Early the next morning, Susumu Kodai again took an air car to the fleet dock with determination. The crew was all lined up in front of Yamato‘s ramp. The ship was almost back to normal.
They all glanced at Susumu as he walked up to them. They had heard that he’d resigned as captain. He avoided eye contact with the others, went to the end of the line, and looked forward. Sanada and Shima stared in surprise at first, but smiled when they saw that Susumu had joined the line. Susumu remained facing forward, unmoving.
“General guard, form up!” a voice called out.
Everyone stood erect and immobile, chests out in unison.
“Salute!”
Susumu also saluted. The Commander and Yuki Mori appeared in front of the assembled crew members, walking slowly. They looked at each other and exchanged private words. The crew members were buzzing.
“It’s the commander!”
“Is he the new captain?”
“No way…”
Susumu remained still, staring ahead.
The commander stood in front of everyone. He slowly looked at each person’s face and stopped in front of Susumu. Susumu looked at him and tried to open his mouth. The commander raised his right hand a little and stopped him from speaking. He nodded as if he understood. Susumu kept his mouth closed. The commander took his eyes off Susumu and looked at everyone again. Then he cut off their hushed conversation.
“I am not the new captain. I would love to board Yamato and fight, but that’s not going to happen.”
He paused, then spoke again.
“The new captain has been aboard Yamato since last night.”
“What?”
The crew looked at each other again.
“Who in the world is it?” Sanada asked.
“You’ll find out when you get on board,” the commander answered.
A voice called out, “All aboard,” and everyone headed up the ramp. They were all about to take their places on Yamato. A strong, clear voice could be heard coming from speakers located throughout the ship.
“This is Juzo Okita, the first captain of the Space Battleship Yamato. Prepare to launch! All hands to your stations!”
The crew members froze and looked up at the nearest loudspeaker.
“What?”
“Captain Okita!”
“That’s impossible!”
“I say again, Yamato will prepare to launch immediately. All hands to your stations!”
Unsure of what was going on, the crew rushed to their posts. The commander looked up at Yamato from the dock and smiled.
Susumu Kodai and the others rushed into the first bridge. Yuki followed behind them.
They all gasped and stood still when they saw who was in the captain’s seat. Juzo Okita gazed back at the main crew.
“You look like you’re in a daze,” he said. “I am not a ghost. As you can see, both legs are attached!”
Captain Okita glanced at Susumu. Unlike the rest of the crew, Susumu had already met Okita the previous night. The stunned crew came to their senses.
“Captain Okita! You’re still alive!”
Everyone looked at Okita as if he were a phantom. It was only natural. A man who was supposed to be dead was sitting in the captain’s seat and giving orders.
Okita finally yelled, “Shima, get the navigation team ready for launch! Yamazaki, open an energy charging circuit for the auxiliary engines! Switch power on! Chief Engineer Sanada, check the ship’s internal mechanisms! Aihara, open all communication circuits! Ota, activate the automatic navigation computer! Nambu, check fire control system!”
Okita’s tone was filled with a sense of urgency as he barked orders. He shouted so loudly that blood vessels swelled up at his temples. Everyone rushed to their seats and began to carry out the orders. Okita dropped heavily back into the captain’s seat and glanced down at Susumu Kodai, who was still standing alone.
“Kodai!” he said harshly.
Susumu shuddered and looked up at Okita’s face, standing bolt upright.
“You, as the leader of the battle group, will take command of the launch.”
“Yes, sir!”
Susumu rushed to the battle command seat.
Reports came in one after another from various departments. Okita nodded at each of them.
“Engine room is in position!”
“Central computer room is in position!”
“All-sky radar room in position!”
“Second bridge is in position!”
“Navigation team in position for launch!”
The panel displays at Sanada’s station all turned blue. He scanned it and said, “The repair rate for all internal mechanisms is at 80 percent, but we are ready to sail.”
Okita nodded. “Good.”
“No wave engine abnormalities,” Yamazaki reported. “Auxiliary engines charged to 80 percent!”
“Ready for launch,” Susumu said. “Raise the gangway!”
“Raising the gangway! Releasing the first, third, and fifth mooring cables!”
Aihara looked back at Okita. “Captain, the destroyer Fuyuzuki is hailing us.”
The main video panel activated. Captain Mizutani of the Fuyuzuki appeared and saluted. Okita looked up at him.
“I am Mizutani, captain of the destroyer Fuyuzuki. We are currently assembling the cruiser Yahagi and seven destroyers. Captain Okita, I request permission for these nine ships, including Fuyuzuki, to accompany you.”
Okita nodded and replied, “I will allow them to accompany us. Thank you.”
Mizutani quickly saluted. The main panel switched off, and the image briefly distorted before disappearing. Fuyuzuki and the other nine ships sailed out one after another. The fleet dock shuddered with a loud noise as if it had exploded.
“Auxiliary engines start,” Okita ordered. “Gate open!”
“Auxiliary engines, power on!” Yamazaki switched on the panel. “Switch on!”
The lamps on the instrument panel in front of Yamazaki began to flash red all at once.
Yamazaki read from the gauges. “Auxiliary engine constant speed 1600! Thrust balance on both sides is normal, perfect!”
“Release the second and fourth mooring cables,” Kodai said. “Raise the anchor!”
The anchor was slowly raised.
Shima put his hand on the control sticks. “Slow ahead, 0.5!”
“Slow ahead, 0.5!” Yamazaki repeated.
Yamato slowly began to leave the dock. The commander and the maintenance crew looked at each other expectantly. The commander folded his hands behind his back and stared intently at Yamato‘s heroic figure as it eased forward.
“Yamato and Captain Okita,” he said. “Earth can only depend on you now. Kodai, we’re counting on you!”
The water planet Aquarius was controlled by Uruk, a city satellite commanded by the High Priest Lugal. Aquarius was repeatedly warping through space like a skipping stone. Lugal was very pleased to receive word from Lugal II, who had moved to the mobile fortress mothership located in Pluto space. From the window of Uruk’s battle command center, Lugal gazed at Aquarius.
“I see… you have trapped the Earthlings on their planet. As my son, you surely did what I ordered you to do.” Lugal smiled. “All is going well. I alone devised this plan and carried it out. I will not let anyone interfere with it.”
He remained staring out the window for quite a while.
Meanwhile, a fleet that neither Earth nor Dengil had foreseen was advancing toward the solar system. It was the Dessler fleet.
Of course, Dessler did not yet know the current situation on Earth. He sat slumped in his battle command seat, his eyes closed like a dead man. Occasionally, he would open his eyes to check his position.
On Dessler’s left chest was a wilted red flower he had picked up in the ruins of his palace. He wore it close to his heart.