You blink. "What?""You heard me, Chief. Take that pistol, point it at that Martian, and pull the trigger," repeats General Douglas MacArthur. This doesn't make any sense! Shoot Socks? Even without considering what he's done for you and your fellow witches, he's an insanely important asset: a Martian willing to cooperate with Humanity, the first (and likely to be most valuable) turncoat of the war! Shoot him? Has the General gone mad?"But sir, he-""Are you saying you can't shoot one of these bastards?"Those are some loaded words. Even if being assigned to a submarine means you rarely come face-to-face with the enemy in a "white of his eyes" situation, you're still working to subvert the enemy's efforts with often lethal force. Being unable to kill the enemy implies incompetence. Dangerous incompetence, the kind that gets your fellow servicemen and women killed. Still, being told to prove you're not such a liability by killing a top Martian scientist in the General's office? It's unthinkable. He knows how important Socks is to the war effort (God, you hope he realizes how important Socks is). There's got to be a trick here. This is a test, that's obvious. He wouldn't expend Socks for confidence in one enlistee's ability to kill. Beads of sweat forming on your brow as MacArthur watches you, you carefully slide out the cylinder of the revolver. Aha! There it is. The gun's not loaded. You immediately begin to rela- "Oh, silly me. Here, Chief, hand me that gun."
>>20121477 Your expression quickly returns to its stressed form as you hand him the revolver, watching him carefully load each of the six chambers. He slides the cylinder back in, spinning it for good measure, and hands it back to you. There's no mistaking it; the gun is loaded. You stare at it for several seconds, not moving. You desperately cling to the idea of this only being a test. There's got to be a trick somewhere, something you're missing...but you saw him load it. The safety's off. This revolver is ready to kill. "S-sir, please-" "This is an order, Chief. Point the gun at the Martian and pull the trigger! It's not hard to figure out, is it? Do you need a tutorial on how to point and shoot?" "N-no, sir." He's made it deadly clear. This is an order. You're not getting out of this situation; you have to make a choice. Socks sits silently, waiting for this bizarre display to finish. In the back of your mind, you sincerely hope this is just another mental attack, and you'll break free at any moment...[ ] Orders are orders. Aim and fire confidently.[ ] Make the hard decision. Even if it's Socks, you can't just ignore an order.[ ] Refuse. This is ludicrous. There's more at stake here than your military career.
Shoot MacArthur instead, by "accident".Fucker has it coming.
>>20121487[x]Whelp>Mindlink"Sorry Socks.">BLAM
>>20121509He'll just return.
>>20121524Amending to"I hope you realize what an asset you're throwing away, Sir."THEN"Sorry Socks"THENBLAM
>>20121509Shit's probably loaded with blanks. Won't that look fucking great for a witch under suspicion?
>>20121487This sounds like sound he's testing to see if we've been psionically suborned. [x] Make the hard decision. Even if it's Socks, you can't just ignore an order.
>>20121487 ...You can't disobey him. Disregarding your pride in being a hardworking, reliable, and all around 'good' enlisted member of the USN, setting aside your duty to follow orders, you're in an impossible situation. Disobeying him would amount to career suicide, and if this isn't some sort of trick, they'll need whatever you've learned from Socks. The military probably won't have time to listen to an insubordinate Chief Petty Officer, regardless of her history or magic. You turn to Socks, the poor guy utterly oblivious to the direct threat to his well-being you now pose. You're glad you haven't taught him enough English to figure out what you're saying. He stares at you with alien eyes, his posture just as alien. Strange to think that so much of everything that defines him can be summed up as just...'alien.' As you raise the weapon, pointing it at his bulbous head, you feel him prying at the psionic link between you, trying to establish communication. He's trying to figure out what the hell is going on, you realize. You can't bear it. Before he gets a chance to sense your emotional turmoil, before he can get an inkling of what you're about to do, you pull the trigger.
>>20121804Click. [Kukyendall, what are you doing?] You open eyes you didn't realize were closed, the rest of your body still tense from the moment of truth. The hammer came down right, there wasn't a misfire. The revolver is perfectly operational. In confusion, you desperately try to fire it again. Now that you've committed to the act, trying it again isn't as hard; you're now worried if you won't even be allowed to make this decision at all, now that you've willingly chosen to kill Socks. Again, nothing happens; the rounds don't discharge. "They're dummy rounds, Chief. You didn't think I was about to throw away our most valuable asset before getting all the info we could get, did you?" General Douglas MacArthur leans back in the corner, lighting his pipe. He gives it a few careful puffs, getting it going, before speaking again. "You've got a lot of trust for your superiors, that's for damned sure. Whether or not that trust comes willingly or by force of circumstance doesn't matter much to me, but I do hope that trust doesn't get betrayed someday."
>>20121948 Stunned, you slump into your chair, revolver still in hand. "Still, that hesitation shows you've got a head on your shoulders. You think about your orders. If the situation changed, you'd probably figure out what to do." Figure out what to do? If the situation changed? There's nothing that could have changed here to change what I'd have had to do, bar you dropping dead! MacArthur takes his pipe out from his mouth, turning it around in his hand. "So, you can still fight these aliens." He places it back in his mouth, puffing it once more. "But right when you pulled that trigger...it looked like you were shooting your own mother."[ ] Of course it did! Have you ever known someone so completely as Socks and I can?[ ] Stay silent.[ ] Other.
>>20121986[x] other"Sir, I believed that I was being ordered to kill our best chance for victory. I also believed that such an order had damn good reason behind it."
>>20122031"...my friend and our best chance of victory..."
>>20121986 "Sir," you begin, trying to keep your voice steady, "I didn't just think that...that I was being ordered to kill our best chance at victory." You pause to give your voice a chance to recover. It doesn't. "I didn't just think I was being ordered to kill someone that saved my life several times. I thought I was being ordered to...to kill a friend." General MacArthur puts down his pipe and rubs his chin with his hand. "I'm sorry to hear that, Chief. You've been through a lot, that's for damned sure." You don't say a word. "Well. Let's find out just how much. VICTOR!" He yells to one of the numerous assistants that had been ushered out of the room. A few second later, Victor opens the door, leading in Yetta, Miranda, and Rae. "Take a seat, ladies. It's time to for you to tell me what the hell you've gone through to get here, and why I'm staring at a Martian sitting in my office with what looks like a stupid smile on his face." He does indeed appear to be trying to smile. It's not much, but it brightens your spirit just a bit. "Hey, Cleo!" whispers Rae. "What's with the gun?"[ ] Explain.[ ] Get on with the debriefing.[ ] Other.
>>20122450[x ] Get on with the debriefingWe'll explain later.
>>20122450[x]debriefingI don't think "This cockbag just ordered me to murder socks." is a good move right now.I was kinda hoping to dress down the general for pulling such an obvious hollywood stunt, but I got here too late :(
>>20122586>obvious hollywood stuntIt's MacArthur. This is the kind of shit he was known for.
>>20122586I'd make a crack about a private debriefing, but we don't do that with MacArthur. He's a dick.
>>20122450 "Nothing," you say quietly, surprised to still find it in your hands. Miranda and Yetta lean forward from their chairs to look at you. "What? Let's...let's get started." With that, you begin the debriefing. You start with a brief explanation of the Substriker, an underwater counterpart to the Tank Strikers and flight Strikers. MacArthur is a little intrigued by the idea, but otherwise keeps silent as you describe the trip to pick up the other witches. You describe the sinking of the Tullibee as best you can, Yetta becoming silent as you do. "So that's what happened to the Tullibee," says MacArthur. "Circular run, huh? That's a damned way to go." "Yes, sir," you respond. "Well, how'd these green bastards end up capturing you? You were in the water, right, Chief? Lt. Kellos and Sub-Lieutenant Falkowska were still on-board the Tullibee when it was hit?" "They...they hit me with some sort of sonic attack, sir. It was like my head was tearing itself apart," you answer. "I didn't even get to see them. As for Mira-I mean, Lt. Kellos and Sub-Lieutenant Falkowska..." Miranda takes over. "I was en route to the infirmary, General. Debilitating headache. Commander Brindupke decided I...I was a liability in that state. I was passing by the launch room when the torpedo hit."
>>20122450[x] Get on with the debriefing.
>>20122942 Yetta shivers as the strike comes back to her. Again, a horrid feeling in the pit of your being washes over you from within as you imagine being stuck like that in a tube, trapped as the sub sinks. "I...I extracted Sub-Lieutenant Falkowska from the tube she was trapped in as she tried to sortie. With no way out, we waited. Eventually, the Martians boarded the sub, taking us captive." "I see," MacArthur says. "Strange that they'd go to the trouble. What about the Japanese Witch? Any idea what happened to her?" You shake your head, and the others follow suit. "No, sir, we haven't seen her since. As far as Socks knows, there were no other prisoners." "Hmm," he acknowledges. "Continue, please." You continue, describing the relevant parts of your captivity: the struggle to keep Rae alive, how you socked Socks, your strange sensitivity to psionic activity (and the torture you had to endure), Socks' dissatisfaction with the Martian Commander, contact with Miranda and Yetta, and finally, the breakout. "...and we found these." Miranda pulls the Mars Strikers from their bag, placing them in front of the General. "What on God's Green Earth are these?" he wonders aloud.[ ] Explain yourself[ ] Ask Socks for a more technically correct description[ ] Other
>>20123042[x] Ask Socks for a more technically correct description.Now would be a good time to start proving his value.
>>20123062I agree. If he can detail how the martians not only reproduced, but streamlined, technology based on a phenomenon they don't have, then that'd go a long way towards ensuring a healthy life.
>>20123042[x ] Ask Socks for a more technically correct description
>>20123042[Socks.] [Yes, Kukyendall?] You can sense his puzzlement at your conflicting but intense emotions. Worry, anger, happiness, relief...and several you can't name. [Can you more accurately describe these Strikers to the General?] [General? So, we have indeed reached out destination? Intriguing. I would have thought there would be more security, given that I am likely still regarded as an enemy.] [You're surrounded by four Witches, Socks.] [Ah, that is indeed true. Very well. Kukyendall, there is one issue with your request. I cannot speak your language.] You groan. [Tell me, Socks. I'll take it from there.] "One moment, Sir. Socks is going to explain it to me," you say. "The Striker unit to my left is a Martian replica of one of our own. We don't know the exact model, but it was basically built as a test, to see if they could examine our technology fully enough to reproduce whatever effects drive it. Unfortunately, the Martians seem to be woefully ignorant of magic; they couldn't get it to run. I've personally used this pair. I had to learn how to use them on the fly, but they seem functional enough. Socks doesn't know much more than that."
>>20123633The General nods. "The center unit was an attempt to test their understanding of magic. They've...combined some of the principles they've guessed are at work behind the magic engine with some of their own engineering twists, using technology beyond ours. Socks doesn't know exactly why they would do this, as they have no magical capabilities to speak of. I'm a bit at a loss as well, but Rae-I mean, Lt. Caulders-tested them as well." You look to her for input. "Yeah. I don't have much in the way of flight time in a pair of Strikers, but from what I do remember, these puppies pack a serious punch. They've got to have almost twice the efficiency and raw power output of some of our front-line units. If the Martians got this far without knowing what the hell they were doing, then it's a very good thing we got the hell out of there before they could really get started experimenting with us," she says. "This day just keeps getting better and better," comments MacArthur. "The far unit is probably the most interesting unit. It is a striker, but it doesn't function on magic. It uses psionics and electromagnetism to simulate the output and functions of a traditional Striker." MacArthur lets out a whistle, turning to Socks. "You bastards are toying with some serious stuff. Still..." He gives Socks a careful examination, then gives you the same. "It seems to me that the Martians lack two things we call 'legs,' Chief."
