Ep. 18: Shinohara scouts a warp shortcut but encounters a massive Gamilas fleet near Balun.

18

Fighter pilot Shinohara utilizes a newly reactivated warp gateway to scout a potential shortcut toward the halfway point at planet Balun. Upon arrival, he discovers a vast armada consisting of over 10,000 Gamilas ships blocking the path. Despite this overwhelming enemy presence, Okita declares that the Yamato must fight its way through the massive armada. This aggressive maneuver is deemed necessary to ensure the crew reaches the Large Magellanic Cloud within the required timeframe. The episode highlights the tension between the danger of the discovered fleet and the urgency of the mission objectives.