Episode 15 - Sisters & Daughters
At morning training, the captains announce that Ginga Nakajima is now temporarily assigned to Riot Force Six. They also introduce the team to Mariel Atenza, who will be staying with them while she carries out some business on the surface. Then they get down to training, where Nanoha asks Ginga to have a mock battle with Subaru to check up on her development. Ginga wins, but it's a closely-fought match. Next, another mock battle is announced: the captains (Nanoha, Fate, Vita and Signum) against the Forwards-plus-Ginga. The outcome of this one is never really in doubt.
After the battle, Vivio comes out to meet her mothers. As she's running toward them, she trips and falls over on the grass. Nanoha tries encouraging her to stand up on her own, but when Vivio just starts to cry, Fate rushes over and picks her up. Nanoha tells Vivio to try her best next time, and the girl says she will. Mari asks who Vivio is, and is understandably flummoxed when informed that she's Nanoha and Fate's daughter. The confusion is cleared up at lunch, where follows a lot of light-hearted banter (and reminscences) about childhood. After lunch, Ginga and Subaru accompany Mari to the medical center in the capital for a routine physical exam.
At Ground Forces HQ, Auris informs Regius that their investigation into Riot Force Six has failed to turn up anything damaging. There is a major conference coming up, and Regius is hoping to find some leverage to use against the Main Branch. Auris warns him that the Main Branch seems to be doing some investigating of its own, in the person of Verossa Acous. She is worried about what he might find if he digs too hard. Regius says he'll ask the High Council to help, before changing the subject to the status of their new weapons system Einherjar. After finishing her report, Auris leaves, wondering whether their plans are really for the best.
Regius holds a brief video meeting with the TSAB High Council, which consists of three unseen members. They note that the Saint Church and the Main Branch seem to be making plans of some kind, but dismiss them as irrelevant. They tell Regius to proceed as before — there will be no problems.
At Scaglietti's base, Uno is with Quattro and Dieci, checking out some recent upgrades to her cybernetics. Quattro says that their younger sisters are coming along nicely too, with Sette (Number 7), Otto (8) and Deed (12) being ready for activation. Dieci adds that Nove (9) and Wendi (11) are now fully combat-ready. Uno remarks that Due (2) and Cinque (5) are already running missions...
Elsewhere in the base, Tre and Sein inspect some Gadget drones, while Scaglietti is going over some plans with Wendi and Nove. He says that the "festival" is rapidly approaching, and he expects it to be spectacular.
That evening, Hayate meets with Nanoha and Fate to inform them that she's received the latest prophecy interpretations from the Saint Church. They are projecting a high probability that the upcoming conference will be attacked. Riot Force Six will be helping run security, but only the three of them will actually be allowed inside. Nanoha says that the team is in top form, and the Forwards' device limiters will have their third levels removed as well. Everything will be all right...
Tropes
- Ascended Extra: Ginga has only appeared a small handful of times so far (despite being featured in the opening titles); she becomes a much more important character from this episode on.
- Avengers Assemble: A villanous example. All 12 of the Numbers are named here for the first time, and all except Due and Cinque appear on-screen, as they prepare for their upcoming mission. Wendi is introduced and we finally get to (sort of) see Nove's face; Otto, Sette, and Deed also appear for the first time, albeit in People Jars. This also marks the first time Uno is seen in person, rather than as just a face on a monitor.
- Chekhov's Gunman: Due and Cinque are name-dropped, and are conspicuous as the only two Numbers yet to have appeared on-screen by the end of this episode.
- Custom Uniform: There is a brief shot of Vita and Signum practicing at the end of the episode. They are wearing unusual red Barrier Jackets of the same style that Vita was seen in at the end of episode 2, which are not worn by anyone else and which are never seen again this season.
- Delayed "Oh, Crap!": When Nanoha announces that the five Forwards will be having a mock battle against the captains, Ginga looks nonplussed for a moment, then suddenly acquires an utterly blitzed look in her eyes. She doesn't utter a word, but her expression remains frozen that way for the entire rest of the shot, while the other Forwards try to reassure her.
- Emerging from the Shadows: We finally get a semi-distinct look at Nove's face, although it's still partially shadowed.
- Face Plant: Vivio performs quite an epic one, immediately after saying she'll be careful not to trip.
- Foreshadowing:
- After Vivio fails to get up on her own when she trips, Nanoha encourages her to try harder next time.
- Uno mentions that Due and Cinque have been deployed on missions. We won't find out what Due's mission is in particular for quite a while yet...
- Scaglietti claims his plans are about to come to fruition. He also says that he wants to set off a "large firework" first, clearly implying an attack of some kind.
- Attentive viewers may be able to connect the dots regarding the fact that Mariel, who is an engineering specialist rather than a doctor, is conducting Subaru's and Ginga's physical exam.
- The final shot of the episode is a white text caption on an all-black screen, ominously stating that there are seven days left until the conference...
- Gambit Pileup: It becomes increasingly clear that one of these is developing. Regius has plans, the High Council has plans, Scaglietti has plans; meanwhile Riot Force Six and the Saint Church are trying to put plans of their own in place. And they are all about to converge messily.
- Gentle Touch vs. Firm Hand: Nanoha and Fate's differing parenting styles are on full display when Vivio trips. Nanoha tries to encourage her independence by getting her to stand up by herself, while Fate runs over to her when she starts to cry.
- Tempting Fate: Three times.
- Fate tells Vivio to be careful, only for her to trip immediately afterwards.
- The High Council members confidently state that nothing can go wrong with their plans.
- Nanoha says that Riot Force Six is prepared for anything, and everything will be fine at the conference.
