Unfortunately, the Eurasians at Arnhem did not offer the needed supplies to the Nova and Zabytaya. With minimal resources, they are forced to attack Arnhem.

  "Status:R! All men to battle stations!", ordered Eleanor.

  The two ships have arrived at Antwerp.

  "Two hunter-type harbingers, 750 meters north! One core-type northwest!", reported the radar operator.

  "Deploy the Challengers and FOBPA's, we'll take on the core-type."

  "Contact the Zabytaya, tell them to take care of the hunter-types!"

  The radio operator nodded in agreement.

  "Only so few harbingers? Where are the others?", she thought.

  But her inside monologue was interrupted by the Deputy Chief speaking.

  "Load the missile launchers with Plowders, let's burst through that shield!"

  The Nova's massive main beam cannons opened up a thunderous explosion.

  As the beams dissipated at the shields of the harbinger and missiles exploded, a large cloud of smoke formed.

  Behind the smoke was a deep hum and what seemed to be a himanoid silhoutte.

  The Aegis' rapier pierced two of the drones in one hit, dissolving the shield.

  She sped by looking back to another volley of missiles approaching the harbinger.

  When the dust cleared, she counted the drones she could see, including the two she destroyed.

  "Twelve! Just like the one back in Amsterdam and Haarlem!", she listed.

  "I know how to beat you now!", she screamed as she charged at one of the drones, piercing it.

  She gripped the wreckage tightly and threw it at another drone.

  It flew past the enemy, catching its attention.

  But before it could detect the danger, the Aegis had already cut it half.

  "Looks like I know you all too well!", she thought before locking in on her next opponent.

  Eight drones remained.

  "Wait a second, why's there only 7?", she wondered.

  But the alarms blared to late and she did not notice the eighth drone behind her.

  She attempted to steer her vehicle but the enemy shot first.

  The beam collided through the metal armor, causing sparks to fly.

  The Aegis was hit.

  But before long, a shot from the ground destroyed that very drone.

  "Suzina! Don't go being too reckless!"

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  She noticed the communication line.

  "Oh, sorry. I'll do better next time, Justin!"

  He laughed.

  "Okay, okay. Now don't lose your attention!"

  The line was cut.

  She looked back at the seven remaining drones and found her target.

  Flying towards the left most opponent, she pierced it through the engine before throwing it away.

  A sudden movement revealed the Aegis' forearm beam cannon to the next drone.

  5 drones left.

  "We're not gonna let you have all the glory Suzina!", shouted James through the radio.

  He fired his tank's plasma cannon at one of the drones, firing in quick succession.

  As the enemy fell, the melted metal glowed a hot red.

  One after another, they managed to destroy all the drones.

  Clearly, the unit was learning.

  "Looks like we're done here.", Eleanor predicted.

  But the radio operator interrupted her.

  "2 hunter-type harbingers, southwest!"

  Eleanor was shocked, but was rest assured.

  "Let's quickly rake those out and check on the situation in the Zabytaya."

  The screen flickered to life.

  "Eleanor, how are you doing there? We've got news of 3 more hunter-types in our direction. We can't help."

  Now, Eleanor was really shocked.

  "Now there's 5 more harbingers? I expected reinforcements but not this many!", she thought.

  "Let's handle our seperate troubles, Yelena. Good luck."

  The window closed.

  "Shift target to the two new harbingers!"

  The officers nodded in approval.

  "Fire!", ordered the Deputy Chief.

  Missiles and beam weaponry were fired at the right harbinger first.

  Unlike past encounters, the movement of the units were more synchronized.

  When someone charged, someone else supported.

  When someone retreated, someone else covered for them.

  In the midst of battle, Justin noticed a slight disfiguration of the harbinger's armor.

  "James, see that burn mark by the neck?"

  James squinted down his very best to see, but he could not find it.

  "What? Where?", he exclaimed.

  Justin sighed.

  "I guess I'll do it myself!"

  He pushed his challenger, dodging below an arm before managing to brake at the exact moment.

  He squeezed down the trigger and a wave of plasma pushed against the burned metal, melting it completely.

  "Oh, that's whag you were talking about! Let me finish the job for you!", James said.

  He started moving his tank while Luna prevented the enemy from targeting him.

  "James! I already told you to stop being reckless!", she shouted through the radio.

  James, laughing, managed to get to where Justin was and finish off the enemy.

  Inside, circuitry was cooking up and resulted in a massive explosion.

  "That one's still moving! Get it!", James shouted, referring to the other harbinger.

  But before they could even think of a plan to destroy it, a gush of wind blew away debris.

  "Hey guys, finished this one for you!"

  It was Suzina in the Aegis.

  However, they could not rest as the radar operator reported again.

  "3 hunter-types, south!"

  Eleanor, fidgeting her fingers, knew she was running out of time.

  The moral of the soldiers hearing this sank. They thought they were already victorious.

  The screen once again flickered to life.

  "Yelena! How's the situation?"

  But the response was dreadful.

  "Not well Eleanor, we're also running out of repair capabilities and more of them just keep on coming."

  She slammed her fist on her desk.

  "Looks like we've been trapped by these harbingers."

  "Yea, looks like it. We might have to retraat, Eleanor."

  But she knew that was no option for neither of them.

  If the Nova retreated, General Winston would most likely punish them.

  If the Zabytaya retreated, well who knew what kind of things they do in Eurasia.

  To her, there was only one option left.

  "No Yelena, we don't. We fight unti the last man standing."

  On Yelena's face was a wide smirk.

  "Don't underestimate Eurasia now, there won't be a last man here."

  Communications were cut.

  Broadcasted throughout the two forces was a message.

  "No retreat!"

  Moral rose throughout the soldiers. Hopelessness turned into will.

  As the onslaught continued, the force was running out of units.

  The Aegis and the Laniakea were low on fuel and power.

  Multiple tanks and aircraft could not be repaired due to the shortage.

  But at the lowest moment, when numbers dropped rapidly and moral on a decline again.

  When fighting power was diminished, there came a surprise.

  Beams of light barreled from the northeast side, it was the Eurasians in Arnhem.

  Eleanor scoffed on her chair.

  "Looks like they finally trust us now.", she thought.

  The screen in the Zabytaya opened up a window.

  "Captain Yelena, this is the 41st Attack Division at your command."

  Their arrival caused moral to rise back again and the exhausted men to rest.

  In the Nova, you could here a sigh of relief.

  Eleanor was just grateful fate decided it wasn't their day yet.

  Their arrival signaled that there was hope.