzsaws tear through its back and right arm. There are shouts from the Prowling Ghost’s comm line.

“This damn thing won’t go down!” Sabine says raggedly.

“Fire phasers!” Hera yells.

Beams of light replace the buzzsaws, aggravating the Kaiju’s temper. Its wounds are fluorescent blue, but none are enough to prevent the Kaiju from throwing back the Prowling Ghost. The crimson-plated Jaeger flies backwards and crashes into the ocean.

Ezra’s stomach lurches just as Kallus and Ketsu gasp.

“That’s it,” Leia says through the Aggressive Negotiations’ comm system, “I’m not hanging back anymore.”

“Ahsoka,” Mon orders.

“I’m with Leia,” Ahsoka growls, “we’re killing this while you rescue the Prowling Ghost.”

Mon sighs, but does not seem surprised. She presses a button on the control board. She patches through to the helicopters and orders them towards the Prowling Ghost wreckage.

Since the Jaeger is a sitting duck in the water, its crew stuck inside, Ezra’s stress level reaches an uncharacteristic high. He wouldn’t know what to do with himself if Hera, Sabine, and Zeb were hurt.

He makes the mistake of looking over at Kallus and Ketsu, who were murmuring encouragement to each other. He could never be in their place.

“I’m in,” Han’s voice patches through from the Dazzling Fury, “and so is Chewie.”

Mon facepalms and says through a microphone, “none of you do anything stupid.”

She looks between Luke and Ezra warily.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this,” Mon shakes her head, “but you need to suit up.”

Ezra hums. “You were right, Luke. The suspension was indeed short.”

Luke bites back a chuckle.

“Ketsu,” Mon says curtly, “get the armor on them now.”

Ketsu breaks away from Kallus. Her expression is neutral despite the shakiness in her steps.

“Come on,” she instructs as she exits the main control room.

Ezra and Luke trail after her.

~

[YAVIN - PACIFIC OCEAN - TATOOINE CITY - CORUSCANT CITY]

“-are tag-teaming the Kaiju, but nothing seems to be working,” a reporter feed garbles as Ezra is outfitted into the Jaeger interior. “The other Kaiju, meanwhile, is encroaching on the outskirts of Tatooine City. The entire area has been issued evacuation orders, which are currently underway.”

The cables are secured to Ezra’s even newer control suit; he has no idea how they were able to retrofit it so quickly. The fresh dark armor plates, not silver anymore, are heavier than the model from five years ago, but snug and maneuverable. The helmet, while providing a yellow tint, allows for more clarity.

The controls blink to life, Ezra completing manual energy checks. He flicks from tab to tab on the screen, his control glove tapping and powering up reserves at a rapid pace.

“You don’t have to power up manually,” Luke points out.

Ezra looks over at the other side of the control hub. He almost lost his mind again at the custom silver armor enhancing Luke, but he musters a grimace. “You never know when you’ll need to rely on your Jaeger manual knowledge.”

“Hm,” Luke’s smile is present despite the helmet shield covering its luminescence, “that must be how you knew to question Aphra.”

“It was just a feeling,” Ezra repeats.

“The same feeling you have about our connection working this time?” Luke wonders.

“No,” Ezra turns towards the holo screens to mask his expression, “not the same feeling at all.”

Ezra clears his throat and examines the powered controls. The weapons and capabilities of the Rising Phoenix remained largely the same on Ezra’s side of the interior. The only difference is-

“A laser sword?!” Ezra squeaks, studying the details. “Cool!”

“That one’s mine,” Luke teases, “get your own.”

The sword is indeed on Luke’s Jaeger arm. Ezra relents, “I suppose it does make sense for you to have it. W-with your training and all.”

A sword can easily stand in for a bamboo stick. Even with the complication of handling the weapon through a control suit, he was sure Luke would have no problems adjusting to the change.

The helmet is lowered onto the Jaeger body. The news filtering in about the other Jaegers wounding the ape Kaiju is cut off.

“It’s time to establish a neural link,” Mon says through their helmets. “It needs to be strong.”

As the Rising Phoenix is attached with helicopter cables outside, Ezra and Luke share a look.

Ezra placates, “I trust you.”

Luke exhales through his nose so deeply that it fogs up his tinted helmet.

“You know what?” He breathes. “I trust you too.”

“Initiating link,” Mon says, “keep a clear head.”

Dazedly, Ezra is thrown into their Force bond. This time, Luke hides absolutely nothing from him.