>>20123644 You nod. "Yes. Again, Socks is a little confused as to the ultimate goal of the unit. He speculates that it was going to be used as a kind of Rosetta Stone, a way to compare psionics and magic in a working chassis and draw parallels between the two. His best guess is that it was going to validate their theories behind magic, psionics, and electromagnetism. He doesn't think the techs behind these units had started testing it, though." "These things just can't let us get figure out how their heads think. Well, any other presents for me, Chief?" "Well, there is the submersible we recovered from the Harbinger during our escape. It contains what looks like a real-time readout of Martian military assets on the planet." MacArthur's pipe drops to the floor. "You better not be bullshitting me, Chief. That's a hell of a thing you've got there." "I used it myself. I can't say if it's still working or not, but we did our best to bring it here in workable condition." "Let's talk about this Harbinger. What exactly is it?"[ ] You can handle this one.[ ] Socks?[ ] Other.
>>20123675>[ ] You can handle this one.We can at least give him the general pants-wetting gist of it.
>>20123675[x] You can handle this oneIf the general wants actual technical details, then we can ask Socks.
[x] You can handle thisOkay. Imagine an aircraft carrier bigger than any one we've built. Now imagine it's a submarine, and it carries subs in addition to aircraft.Now imagine it's full of martians, and experimental technology. That's harbringer.
"Imagine this, Sir. Take one of our aircraft carriers, say, the Lexington. Take several of it, side by side. Then lengthwise. Then stack that layer with another. That's the Harbinger. It's huge, and can travel underwater, reaching depths our submarines can only dream of. It's loaded to the brim with personnel, submersibles, aircraft, experimental technology, and a commander so absurd and eccentric he drove Socks to breaking us out. I suspect he's been the source of much of our grief in the area." MacArthur leans back in his chair. "It's a god damned hive ship, swimming around without a care in the damned world. Christ, no wonder I couldn't get Isaki to flush them out." "Yes, sir." "That's how they hit Brisbane. Shit, not a single coastal city is safe as long as this thing is running around!" He kneads his temple for a moment. "Any idea of its defenses?"[ ] Probably real good.[ ] Socks?[ ] Other.
>>20124090"The ocean itself, sir, not to mention who knows how many vessels it carries. So, probably real good, I guess."
>>20124090[x] Socks?He might actually have a useful answer beyond "AUGH FRIGHTENING SIR."
>>20124090[x] Socks?
[x]Kotters?
Kotters post your goddamn update you lazy bastard. You're worse than Panzerhexen "TWQ IS DEAAAAAD" of Somaliland
>>20124878Maybe caught by little sisters?
Yo, just letting you guys know, something in the new post tripped the autoban filter.Here's the update in question:http://pastebin.com/6B3eB27h
"It's always little girls. You've noticed that, right? The eldritch abomination. The callous immortal. The escaped science project. The arcane reagent. Every single time it manifests itself as a little. From now on, I'm putting a ban on little girls. We shall no business with, of, or on little girls and they have now been elevated to Kill on Sight levels for field agents."-Prof. Archibald Wethers, Leading Expert of the Extranormal and Preternatural
>>20124909[x]Tell himWe're in psionic communication; secrets would eventually get out. "It was a test, to see if I was suborned. Course, I figured it out that he'd probably put blanks in, but...You're a friend, Socks, and it wasn't easy."
>what was that incident with the gun?[x]OtherThe general was just being melodramatic. A waste of time in my opinion.
>>20125153Vote for this.
Testing 4chan's glorious 1 day ban system
>>20125223>mfw it rolled over4chan time, how does it work? You faggots are lucky, I'll do one more before I hit the hay.Also, there's a reward for whoever figures out what fucking word tripped that auto-ban.
>>20125236possibly s-p-o-o-k-s because of its racial connotations. Race words get you banned in /k/ too.
>>20125236
>>20125287Why you hate me so, Russbro? I love Russia, for they gave me this:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEIdZRQfieM
>>20125285Nah, I was only trying to post the first part of that update. Spooks wasn't in it.
