Now stuck in a cell, Kodai is visited by Chief Engineer Tokugawa (another old friend) who observes that he and Okita are more alike than it would appear. Dr. Sado arrives with some sake to calm the nerves and mentions to Kodai that he wasn’t the only one to lose family at Mars. At that moment, Okita gazes sadly at a photo of his son.
Yamato drifts past Pluto and Okita announces to the crew that they will each get one minute on the communicator for a private farewell to their families. Their joy at this prospect turns to tears as each of them leaves the comm room after their precious minute expires.
Shima talks to his son Jirou, who texts him back: Good luck papa, I miss you.
Saito, leader of the marines, talks with his perpetually-worried mother and holds up a pendant he wears as his personal good luck charm. He promises that she’s got nothing to worry about. (Uh-oh.)
Kodai is released from the brig for his session, and he passes another familiar face; a junior officer named Ando who proudly states that he’s been assigned to the third bridge. (Uh-oh.) In the comm room, Kodai stares at the blank screen for a second, then pulls out Analyzer. This is his only family now.
Yuki recovers in the mess hall and discusses Kodai’s history with Shima. She learns from him why such a gifted soldier left the service. Shima recounts past missions in which ace pilots would intercept planet bombs in orbit and knock them off their trajectory to prevent impact with Earth. They were hailed as heroes every time. But in one such mission, a Planet Bomb was diverted right into an orbiting space colony. Kodai’s parents were there, along with Shima’s pregnant wife. The Kodais were killed, but she managed to escape while delivering their son Jirou, who is now mute.
This is what moved Kodai to quit the service, very shortly after Yuki joined his squadron.
The ship warps far from the Solar system, heading outward for the Large Magellanic Cloud. A stray Gamilas fighter is spotted, probably a straggler that got caught in their wake. Okita orders it brought on board and examined, then immediately collapses to the floor.
Dr. Sado attends to him as the enemy fighter is examined in the hangar bay. It seems dead until touched, then it suddenly releases a humanoid creature with piercing blue light in the spaces between its armor plates.
The marines and other crew go right into action, raking the hangar with gunfire. The creature (called a “Gamilasborg” in the novelization and a “Gamilasroid” on soundtrack CD) leaps and dodges like an insect until it is finally brought down. Saito edges toward it, his rifle trained on its unmoving form. The blue light coalesces and rises out of it, then leaps into his body! He convulses as it races through his system, then levitates to his feet and gathers himself.
His eyes open, now a piercing blue. As the others stand with guns ready, he speaks in a deep bass tone that every fan of the anime will recognize. He introduces himself as Dessler.
This is the first face-to-face contact between Earth and Gamilas, and crucial details are learned. The race called “Gamilas” by the people of Earth is not a race at all, it’s a consciousness. A hive-mind with several bodies and a single purpose. Perhaps. Dessler says only that it could be thus. “The answer is yes…and no.” Kodai demands to know why Gamilas is attacking Earth. Dessler replies that they are not attacking it…they are “renovating” it. He laughs with cold contempt.
Kodai has heard enough and drops Saito with a stun blast, but “Dessler” is unfazed. Blue light streams out of Saito’s body and forms into a crystal shape hanging in midair. Before it can be contained, a marine with a nervous trigger finger blows it away.
Kodai and others sit in the ship’s bar and toast Saito’s complete recovery. Yuki remarks that only Saito could take a stun-shot and be on his feet again just a few hours later. Saito respectfully salutes Kodai for saving his life, but then Kodai is called away to meet with Captain Okita.
Back on the flight deck, the captured Gamilas fighter hums menacingly to life again.
In the captain’s quarters, Okita is bedridden. To Kodai’s surprise, Okita wants to make him the acting Captain of Yamato. Kodai refuses, but Okita shuts down all argument by grabbing his microphone and announcing the promotion to the entire ship. The matter is settled.
Yamato warps again, and alarms sound. The captured fighter now crackles with energy, and the first assumption is that it’s about to explode. Sanada dismisses this, but says with grim conviction that it has almost certainly given away their position. It is unceremoniously dumped into space and blasted apart, but the damage has already been done.
The first incoming shots damage the third bridge, and Ando calls in for help. Kodai orders the Wave-Motion Gun powered up and one shot is enough to fend off the still-distant Gamilas ships…or so it seems at first. With all their attention drawn forward, the crew doesn’t notice a stealth ship approaching from the rear until it is too late–and the spidery craft has locked its mechanical limbs around the third bridge!
Ando begs Kodai for help. All escape routes have been blocked and the third bridge crew is trapped as the stealth ship prepares to self-destruct. There is literally nothing that can be done for them. Kodai assures Ando that help is on the way, then contacts Yuki outside in her Black Tiger.
Mustering all the calm he can, Kodai orders her to fire at the third bridge’s support beam and cut it free from Yamato. If she doesn’t, the entire ship will be destroyed. Seeing no other way out, she follows the order then watches in horror as the structure drops away and explodes.
Afterward, a humbled Kodai visits Okita in his quarters and gets advice in shouldering the burdens of command. Okita takes the moment to introduce another burden. “There’s something I haven’t told you about this mission….”
Kodai finds Yuki in her quarters. She still reels in horror from what had to be done, but she doesn’t hold it against him. He grips her in both hands and apologizes for giving her such a terrible order, then plants a kiss. Surprised, she nevertheless begins to kiss him back. Their bodies drift slowly off their feet as Yamato commences another warp. Her hair rises to cradle them both.
Yamato warps again, and a cry rings throughout the ship: “Iscandar!” Indeed, a planet now looms outside the bridge windows. Shima confirms that they have reached their destination. This is Iscandar! It looks very much like Earth before the war, covered in blue, green and white.
Before anyone can celebrate, they are thrown right back into pitched battle. More Gamilas ships than they’ve ever seen are moving to surround them. One approaching ship is blasted head-on, but out of it comes a rapidly spinning missile. Before anyone can react, prongs pop out of its hull and it wedges itself into the barrel of the wave-motion gun. It lodges tight in place, blocking the gun completely. Using it now would cause a backfire and destroy the ship.
Without the prime weapon, Kodai insists they have no choice but to warp out. Sanada protests Kodai’s order, saying they don’t have enough time to calculate a destination. They could end up hopelessly lost. Both Kodai and Shima lock their hands around the throttle. As tension mounts, they stare hard at each other…and Shima relents.
Yamato reappears and Sanada grabs Kodai, furious at the gamble he just took. But in fact, they have only moved to the other side of Iscandar. This side looks quite different; a rugged red surface that reminds everyone of what Earth has become. It’s as if two planets had merged. The truth is realized; Iscandar and Gamilas are one. This is still their destination–the coordinates from the message capsule are beneath its surface.
Kodai and the prime crew puzzle out their situation; this could all have been a trap to lure them to their deaths. But there is still the matter of Kodai’s miraculous recovery on Earth and the faith it has given him. He demands that they see this through all the way to the end.
With no sign yet of incoming enemies, everyone moves quickly to plot a landing strategy. Kodai gives a rousing “this is for all the marbles” speech to the crew, concluding with a request for everyone to render a respectful salute to Captain Okita. They do so with unity and determination…and Okita gives an exasperated salute in return.
Kodai arrives in the hangar, suited up for flight. He will lead the attack in his Cosmo Zero, their one and only stealth ship. The marines work themselves into a berserker frenzy, looking ridiculous but earning Kodai’s approval. He inserts Analyzer into a slot beneath the Cosmo Zero, then climbs into the cockpit. Yuki sends him off with a kiss to his canopy, leaving him with lip marks on the glass and the hammiest smile she can muster.
