[b][i]Haven Shield Airbase - Darwin[/i][/b]

Joey Glory then looked at his watch and said, "If my estimates are right, the General Commander ought to end the session in a few seconds; be ready, Pilots."

It was then that the International Volunteers received a call on their communication devices, saying, "All right people, General Commander Narra here! The bombardment has ceased, repeat, the bombardment has ceased. Red-Star will now attempt to send its invasion force through the Kinetic Shields the [i]slow[/i] way! Report to the NC Hangar immidiately now that you've eaten - Zahra Mazghuuri is your squad leader for the duration of the defense!"

By the 'slow' way, Red-Star was relying on the fact that slow-moving objects can pass through the Kinetic Shields, such as transports and NCs. This was a very costly way to conduct an invasion, but Red-Star stood to gain much more from re-enslaving Australia and extracting its mineral resoures.

Now, one of the first things that the International Volunteers had been given when being housed in the building complex that was Haven Shield were easily memorable directions to the NC Hangar from any part of the base. If they forgot those, holographic maps of the base would pop out of the corners of the coffeehouse. Either way, they had better get moving.

------

The NC Hangar was a large chamber that was able to fit several times the team's number of NCs, and it was buzzing in activity as the mechanics were scrambling to get the Mechs ready for combat; it seemed that most of the maintenance work had been done already.

Chief Mechanic Cecily would then send out a comm to the various Pilots to tell them, "Your machines are ready; General Commander gave me orders to get them in fighting shape just a few hours ago! We've also filled up their ammo and energy reserves, so they'd be able to fight for days!"

Theodore's voice was heard once more through the speakers, "I wasn't completely neglecting preperations for combat when I asked you guys to socialize. Now get in your Mechs; Pilot Ang ought to know where they're to be deployed." His tone turned frosty as he addressed Maggie, "Pilot Gunn, I don't want there to be any incidents, so you're accompanying me and Lucille in the defense of the northern portion of Darwin."

Margaret/Maggie nodded with barely hidden discontent, "Of course, sir."

The General Commander of Haven responded, "Now, the rest of you - Move Out!"

[b][i]Darwin City[/i][/b]

As the NC Team deployed to Darwin City's western parts, they could see Red-Star's transports moving slowly through the shimmering kinetic barriers, the prows of the levitating ships penetrating the shields before projecting their own forcefields, forcefields that gave them a fighting chance against Haven's own artillery, which was as bound by the kinetic fields as the Red-Star's own guns. This chance wasn't enough to save the first wave of transports; they were blown up as they pushed further through the kinetic shields.

This was the same for the second wave, but not the third one, which managed to get a few transports inside, transports that deployed their fierce and fantatical cargo - Gunships, Tanks, and Power-Armored Infantry.

And finally, entering through the smoke of their own allies' wreckage, came the NCs of Red-Star and their pilots. Alexander Sky in his Phoenix Inferno and Mako Shintai of his 'Kitsune' went through the barriers, the latter vanishing into invisibility as it fully went through the Kinetic Shield. Others were there as well; monstrous Mecha of animalistic forms and sinister edges. It was clear that Red-Star was committing their all into this assault. Theodore messaged the Volunteers directly one last time to say:

"Make sure you have the support of Haven's own conventional forces when attacking the enemy NCs; they'll be supported by their own folk as well. Do [i]not[/i] underestimate the enemy's own Non-Mecha troops; NCs are powerful, not invincible. Theodore out."

[@Andre Valias][@AzenExile][@FalloutJack][@Landaus Five-One][@Metatrooper][@Scribe of Thoth][@Stern Algorithm][@Sgt Vandingo][@Selvariabell][@Bartimaeus]: