Hazar Bucks the Empire
Cliff, Crick and Jeff are discussing the gorgeousness of the current planet. Jeff wants to name it Rover--after his dog on Earth. They're standing on the flight deck, watching the construction crew build the communications tower. Hawkins and Newley arrive to tell them their next assignment--representing the Alliance on a distant planet. Jeff accepts. They prepare to leave.
Jeff is on the bridge, impatient, and in Hawkin's seat. The Explorer and an escort of nine ships lift off, and Newley communicates with the Galaxy Alliance. The camera, meanwhile, takes us to a distant, red sun and a Pluto-like dwarf planet with a HOLE RIGHT THROUGH IT. And a ring of fragments. The background paintings for this series are still gorgeous. This planetoid is home to another Drule HQ, and Hazar is looking out the window at meteors streaking through the sky. Dorma appears and tells him that she has sent the message to the Galaxy Alliance asking for peace. Hazar talks about how the Drule empire's constant warfare destroyed the protective layer of asteroids around their planet, exposing them to UV radiation which is ruining their planet. Yep, planetary death explanation number two. A soldier summons Hazar to the council chambers as Commander Borgam returns from a scouting mission. His fleet is made up of the new style ships we first saw on Hazar is Demoted. Hazar's peace plan is big news. Even his father, Mozak, knows about it--Mozak, of course, is in favor of it. Mozak wans him that Hazar's generals may try to turn the peacefull meeting into a trap.
Borgam's fleet hangs in orbit, and he's sure the peace plan is just ruse; he wants to hold it on planet Barren. The fleet docks and Borgam and Hazar laments that all the general want is war. Borgam enters the chamber with four more captains, and the fifth is heading to the planet Barren with a trap in mind. Hazar is angry.
The Explorer and her escort ships approach the planet. The launch the Voltron force to investigate the planet near the pole, where the peace meeting is to be held. Professor Page analyzes the planet, but the planet looks unstable at closer viewing. The Voltron force is directly over the North pole, and find the cave in which they are supposed to meet the Drule representatives. Jeff orders Crick's team to stay outside as reserve. He and Cliff enter the cave.
Submerged in crevasse not far from the Sea Team awaits Captain Bardo's ships. He is angry that one of the Voltron ships is still outside. He launches his fleet to go after them. Crick realizes it's a trap.
In the cave, the air and land teams are flying through the lava-filled tunnels. Cliff wants to leave, but Jeff decides to give the Drules more time.
Bardo launches fighters. The Sea team engages them as Crick calls the Explorer for reinforcements. The Explorer and its, um, Venusian escort fighters go to their aid.
Bardo orders the Voltron force to be forced into the cavern. Shannon talks like Crick. Then Crick talks like Crick and says "After we go in there [that cavern], Voltron's coming out!" Classic line. Bardo orders the "robots" to seal the cave after then. Then the Explorer reaches the Drule fleet and the fighting begins.
Dorma tells Hazar that the attack is underway, and Borgam says he couldn't stop it, but once Voltron is destroyed, they won't need another peace meeting. Hazar stalks out of his office and broods.
Jeff and Cliff are trying to find a way out, and just go deeper into the cavern. And the heat just keeps rising. They turn around, and then see a robeast emerge from the rocks. This was is taller and more anthropomorphic than they have been through the series. It fires on the Land Team as the Sea Team is pursued into the cavern and comes upon the robeast. The subunits separate and they form Voltron.
They start the fight off with the spinning laser blades, but they miss. The robeast has its own sword. They fences with swords for a bit. but it gets its sword stuck in a rock. And then gets cut in half. Then the cavern starts to fill with lava as the entire planet begins to collapse.
Bardo orders the fleet to withdraw once the robeast is destroyed but the Voltron is still inside the planet. The Explorer watches the fleet withdraw as they try to contact Voltron.
Jeff tries to make a run for it in Voltron. They see an opening and split up to fit through. They escape just in time. The Alliance fleet follows the Voltron force away from the collapsing planet. In orbit, Jeff gets philosophical as the planet destroys itself.
