After the elimination of "Cinder" Carla and "Chatty" Stick to ruin their plans of ramming the floating city, the Xylem, in an effort to burn the Coral to prevent any future disasters, you moved your AC to the outer right-side area of the Xylem. That's where V.IV Rusty, now fully devoted to the Rubicon Liberation Front, met with you in his new AC, "STEEL HAZE ORTUS."

Below the Xylem on the surface of Rubicon 3, explosions were erupting everywhere as RLF soldiers were in the middle of a massive counterattack against the Arquebus Corporation forces. You and V.IV Rusty fought through waves of Arquebus MTs while destroying the city's drive blocks, until he had to go intercept an Arquebus fleet, leaving you to continue into the Xylem.

*After destroying the final drive block, you moved your AC to a supply sherpa, and heard Rusty's warning to you through the comms:"

V.IV Rusty: "Bad news, buddy. Something's heading straight for your position. I've never seen something move that fast... They must have finished work on BALTEUS!"

You opened up the partition, which took you to a large platform area that seemed like a place where aircraft were stationed. There, someone was waiting for you there.

V.II Snail: "...Raven, the independent mercenary. You're not the mutt I thought you were."

He flies his BALTEUS with even more speed than you remembered it having back in the PCA's Watchpoint Delta.

V.II Snail: ""You're below that—you are vermin!""