We're in the final stretch!
Zero Hour Approaches
The Galaxy Alliance fleet, led by the Voltron Force, is on its way to the Drule Homeworld. Captain Newley and Hawkins each get monologues about how they got pushed into this war against their better judgment.
Throk does some Drule propoganda, 'cuz he tells his people they're totally gonna win. Drule citizen listen as the cities around them crumble. Dorma and Baki determine that they need to contact the Galaxy Alliance. In his command center, Throk gets a call from Captain Holtis. They review the fleet and defenses which are being prepared. Oh, and there's a new robeast. It's got tentacles. Holtis has apparently supecharged the weapons on his ships, as well.
Closing in on the asteroid belt, the Explorer launches a satellite to probe ahead. The three Voltron team leads look on, and Jeff wonders why the Voltron force isn't involved. The probe is also hoping to pick up signals from peace-motivated factions among the Drules. Then Hawkins leaves to plan strategy.
A resistance fighter rushes into the rebel's planning room with news of the weapons they're planning to use. Then they start planning a jail-break for Hazar.
In the asteroid belt, a Drule scout unit detects the probe. In the hangars, Drules are looking over their ships. In the Alliance fleet, a meeting with Captain Newley is called. Back in the hangar, the "robots" discuss the preparations for the coming battle. Then alarms sound. Holtis orders the satellite probe destroyed. They launch missiles. Jeff orders the missiles destroyed, and the satellite lives a little longer. Holtis orders the use of a delay bomb, then we immediately cut to Drule fighter scrambling. The satellite can't hold out against the fighters. Hawkins is in favor to adhering to the original battle plan. Then they review it--and we cut to . . .
The Drule palace, where Baki is sneaking into a park-like area to meet with Hazar. A guard arrives and sends Hazar back to his room. Another guard sneaks up on Baki, but he cons his way past him. He enters Hazars room with dinner and tells him he'll bring a transmitter on another visit. Then the guards usher him out.
Newley anounces that they have reached the planet Drule.
On the bridge, Hawkins orders all engines started, and they move in.
Holtis orders the frontline weapons readied, and the battle begins. And we get some dumb play-by-play dialogue--"Heeere come the laserrrs!" The Galaxy Alliance fleet fights through stationary weapons emplaced on asteroids and break through to the Drule fleet. Throk offers him the use of the robeast, but he denies it.
Hawkins orders the teams on standby. Newley orders the fleet to charge the Drule ships. A robot tells Holtis that the asteroids should give the Drule side an advantage, but Holtis points out that they're making it through anyway. He deploys a fighter group and the robeast.
The Voltron force is standing by, watching the launch of the robeast. Hawkins gives them the word, and they launch. Then they form Voltron. The robeast flies through its own fleet as Voltron dodges enemy fire to engage the robeast. He starts things off by punching the robeast. Meanwhile, the fleets continue pounding each other. There's an animation gaff where Holtis is standing on his command post and the ships drawn on either side of him are Alliance battleships.
A Drule fighter pilot goes to destroy and Alliance ship, but is out of ammo and gets shot down.
Voltron is still fighting the robeast (it sure looks like one of those amphibious mobile suits from the original Gundam series). Then it gets Voltron in rocket ropes and electrocutes him until Ginger fires the Electro-Thermo Blast. Then Jeff pins it to an asteroid with a solar combat spear and cuts both the robeast AND the asteroid in half with the sword.
Holtis is distressed by the loss of the robeast. And we get his wrong-side-of-the-fight animation error. Holtis calls Throk and suggests using the citizens as human shields. Then Throk hears that Voltron has destroyed the robeast.
Newley tells Jeff that the fleet is low on power. Jeff tells Ginger to reprogram its weapons to destroy the base from a distance. Newley gives it his okay. They prepare a full-power electro-thermo-blast. The fleet withdraws and Holtis prepares to fire on Voltron. Voltron gets close enough and then releases the megabolt--and the base is no more.
Dorma tells the assembled resistance fighters that the council will never stop. They're going to go through with their plan to save Hazar.
Newley has received a message from the Drule supreme council requesting a momentary truce. They launch a "peace capsule" in a ceremony that's clearly a military funeral. Then Optimus Prime tells us that it's to be continued.
Entering the Final Zone of Defense
The Galaxy Alliance fleet, led by the Rugger teams in their subunits, passes the sixth planet of the Galveston system. Their ETA is thirty hours. The Rugger team leaders are tense and everyone is silent as they pass through a cloud of space dust.
