"Red Coin...?" Shinji muttered. Slowly, a grin started to form. "Hey Max... I take back what I said. Think that there might actually be something out here."
Miles away, a trio of machines were watching the scene. "Hmmm, looks like those guys got here first," the pilot of one of the machines commented. The machine in question was a lithe bipedal mech, with rounded pauldrons and angular boot-like lower legs. The upper-torso had a ring-shaped breastplate, leading up to the rounded pyramid-shaped head with a visor where the eyes would be. Overall, it had a dull gray paintjob with silver highlights on the pauldrons. Folded back on the forearms were a pair of rectangular cannons, and on the back was an array of thrusters attached to jet-shaped wings. "Sooo, should we throw them a party?"
"Um, Hana... Isn't that a bit reckless?" The second machine's pilot asked. His machine was significantly more generic-looking, with a rather blocky yet slim frame and blocky-shoulderpads and limbs. The head was about the most interesting part of its body, with its distinctly humanoid-shape mouthplate, green visor, and antenna attached to the back. Attached to its left arm was a shield, and in its right was a rifle, four rectangular handles were stashed on its waist... Beam sabers. On its back was a generic mech backpack with slightly tuned up thrusters, and on its feet were wheels that could be used for skating along the ground if it wasn't a desert. For a paintjob, the pilot went with yellow, gold, and white. "We should probably try sniping them first."
"Awwww, but that's boring Akira!" The first pilot complained.
"But still..."
"Shut it you two!" The third machine's pilot snapped. The last machine was also a lithe mech, with angular pauldrons, a pyramid-like chestplate, distinctly angular armor on the lower legs and forearms, and a quartet of thrusters arranged on the back and upper legs. On its back was a pair of folded down segmented wings, the kind you'd expect to unfold and separate into three or four prongs once extended. Its head was also humanoid, with a pair of antenna sticking out of the sides of the head and pointing upwards like a pseudo-crown, a red visor on its face. Attached to the waist were a pair of beam sabers of its own and a pair of holsters, holsters for the pair of pistols it was carrying. Folded back over its shoulders were a pair of cube-shaped rocket launchers. For its coloration, the pilot went for the reds and golds usually associated with a phoenix. "Akira, the two of us will take point. Hana, set up your Prominence's main cannon. Once you're set up, start shooting at those bastards until me and Akira get up close. Then catch up to us. Understand me?"
"Alright," Akira nodded.
"Right right, whatever you say Amane."
"Good. Let's go!" With that, the three machines went straight into action.