I really liked Mogami's letter. Though I'm confused (like she is) as to why the good doctor asked her to write it. But as a way of conveying off-screen happenings (as it were) it does the job well and gives us a bit more of a view on Mogami, and that's no bad thing.

> Gryphon wasn't sure what felt odder: that he was back at
> Crone Rock, or that the rest of the 501st wasn't here.

Just because it's still a point of confusion for me: we haven't actually seen this anywhere. Right? I didn't miss an entire arc somewhere? UF!Gryph keeps referring to previous adventures in Strike Witches land and I feel a bit lost at times.

> Nishimura laughed. "Only one," he said, and then explained
> to her puzzled look, "Did you seriously think nobody knew
> you were a girl, Satō?"
>
> Mogami blushed crimson. "How—when did you figure it out?"
>
> "Oh, within a week or so. Find me another engine room crewman
> who never, ever takes off his shirt," Nishimura said with a
> grin.

I don't know why this makes me happy but it does.

Random trivia: I asked my grandfather once why he always took his shirt off, first thing, when he went into the garage to work, and he told me it was a habit he'd picked up in the Air Force (he was a mechanic) because it was easier to keep it clean that way.

(Possibly also relevant: we lived in Arizona at the time and the garage was easily into the 120s in the summer. But he did it in winter, too, so.)

> Amélie Planchard was sitting at the desk that was normally
> Perrine Clostermann's, working one some of the documentation
> that was key to keeping the wing functioning in the absence

Typo, I suspect: 'one' instead of 'on'.

> "Reimu Hakurei," said the red-and-white witch. "Inspector-
> General of the Emperor's Witches."

Oooh, the brass has arrived! Touhou? *googles* Yep, Touhou. She looks a mite fiesty.

> "Don't pay any attention to me," said the black-and-white
> blonde casually, her manner of speech instantly giving her
> away as a Liberion. Winking one golden eye, she added, "I
> ain't even here, see?"

That sentence construct instantly throws my brain into Al Capone/Bugsy Seigel/Hollywood Mobster mode and picturing that fake Chicago mobster accent coming out of a cute lil' witch girl...

... I'm dyin'. Pls send halp.

> Gryphon got to his feet and regarded her for a few seconds.
> "You have no understanding of human nature at all, do you?"
> He sighed again and stepped around Shizuka's seat, walking
> out into the open area in the middle of the hangar. "OK,
> fine, let's do this," he said, beckoning to Reimu. "I
> haven't got all week."

Oh boy! Fight scene! That's a fight scene prelude if ever I've seen one!

> *most decidedly not a fight scene, but cute Neuroi-chan is cute Neuroi-chan, so we're good*

It's fine, that's just a teaser, the little 'commercial break' as it were right before the --

> Presently they came into view, walking—or in most cases
> more like weaving—across the floodlit apron, past the tied-
> down transport the "visitors" had arrived in earlier, and
> into the hangar itself. Gryphon, in the lead, seemed more or
> less normal, apart from the fact that he was carrying the
> red-and-white-clad Fusōnese girl on his back.

... wat.

To quote one of the greats: "Where's the kaboom? There was supposed to be an Earth-shattering kaboom!"

I... actually don't know if I'm honestly amused or genuinely let down. Complex emotions about this segment, that's what I'm sayin'. :D

> "You're not hungover," she croaked in an accusatory sort of
> way. "How are you not hungover? You drank more than I did."
> --tiny snip--
> "That's a long story for another time," Gryphon replied
> cryptically.

Oh, COME ON, GRYPH! You had the line right there! IT WAS RIGHT THERE!

"It's a kind of magic."

I dunno, maybe they leveled the base offscreen and he doesn't want to trigger her again, but I figured after the aftermath party they'd be on good enough terms for that :D

> "What are they talking about?" Alice murmured, looking
> from Marisa to Reimu. "What's that?"
>
> "No clue," Marisa replied, and then, grinning, "but I bet
> it'll be worth our while to stick close and find out..."

Aaaaand now I'm wracking my brain to try and figure out what that could be. As I'm sure was intended. :)

(Also, I noticed the italicized Mogami usage; nice touch, that.)

I really liked this! How's that saying go? Please, sir, may I have some more? :D

--sofaspud
--even if I was cheated out of a fight scene, darnit