Help Not Wanted/Annihilation of the Reinforcement Fleet

Help not Wanted

In space, various fleets of the Drule Empire are receiving orders to report on the Voltron force from Hazar.  Hazar and Mongo are told by an operator at headquarters that they've lost track of the Explorer.  Viceroy Throk returns Hazar's call, and Hazar tells hm they've promised not to use Voltron.  Throk simply orders them destroyed.  He's been pulled from a meeting with the Imperial Emperor.  (What else are "Emperors" if not "Imperial").  There's some nonsensical dialogue about Mongo being in charge now and Hazar being in charge of a tug ship.  Blah blah blah filling scenes blah blah blah.

The Explorer is entering Drule space.  Newley wonders about their orders, and Hawkins leaves the bridge for lunch.  The radar operator picks up weird signals--either the enemy or a backup squadron.

Jeff, Cliff and Crik sample high protein vega sauce with ice cream.  They see Hawkins, and Jeff goes to talk to him--but is mistaken for Sammy the cook at first.  Jeff voices his concern that they're not allowed to use Voltron on this mission (this is the first of a dozen weird invented subplots that they must have come up with to 1) fill dialogue space and 2) make things make sense when they didn't have access to the series' larger continuity).

The support fleet is detected, and they are approaching the Explorer through an asteroid belt.  Then Captain Keyo, the support fleet captain, detects Drule ships.  The Voltron force launches.  Mongo launches "gyro rockets" which are their normal fighters.  The support fleet bridge crew discuss things like it's all happening to the Explorer, when the footage implies that the Drule fleet is attacking THEM.  Keyo launches proton torpedoes, which are actually the normal fighters.

Keyo contacts the Voltron force and tells them to leave the area.  Jeff decides to disobey orders, and leaves the Sea team to protect the Explorer.

Mongo and his XO discuss the fact they're not using Voltron. 

The Air team approaches the battle and forms the Stratofighter (first time we see this subunit).  Keyo's crew see the the Voltron Force, and Keyo is angered, and says "Leave the area" about 45 more times.  The Air team ignores orders and drives off a contingent of fighters.  Then they encounter Mongo's capital ships.  Mongo bombards the Stratofighter.  Keyo's ships prepare to return fire, but heistate because Jeff's in the way.  Then they fire anyway.  The Stratofighter separates and withdraws.

Mongo launches the robeast to destroy the backup squadron.  Keyo sends a transmission to Hawkins, reporting that the robeast is making a mess of them, but they will hold it off for the Explorer to escape.  Hawkins is troubled, but orders the Explorer to withdraw as they complete repairs.  And then the Voltron force launches again.  They ignore Hawkins' orders to return.

The battle is raging, and not going well for the backup squadron.  They're down to three remaining ships when Hazar tells him he's coming back on the next shuttle.  Then the Voltron force appears.  Hazar convinces Mongo to withdraw and leave the robeast to destroy the last remaining ships.

This is the only acknowledged time that a named character dies.  The robeast destroys Captian Keyo's ship just as the Voltron force arrives and they see the robeast.  An angry Jeff orders them to form Voltron.  They form blazing sword, but take a couple missiles to the midriff and get hit with a space flamethrower.  Crik turns on the air conditioning, and then they finish off the robeast.  Jeff dedicates the victory to Captain Keyo.

The Voltron force waits in the lounge to see how Hawkins will punish Jeff, Cliff and Crik.  They tell him they have no regrets in going to rescue the support fleet.  And then Hawkins sentences them to ice cream with vega-sauce.  Except it's real butterscotch this time. 

Annihilation of the Reinforcement Fleet

The Galveston Lafitte, Laurent, Morgan, Gramont and Doorn fleets are all investigating various sectors in space.  After the title card, the Barataria fleet is mentioned.  Teles asked about the status of the alien survey ship.  He wants to contact the home planet, but the general staff is in meetings.  Then, Supreme Commander Caponero calls.  Teles explains to him that there is a powerful new enemy entering their space.  Caponero isn't impressed.  He tells Teles he should just destory the ship and go on with searching for new planets.  Teles starts to suggest they form a joint expedition, but Caponero cuts him off.

Drake and Teles discuss their plans.  Drake suggests Teles devote all his energy to finding a new planet, while he works on destroying the enemy ship.

Aboard the Rugger Guard, they's approaching an asteroid belt and a rendezvous with the support fleet.  Ise goes to have lunch.  In the lounge, Aki is a wimp when he can't eat spicy curry.  Then Ise arrives and Aki asks him about the Galveston situation.  Ise basically tells him to basically be patient and be pleased that they've discovered a new, advanced civilization.  Then the intercom interupts them to tell them that the support fleet will arrive.

Captain Kehl, leader of the support fleet, is setting the final course for the rugger guard when they detect the Galveston fleet heading for the Rugger Guard.  Kehl moves to intercept.

The Rugger Guard takes up a defensive position inside the asteroid belt.  The Rugger teams deploy to screen out the enemy.

The Galveston fleet sees the support fleet and launches fighters.  Captain Kehl likewise launches fighters.  Lotsa shootin' ensues.

Back on the Rugger Guard, repair crews are trying to finish.  Captain Kehl calls Aki from the Salan/Miran support fleet.  Kehl tells them to evacuate and rendezvous later.  Aki takes the Air team to cover the support fleet.

On his flagship, Roche tells Drake that the support fleet doesn't seem to carry battle machines.  Drake orders the fleet to move in.

The air team is approaching the battle and Aki forms the Air Rugger.

Captain Kehl's bridge crew, observing the battle, sees that they are not doing so well--then they detect the main fleet approaching.  They also see the Air Rugger approaching.  Kehl tries to warn Aki back, but does he listen?  'Course not.  Kehl is annoyed.  The Galveston fighters begin retreating and Aki turns to following, ignoring Kehl's warnings.  They see the Galvestion fleet.  Drake sees them coming, and orders the entire fleet to fire on them.  The support fleet prepares to open fire.  They hesitate, due to the Air Rugger's presence, but start taking heavy fire from the Galveston ships.  They fire.  The Air Rugger avoids fire from both sides, and then withdraws.  Drake sees the battle machine team leave, and so deploys his own battle machine.

The Rugger Guard's repairs are 98% complete.  The Air team returns.  Kehl contacts Ise and reiterates the need for the Rugger Guard to leave.  Ise isn't happy about leaving the fleet behind.  The Rugger team echoes his sentiments by launching to aid the support fleet.

The Miran and Salan ships are no match for the Galveston capital ships--pr the battle machine.  Kehl's XO urges him to withdraw, but Kehl refuses.  Roche tells Drake on the Galveston flagship bridge that there are three enemy ships left.  Teles calls him; Drake tells him the situation--and that they have lost 15 ships themselves.  The Rugger team arrives, and Teles orders him to withdraw.  He leaves the battle machine behind to finish the Miran/Salan fleet and to face Dairugger.

Kehl sees the enemy fleet withdraw, the Rugger team arrive--and then the battle machine destroys the other two ships.  Kehl points out that the ship is incapable of making sharp turns, which is a liability in close combat--apparently close combat is what makes battle machines the menace they are.

Aki, Walter, and Keats see the destruction of Kehl's ship, and they form Dairugger.  The fight against the battle machine doesn't take long.  The space-flamethrower holds them back for a minute, but they all consolidate power stores and put an end to the enemy machine. 

Aki has a moment of silence in Commander Kehl's memory.

The three heads of the Rugger teams meet Ise in the lounge.  Ise has them sit, and then asks them if they regret disregarding orders.  They don't/  He has them eat the super spicy curry.  Except the chef had put tons of sugar in it.