- For the chapter of the same name, see Chapter 26.
| Episode 10 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Episode | 10 |
| Manga chapters | Chapter 27-Chapter 29 |
| Original air date | June 12, 2012 |
| Story arc | Dragon Shooter Arc |
| Episode Navigation | |
| previous Episode 9 |
next Episode 11 |
Dragon Shooter Phase 2 (ドラゴン・シューター・フェーズ 2 Doragon Shūtā Fēzu 2?) is the tenth episode of the anime and the second and final episode of the Dragon Shooter Arc.
Dragan Nikolaevich's men are wiped out by Koko's Squad but he escapes with Leon Riviere as a hostage. After devising a way to successfully escape from Planina Airport, Koko Hekmatyar launches a plan to rescue Leon and get the $5 million bounty on Dragan.
Summary[]
Following a recap of the prior episode, Koko’s Squad opens fire on the Balkan Dragons. Dragan Nikolaevich is able to get shelter from his Mercedes while the air force captain orders his men to stay put and begs Koko Hekmatyar to end the fighting, but she ignores him. Dragan picks up his pistol and is about to shoot Koko when Mao shoots his hand. Leon Riviere can do nothing but watch and when Dragan notices him, uses his uninjured hand to force him at gunpoint into his car as a hostage. Jonah sees him about to escape and nearly shoots him but is stopped by Koko. He keeps the Mercedes in his sights as Dragan finally manage to start it and escape, vowing revenge. The squad finishes mopping up, having taken no casualties. Jonah finally stands down and notices the video camera still rolling. He walks over to it and kicks it, destroying it.
Koko explains to Jonah why she let Dragan escape.
Following the gunfight, the captain bemoans what has happened, but Koko is unrepentant, blaming Dragan. Jonah asks Koko why she stopped him from shooting, as he could have saved Riviere. She tells him that Dragan was not worth him killing, telling him that the knight’s sword remembers all that it has cut and that she cannot let him go blunt. Jonah is confused by this metaphor, but Koko admits that she allowed Dragan to escape. Lutz and R are arguing about how to escape, which Koko breaks up by suggesting that any ideas be aired. Ugo reminds them that Dragan will return with more men and in response to Valmet’s question about air defenses, Tojo confirms that the Dragons have SAMs and anti-aircraft guns. R shoots down Lutz’s idea about launching flares, leading Mao to notice the D-30 122 mm artillery at the airfield. Koko latches onto this and he suggests that they use the artillery to destroy the Dragons’ missile launchers. She offers to buy one of the artillery pieces from the captain with a 20% discount the next time, but he just tells her to do what she wants. Koko tells her squad to dismantle one of the guns and take it onboard.
As Ugo and the co-pilot ready the Antonov An-12 for takeoff, Mao has one of the guns towed over. Marguerite Mesner asks where Riviere is and is told that he was shot and taken away. When she apologizes, Koko tells her that she and Dragan are the crazy ones and retrieves a helmet from a storage compartment, as their takeoff will be turbulent. In the countryside, Dragan orders his men to shoot down the An-12 as soon as it takes off, threatening dire consequences if they fail. Riviere wonders why anyone would follow anyone so childish in temperament and is threatened with being tortured and killed on film. However he laughs in response.
The 122 mm fires.
At dusk, the militia surround Planina Airport with men equipped with SAMs and self-propelled AA guns. When the An-12 takes off, its infrared jammers are activated. This defeats the first SAM, which misses and detonates above it. In the hold, the passengers are piled on top off each other and when Lehm complains about Koko and the sky, Valmet defends her. The Dragons begin firing their AAA, but its aim is thrown off by the jammers. Just as soon as Koko orders them to climb, four SA-9s are launched. Flares deployed misdirect the missiles, but the sky is rocked by the resulting explosions. Koko tells Mao not to let the Dragons fire again as the An-12 reaches 10,000 feet. With the cargo bay door open and the D-30 pointed out, he tells everyone to cover their ears and open their mouths just before he fires. The beehive round detonates above the Dragons, hitting them with flechettes. Mao announces after observation that the shot was on target, and the passengers respond with cheers. Koko congratulates Mao, but warns everyone to maintain their vigilance. The scene then cuts to the landscape below studded with flechettes.
Schokolade is soldering something in Scarecrow’s office. He then gets a call from Koko, which shocks him, but he realizes from Schokolade’s reaction that she was the one who gave Koko his number. Koko quickly tells Scarecrow not to cut in before revealing that they have found Dragan, who he realizes has a $5 million bounty. She offers to sell the information on where he is and let him capture the militia leader for $5 million. Scarecrow is furious about this, so Koko hangs up. She then calls Schokolade and offers the same deal to her, which she quickly accepts.
Koko vows to rescue Riviere.
