SYNOPSIS

Doba has gathered an enormous fleet to hunt down and destroy the Ideon and the Solo Ship. Hannibal decides to defeat them before the fleet arrives as this will greatly increase his personal prospects. Meanwhile, the Earth Union have dispatched a force led by Marshall Franklin to retrieve the technology for their own uses. The colonists are pessimistic about their chances of controlling Ide, and are unsure of how to progress, especially now they realise the Ide is independent. Hannibal tracks them, before attacking in the Gamor Zan. Karala visits the stricken Bes, who advises they retreat, even if it's only a short-term strategy. However, Hannibal follows immediately. Hatari enters the atmosphere of the nearest planet, Doumou Star, to give them cover. However, Hannibal knows of the planet, and has forces waiting there. When the Ideon units launch they're immediately attacked by a huge aquatic creature that Gije recognises as a Doumou. With Hannibal sending Adigos from above, the colonists are trapped. The Ideon Gauge also isn't giving off enough power to form Ideon.

Gije advises using the Doumou themselves as cover. Meanwhile, a fevered Bes comes into contact with the Ide. It despairs at the humans' continuing wars, and states it must protect itself. Bes tells it he will follow the righteous path and find his own fate, and the vision ends. The Ideon units head into a cave behind a waterfall for refuge, finding Doumou eggs. The Buff Clan find them, but the pilots agree to stay and defend the eggs. This finally awakens the Ideon Gauge, and the units dock of their own accord. The robot pushes the Gamor Zan through the waterfall and tosses it to the ground, before wiping out Hannibal's other two craft with the Ideon Swords. Control returns to the crew, but after more ships fire on them, they head back to the Solo Ship. Escaping from the Gamor Zan seconds before a Doumou crushes it, Hannibal recognises the new arrivals as Earth Union ships and contacts them. He proposes an alliance to take down the Solo Ship, pointing out that the Ide is responsible for the meteors falling on both planets. Back on board the Solo Ship, the colonists also discover it was the Earth Union firing on them. Bes tells them what makes up the Ide, but that they still need to find a way to control its' power. As the Solo Ship continues its' journey, meteors form in its' wake and split off in opposite directions.

NOTES

Hannibal Gen: Hannibal is always seen to be snacking on the bridge of his ship. He is tracking the Solo Ship by dimensional vibrations. Karala says Harulu tracked them the same way in episode 21, but that seems at odds with what actually happened (Harulu was even more surprised than the colonists, and only escaped with her life due to the timely arrival of Daram) - maybe Karala's just guessing wrong.

Lou Piper: Lou's first word is 'Ide'.

The Ide: The Ide is a collective consciousness made up of thousands of people and their knowledge. It thinks of both the colonists and the Buff Clan as humans.

Buff Clan: Buff is being pummelled by meteors at an increased rate (as is the colonists' Earth). Emperor Zuou is seen for the first time, very briefly and from behind a screen. The Buff Clan know the meteors are being sent by the Ide. They investigated Doumou Star two or three years ago, finding the huge creatures that live in the oceans. There's a lovely continuity touch as Hannibal initially orders a red flag to parley with the Earth Union, before remembering that Earth uses a white flag for a truce.

Bairal Jinn: Doba's massive flagship, newly built, makes its debut leading the huge armada away from Buff.

REVIEW:

The disappointment continues... Take away Bes' vision, Gije and the Ideon's self-combination, and this could be one of the mid-series Alien Travelogue episodes. The best stuff is the details that tie into the overall arc, with the main drive of the episode itself failing to engage.

Despite an attempt at quirkiness with Hannibal's eating habits, he's another dull off-the-shelf Buff Clan commander. The Union agreeing to work with the Buff Clan doesn't carry much punch either, as it's been clear both sides are out to get the colonists for a while and a team-up was only a matter of time.

You lose some sympathy with the thing being prematurely cancelled when you sit through an episode this padded...