Ezra receives memories from childhood to the present day. A toddler Luke sits on his mother’s lap while she reads him fairytales. He plays tag with his sister while his parents discuss business. His father explains Jaeger engineering to a captive audience. Luke is dressed in formalwear as a skinny teenager and enjoys going to galas with his mother.

Luke watches his father die on a holo screen. He hears about his mother’s death from Leia. He grows up angry. Bitter. Lost.

He gets into arguments with Mon. He wants to be a Jaeger pilot, and she harps on the same excuse. But when she learns of his Force compatibility with Leia, Mon agrees to let them fight.

Luke is alive in that Jaeger. He has someplace to put his aggression. Knocking out a Kaiju’s teeth with Dazzling Fury’s rocket fist is his greatest accomplishment.

After a couple wins, Luke is not angry anymore. He accepts the death of his parents, but Leia does not. She grows wilder while Luke becomes calmer. Able to make clear-cut decisions to combat his sister’s hot-headed nature.

That is when the Scarif incident occurs, throwing Luke’s mental state into complete disarray. He is not the same after it, so Mon makes him a trainer.

Luke gets angry again. He becomes the master of every technique. He dismantles veterans and cadets alike in less than a minute. Leia is paired with Ahsoka, and Luke boils in his demotion.

Until Ezra. Until he strides into the training room while Luke has been practicing through a sleepless night.

Until Ezra matches Luke parry-for-shot, revealing their unusual Force compatibility.

Now, Luke isn’t angry anymore. He is at peace.

Ezra loses his breath; Force bonds usually focus on images, but the emotions laced in Luke’s mind drive him forward.

And Luke trusted him with this. With that. With everything.

Ezra lets his memories flow towards Luke. He used to filter his emotions out when he was compatible with Kanan to view his life objectively, but he immersed in his emotions. He remembered what it was to be vengeful as well as innocent, lonely as well as content.

Full of hate as well as full of love.

The wavelength that links their minds together pulses with unbridled power. They are completely intertwined, their stories on opposite pages but in the same book.

“I’ve,” Mon says in awe, “never seen a neural link this strong. This will be perfect.”

Ezra opens his eyes, which had fallen closed, and studies the Jaeger controls. The helicopters move the Rising Phoenix out of the base. He glances to the side, and Luke’s bubbly giggle infuses into Ezra’s bloodstream.

Ezra has suddenly never felt better about being inside this Jaeger.

Luke’s voice is melodic as he addresses Mon through the comms. “Are they keeping the Kaiju occupied?”

“T minus five,” Mon replies, “and listen for yourself.”

She flips a switch at Yavin. The news comes back into their feed.

“-managed to incapacitate the Kaiju, but it’s still kicking,” the man reports. “Meanwhile, Tatooine City has been evacuated to the underground levels, and right on time! The second Kaiju is now making its way to land!”

Ezra is weightless as the Rising Phoenix is guided over the ocean. His stomach turns as the metal creaks and rocks.

“Where should we go?” Luke asks. “Bail out the others or Tatooine City?”

“Your nuclear energy can easily kill the Kaiju,” Mon says, “then you’ll follow the other one into the city. Clear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Ezra says.

“We’ll make it quick,” Luke vows.

The rolling midnight tides become visible through the Jaeger viewport. Ezra notes that they wouldn’t have much to work with save for artificial light and nuclear power. The difficulty with sight is probably why it’s taking Aggressive Negotiations and Dazzling Fury so long to defeat the Kaiju.

Helicopters sweeping past their Jaeger catch Ezra’s eye. It was the rescue helicopter for the Prowling Ghost!

Against his better judgement, Ezra flicks on the comm and asks Mon concernedly, “are they safe?”

He holds his breath. The memory of teenage Ezra pulling pranks with Sabine and Zeb flits between the bond. Luke inhales, indicating that he saw it too.

Ezra, Sabine, and Zeb hang behind a corner. Kanan and Hera stayed in the same room as a couple. On the day they received mail, Ezra and Sabine hatched a prank. A grumbling Zeb does not protest as Sabine and Ezra fill a box with spring-loaded rubber snakes.

Sabine sets the package in front of their door and knocks, bolting around the corner where Ezra and Zeb hid. They stifle giggles as Kanan opens the door, picks up the box confusedly, and brings it inside.

After a moment, they hear Kanan’s cursing as the door opens again. Hera chides him to calm down as he growls, “dammit, kids!”

Zeb leads Ezra and Sabine away as they bolt and cackle. The memory fades.

“They’re injured,” Mon answers, “but nothing serious.”

Ezra is relieved, though he doesn’t show it outwardly.

