Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

-Ambush

And he just sent that one Hida flying ten feet. No, you're not going to do the stand up and fight thing. You are a Scorpion. A fair fight is just another way of saying you're an idiot. You look around seeing that the the warehouse for their grain is not yet on fire. Mostly because you planned to steal it. It was dark, you could hide there, but first you need to get him there.

You dodge another spear, okay you just need to run at this point. So you turn and move, it's been a long time since you've done a full out run like this...too long really. When did you become old? No matter, duty is duty and it will keep you strong. A sixth sense has you ducking as Vengeance throws the last of his spears at you, the feeling of wind across your back is enough to make you glad you didn't take that to your spine.

Spinning on one foot, you turn a corner into the warehouse as he barrels after you, his momentum isn't any greater than yours, but you were prepared, so as you continue running to the wall. Practised movements have a single smoke bomb leap from your hand into Vengeance's back.

He coughs and rubs his eyes, his endurance whatever the source will take a moment to deal with the noxious gas that billows out now around him. The Ebonite curses and screams at you something. You'd guess it's something along the lines of 'Come out you coward and fight me like a man!'. That's what they usually do when you throw a smoke bomb at them and disappear into the rafters.

Vengeance takes out a long bastard sword, holding it in a pretty good guard as he looks for you. A part of you marvel at how young he looks, not even thirty unless you miss your guess. A strong warrior for the gaijin. Its a damn shame you'll have to kill him.

Another shout from him and more waiting as you ready the the rope darts that you intend to end this with. Vengeance looks around again and spits on the ground, before turning to go back to the battle. Which is when you launch your ambush, from both hands the twin rope darts fly towards your target. Each dart is covered in a different sort of poison that should kill but you have no intention of relying on that.

Vengeance hears something, and has almost turned when the darts hit into the exposed back of his neck. With a wrench of your wrists, you pull the darts out, trusting the poison to be delivered, and looking to cause even more damage to him in the mean time.

He grabs the darts.
He grabbed the darts.
You have a brief moment to think 'Fuck---' before Vengeance pulls on the darts and you with them. You come falling to the ground, rolling in the air to land on your feet, hands already dropping the chained weapons.

As you land though you have a moment to look up before the meaty gauntleted hand of Vengeance grabs around your throat. He keeps running using you as a battering ram through boxes, walls, and well everything. Why does he hate your spine so much?

The thought is knocked from your head as you hit the far wall of the warehouse, your lungs screaming for oxygen. Vegneance is saying something....but fuck if you know what, and fuck him too. The world narrows to just you and the other warrior. You feel more than see what happens next.

Feel, your hand wrap around the senbon that you stash in your arms just in case. Feel, your vision darken as you stab up and over. Feel, the sensation of poking into something like jelly. Feel, the hand around your throat disappear, blessed air returning to your lungs as you drop.

The world comes back to you, and in a perfect Iaijutsu cut you attack Vengeance again as he's still screaming that you stabbed him the eye. This time his arm comes off, rolling to the ground along with his sword.

With one eye he looks at you, curses you, hates you.
That's fine, you've seen eyes like that since you were 14 years old.

There's no words said between you, he knows he's dead now. You grant him some dignity by looking him in the eye as you decapitate him. Vengeance's head rolls to the ground, as you let yourself relax a little. It had been a long time since you gambled this much in one night.

Your fingers pick up the head by its hair as you walk out of the warehouse back to where the fighting was. Without their leader to boost them, the Ebonites have mostly fallen but a few fight hard still. There are no words needed as you mount a horse and ride towards them holding the head of their fallen leader for all to see.

With the knowledge that their best have fallen the Ebonites collapse, some throw down arms and surrender. Others just through themselves on spears, and still others just seem to collapse on the spot whatever power sustaining them gone.

It's with a satisfied smile beneath your mempo that you begin the cry
"VICTORY FOR THE EMPIRE!"

And they answer in turn.
"VICTORY! VICTORY!"
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You look from your Hatamoto Mirumoto Kei, to your scout leader Daidoji Riake, to your quartermaster. Yasuki Kagesuro.