>>20124909 [The General was being an ass, that's what.] [What do you mean, Kukyendall?] You sigh as you round the corner, passing by a few soldiers waiting in chairs outside a room. They eye your unmarked IJN dress curiously, but quickly shift their gaze to Socks as he passes by. "You'll be escorting this one shortly. One word gets out and you'll be tried for treason. Trust me, we know who you are," threatens Victor. His calm and collected voice carries a terrifying edge. Beneath this demeanor, there's a deadly serious man. The soldiers nod vigorously, resigned to their new future assignment. [He...he ordered me to shoot you.] You turn over the General's revolver, still in your hands. For whatever reason, he didn't ask for it back. You have half a mind to toss it, but you're not sure you want to be responsible for losing the General's sidearm just yet. [But you did not.] [I pulled the trigger, dammit! It was loaded with dummy rounds, too! I told him I could still fight. This entire thing proved nothing! A complete waste of time, and...it hurt. Being accused of incompetence. Being ordered to shoot someone who's saved my life.]
>>20125492 [Kukyendall, I have repeated this many times before. When I decided to help you, I did not believe I would be given a warm welcome. I was fully prepared to be locked in a cell, much like you were, if not tortured and killed. I cannot lie; sometimes I wonder if I have made the right decision. Still, you should not brood over this. You were ordered by a superior. You followed it. This was the correct decision.] [Socks, you completely defied that Commander! Are you really one to be talking about following orders?] [Kukyendall, you missed one thing. I am not a soldier; I do as I please.] If you didn't know better, you'd swear you could see a glint in his eye and a curve in his mouth. [Dammit Socks, I think I'm rubbing off on you.] [Perhaps, Kukyendall. Perhaps.]NEXT TIME ON SUBMERSIBLE WITCHES QUEST: AVOIDING AUTOBAN EDITIONTUESDAY 7PM CST 8PM EST
>>20125504[Dammit Socks, I think I'm rubbing one off on you]Is how I read it. Shame I already wrote for this pairing. Oh well, maybe I'll do a followup sometime.
>>20125571FAPFICTIOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON
>>20125571No reason not to, right? New situations, new feelings.
>>20125583Fun for the whole xenophiliac family.
>>20125571>I already wrote for this pairing>shipping a quest thread>fanfiction of a quest thread>EROTIC fanfiction of a quest thread>EROTIC fanfiction of a quest thread about a little girl and an alienThis is what it feels like, right? Experiencing the end of all hope in humanity?
>>20125641What, the existence of Strike Witches in general didn't do that for you?
>>20125641>He hasn't read the SocksxCookie ficYou poor dear...
>>20125641It's not so bad once you get used to it. Try masturbating, it helps push back the urge to everyone and/or yourself.
>>20125641>little girlCookie is like 25.
>>20125670I can write that off as "Oh, Japan", but THIS, this I can't repress.>>20125697>LESBIAN EROTIC fanfiction of a quest thread about a little girl and an alienI quit.
Where can I find the previous threads of this, if they're even archived?
>>20125718>lesbianBut Socks is a martian and a dude. Probably.
>>20125720http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=kottersIn case you're new blood, SuWQ is a side quest of Strike Witches Quest, which can be found here, along with Tank Witches Quest.http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=strike_witches
>>20125732Okay I misinterpreted that last post. I do not rescind my resignation, however.
>>20125720Right here:http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?tags=Submersible%20Witches%20Quest
>>20125739Thanks. I am, in fact, "new blood". The setting seems really neat though.
>>20125771>no one posts my archiveI am offended, guys. If you want all things SWQ, it's all in here: SWQ, TWQ, SuWQ, the billions of (like six or something) writefags, drawfags, etc. http://www.mediafire.com/?zczt31hjpdzd3t1
>>20125748So.Not only is it erotic fanfiction of a quest about a woman and alien, it's erotic fanfiction of a quest knockoff, about a woman and an alien.How does this make you feel?
>>>/mlp/
>>20125823This is mon visage quand.
>>20125801... what?