“Brace for the drop,” Mon says, “you’re approaching.”

Ezra looks out of the Rising Phoenix viewport. The ape Kaiju is twice as large as a Jaeger, and it shows no signs of fainting from exhaustion. Phosphorescent wounds mean that it’s been mauled considerably, but nothing to slow it down.

The cords release from the Jaeger, the helicopters flying away as Ezra falls inside it. He breathes once the Rising Phoenix lands knee-deep in the unpredictable ocean.

He receives an encouraging nod from Luke as soon as the Kaiju roars. Its powerful arms push back on the Dazzling Fury, the Jaeger flying back into the water southward.

The Aggressive Negotiations manages to pin down the Kaiju. It is forced underwater.

Ezra and Luke break into a sprint. The Jaeger follows seamlessly as nuclear fists are powered up.

They split the ocean waves, having an advantage over the Kaiju while its back is turned. Luke begins the arch with his arm, and Ezra completes it.

The nuclear power exposes the ape’s largest open wound around the shoulder. The energy sizzles as the Kaiju flops in the ocean.

The Aggressive Negotiations backpedals as the ape succumbs to the nuclear pain. Its toxic blood reacts unusually, searing off the Kaiju’s arm clear off its shoulders.

At that, the Kaiju is dead.

The Rising Phoenix regains its footing after the sneak attack. The Aggressive Negotiations patches into the Rising Phoenix’s comm system.

“Holy shit!” Leia cackles. “Why didn’t Mon bring you in sooner?”

“Aren’t you concerned about Han?” Ahsoka scoffs at her.

“Eh,” Leia dismisses, “he’s alright, I guarantee it. Anyway,” she raises her voice, “many thanks to the Rising Phoenix!”

“Do you know where the other one went?” Ahsoka asks them.

“It’s in the city,” Luke says, “are you coming?”

“Well,” Leia raises her Jaeger arm, the metal lagging in function due to saltwater and frayed wires, “you’re on your own. Good luck!”

Luke asks warily, “are you hurt, Leia?”

“No,” Leia hisses.

Ezra knows a lie when he hears it.

Luke mutters a curse. “Help is coming.” He clicks on the comm. “Mon?”

“I know,” Mon says. “Keep moving.”

Luke clenches his jaw, curbing his need to help his sister. Ezra takes the first step towards Tatooine City, Luke following the motion. As if on cue, the port town catches fire as the Kaiju climbs buildings.

“Damn,” Luke mutters, “that’s my father’s hometown.”

“Move faster, then,” Ezra encourages.

Luke hums, the wavelength between them flaring up with activity. They break out into a brisk walk in the Rising Phoenix. The tides part the way with every pace, saltwater splashing about the metal legs.

They reach the shore of Tatooine City, Jaeger boots imprinting the sand. They follow the flames in the sandstone town. The reptilian Kaiju swipes houses and establishments with its tail and scaly body. It roars amongst the fire.

“Nuclear power hurts them more,” Luke deduces, “we should try the beams first.”

Ezra nods in agreement as the Kaiju notices them. Its neon blue eyes pierce right through the Jaeger helmet.

“Ugh,” Ezra shivers, “I’ll never get used to that.” His control glove dials up the nuclear power in their Jaeger fists. “Charged up.”

“Mine too,” Luke says.

The Kaiju charges forward on shockingly agile legs. Its tail swings and levels an apartment building.

Ezra and Luke mirror each other’s offensive stance, bracing their legs. Their arms go up in a boxing stance as the beam fires.

The nuclear power blasts a heat wave towards the Kaiju, causing it to stop itself in its charge. Claws scrape against sand, creating fissures as it brakes and tumbles to the right of the Jaeger.

“It’s all you!” Ezra exclaims.

Quickly, Luke retracts a blade on his side of the Jaeger arm and banks right. The knife slices through the Kaiju’s side, the reptile roaring as it crashes into a restaurant. Fluorescent blood coats the blade, and Luke uses an arm movement to flick off the venom.

When Luke stands again, his eyes grow determined. A warrior’s form.

“Our power reserves are halfway depleted,” he says, “we need to use our shots carefully.”

Ezra blinks and studies the holo screen. He hadn’t noticed they were running out of nuclear energy.

Luke maneuvers the Jaeger around. The Kaiju stumbles up and roars. Ezra fires another round at its neck, but the Kaiju simply recoils and fumes at the attack.

Luke sighs. “What did I just say?”

Ezra grins. “Did you want me to let it growl at you like that? It was rude.”

Luke scoffs, moving his Jaeger arm into a defensive position.