That night, after the An-12 has landed at a dirt air strip, Koko notes that if the Dragons had fired the SAMs that she is selling they would not be alive. Marguerite thanks her for bringing the doctors close to the refugee camp where they can begin their work, telling her that the balance of the payment will be delivered to HCLI. However when she starts to say goodbye, Koko replies that her role is not over yet, as she was supposed to deliver ten of them, and offers to rescue Riviere. Koko learns in a call with HQ that HCLI is tracking Dragan by satellite. She then tells her contact that she suspects that her father had a role in setting up the current situation, which he confirms. He ties everything together by revealing that Floyd wants to gain influence with both the CIA and Outspoken Doctors for Human Rights, while she is after the reward for Dragan. Koko also learns that Scarecrow has called up the Marines for the snatch-and-grab, [likely MARSOC, aka Marine Raiders]. Following the call, Koko tells Lehm that it is time to hunt. He directs Wiley to gather the 122 mm ammunition and Mao to load it up.
While waiting, Marguerite sees Koko standing off by herself. The latter then begins speaking aloud, saying that those who kill too much one day turn into dragons, growing more violent until they can no longer speak the language of other men. Scarecrow and Schokolade are shown in a command center with the former issuing commands into a walkie talkie. As Koko says that they cannot allow any dragons to remain in this world and that is the highest honour to slay one, a UH-60 Black Hawk is shown in flight as well as a car with Lehm, Mao, and Wiley. She concludes by saying that Dragan has gone too far. The militia leader is in a car with Riviere that is part of a convoy heading into the night, telling the doctor that he will not live until morning.
Dragan is left for pick up by Last Spurt.
Lehm and his team are wait by the side of the road when the convoy approaches. As it does, he observes that the three of them have been responsible for cleaning up since the old days, which they both confirm before Wiley detonates the 122 mm ammunition, taking out the convoy but sparing Dragan's car. As they mop up the survivors, flechettes rain down on the car, distracting the occupants and allowing Lehm to shoot the driver and capture Dragan. He relays this news to Koko, who passes it on to the doctors. Marguerite thanks her and also suggests that based on what she said earlier, she is a dragon as well before quickly trying to change her statement when she sees Koko’s reaction. However the latter responds by laughing it off and when Jonah asks if it is over, is told that there is one more thing. Scarecrow then calls and angrily accepts Koko’s price. Tojo transmits the coordinates over, which Scarecrow has Schokolade pull up onscreen. Dragan is bound and alone on a hillside when the Black Hawk arrives. The team then leaves after reuniting Riviere with his fellow doctors. Koko and Jonah are both in the nose and the former brings up Marguerite’s dragon comment, asking what sound he thinks dragons make. Jonah attempts a growl, which amuses Koko.
Anime and manga differences[]
Chapter 27[]
- Jonah is not shown shooting after some bullets strike the An-12.
- Dragan is much closer when he tries to shoot Koko.
- Valmet's takedown of the truck and the militiamen in it is shorter.
- Dragan taking Leon hostage and Koko's order to Jonah not to shoot him are not shown until the next chapter, as a flashback.
- Jonah stomping on the camcorder is shown from a third person perspective.
Chapter 28[]
- Dragan taking Leon hostage and Koko's order to Jonah not to shoot him are only shown as a flashback.
- Koko's explanation to Jonah is shorter.
- Lutz gives R a push for disagreeing with his steal a tank idea. The squad's discussion is shown more generally when they discuss options. Mao mentions the D-30s when talking to Tojo. The angle of Koko asking the captain for a D-30 is different.
- The loading of the D-30 is not shown. Dead militiamen are still near the open cargo door when Marguerite asks Koko about Leon. Ugo also enters to push back a shipping crate so Koko can retrieve the helmets.
- The Balkan Dragons are not shown deploying to the airport.
- Koko is shaken up when the Strela misses. The angle of everyone else in the cargo bay getting thrown around is different. The sequence of the SA-9s being fired and the flares deployed is shorter.
- The officer who orders a reload wears sunglasses and has a beard.
- When Mao commands everyone to open their mouths and cover their ears they are not shown. The flechettes are shown impacting the Balkan Dragons. Mao confirms the shot with binoculars but is not shown looking through them.
- Scarecrow and Schokolade are dressed differently. Scarecrow's visualiation of Dragan's bounty is a list of the details.
Chapter 29[]
- The squad is shown reacting to Koko's comment about getting shot down.
- The other doctors are not shown when Koko vows to rescue Leon.
- The feed from Tojo's laptop of the tracking of Dragan is in less detail and he uses a different antenna. Last Spurt is identified as the Marines.
- Wiley and Mao are not holding their hands up as if they are volunteering to go with Lehm making it look more like they were picked.
- Koko starts to talk about dragons after Lehm leaves.
- Mao is shown from a different angle when observing the road but does not signawhen the convoy comes into sight.
- Dragan's Mercedes-Benz stops in the middle of the destruction of the convoy.
- Scarecrow's anger is expressed by hitting a wall. Koko relays the coordinates verbally. Schokolade has a drink with her. She and Scarecrow are dressed differently. The Marines recover Dragan him on the ground.
- The rest of the squad in the cargo bay and the cockpit are not shown when they leave.
Trivia[]
- Tojo, Wiley, Mao, R, Ugo, and Lutz are featured in the shell cartridge during the ending credits for the first time since Episode 8.