Meanwhile, Back at Galaxy Garrison/Arise Galaxy Garrison

Meanwhile, Back at Galaxy Garrison

Flames are still raging at the remains of the destroyed base.  Injured crewmember look on.  The Explorer is floating in the bay as Hawkins requests a support fleet from Galaxy Garrison.  At Galaxy Garrison, the debate goes on as tanks, fighters, and capital ships gather for the annual war games.  Commodore Steele and Captain Newley enter, and apparently the support fleet was held up do to, um fiscal policy.  There's more debating and nonsensical dialogue.

Newley inserts a video cassete (HAHAHA) that shows a map of the area in which they've been fighting the Drules.  Then Hawkins comes through with video of the devastated base.  Steele asks how the Voltron Force is handling this, and Hawkins says they are out drilling again.  We see footage of them practicing the linkups into their subunits.  For the second time in recent episodes.  Steele and the council snark some more. 

We then cut to Space Marshall Graham at some horrible reception with some ridiculous comedian.  *Hirk*.  Basically, support for space exploration has waned and no one takes the Drule threat seriously. 

On the planet, crews and working with heavy machinery to clear the wreckage of the base.  Jeff and Hawkins are on a cliff overlooking the ocean; Hawkins tells Jeff he has no intention of waiting for their decision.

Steele and Newley finally make the decision to launch the fleet without Space Marshal Graham.

Jeff and Hawkins again prove that the writers forgot about previous episodes and discuss the red moon.  In space, a massive support fleet launches from Earth.  Ships from other planets form up rendezvous at the space station. 

Back at the reception, the comedian, "Barry," is mocking Space Marshall Graham who's trying to drown him out with punch.  In the council chambers, everyone is swilling coffee and chugging on cigarettes.  Newley narrates a video of Voltron forming and fighting the bowling ball robeast from the failed joint survey mission, among other robeasts. 

Steele admits they've been working on a duplicate Voltron, using the plans of Dr. Loring, who is apparently deceased.  This Voltron fights some tanks and fighters, and then blows up.  Not very promising.  Newley then turns to discussing their failed attempts at negotiating with the Drules.  He also tells the council about Sandu and his, um, being re-shot down by his own people.  Space Marshall Graham, meanwhile, is standing in a park and brooding about all this stuff while watching the pigeons.  Commodore Steele then calls the Explorer and tells them that the support fleet has been dispatched. 

Then we get the stock lounge footage as more filler.  Hey, team, we're getting a support fleet.  Oh, and it's 9:07.  Then they launch Voltron to greet the new support fleet.

Arise, Galaxy Garrison

The flames still rise at the devastated supply base.  Fuel deopts explode as the surviving crewmembers look on a small distance away.  Ise files a report to be sent to Galaxy Garrison.

The Garrison Security Council debates that the civilian government orders a reduction in the alert level.  The council is visited by Dewa and Asimov.  Apparently, even though the supply base was wiped out, the administration believes such things will reach Earth.  Dewa says the main issue is the survey teams situation.

The team is 32,000 light years from Earth, at a planet (Planet K) near the center of the galaxy.  They've been exploring for 6 years.  Ise transmits the view of the devasted base.  He urges them to reconsider the peaceful exploration--the choice now is to fight Galveston or to leave.  Dewa warns him that the Earth administration may react unfavorably.  Ise tells him that the Rugger teams' morale, meanwhile, is high.  At this moment, they are practicing the combinations into the subunits.

The council is concerned about the replenishment of supplies for the Rugger team.  Unlike in Voltron, the dialogue isn't all debate and infighting, it's the security council trying to figure out what they can do with the situation.  Asimov shows them the speculated position of the Galveston base, and the negotiations with Drake, though there's been no contact for a time.  Dewa is all for collecting all the data, then acting.

At the reception celebrating the reduced threat level, a speaker mocks the military's response.  They mention the tri-planet alliance.  Director Wakasa receives a call from Dewa, and Wakasa is pessimistic about their chances of getting a logical response.  Two people walk by saying that if Galveston wante to attack Earth, they would have by now.

On the planet, the work crews are clearing the wreckage.  Ise and Aki are on a cliff looking over the ocean, and Ise is determined to re-establish the base.

The council urges Dewa to violate regulations and order the First Allied Fleet to stage at the space fortress.  He does so.

Aki gets all weird about the red moon, and then we cut to the Earth fleet departing for the space fortress.  Miran and Salan fleets are also en route to the space fortress, though we won't see their ships in the fleet animation for long.  On the space fortress itself, patrols are being launched. 

At the reception, Wakasa listens to more derision directed at Galaxy Garrison.  They also basically call the survey force a bunch of wimps.  In contrast, Asimov shows the council footage of the Rugger Teams and the formation of Dairugger, plus a highlights real of Dairugger fighting against several Galveston battle machines.  Asimov is wary of the amount they've had to lean on Dairugger.  Dewa tells him that they're working on a support mecha, but it is a lesser machine.  We see footage of its performance as he highlights its failings.  Then it blows up after taking fire from conventional vehicles.  Asimov is worried about the morale of the teams and the individual members.  They ask him about Galveston, but they have no further data.  Asimov does explain thet they are specifically looking for inhabitable planets.  He also describes the difficulties of the joint surveys and the fractures in the Galveston chain of command.  We then flash back to Shim's death.  The problem isn't with the grunts, but with the Galveston government.  Dewa determines that the only option now is to strike back.

Wakasa is at a park, ruminating on peace and the efforts required to sustain it.  A boy and his dog are chasing pigeons as the sun sets.  This is like a tone poem.  And then Wakasa is being driven back to HQ.  The council decides to abide by his decision, whatever it may be.  He arrives and thanks them for their efforts, and then a video feed from the survey team comes on and they see the mass grave of the men killed in the attack on the base.  Dairugger erupts out of the sea, still training, and Wakasa says that they cannot sacrifice any more lives, and the time has come to engage Galveston.

Wow.  This episode is far more of a turning point than the Voltron version of it was.  Now it's time for war.