Xenoblade Chronicles Guide- Walkthrough Part 16: Ether Guardians

After that bit of interesting insight into the use of Ether, Reyn returns to his friends.  Having overheard the last few things Shulk said, he chides the scientist for overthinking things, and reprises the explanation of the Defence Force using the area for training, pointing out that with the challenge for getting up here, sending soldiers to retrieve the cylinders ensures that there will be a minimum level of skill- and that those skills will not grow rusty from disuse.

Fiora, naturally, takes advantage of this opportunity to tease Reyn for needing help to get here (which he may well not have) and tells him to come alone to the hangar in the future, since he shouldn’t need to drag Shulk along if he’s really that strong.

Shulk, however, shushes the two before the bickering can get any further.  He has heard a strange noise- which apparently was either a cue for or a forerunner of a pair of strange white machines that hover in the air before the erstwhile trio.  Before anyone can really do anything, the bizarre robots attack.

This fight is, as it turns out, not much worth noticing.  While the machines are tough, they lack even the offensive power of particularly strong Caterpile.  It should be very easy to simply gang up on the machines one at a time and kill them thoroughly.  With that out of the way, Shulk asks Fiora if she’s alright- she reassures the blond and returns the question, which causes Shulk to thank both her and Reyn for their protection.

Reyn asks Shulk if he knows anything about the strange machines- Fiona suggests that they may be Mechon, but Shulk refutes the idea.  He believes the odd things to be remnants of an older civilization set to guard the Hangar.  Reyn asks him why they haven’t been seen before if they were lingering around, and Shulk suggests that they might be guardians of some sort, which would have naturally been activated in response to some provocation....

...some provocation other than the three Colonists.

Unnerved by the thought, Fiora suggests returning home, and Shulk agrees- but before anyone can actually reach the edge of the ledge, the reason why the guardians were activated is revealed.

The Mechon.