The Final Battle Over Earth,[5] also known as the Comet City Empire Conquest Battle,[6] the Golem Assault Battle,[7] or the City Empire Assault Battle,[8] was the last battle of the Gatlantis Campaign and the Gatlantis-Garmillas War. With most of the UNCN forces either lost or stuck at the Mars shipyard the battle was mostly fought by Garmillan forces and the Earthling battleship Yamato. It led to the activation of Golem, the real awakening of the Ark of Destruction and the end of the conflict.
Prelude[]
Mil is shot dead
Following the devastating end of the Decisive Battle off Mars, the Gatlantis Astro Fleet's forces, led by the empire's mobile capital, the Ark of Destruction, broke through the Mars Absolute Defense Line. All surviving UNCF vessels stayed behind on the red planet while Gatlantis advanced to the Earth. At the orders of Emperor Zworder's spokesperson, Mil, Supreme Leader Abelt Desler ambushed the Earthling battleship Yamato. The Yamato had discovered the existance of Golem, a device capable of instantly killing all Gatlanteans that was kept hidden in Zworder's throneroom. It thus posed an existential threat to the entirety of the Gatlantean race. However, after being confronted by Yamato's crew, Mil tried to end the conflict with the Earth Federation but was abruptly killed by Desler's soldiers. This event singlehandedly wiped out all remaining chances of peaceful coexistence between Gatlantis and humanity.[9][10]
Desler decided to cease the hostilities against Yamato and offered to aid the battleship in the coming battle against Gatlantis. Toko Katsuragi, a copy of Gatlantis' Chief Minister Sifar Saberah, who had previously served as an imperial spy aboard Yamato, also agreed to collaborate with the Earthlings.[10]
The Battle[]
Fall of the Earth[]
The capital is bombarded
On June 2, 2203,[3] the Ark of Destruction arrived in Earth's orbit and destroyed all of the Earthling forces stationed there, which included the AAAS Andromeda-classes Aquarius and Amaterasu. The Seventh Mobile Fleet, led by Commander-in-Chief Valsey aboard his personal Apocalix-class Carrier, was mobilized and began attacking the Earth Federation's capital city. The Earth's fleet of D-classes was quickly defeated. Although a Garmillan ground-based beam turret briefly held the line against a wave of Calaklum-class Battleships, it was eventually destroyed by a squadron of Deathvatators launched by an Apocalix-class.[10]
The Valsey over the Earth Federation Capital city
As the Seventh Mobile Fleet hovered over the now defenseless capital, Commander-in-Chief Goenitz of the Gatlantean military claimed control over the planet. He publicly declared the Gatlantis Empire's authority and appealed to the Earth Federation's government and citizens to surrender unconditionally.[10]
Battling the Comet City Empire[]
The Transit Wave-motion Gun hits the Ark of Destruction
Yamato warped out ahead of the Ark of Destruction as the fortress approached Earth. The crew prepared to fire its Transit Wave-motion Gun at Admiral Hijikata's orders. The crewless Neu Deusura, Desler's flagship, warped out in front of Yamato to use its unique energy insulation system and protect it from the excess energy radiated from the Transit DWIE. The Gatlantean capital raised its shields, but the boosted Wave-motion Gun broke through the Ark's defenses. It wiped out the large fleet surrounding it and damaged its superstructure, burning its gaseous cover.[2]
The Ark of Destruction is bombarded
A large Garmillas fleet, consisting of the full might of the Defense Force's navy, warped out, led by Ambassador Loren Burrell from his personal Zoellugut-class Dreadnought. Burrell contacted Yamato's bridge and asked Hijikata to entrust them with the defense of the Earth. The Dimensional Dive Strike Group, a task force of dimensional submarines, proposed to carry Yamato directly to the core of the Ark of Destruction by dimensional diving. As they submerged, a vast Gatlantean fleet of newly built automated[11] Gostoke-class Missile Battleships emerged from the damaged Ark of Destruction and began ramming the Garmillan forces. Burrell's fleet responded by deploying multiple Garont II heavy bombers and striking directly at the Ark by bombarding it with modified Wave-motion Excavation Warheads.[2]
