The arrival of the Second Robinson Rangers was the first glimmer of hope the New Avalon Defenders had seen in three months. Breaking through the Combine's aerospace screen, the Rangers landed several hundred kilometers northwest of the capital. Moving quickly, they overran and destroyed the Fifth Sword of Light's Second Battalion, then headed toward Avalon City. Wolf's Dragoons, held in reserve for most of the New Avalon campaign, were ordered to stop the Rangers. In the forest preserve, the two sides collided.