SPACE CRUISER YAMATO
Season 4 – Depths of the Unknown
Written by Scott Mercure
smercure@charter.net / www.athenaverse.com
August 12, 2003
Disclaimer: Yamato and all associated materials are registered under the original Japanese trademark owners (Matsumoto & Nishizaki), all rights are reserved. Star Blazers is a registered trademark of Voyager Entertainment, all rights reserved.
This fan fiction is not endorsed by any of the above trademark owners nor was permission given to use Yamato (Star Blazers) materials. I wrote this to see if would be able to design and write by own thoughts and ideas into what is to this day my all time favorite Sci-Fi Anime series.
If you have any comments, suggestion or questions please feel free to contact me via e-mail. Your thoughts and feedback are greatly appreciated!!
This series takes place fifteen years after Final Yamato. Since I do not know what happened between Final Yamato and the beginning of this series I will leave it up to your imagination. J Also, as you read you will notice that I use all the character names from the US release with the exception of the "Argo" (Star Blazers). This is because I like the original name "Yamato" because in my opinion the original Japanese release of "Space Cruiser Yamato" is far superior to the US release (which I grew up with as a kid). But since this story is written in English I kept the all the names from the US release to make for easier identification in the event you have never seen the original Japanese version.
EPISODE 1:
Desslok Under Siege!
The Year: 2218
Desslok's flagship maintained its speed and heading as it approached the distant galaxy he had dubbed the Twisted Nebula. This came from the odd way the fifteen planets rotated around the massive sun. Half the planets were rotating clockwise while the others were counterclockwise. He found it both scientifically fascinating and immediately decided to go and investigate.
Following behind were several other ships, three dozen space battleships, two carriers with a full compliment of fighters and twenty escort ships. The leader of the Gamalon Empire was not seeking conquest, he was instead searching for yet another inhabitable planet. His own world, New Galmania, was experiencing a shortage of raw materials to expand his rapidly growing Empire.
A year after he had witnessed the tragic sacrifice of the Yamato to the planet Aquarius he and what was left of his fleet went in search of a new world. The President of Earth had offered to share their planet with the Gamalons but Leader Desslok had refused. His reasons were that he felt the people of Earth would not so easily forgive his efforts to take over their planet in 2199. Even worse was when he had joined the Comet Empire in 2201, who also sought to conquest the Earth. Because of these past events he politely shook his head and headed off into space, his destination and fate unknown.
His fleet traveled though the vast emptiness of space for months before finally discovering a habitable planet. It did not resemble his first two homes, but it had an atmosphere and all the other necessities needed to live. To him it was an untamed world, void of any intelligent life that would oppose his claiming it as his own. It took years before his Empire was able to terraform the surface and build the capital city. It was not until he discovered that the planet was quickly, and unexpectedly running out of raw building materials. He had plans to construct other cities on the planet, but now lacked the means to do so. Worse was that he could not even add to his fleet, which he saw as dangerously lacking in size.
Once again he had left his new home in search of other planets and moons that would have the materials he needed. He had found a few, but most of the others were useless rocks floating in space. But this nebula, which his astronomers practically begged him to investigate, looked promising. He hoped these planets were like the ones in his own galaxy, unoccupied and free for him to claim in the name of the Gamalon Empire.
Talan, his second in command, turned away from the sensor console and stepped up behind his leader. "Sir, long range scans are unclear if any of the planets are inhabited."
"Our technology is the most advanced in the Universe, Talan." Desslok replied, his gaze still on the view-screen. "Explain to me why we are unable to get a positive reading."
"I do not know, Leader Desslok, it would seem that our scans are being…" Talan said, trying to think of a proper answer. "diverted. Our scientists cannot explain it."
Desslok closed his eye and lowered his head, which anyone who worked around him knew this was how he worked out a problem. After a moment he opened his eyes and turned to face his second in comment.
"That would suggest that there is either life on one of those planets who possess jamming technology, or because of the strange rotation of the plants around the sun."
"As always you are brilliant in your deduction of the situation." Talan replied, nodding. "Your orders sir?"
"Inform the rest of the fleet to remain alert and bring all weapons to ready status." The Gamalon leader ordered, folding his arms as he turned back to the view-screen. "Maintain speed and heading. I am going to retire to my private quarters. Alert me when we are approaching the first planet."
"Of course sir!" Talan responded, his heels clicking together as he stood up straight. "Helm, maintain speed and heading."
Desslok stared at the nebula for a few more seconds before heading to the rear of the bridge, his black cloak swirling around his legs. The automatic door opened silently as he entered the lift, an automated voice asking his destination.