On the Galveston Homeworld itself, the people stand around (is this late-Republican Rome levels of unemployment). Sirk and Bakke discuss the impending collapse of the planet and the fact the government continues to fight.
Speaking of which, Caponero and the Captain in charge of the inner protective zone, Holtes, discuss preparations. Caponero mulls sending two or three more battle attackers, but Holtes can't see how the Alliance could possibly overwhelm the forces he has.
The Alliance fleet closes in and Ise launches a probe. He and the three Rugger leads watch on the bridge. Aki wants to be sent to investigate, but Ise explains that he's keeping them in reserve. The next battle will be the final line of defense, and this will be a battle unlike any other battle they've fought. Ise leaves to attend the strategy meeting.
Bakke and Sirk are planning offensives of their own, when an informant tells them the Earth fleet has reached the final line of defense. Sirk decides they have to give Teles this information somehow. Unfortunately, they haven't heard from his father, Tes, yet. Bakke works in the palace. He volunteers to bring Teles the news. Meanwhile, Holtes and his frontline troops are preparing, and the Alliance fleet slowly moves in.
Newley illustrates the Galveston defense line.
A couple of troops preparing in the hangar are complaining about their lake up food and materiel. This really is Japan at the end of World War II. Then the alarms sound and Holtes sees the probe. He sends missiles to intercept it, which are destroyed by the probes self-defense missiles. Then Holtes launches fighters, which are more successful in intercepting the ship. Just before it's destroyed there's an awesome shot of a Galveston battleship just around an asteroid. Asimov points out that they've amassed quite a fleet.
Asimov reveals that three days ago he requested Galaxy Garrison to send another Allied Fleet in their wake if they failed.
Bakke sneaks into the park area in the palace where Teles has been taking a walk. A guard sends him back to his room. Another guard finds Bakke, but Bakke cons his way past him. He brings lunch to Teles and tells him that next time he'll bring a transmitter, and that the Galaxy Alliance Fleet is on the way. Oh, and his adjutant Sirk is leading the guerillas. Bakke does a pretty good "dotty old coot" performance to get past the guards.
Whew. And . . . commercial break. The ENTIRE FIRST HALF of this episode has been build-up. These guys know how to lay out an episode.
The Alliance fleet has halted just short of the final defense line. Part of the fleet is detached and moves in a cross formation. They open fire on the static emplacements. Holtes orders the static emplacements to return fire. The fighting is fierce, but the second fleet is breaking through the static defenses. Holtes orders his fleet to flank the vanguard. Holtes reports that the rest of the fleet has not moved, and Caponero is bemused.
The Rugger teams are watching the Second Fleet make their valiant press. Ise puts them on standby. Asimov sends the third fleet to support second, and the rest of his fleet to move around the current fighting. Holtes deploys the dragoon squadron, who were eating McDonalds. This was cut from Voltron probably because 1) They're really young and innocent looking and 2) They're not robots. The battle attacker is launched, and Ise deploys Dairugger. He starts the fight with fisticuffs. Their gfight passes through the Galveston formation.
Holtes urges his fleets to hold the enemy back. The battle attacker lures Dairugger into the asteroids. Asimov urges his own fleets to keep pressing. A Galveston pilot realizes his poorly-maintained and supplied ship is malfunctioning--and then dies.
Dairugger fights in the asteroid belt, then gets snared in the rocket ropes. Patty breaks free of the ropes with the wing beam. Then they pin the battle attacker to the asteroid with the lance and finish him and the asteroid off with the sword.
There are massive levels of attrition on both sides. Holtes adjutant tells him that they have lost the battle attacker, but destroyed 2/3 of the enemy fleet. Holtes tells Caponero that they have only 10 ships left, there is no hope for victory, and his death will be his apology. Caponero readies for the battle on the surface of the homeworld.
The alliance fleet lacks the firepower to destroy the enemy base. Aki prepares to use the Miracle Beam to take out the enemy base. Aki requests Asimov to withdraw from the line of fire. Holtes and his adjutant see that Dairugger is coming in close, and concentrate fire on him. Dairugger just has to dodge until he's close enough to unleash the miracle beam, and then the base--and Holtes--meet their ends.
Sirk's informant tells her that the final defensive line is breached. There is some brooding.
On the surviving Alliance ships, the crews observe a moment of silence for their fallen comrades.
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