After noticing the problem on undersupply, the entire force headed out immediately to the Eurasian Forward Operating Base at Arnhem, hoping for a warm welcome.

  Back in the Strategy and Tactics Room...

  "With how little our resources are, we'll need to avoid any sort of battle, agreed?", said the captain.

  They have recently taken off to Arnhem, but they've realised how dire their situation is.

  "Arnhem is 95km far away from us as the crow flies, we'll follow this route until an obstacle hits.", replied Merlin.

  "Well then, let's just tell this to Captain Ribenstova."

  But before they could leave the ship, the terrible news appears.

  "Captain! Enemy harbinger detected, hunter-type, 3km south!", shouted a crew member.

  They looked at each other in shock before rushing to the bridge.

  "Put Yelena on the line!", Eleanor ordered.

  The screen flickered to life.

  "Eleanor, it seems our path has been interrupted by an enemy."

  She sighed, "Yes, it does seem so. We should evade north and deploy Pristine Obscurant Chaff."

  Justin, Luna and James have been following the officers since they were called.

  "Pristin- something, something chaff?", James asked silently.

  Luna leaned into him slightly and replied.

  "Pristine Obscurant Chaff or POC, it's the best getaway smoke substance ever made. I think they'll use it to escape the harbinger."

  James nodded in understanding.

  "Understood Eleanor, moving 15 degree north and deploying POC."

  The screen turned off as the Eleanor commanded the movement.

  The ship groaned as its engines pushed it left.

  "Fire POC shells directly southwards!", ordered the Deputu Chief.

  With a thunderous boom, smoke with glimmering particles were released, blocking the entire south horizon.

  Eleanor breathed a sigh of relief.

  The force has survived the first of their challenges on the race to Arnhem.

  They had drifted approximately 3 kilometers west after the encounter.

  Thankfully however. they were still ahead of schedule.

  Alarms blared as the radar operator shouted, "Hunter-type Harbinger, 2km south and 1 and a half km east!"

  Eleanor was shocked.

  "Two this time? No worries, we might be able to dodge this again.", she thought.

  "Elevate 300, fire POC and inform the Zabytaya!", she ordered.

  The massive battleship lifted up against the Earth.

  A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

  "POC shells, fire!", commanded the Deputy Chief.

  Explosions rocked the ship, followed by a silence.

  "Objects out of radar!", reported the radar operator.

  The bridge breathed a sigh of relief as they managed to escape again.

  However, a great challenge awaits them.

  "Hunter-type Harbinger, 1km Southeast! Directly ahead!"

  The room was filled with dread.

  "We can't dodge it this time, elevating further is no option and avoiding the enemy is impossible!", Eleanor considered.

  The screen abruplty showed a window.

  "Eleanor, harbinger ahead. Looks like we have to shoot this one down.", Yelena said.

  "The Laniakea is ready for launch, just say the word."

  What had to be considered was the fact that firing beam weaponry would result in a highly detectable wave, possibly luring more harbingers.

  "Let the Aegis take care of it.", Eleanor stated

  Communications were cut.

  "Get Suzina launched ASAP! One quick attack only, we just need it gone.", she ordered.

  The soldiers have been made prepared, ready to fight any second.

  "Rinmann, you have a target, hunter-type Harbinger. Make it quick.", said the voice on her communication line.

  "Got it, Suzina Rinmann, Aegis Reform, launch!"

  Her vehicle sped in front of the ship like a bullet.

  In no time, she approached the Harbinger head-on.

  It tried using its claw to pounce the mecha.

  Alarms blared in the Reform as Suzina ordered his mecha to weave left before he struck the enemy with her rapier.

  "Attack finished, returning to base!"

  She went full speed bsck to the Nova.

  In the bridge, they were once again relieved.

  But this time, they were less congratulative.

  Minutes went by as the room was silent, eerily silent.

  Distance to Arnhem: 40km.

  Alarms shouted while red lights appeared in the bridge.

  "2 harbingers southwest, 1 harbinger north, 1 harbinger south!"

  Eleanor considered her options while fidgeting her fist.

  "Should we cast POC or evade? No, they're too close, neither would work."

  Time was running out by the second. Officers nervously waited for Eleanor's command.

  "Cast POC! Fire Thermites west, 750 meters!"

  The others were shocked.

  "Captain! That will grab more attention!"

  "I know! We'll attract them all to that location and evade."

  The Deputy Chief stares at the captain with disbelief, hand over the speech button.

  "Do it!", she commanded.

  He pressed the button and began his command.

  "Cast POC, launch Thermites to explode at 750 meters west!"

  Explosions rocked the ship once again as the missiles sped through the sky, exploding in a range barely noticable by the human eye.

  They waited anxiously for the chaff to clear.

  Officers tapped on their desks, losing their nerve.

  "Harbingers moving away!", reported the radar operator.

  She had done it, a successful evasion.

  For a few hours, they were finally resting.

  A few detections but none of the harbingers really chased the unit.

  Abruptly, alarms blared.

  "Harbinger 1km ahead, hunter type! Another harbinger 500 meters ahead, altitude 500 it's a..."

  The operator noticeably grew sweaty.

  "What is it?", Eleanor clarified.

  "Ma'am... it's a core-type!"

  While they had just beaten a core-type back in Haarlem, they couldn't risk much a noisy battle.

  "Evasion, impossible. POC, won't work. Distraction, won't work neither!", Eleanor thought.

  The screen flickered to life amidst the red lights.

  "Eleanor, looks like we have no choice here. Combat?"

  Fidgeting her hands, Eleanor scanned through every other option, but there was none.

  "Status:R! All men to combat positions, take this out as quickly as possible!", she commanded.

  "Get the Laniakea to support the Aegis!"

  The two ships went into overdrive.

  Suzina and Andrei were launched immediately to take care of the threat.

  "Andrei, Suzina, watch out, it's drones seem to be for melee and there's 15 as we can count. Make this quick.", Franks reminded to them.

  "Got it.", they both replied.

  The core-type lit to life as its drones charged at Suzina.

  As a drone attempted to strike the Aegis, a beam of light from the Laniakea struck first and saved Suzina.

  "Thanks, Andrei!"

  She then charged at a drone, grabbing it by the tail and crushing it.

  A single swing of her rapier punctured through two drones at once.

  Another drone tried to charge at the Laniakea, but the Zabytaya's secondary beam weapons chased it away.

  While it attempted to regroup, Andrei shot it straight through the middle, utterly destroying it.

  "We got your back, Andrei!", said a crew member through the radio.

  The Laniakea switched to bolt-action mode and charged at a swarm of 5 drones while Suzina took care of her five.

  The Aegis' rapier tore through the chunks of metal with ease, taking down 3.

  In bolt-action mode, Andrei surprisingly could take care of a few drones, taking out 2.

  The five other drones regrouped and began to form a figure.

  "What is that? A pentagon?", Suzina wondered.

  But before they knew it, an orb of light was forming inside the shape.

  Suzina was directly in front of its line of sight.

  Then an explosion.The Nova had launched missiles against the enemy, saving Suzina.

  "Rinmann, Andrei, retreat for now. We've arrived at Arnhem. Well done you two.", said the voice on the radio.

  Suzina looked thoroughly throughout the fields, and sure enough, there it was. The City of Arnhem.