After leaving the planet of the Bee People, the Star Force is on its way to Balan, the half-way point between Earth and Iscandar. The jealous Vulgar, now demoted to being General Lysis's aide, decides to see if he can curry favour with Leader Desslok by defeating the Star Force on his own. Vulgar employs a biological weapon which he had been developing prior to Lysis's arrival -- the Balanosaurus. Using a mental telepathy device, Vulgar forms a neural link between himself and billions of microscopic organisms collected from Balan. Under his control, they join into a giant super-organism, shaped like a salamander swimming through space.
Meanwhile, the Star Force is cruising toward planet Balan. Captain Avatar is undergoing an operation to treat the effects of his radiation poisoning, and the remaining bridge crew are left to run the ship in his absence. Vulgar and his support squadron fly out to the Star Force, and bring the Balanosaurus to bear. Without the Captain, Derek Wildstar is forced to make decisions on his own. He fires the Argo's main shock cannons at the beast, but they merely blast it temporarily into bits -- the fragments rejoin! Finally, Wildstar resorts to the Wave Motion Gun, which incinerates enough of the creature's mass to destroy it.
On Balan, Lysis goads Vulgar for his failure. Meanwhile, on board the Argo, a recovering Captain Avatar commends Wildstar for his actions and for taking the initiative to lead the crew when Avatar was unable to do so.
Earth has 263 days left.
Vulgar, il luogotenente del generale Lysis, compie degli esperimenti sulle forme di vita più primitive del pianeta, che vivono all'interno del suo magma. Ottiene così degli esseri che ricordano le fattezze di dinosauri, i Balanosauri, la cui forza possa essere utilizzata contro l'Argo. I mostri vengono fatti letteralemente a pezzi dai colpi dell'Argo, ma nonstante ciò il loro corpo si riforma sembrando invulnerabile. Non resta quindi che usare il cannone ad onde per vaporizzare il nemico.
Покинув планету пчелоподобных, Стар Форс направляется к Балану, середине пути между Землей и Искандаром. Ревнивый Вульгар, пониженный в чине и ставший адъютантом генерала Лизиса, решает попытаться завоевать расположение вождя Десслока, победив Стар Форс в одиночку. Вульгар использует биологическое оружие, которое разрабатывал ещё до прихода Лизиса — Баранодона. С помощью устройства ментальной телепатии он устанавливает нейронную связь с миллиардами микроскопических организмов, собранных на Балане. Под его контролем они объединяются в гигантский суперорганизм, похожий на саламандру, плывущую в космосе.Тем временем Стар Форс курсирует к планете Балан. Капитан Аватар проходит операцию по лечению последствий радиационного отравления, и оставшаяся команда мостика вынуждена управлять кораблём без него. Вульгар и его вспомогательная эскадра выдвигаются к Стар Форсу и пускают в ход Баранодона. Без капитана Дерек Уайлдстар вынужден принимать…