Yamato fights off the Eater Is
Yamato emerged from subspace inside the Nurture Room, the Ark of Destruction's internal factory where multiple Calaklums were in construction. Katsuragi, stationed in Yamato's automatic navigation room, began projecting her Cosmo Wave through the ship's radar and took control of the nearby battleships. She then opened the gate linking the factory directly to Zworder's throneroom. Being a genuine copy of the highest Gatlantean official behind the Great Emperor, the enemy could not stop her actions. Not even the Saberah under Zworder's control could oppose her. The Gatlantean sovereign deployed Chairman Razera of the Military Affairs Controlling Agency to stop Yamato's advance. Razera headed a fleet of Eater I suicide ships from his vessel. Another fleet of Gostokes launched a suicide attack against the Earthling battleship. In response, Hijikata ordered the deployment of the Yamato squadron and the 7th Space Cavalry Regiment under 2nd Lt. Saito, equipped with Type 2 Space Mobile Armors.[2]
Hijikata gives his last order to Kodai
Chairman Razera used his own Cosmo Wave to battle Katsuragi for control of the Calaklums. Without her protection, Yamato sustained damage from the Eater Is. Multiple fires broke out throughout the ship as it was hit from all directions. A barrage of missiles hit the conning tower, causing the ceiling of the first bridge to collapse onto Hijikata's post, fatally injuring him. Susumu Kodai, the tactics officer, attempted to assist the commander, but Hijikata instructed him to remain calm. As per Hijikata's suggestion, the ARGO system was used to form a series of rotating rings around Yamato from the debris of the broken-down battleships still under Katsuragi's command, protecting it from incoming attacks. Hijikata named Kodai his successor as captain of the battleship before he died. The new commanding officer joined the air squadron and space cavalry aboard his Cosmo Zero. Razera's ship was destroyed by Lt. J.G. Kato, but it cost him his life.[2]
Yamato is pierced from side to side by the Needle Slaves
As the last of the Calaklums went down, Yamato entered the shaft and made its way towards the Emperor's throneroom. A group of Needleslaves approached the battleship, but Lieutenant Klaus Keyman and his fighter's automated drones intercepted them. Katsuragi closed the gate behind the battleship and opened the Gates of Lehrte. However, Zworder himself contacted her through the Cosmo Wave and confronted her about why she was helping the Earthlings. Katsuragi tried to convince the Great Emperor of the folly of his omnicidal rage, but this only helped Zworder find her position. A storm of thousands of Needle Slaves rushed into Yamato's automatic navigation room and pierced the ship from top to bottom, killing Katsuragi. Without her Cosmo Wave, the Gates of Lehrte closed down, leaving Yamato stranded. Only a small assault team consisting of Kodai, Ensign Yamamoto, and the space cavalry managed to reach the entrance to the Emperor's palace before being cut off from the ship. Another series of gates closed, separating Yamamoto and Kodai from the rest of their allies inside Zworder's throneroom.[2]
The Ark of Destruction awakens[]
Gairen dies protecting his Emperor
Standing above his floating throne, Zworder taunted Kodai and Yamamoto, telling them of Katsuragi's death and how they were now defenseless without her. A Needleslave fired at the two Earthlings, blocking their path. However, Saito and his deputy broke through the doors that had cut them from the others and engaged the Gatlantean automatons. As Intelligence Record Secretary Gairen urged Zworder to retreat, Kodai sneaked up on them from behind and held them at gunpoint. He claimed control of Golem and demanded the Great Emperor's surrender. Kodai stated that the Gatlantis were humans too, just like Mil had realized before his death. According to him, this gave them room to negotiate. Suddenly, a Needleslave was hit by Saito and went out of control, firing all over the room. To prevent Zworder from being hit, Gairen rushed in front of him and was impaled by one of the automaton's spears.[2]
The Ark of Destruction reactivates itself
