The distance between the two sides closed rapidly, leaving the Twin Stars' Frontline Commander no time to hesitate.
He immediately ordered his forces to fight independently. Those that encountered the enemy were to pin down the enemy's Mecha Forces as best they could, while those not yet engaged were to proceed at full speed according to the original plan and attack the floating fortresses the enemy was protecting so heavily!
He intended to sacrifice his pawns to save his king. As long as they achieved their objective of tying down the three main sources of enemy firepower, more troops could continue pouring through the wormhole. Once the Twin Stars' assault fleet reached sufficient strength, the outcome of the battle would be a foregone conclusion...
Meanwhile, on Earth's side...
"All squads, attention! I'll repeat the mission one more time! Stay close to me and maintain formation. Squads are free to hunt within a three-thousand-kilometer radius of my position!" the frontline command officer dispatched by the Earth Defense Force shouted over comms.
"Earth Defense Force Mecha Regiment, acknowledged!"
"Iron Heart squad, acknowledged!"
"Knights of the Round Table, acknowledged!"
"Chicken Dinner Pros, acknowledged!"
"Jialan Temple Guild, acknowledged!"
"Vanguard Team Leader, acknowledged!"
"..."
All sorts of squad names rang out over the communications channel. Some were official military unit designations, some belonged to up-and-coming mercenary squads, some were formerly famous gaming guilds, and there were even lone wolves...
These Mecha Pilots, with their wildly varied team names, were the remote operators of Earth's interception force!
Two months earlier...
As Virtual Helmets became widespread, virtual reality technology gradually began changing how Earth's humans lived and worked.
Large numbers of internet companies moved in, upgrading their technology to integrate fully with the virtual world. This was the tide of the times, and none wanted