Ezra does the same just in time; the Kaiju catapults the Rising Phoenix backwards with the force of its blow. The cables hooking Ezra’s control suit to the interior throw him against the wall. It is a fairly cushy fall, however, due to the thick armor and padding in his suit.

He lands and immediately fixates on Luke. His golden head shakes as he regains his bearings.

Luke returns to the holo control screen as the reptilian Kaiju approaches the crushed building. Ezra links up with Luke again.

But as the Kaiju gains on them, extra appendages unfurl. Venomous blood drips onto the sand. Thin spider web wings are splayed out on either side of the Kaiju.

“Oh,” Ezra says dumbly.

“-shit!” Luke exclaims.

The Kaiju’s claws sink under the Jaeger’s shoulders, sweeping up the Rising Phoenix as it flies up and up and up.

Ezra’s head spinning from the rush, he breathes, “what do we do?!”

Amidst his dizziness from the Jaeger punching a hole through clouds in the atmosphere, Ezra manages to look over at Luke.

And Luke’s eyes glitter beneath his yellow-tinted helmet. “We use the sword.”

Ezra beams gleefully. “Hell yeah!” He slaps the holo control screen in his excitement.

Luke uses his control glove to activate the sword. The wind whistles inside the Jaeger, creating an unstable draft and rocking the metal. The thick reinforcements save them from plunging to their death. Ezra can hardly move from the strong vibrations as the Kaiju flies them into the upper atmosphere.

A blink on the control screen informs Luke that the laser sword is ready. He wastes no time in arming his side, the laser thrumming with weed-whacking energy, and swiping in a massive uppercut.

A roar resounds inside the Jaeger, trails of venomous blood flying past the viewport like ectoplasmic goo. The Kaiju’s left wing detaches from its body, the sword slicing through its throat for good measure.

As its dead body splits and falls, the Jaeger floats in midair for a moment. The Earth is a blur swimming in the lower part of Ezra’s eyes. The stars are microscopic points in the void of space, but piercing nonetheless.

Ezra’s entire body swoops and jolts. The Rising Phoenix groans with the weight of lower gravity. Oxygen levels blare with critical mass, flashing red on every holo screen.

There is a second that stretches as long as a moment where Ezra floats weightlessly. The tubes stretch against his armored suit as he lingers in midair, a gasping breath fogging up his helmet.

When the fog clears, he checks on Luke’s steady wavelength. He is floating too, glancing around in disbelief at the temporary suspension of gravity.

They lock eyes in the confusion, Luke’s mouth parting as if he were about to say something.

But Ezra does not get to hear it.

His heart falls to his stomach as the Jaeger tips on its back. The Rising Phoenix pitches into Earth’s gravity and sails downward.

Ezra loses his breath as they fall, the heat of reentry creating a shield of relentless heat between the air and the Jaeger’s armor. His feet plant hard on the grated floor and he coughs, raising himself up slowly. He crab-walks towards the controls as his brain is thrown in a blender.

His gloved hand splats on the controls, but the protection shields fail.

He gasps for breath. He ducks his head down, hands splayed on ground.

“EZRA!”

His name spurs him to push his elbows upwards. He rolls back so he sits on the grate. He looks over at his copilot.

“AIR DUCTS!” Luke shouts over the noise.

Genius!

Ezra pushes himself up with unstable knees, using the control panel as leverage. His palm slams the oxygen tab on the holo screen. He opens every air duct on the Rising Phoenix to slow their descent.

As a result, the heat dissipates in aerated spurts. They slow as they make a shape in the clouds dotted around the lower atmosphere.

In a prolonged reaction, the cables attached to Ezra’s control suit jolt him to his station. The motion causes the Jaeger to tip towards Savvam Lake near Coruscant City. Luke aims them towards it.

The Rising Phoenix crashes into the lake surface, the water submerging their viewport and trapping them within the metal confines.

But the fear of drowning does not reach Ezra. Instead, he is delirious as the Jaeger gracefully reaches the lake bottom.

Standing after the impact, Ezra trots over to Luke, who sits in disbelief as a school of silver fish darts past their viewport.

Ezra plops beside Luke and touches his shoulder in concern. Luke blinks rapidly and glances warily towards Ezra.

Then, Luke smiles. His eyes fixate on Ezra through the helmet.

And he laughs.

Ezra smiles as the stress bleeds into relief that they were alive expels from Luke’s voice. Ezra succumbs to laughter as well, his nervous energy leaving him as they await rescue together.

He didn’t mind the wait.