A Fierce Battle!! The Asteroid



''' When spaceships begin disappearing in the asteroid belt, Star Saber disguises himself to investigate personally. '''


 * English/Malay dub name:  "Combat in the Meteorite Zone"
 * Also known as: "Battle on the Asteroid"

Detailed synopsis
While passing through the asteroid belt on its way to Jupiter, the human-piloted Spaceship 301 suddenly finds itself surrounded by a cloud of clinging, purple fog. The crew broadcast an SOS to Earth, but communication is suddenly cut off, and all trace of the ship vanishes.

Later, in the Autobots Shuttle Base on Earth, Jean and the Rescue Team discuss the disappearance of Spaceship 301, which is but the latest in a chain of spaceship disappearances in the asteroid belt, leading to people calling it the "Devil's Space Triangle." Naturally, the ever-suspicious Autobots suspect that the disappearances are the Decepticons' doing, but Jean isn't convinced, since Star Saber hasn't bothered to investigate. The Supreme Commander is, it turns out, otherwise occupied on a strange construction project with the Brainmasters and the Multiforce, but even the Multiforce aren't entirely sure what they're building.

Jean and the Rescues suspicions are right, of course: the Thunder Arrow is presently parked on a large asteroid in the belt, and the Dinoforce are draining energy from the various captured spaceships (although Kakuryu finds the task a bit of a challenge). In a factory the villains have set up on the asteroid. Drillhorn puts the captive human crewmembers to work disassembling their ships for raw materials, which will be used, Deathsaurus explains, to create an "energy alloy."

That night, the strange Autobot construction project is completed, and the Multiforce learn what it is: a large spaceship exo-skeleton that will disguise Star Saber, allowing him to investigate the Devil's Space Triangle without risk of being recognized by the Decepticons. Jean and Holi are suitably impressed, but they and Wingwaver do not like the idea of Star Saber going on the mission alone. Star Saber explains that he's willing to risk his own life if it means he can save the captive humans, and as dawn breaks, he links up with his camouflage mech and heads off into space. Jean is still worried, and even refuses to go to school so he can stay and monitor Star Saber's progress. Once Star Saber crosses into the asteroid belt, however, the Decepticons activate their disrupting smokescreen, cutting off communications. Jean attempts to contact Star Saber, but the other Autobots stop him, as doing so will blow his cover.

In the asteroid belt, Star Saber is caught in a tractor beam and dragged down to the asteroid the Thunder Arrow is berthed on. The Dinoforce investigate and find that the large "spaceship" is unmanned, and Leozack is suspicious of the fine Cybertronian-level craftsmanship. Thankfully, before he can examine Star Saber closely enough, Drillhorn arrives to tell him that the energy alloy is completed, and Leozack rushes off to tell Deathsaurus. While Drillhorn demonstrates the explosive power of the alloy for the Dinoforce, Star Saber quietly disconnects from his disguise to sneak around. Locating the captive humans, he beams a coded signal to the Shuttle Base, and the Brainmasters head for his location aboard the Galaxy Shuttle. The need for deception over, Star Saber reveals himself to the Decepticons and a battle erupts. Faced with such overwhelming numbers, Star Saber has the V-Star attack the Thunder Arrow, putting the energy alloy at risk and dividing the Decepticons by forcing them to defend it. Just as Star Saber is being overwhelmed by the Breastforce's Breast Animals, Galaxy Shuttle arrives with the Brainmasters and blasts the creatures away from him. Star Saber directs the Brainmasters to rescue the humans while he and the V-Star hold off the Breastforce and Dinoforce. When the Dinforce are beaten and withdraw into the Thunder Arrow, Deathsaurus is forced to pull the Thunder Arrow out, leaving the Breastforce to deal with Star Saber. Star Saber reconnects with the V-Star for extra power and sends the Breastforce spinning off into space with one mighty swing of his Saber Blade.

Back on Earth, the worried Jean is overjoyed when Star Saber contacts the base to let everyone know that he is okay. Jean professes that he wasn't even worried, earning him a solid thwap from Holi.

Stats
Written by:  Toyohiro Ando

Original airdate: 25th July 1989

Featured Characters
(Numbers indicate order of appearance.)

Continuity errors

 * The opening narration notes that the asteroid belt is between Jupiter and Mars. Guess someone forgot that Mars got destroyed in "Explosion on Mars!! MegaZarak Appears," back during The Headmasters.