Witnessing a Gatlantean of his own Type sacrifice himself to protect him, Zworder realized that the Gatlanteans were indeed capable of feeling human emotions. With this new knowledge, he used his sword to activate Golem himself, causing all members of his species inside and outside the Ark of Destruction to fall dead. Being aware of his own humanity, Zworder himself was immune to the device's effects, and as a self-recognised child of the Archelias civilization, he was able to take control of the Ark and reshape it to suit his needs. As the Gatlantis fleet lost control, Burrell's forces started to retreat. The space fortress then began to restructure itself, pulling all its mass into its gravity well and converting it into energy. Zworder allowed himself to be caught up in the gravitational forces of the changing Ark, while Kodai and his team were compelled to withdraw along with the Yamato.[2][1]
Keyman and Saito sacrifice themselves to attack the Ark of Destruction
As all forces left the area, Lieutenant Keyman flew his fighter against the Ark's gravity well carrying the last Wave-motion Excavator. Keyman stated that the only way to stop the Ark from fully converting its mass into energy was to destroy the core before the process was completed and, despite Kodai's opposition, Keyman was going to make a suicide run to achieve that goal. The fighter was confronted by a swarm of Needle Slaves and, since it had run out of ammunition, it remained defenseless against the enemy and was damaged. However, Keyman was joined by Saito, who fought off the Gatlantean automatons and secured the fighter's route. The explosion of the excavator stopped the energy conversion process, but it also hit Yamamoto's Cosmo Tiger I, and she appeared to have been killed. However at the last moment, the cockpit detached itself from the aircraft, and its AI flew her to safety on board the Yamato.[1]
The Moon is blasted by the Ark
However, the Ark reactivated almost immediately and fired a powerful energy beam at the Moon, destroying 21%[12] of its mass. However, due to Keyman and Saito's attack, it now needed to recharge its energy, to do so, Zworder began moving it toward the destroyed Saturn to absorb what remained of its core.[1]
The Great Harmony[]
Kodai remained on board after the rest of the crew was evacuated
With Yamato heavily damaged and its engine approaching its critical point, the Earthlings had no means left to oppose the Ark of Destruction, and Kodai ordered all hands to abandon ship. The battleship's crew joined a small fleet headed by Captain Tetsutaro Ozaki which was evacuating civilians from the Moon to the underground cities. However, Kodai stayed behind, intending to go down with his ship. Since the Earth was presumably going to lose its capability to support life, he contacted the captain of the Yamato-class Ginga and asked her to leave the Solar system in search of a new planet to welcome any potential survivors. Unexpectedly, his fiancée, Lieutenant Yuki Mori, decided to stay behind with him. They both prepared to steer the Yamato into the gravity well of the Ark of Destruction. Although it wouldn't destroy the Ark, it would hopefully buy enough time for the Earth to evacuate as many people as possible.[1]
Yamato makes its last attack aided by Teresa
Thanks to the bond between the goddess Teresa of Terezart and the Yamato, its Dimensional Wave-motion Engine reached a critical point and opened a hole towards a higher dimension as the ship approached the fortress. Teresa descended through the opening and fully manifested herself in normal space. Through Yamato's actions, the optimal future she had foreseen, the only one where Gatlantis would be finally defeated, was realized. Teresa's light engulfed Yamato, repairing and strengthening it. Together, the goddess and the battleship rammed the Ark of Destruction, destroying it once and for all.[1]
Aftermath[]
With the entire Gatlantean race wiped out, the Earth and Garmillas' conflict against the Comet Empire ended. While Yamato appeared to have been destroyed in its last charge, the energy released by the destruction of the Ark, which was pushed beyond the event horizon by Teresa, actually transported it to the higher dimension.[13]