>>20125771>new bloodOh boy. Let me run this down for you.Japan created a media franchise known as Strike Witches. Basically, it's an alternate reality where thinly-veiled analogs of countries are fighting a world war analogous to WWII. However, instead of fighting among themselves, they're fighting aliens known as the Neuroi. The only thing that can actually fight them are Witches. Yeah, it's WWII with magic and aliens. Also, most of the witches are actually genderbent versions of actual Aces from the war. Their Strikers, which are a kind of magical mechanical broomstick, are what give them flight.Now, Japan fucked it all up, especially with the anime. It's basically nothing but crotch shots and fanservice. Strike Witches Quest works to fix some of that. Instead of having countries like Liberion, Orussia, or Karlsland, they have the actual countries like the USA, USSR, or Germany. Most of the witches are still around, but some of the Aces they're based on exist as well as their brothers. Instead of following a witch or witches as the MC, it follows a P-61 pilot. Instead of super-powerful Neuroi, they fight literal Martians, straight out of War of the Worlds. Witches and magic are still the best way to fight them, but conventional forces are actually useful in this setting.
>>20125823Aroused, mostly.
>>20125771>>20125864Tank Witches Quest follows a tank company in this universe. Submersible Witches Quest follows several test pilots (I suppose divers might be more appropriate) in this universe.There's also a few serialized stories that are posted after the quests. Corsair Witches usually follows SuWQ, the others are posted after a SWQ thread. TWQ is basically dead, but apparently Panzer (the quest runner) is going to start making threads again.#swq on rizon.net is where a some of the fans hang out. Demetrious (AKA Planefag) runs SWQPanzerhexen runs TWQKotters runs SuWQ
>>20125860I've been doing this for several months now. I post it at the end of the first thread of each week. People started asking for someone to put it all in a text file and... ta-da! It averages around 100ish hits depending on how the quest is doing at the time.
>>20125908Not you. The MLP guy. Apparently 4chan fucked up my links.Still, nobody loves you, you know.
>>20125880So wait, was thing about genderbent AIs crammed into fleshy bodies of little girls in this setting too? What the fuck WAS that shit anyways?
>>20125923I appreciate archivalfags work very much.Makes it so much easier to enjoy the story without listening to 400+ posts of waifu wars.
>>20125923Oh well.
>>20125954>>20125952Eh. Somebody has to keep him from getting an inflated head.
>>20125930This is something that I know nothing of. I think I heard something about it in #swq though?
>>20125864OK thanks. I suspect I could have figured most of that out from the threads anyways, but thanks.
>>20125930Nah, "Magical" Girl Quest is something else entirely. And the guy running it disappeared without any warning, goddamnit.
>>20126092Well, you wouldn't get the background on Strike Witches proper that easily.By the way, don't bother watching the show. It's bad.
>>20126135It's not that bad. Everyone's all "HURP DURP WORST SHOW EVER" but it has nice characters.
>>20126158Strike Witches suffers from a severe case of wasted potential and GONZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. If they could have stopped with the constant antics and fanservice, it could have been good.For instance, the OVA was good.
>>20126211>OVA was goodHAHA OH GOD WAT
>>20126226Minimal fanservice, action scenes that aren't crotch-shot montages, a better base design, and Yoshika's hair was a bird.Your post is invalid.
Corsair Witches didn't happen tonight because of reasons. We'll pick it up next time.
>>20126243Holy shit that is hilarious.
>>20126287And somehow still much better than the TV series.Fucking Gonzo.
Oh, how bloody convenient.>>>/a/69425827An example of what Strike Witches became.
I only have moderate objections to the fanservice that SW is.
Also, to reiterate for those who missed Saturday's thread, next SWQ is on Thursday, 1900 4chan time.
>>20126096I keep thinking I killed it since I apparently went full Nazi with my suggestions according to the thread. Funny thing is I know next to nothing about the plot, I just wanted to argue AI ethics.
>>20126313>little catgirl with propeller legs and a gunJAPAAAAAAAAAN
>>20126443>ignores plot>just argues his one point without careYeah, you're the type of person that kills quest threads alright.
>>20126459I made sure I got a handle on the lore before making the suggestions, I just wasn't completely up to speed on the plot. I think I was being pretty reasonable.
>>20126443Then I may have to find you, and do unpleasant things to you, if you scared off READS.Some how.But probably not. Because I'm lazy.And because I really hope the arguing didn't scare him off.
>>20126828I stand by my actions even though I meant no harm.
>>20126895It's cool.
