The Gamilans confront their greatest challenge: their world is rapidly deteriorating. To rescue his people and move them to livable territory, Aberdt Desler pretends to submit to Galman's tyrannical regime, a planet inhabited by a species nearly identical to the Gamilans. Desler"s real plan is to take command and hasten his nation"s rescue. Yet, as the Gamilans start their exodus, an unknown colossal force strikes them and utterly distorts their twin world—Iscandar, the residence of Queen Starsha.
At the same time, Earth rejoices over the triumph of the splendid Space Battleship Yamato and its valiant crew. A fresh cohort of talented recruits boards Yamato along with two new auxiliary vessels, commanded by Yuki Mori and Shirou Sanada. Still, not everyone supports the former choices of its captain, Susumu Kodai. Throughout Yamato"s six‑month training voyage and diplomatic engagement with the Gamilans, the crew discovers the recent disaster, and defying all directives, Kodai orders the fleet to Iscandar to assist the remaining refugees.