Dreadnought-class Vanguard Starships in construction at the time fault
Over the next six months, the Earth Federation worked diligently on post-war reconstruction efforts. To replenish its depleted forces, the Earth Federation Defense Force constructed numerous automated vessels at the time fault factory. Additionally, a plan to rebuild the damaged Moon was undertaken by the Ginga, which is still ongoing as of 2205.[14] The crew members who lost their lives during the Golem Assault Battle and other encounters of the war were honored with an epitaph on Hero's Hill, as were the deceased members of the 7th Space Cavalry Regiment.[13]
Yamato resurfaces in the time fault
On December 8,[3] three years after the end of Yamato's first journey, the battleship descended from the higher dimension into the time fault. Lieutenant Yamamoto, who had been promoted after her assumed death, was aboard the battleship. She had been left behind during the general evacuation as nobody knew she had survived the explosion of her fighter. She relayed Teresa's message that Kodai and Mori were still alive and stuck in her dimension. She also stated that the only way to restore the flow of time towards the most optimal future was to rescue them. Lt. Commander Shiro Sanada, Yamato's technical officer, believed that the battleship could gain enough energy to surpass the dimensional boundary and enter Teresa's domain by making the time fault implode. Initially, the leaders of the EF refused to sacrifice the core of Earth's reconstruction for the sake of two officers. However, thanks to Ambassador Burrell's political pressure, the President agreed to hold a referendum.[13]
Yamato ascends into Teresa's dimension
On December 30,[15] the people of Earth voted on whether or not to sacrifice the fault. Ultimately, the motion was approved, and on the same day, the Yamato ascended into the higher dimension and retrieved Kodai and Mori, returning at the dawn of December 31.[3][13]
Gallery[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 "Farewell, Space Battleship Yamato"
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 2.21 2.22 2.23 2.24 2.25 2.26 2.27 2.28 2.29 2.30 2.31 2.32 2.33 2.34 2.35 2.36 2.37 2.38 2.39 2.40 2.41 2.42 2.43 2.44 2.45 2.46 2.47 2.48 2.49 2.50 2.51 2.52 2.53 2.54 2.55 2.56 2.57 2.58 2.59 2.60 2.61 2.62 2.63 2.64 2.65 2.66 2.67 2.68 2.69 2.70 2.71 2.72 2.73 2.74 2.75 2.76 2.77 2.78 "Yamato, Attack the Comet Empire!"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202"
- ↑ Trajectory of YAMATO official 2024 calendar
- ↑ Gatlantis Mecha taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ Yamato bridge tower taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ Yamato Exterior Features taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ Yamato mecha taken from Hachette Collections Japan magazine
- ↑ "The Fated Showdown!"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 "Warriors of Love"
- ↑ The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202 Blu-ray booklet p.19
- ↑ Shinya Ogura on the Star Blazers/Yamato fan club magazine, issue 13
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 "Earth, Yamato is..."
- ↑ "A Galactic War is About to Break Out! Assemble the Yamato Fleet!!"
- ↑ "The Era of Space Battleship Yamato: Choice of 2202" establishes that Yamato returns to the Earth on December 31, 2203. Since the ship returns at dawn, and it was launched immediately after the referendum, as its seen being prepared during Sanada's speech, the voting must occur on December 30
Japanese language information[]
- 地球を巡る最終決戦 Chikyū o meguru saishū kessen (Final Battle over Earth)
- ゴレム突入戦 Goremu totsunyū-sen (Golem Assault Battle)
- 彗星都市帝国攻略戦 Suisei toshi teikoku kōryaku-sen (Comet City Empire Conquest Battle)
- 都市帝国 突入戦 Toshi teikoku totsunyū-sen (City Empire Assault Battle)
| Battles of the Gatlantis Campaign | ||||||||
Battle of the eleventh planet · Battle on Planet Stravase · Battle in Subspace · Terezart Landing Operation · Blockade of Terezart · Battle of Saturn · Attack on the annihilation missile fleet · Decisive Battle off Mars · Battle against Neu Deusura · Final Battle Over Earth
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