Planet of the Burning Cave
Some more music stolen from developmental sessions for Macross open up on this Earthlike planet, and we see Asimov's fleet is establishing a new base. Aki, Walter and Keats discuss how this have changed since the beginning--and open war with Galveston. Ise and Asimov arrive, and Ise gives them a lecture. Asimov and Ise speculate that Galveston is in another arm of the Galaxy. The teams prepare to leave. Aki has preceded Ise on the bridge and gets kicked out of the captain's chair. The Rugger Guard and nine ships take off as escort. The base is 82% complete.
At a desolate asteroid outpost in the fartherst end of Galveston's home solar system, Sirk tells Teles that BLanc's fleet has been wiped out. Teles still wants to avoid conflict, and comments on the apparent changes in the attitude of the Earth fleet. He orders his survey fleets to avoid unnecessary conflict. He sits down at his desk and broods, but is interrupted by a fleet entering the region. It is Captain Raucher of the Homeworld Defense Force. That explains the fancy new capital ships/.
At the same time, Tes contacts Teles. He tells him that Emperor Corsair has put him in charge of destroying the Earth fleet with Raucher's fleets.
In holding orbit, Raucher is getting annoyed that they have not yet gotten permission to dock. They are finally allowed, while Teles and Sirk discuss this new turn of events. Then Raucher and his sub-captains arrive and introduce themselves: Juxon, Hudler, McKenney, Emma, and Beltran, who is currently underway to attack the Rugger Guard. Teles is incensed that they did it without his approval, and he orders Sirk to recall him.
The Rugger Guard approaches a new planet and the Rugger Teams launch, each forming their subunits.
Search is showing a five kilometer anomaly under the surface of the planet's polar region. Ise sends the teams to explore. They see a cave entrance. Keats detects a signal from within the cave. The Air and Land Ruggers go to investigate with the Sea Rugger in reserve.
Under a nearby Glacial see, Beltran's fleet is lying in wait. He launches all ships to attact the Sea Rugger. Kagas warns Keats, and they prepare to fight, trying to raise Aki.
The Air and Land teams are flying through a long tunnel with exposed lanes of lava. The temperature is rising, and Aki thinks the planet looks like its collapsing. Walter suggests they leave, but Aki wants to find the source of the signal.
Outside, Beltran's forces engage the Sea Team. Keats advises the Rugger Guard of their situation, and Ise moves the entire fleet into the atmosphere. Beltram orders the fleet to force Sea Rugger into the case. His XO tells him that Teles is calling, but he refuses to answer.
Keats decides to enter the cave in the hopes of reuniting with the others. Beltram laughs, believing that they'll be trapped. The Rugger Guard and fleet arrive, and Beltram orders the cave sealed and engages. He demands the Earth to surrender, and then activates the Battle Attacker in the cave.
Sirk tells Teles that Beltram is ignoring his orders to disengage. Raucher wants to send reinforcements, but Teles just walks out on him.
Aki is beginning to think this is a Galveston trap. They fly deeper through the tunnel, and a cave-in begins. Kai and Mutsu tell him that the mecha's cooling systems are overtaxed. Aki orders them to go back, but they are attacked by a battle attacker. Meanwhile, the Sea Team is leading a flight of Galveston ships into the tunnel. The flight leader orders his fliers to break off and leave the mecha to the battle machine. The sea team comes up on the battle between the other teams and the Battle Attacker. They separate and reform into Dairugger.
Spin cutters are the opening attack. The battle attacker throws Dairugger into a wall, and then forms a sword. Dairugger forms his own sword, and they buckle some swashes. The battle attacker fights dirty, but Dairugger evades it with some acrobatics and destroys it.
Lava flows into the cave as the explosion triggers the final collapse. Outside, Beltram withdraws. The Rugger fleet sees them leave and detects that the planet is collapsing. Dairugger is caught in a cave in, but Aki has the teams separate and they fly out in their individual units. They make it out of the cave chased by a lava flow. The Rugger fleet follows the team out of the atmosphere and away from the planet's collapse.
Aki watches the planet disintegrate and thinks of the stellar ramifications. And the need for peace.
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