"My chambers." Was all he said, knowing the computer would recognize his voice and destination. He hardly felt the lift move as it sped off. When the doors opened he was greeted by two of his personal servants, who bowed in his presence. Neither spoke as he walked past them, their low rank did not require their leader to acknowledge their presence.
He passed four doors as he approached his own chamber, the other rooms merely housing his servants and concubines. When he passed though the automatic doors to his private chamber he was greeted by soft string music from his personal musicians. Apparently they were not expecting him to make an appearance as their music was random and somewhat uncoordinated; they were only practicing. Since he was in a good mood Desslok said nothing and instead approached his bed.
His private chambers on his flagship paled in comparison to the one back on his home planet. Back home the walls were made of dark wood instead of hard steel, each of his ten rooms floored with thick carpeting. Several other such luxuries such as his many spring fed pools, private gardens and dozens of servants were impossible to have aboard ship. Here he had one small heated pool which used recycled water, which he found far inferior to the ones back home.
Still, with his many years of traversing though space he had long since become used to being without his luxuries.
Four young Gamalon females seated on the rugs in front of the bed. All were clad in flimsy silk robes that did little to hide their womanly features. Their hair was long and untied, their only head garment was a small helmet that was open on the sides just above their ears. A single strip of metal stretched from the forehead, over the center of their heads and attached to the back. Their wide, long lashed almond eyes looked upon him with admiration and devotion.
The concubines shifted into a kneeling position, their foreheads touching the floor as they stretched out their arms in front of them.
"I wish to be bathed." Was all he said.
Within moments the females stood, two went to prepare the bath while the remaining pair commenced to disrobing him. As they worked he showed no emotion, such things to him were trivial. If he wanted to become aroused he would simply put his mind to the idea and his body would respond accordingly.
The two who had gone to ready his bath appeared from the bath chamber a few minutes later and bowed. They said nothing, only their presence in the room was proof enough that his bath was ready. When he was completely disrobed he stepped into the bathing chamber, which was separate from the main chamber. All four females followed behind and watched silently as their leader stepped down into the steaming water. As always the water was scented with bath oils made from flowers from his private gardens back home.
When he was sitting and comfortable he closed his eyes and allowed his concubines to bath and relax him.
Nearly an hour after Desslok had left the bridge Talan kept moving repeatedly from the view-screen to the many operation areas. He had ordered the closest planet to them to be displayed on screen at maximum range. The surface of the planet, roughly half the size of Earth, seemed barren and lifeless. Nothing but glittering ice which reflected a multitude of colors in the runs glow.
The computer could still not get a proper reading on the planet, which puzzled both him and the science advisors.
"Why is it that we can see it on the screen, yet are still unable to scan the planet?" Talon said to himself, not daring to repeat the question he had asked his leader.
He was about to alert Leader Desslok when the ships emergency klaxon began sounding. Not far away one of the closer battleships exploded in a fiery blaze seconds after the alert.
"All stop!" Talan shouted at the ships pilot. "Battle alert, full sensor sweep. I want to know what just happened!"
A nearby crewman looked up from his screens and frowned. "Unknown sir! There was no apparent laser or missile attack detected, nor did the ship report any malfunctions."
"Alert Leader Desslok at once!" Was all he was able to say before three more ships seemed to explode for no apparent reason.
"Sir! Long range sensor are now reading several ships thirty thousand kilometers ahead." Came the tactical officer, his screen alive with two dozen blips that were rapidly approaching them.
"Sir, subspace scanning is now showing dozens of what seem to be mines surrounding the fleet." The tactical officer said.
"What?" The second in command asked, his fists clenching. "Why were we unable to detect them sooner?"
"Apparently we were not scanning in a low enough wavelength." The crewman replied, lines of sensor data appearing on his screen. "They have somehow been put slightly out of phase with normal space."
"Inform the rest of the fleet." Talan ordered.
"Talan, what is going on?" Came Desslok's voice from the intercom system. A moment later his face appeared on the screen, his expression revealed that he was not pleased at the interruption.
"Leader Desslok, we are under attack from an unidentified fleet." He replied, his body rigid as he stood at attention.
"Prepare our own ships for counterattack." The Gamalon leader ordered. "I will be there shortly."
"Sir, there is one other thing." Talan added before Desslok could switch off his screen. "We seem to be surrounded by subspace mines, four battleships were destroyed before we could detect them."
Desslok frowned at this news and said nothing as the image of his face vanished from the screen. Talan knew, as did the rest of the bridge staff, that when their leader stepped onto the bridge several officers would wish they had never gone into military service.