Indeed, within the first minute we have two wide-eyed "oh shit" moments, not least Felicia pulling a gun on the Colonel and taking him hostage in order to protect her charges, in the short-term at least. However, even at gunpoint the Colonel can still attack Noel as we learn the exact truth behind her past; a revelation in front of her friends which all but destroys her at that point in time, and a shock only allayed by Aisha's words of forgiveness.
It is however Kanata who sets the wheels for what is to come in motion, swearing that she's heard a trumpet signalling a cease fire, which she then tries to relay on with understandably little joy from the war-hungry Colonel. This forces drastic action once again from the girls, which needless to say involves the mechanised tank Noel has been working on throughout the series as well as last-gasp intervention courtesy of the return of Rio.
While that ending might well have been rather predictable when all is said and done, that shouldn't detract from the fact that this was actually a pretty powerful episode - A fascinating set of circumstances which took the girls from bravery to foolishness to fear while reinforcing the bonds between them in a way that felt altogether natural, and delivered in a way that was at times quite moving. Indeed, the emotional impact of this episode can probably be traced back to the way Sora no Woto has built up its characters throughout, with those moments that perhaps felt frivolous at the time have combined to create characters that you end up caring about - An important cornerstone of a series such as this, and one that should probably be remembered by others who have tried to weave similar tales to this show and failed. Sora no Woto may not be the most memorable series ever, but it's provided some stunning episodes set against a backdrop that was frequently fun - An odd but heady mixture which worked really well for it in the end.
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