The Galactic Whirlpool

The Galactic Whirlpool

The Argo is approaching an unknown planet, and Nova is manning the coffee cart.  Venture complains that there's no milk.  Ryder establishes the course heading for the planet Balin/  Nova wonders if Starsha of Iskandar knows the Star Force is delayed.  Venture replies that she seems to know everything.

Gamilon troops assemble in front of a commander whose name is not subtitled.  Then we see a large fleet approach, and one ship lands.  The Gamilon general Lysis disembarks, and tells the current commander, Balgar, that he is now in charge on Balin.  Then Lysis proceeds to throw a tantrum and trash the (rather tastelessly decorated) office.  He then confines everyone to quarters.

Wildstar and his crew are performing maintenance on the fighters, and babble inanely for a while.  Ahh, it's almost like watching Voltron.  Then something causes the ship to start shaking.  Wildstar goes to see what's up.

Avatar calls Orion from the bridge to see why the wave engine has stopped.  Orion is working on it.  Wildstar arrives on the bridge and asks Venture what's wrong, but nobody knows.  The auxiliary engines aren't helping.  Then they figure out that they're on the edge of a galactic whirlpool.  Umm.  A black hole?  They turn on the video panel and look at the whirlpool.  Then Wildstar needs the explanation of the galactic whirlpool. and we get a garbled (but passable) explanation of black holes--oh, the whirlpool is  predecessor to a black hole.

The Argo passes the wreckage of other ships that have been caught in the whirlpool.  Then--they find a Gamilon ship that is totally NOT wrecked.

Lysis and Balgar are closing in on the Star Force.  Lysis refuses to let the whirlpool cheat him of victory.  Wildstar prepares the wave motion gun, but there isn't enough power.  Venture protests the plan to fight.  Wildstar appeals to Avatar, but Avatar sides with Venture.  The Argo tries to pull free, and the Gamilon ship opens fire.  Wildstar protests that there's only one enemy ship.

Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet is approaching, and Lysis and Balgar debate closing in or holding off.  Then the Argo picks up more than 3,000 more Gamlion ships.  Venture can't pilot the ship any faster.  Avatar reassures him that they can find their way out if they found one in.  Sandor tells him the instruments are useless.

The Gamilon fleet opens fire.  Avatar decides to respond.  Wildstar fires the main cannons (not the wave motion gun).  Balgar laughs.  Lysis orders his ships to continue firing.  There's a shot of laser-fire streaking past the Argo bridge that looks an awful lot like some shots of Zentradi ships firing on the Macross.  Then the Argo loses all power.  Avatar slumps in his seat, then looks at the astrocompass, which is the only functioning instrument.  Queen Starsha of Iskandar contacts them through it, and tells them to follow the direction indicated by the compass.  Power returns, and everything is back to normal.  they fire the engines and return fire on the Gamilons while Venture pilots them on Starsha's course.  Lysis loses his mind as this all goes on.  Orion reports that the wave motion engine is functioning again, and Avatar plans to jump as soon as they're out of the whirlpool.

The battle continues, and Wildstar gives Venture his own brand of encouragement.  Avatar orders the main guns to stop firing.  Wildstar orders or reports that all seatbelts are fastened.  Then the ship makes a space warp and Lysis has a meltdown. 

Venture and Wildstar are musing on Starsha when Nova appears and Wildstar gets all weird.  At his headquarters, Lysis types in his diary about fighting the Star Force.  There are only 273 days left.