Traumatized by the sudden loss of his brother while still mentally connected to him, Raleigh leaves the Jaeger Program, and goes to find work wherever he can. Five years later, he finds work along the Western coast of the United States as a construction worker, helping build a giant wall that is meant to keep the Kaiju out.
In the 5 years since Raleigh was with the Jaeger program, numerous countries have called for the program to be terminated due to spiraling casualties of Jaeger pilots in the increased Kaiju attacks.
Marshal Stacker Pentecost, who is in charge of the Jaeger Program, is informed by the UN that the program is being decommissioned. In the meantime, they will concentrate efforts to the building of the Kaiju Wall. They believe the tall structure will protect the Pacific cities from the Kaiju, but Pentecost claims that the world's leaders are making a terrible mistake.
Even though Pentecost claims the program is still viable, his crew, with all remaining Jaegers, will be relocated to Hong Kong's Shatterdome with eight months of funding before the program will be permanently retired. Stacker plans to follow through with the initial Jaeger objective, regardless of the lack of funding. He flies to the Kaiju Wall, where Raleigh has been working for the past five years.
Working on the wall near Sitka, Alaska, Raleigh and the other workers are watching the news. The television report shows the wall surrounding Sydney Harbor in Australia, failing as a Kaiju named Mutavore breaks through the wall and attacks Sydney.
Luckily, a Jaeger named Striker Eureka, piloted by Herc and Chuck Hansen, is able to take it down. After the attack and during a television interview, Chuck asserts that the reason the Jaeger program failed was because of weak pilots.
After seeing the news report, Raleigh is surprised when a helicopter lands near his building area and Pentecost approaches Raleigh. Stacker asks Raleigh to re-join the program, but he declines. He and his brother were still connected when he died and he cannot stand the mental pain another time.
Stacker asks where he would rather die: building the Wall, "or in a Jaeger," fighting Kaiju. Raleigh is reluctant, but Pentecost convinces him that he belongs in the pilot's seat. Raliegh decides to return to the Jaeger Program.
Raleigh is then flown to the Hong Kong Base, The Shatterdome. When they arrive, they are greeted by Mako Mori. She shows Raleigh around the Shatterdome. They get into an elevator with two scientists, Dr. Newton Geiszler and Dr. Hermann Gottlieb, who comprise the entire research team for the base.
Mako tells Raleigh that she has studied his moves during his years in action, and how to be a Jaeger pilot. Raleigh notes she seems apprehensive.
Pentecost introduces Raleigh to the two scientists under his command. Geiszler is an obsessive 'Kaiju Fanboy,' who studies the creatures through salvaged organs and other parts.
The other, Gottlieb, is a more 'practical' man, and is using his mathematical skills to try and pinpoint the frequency of creatures coming through the ocean rift.
Within the Shatterdome, the last remaining Jaegers and their crews have been assembled:
The Crimson Typhoon, which features three arms and is piloted by the Wei triplets.
The second is called Cherno Alpha, piloted by a pair of Russians, Sasha and Aleksis Kaidonovsky.
Fresh from its stint in Australia, the only Mark-5, Striker Eureka, piloted by Herc and Chuck Hansen.
Raleigh questions Pentecost on just what their plan is. Pentecost explains they are formulating a plan to drop a nuclear weapon into the channel between dimensions. If it works, the channel will be destroyed, stopping any further Kaiju from coming through.
Though the plan of attacking the channel has failed in the past, the program's leaders are confident they will be successful this time if all the remaining Jaegers attack simultaneously. Pentecost breaks away from the tour as Mako continues to show Raleigh around.
Pentecost soon after meets again with Geiszler and Gottlieb. Gottlieb predicts that mathematically, the number of Kaiju coming up through the rift is increasing. Gottleib tells him that, based on the data, they can expect a Double Event soon, and a triple soon afterward.
Geiszler meanwhile, asserts they can learn more about the Kaiju if they were able to 'drift' with its brain, the same as pilots in the Jaeger program do. Having a portion of one, he is eager to test his theory by connecting himself with the Kaiju via Drift, but Stacker dismisses him, telling him that it's impossible, and goes with Gottlieb's information instead.
Mako continues the tour, and to Raleigh's surprise, she then takes him to Gipsy Danger.
However, since her encounter 5 years ago, she has been rebuilt and retrofitted for more extreme combat. She then shows him to his room, right across from hers. She tells him that he will meet with the candidates for his partnership soon, and that she hopes to be a pilot one day. Her record is impressive, but she makes it clear that Stacker will not allow her to fight. She then goes to her room, but watches him from the door as he changes.
In the mess hall, Raleigh is invited by Herc to sit with him and Chuck, but Chuck takes an instant dislike to Raleigh because he believes him to be weak, and fears that he will endanger their mission. Herc apologizes for his behavior, making it known that his son is a hothead and very impulsive.
Without his brother, Raleigh is tasked with helping to find a replacement and goes to meet his partnership candidates. During a training and reflex exercise, he easily bests the candidates in hand-to-hand combat. Raleigh is a little incensed when Mako keeps calling him out regarding the number of moves to take down his opponent.
Mako staring at him in displeasure, Raleigh asks her what is wrong. She tells him that he isn't fighting to the best of his ability and he could have taken down his opponents with a shorter amount of moves.
He challenges her to a fight and Stacker approves. Raleigh and Mako trade blows on much more equal terms, and he is amazed at her prowess.
He proclaims that she should help him co-pilot Gypsy Danger, but Pentecost refuses, though he won't state his reasons.
Meanwhile, defying Stacker's orders, Dr Geiszler has hooked up a crude connection machine, and hooks into the Kaiju brain in his lab.
The link allowed Geiszler a glimpse into the other side of the portal. Seeing Geiszler in distress, Gottlieb rushes to him and shuts it down.
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