魔法少女リリカルなのはStrikerS（ストライカーズ） Ep. 17
Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha StrikerS Episode 17

SPOILER Summary: Unison Vita-Rein fight with unison Zest-Agito in a stalemate, though Zest has praise for Vita. However, Rein and Vita have noticed that the unison of Zest and Agito is not complete. Zest suggests splitting the unison so that he can use his specialty attack, but Agito will hear none of it, wanting to protect him and defeat Rein. Meanwhile the ambushed rookies have a surprise for their Numbers attackers Nove and Wendi as Tia, aided by Caro, create multiple illusions that the attackers cannot penetrate. This allows Subaru and Elio to launch successful attacks that allow the rookies to escape. Though defeated, they are requested to aide Numbers Cinque, who is facing off against Ginga.

Nanoha and Fate have made it to the lower level and are joined by Sister Schach, who’d also managed to escape from the upper levels. The rookies arrive with the devices. Fate and Nanoha retrieve theirs with Sister Schach stating she will deliver the others to Signum, Hayate, and others. Subaru discovers that she can no longer communicate with Ginga and the 6th’s HQ is under heavy attack. As such, the Stars Squadron will go to help Ginga (Nanoha, Subaru, and Tia) while the Lightning Squad will provide relief to the Long Arch staff at the 6th Mobile Division’s HQ.

Numbers Otto and Deed have Shamal and Zafila on the ropes. As they go to deliver the finishing blows on Hayate’s Knights, Hayate senses what is happening to them and informs Signum. Elsewhere, Vice’s helicopter is destroyed and he’s trying to defend the people trying to evacuate, including Aina-san and Vivio. Still elsewhere, Fate, Elio, and Caro (the later two riding Fried in his full dragon form) approach the 6th HQ building, they are ambushed by Numbers Tre and Sette. Fate sends Elio, Caro, and Fried to continue to the 6th HQ while she handles the combat cyborgs.

Zest senses the powerful S+ mages on the move and tells Agito they must retreat. Indeed, Signum is in route to Vita’s location. Agito is extremely frustrated and has Zest go for one final attack. When Zest’s weapon (device?) connects with Vita’s Graf Eisen device, Graf Eisen partially shatters. The impact does Zest no harm, but it causes Agito harm apparently. Rein is knocked out by the blow however, and is “ejected” from Vita. Zest flees with the also-ejected Agito in hand as Signum arrives to find Vita in tears over what has happened to both Rein and Graf Eisen.

Subaru races ahead of Nanoha and Tia (Nanoha having to carry Tia as they fly underground) and arrives at Ginga’s location to find ‘Gin-nee’ a defeated, unconscious, bloody mess who’s about to be stuffed into a case by Numbers Nove, Wendi, and Cinque. She goes berserk at seeing her sister treated thusly and attacks with a much higher level of power than before. She attacks Nove and puts a hurting on her. Cinque steps in and tells Nove and Wendi to get out with Ginga (now stuffed into the case). Cinque stops Subaru from stopping Nove and Wendi, but nearly pays for it with her life. Subaru, now injured and revealed to be a cyborg and her Mach Caliber device shuts down, severely damaged as Sein rescues Cinque. It is then that Nanoha and Tia arrive.

As Vice continues to defend the huddled civilians, Lutecia arrives. Seeing her, Vice recalls his younger days when as a sniper, he attempted to kill a bad guy holding a little girl hostage and accidentally killed the girl instead. As such, he’s unable to shoot Lutecia, who makes him pay for that with an attack of her own. She then has Garyu take Vivio and contacts Uno, who thanks Lutecia for rescuing Vivio, feeling that Vivio, dressed very cutely, has been treated horribly. They fly out of the area when they are spotted by Elio. Seeing they have Vivio, he suddenly remembers his own childhood when he was taken from his parents against everyone’s will because he was a Project F clone.

He races ahead of Caro and Fried to attack and is met by Garyu, who leaves the unconscious Vivio with Lutecia. While Elio causes damage to Garyu, he’s knocked out when Numbers Deed ambushes him and sends him to the see. Before Caro and Fried and do anything, they are bound by Otto. Elsewhere, Fate continues her stalemated battle with Tre and Sette. The two Numbers are disappointed in how Fate views Doctor Scaglietti as they consider him to be her father as well as Elio’s. They leave, all of the objectives having been achieved, and Tre tells Fate that next time she will not win against them.

Ariel Gadgets are about to attack, issuing a 5-minute warning to allow civilians to flee. A very upset and angry Caro then summons a giant, dragon-humanoid named Voltaire, who immediately takes out the Gadgets without breaking a sweat. Inside the HQ building, Scaglietti has contacted them and bloviates for a while. Knight Carim remarks to Hayate that they couldn’t stop the prophesy but Hayate tells her that the 6th isn’t done yet.

Thoughts: Egad! This was a good episode not only for action, but for stunning reveals. I figured Vice would play a role, but no wonder he left the mage service and became a chopper pilot. I had no clue that Subaru would be a cyborg, but that would explain her and Ginga’s conversation about combat cyborgs earlier. Learning that Elio is in fact a clone (no wonder he knew about Project F) was a shocker. Caro being able to summon that giant humanoid-dragon Voltaire — and to think such a sweet, shy girl had this up her sleeves (which I know she mentioned him, but that didn’t prepare me for what she summoned). Wow. Tia being able to fool the Numbers with her illusions (aided by Caro) was a nifty reveal as well.

General Geis didn’t reveal anything this week, so no clue if he’s in collusion with Doctor Scaglietti or not. It seems Scaglietti wants to be in the arms business though, to include cyborgs. “Hey, I can’t be evil because I tried not to kill anyone.”

Despite the weak dialog, the writers have done a decent job in establishing characters so that when they lowered the boom this episode, it had impact. Vivio being taken was bad enough, but seeing how Ginga had been beaten into a bloody pulp and stuffed into a case was just incredible, as was Subaru going berserk and nearly killing one of the Numbers (I guess it is too early to start taking them out of the game).

Nanoha and Fate have one “get out of unlock” free card which I expect will be used very, very soon. Call me silly, but I’m looking forward to the 6th coming back and kicking major arse.

Again, just a really enjoyable episode for me.