"So that is my report" Riake finishes.

"Five thousand golems coming here to make our lives hell. They'll have a hard time taking the castle. We have time to make it proper Rokugani" Kagesuro says.

"Staying here lets them keep building force, we should leave enough to hold them and try to hit the facility while it's under defended" Kei argues.

"We only have about twelve thousand effective after the Battle of the Cloaked Moon. Splitting our forces more is unwise in my opinion Mirumoto-sama" Kagesuro argues.

"Dadoji-san your thoughts?" You ask

"I um, kind of think we should hit the Golems in march, we've proven effective at ambushes, and the gaijin have no honour." Riake says.

They look at you.
"Well Bayushi-dono, it's your decision" Kei says.

You nod rolling over each option in your mind.

[] Stay at the Fortress and defend. This gives you the most time to prepare and the advantage of fixed defences. On the other hand, you have no idea how much concentration in force they can manage. You're basically betting that they will only throw five thousand tireless machines of War at you. Still that's likely a safe bet...assuming the war in the north is going well.

[] Split your forces, leave enough to match the force coming in but take half of your effective army and try to destroy the facility ahead of time. While this risks a lot, it does mean that you could potentially accomplish your mission and begin the long journey home soon. Still, six thousand against whatever is at the facility...

[] Take your full army leaving only a picket force behind and attack the approaching golems. This is audacious and could cost you the fortress you just spent a couple hundred lives taking. However, it gives you local superiority, and the ability to fight in detail, at least if it's not a trap.

They're all good options, but they all have their risks. In the end you decide...

--Defend.

"A few more days of rest will let us get more warriors at the ready, and as much as we might want to destroy them in detail. We shouldn't assume that the Shadow Dragon doesn't also have the same goal and as much intelligence as us. We prepare this ground, and I want those golems to fear this place by the time we're done."

"I don't think they can feel fear Bayushi-sama" Riake says softly.

"Then we'll give them a new experience before they're destroyed" You say smoothly.

"...Hai" They say equally.

You lean back, dismissing them to go about their duties. You've trained your subordinates well over the past few weeks, you'll do final inspections of both their plans, and their orders of course, but until then. You can relax.


The next few weeks come by in a blur, you remember spending time with the troops, encouraging them and teaching them a few things as you walk by. The word of your victory over the gaijin has died down, but too many still remember you returning with his head, for your presence not to remind them of the victory they had that night.

Of course the small section of the fortress fenced off to hold the prisoners does little to help that. You aren't entirely sure what to do with them to be honest. Many are simply of the opinion that execution is good enough for these foreigners. However, the Unicorn and unsurprisingly, Monkey both object, as do the Dragon, although their reasons are more pragmatic than the others. Mirumoto Kei argues they could be put to work helping to trap the valley, and then allowed to make their own way to whatever homes they could find. The Unicorn lead by a somewhat impetuous Utaku Nanami argue that the Ebonites should just be sent home, they did nothing wrong but obey their leaders, punishing them for that would be dishonourable. Plus fewer mouths and no chance of evil spirits.

In the end you think you'll decide....

[] Execute
[] Put to Work
[] Release them

It's the option that suits you best at the moment.
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It's a hot summer day when you hear the sound of drums echoing through the fortress. The Golems are here, and it is time to put on your armour and lead them to war. There's only really one way for them to come from the north just as the south. Nearly a month has been spent preparing the ground, you know that the glass creations don't bleed, but you'll grind them down anyways.

You appear on ramparts, just as the gates close. The scouts that had spent the last two weeks harrying the army in every way they could .(Which turned out to be very little sadly, an avalanche or two, but nothing that could get at their leader. A fair woman that seemed to be some sort of sorceress) They had done their part.

Now you had to do yours. You are no Kaneka when it comes to speeches, but you still have some talent at the art. So with a rich baritone, amplified by one of your Soshi subordinates, you begin

"Samurai of the Emerald Empire---

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Perspective change

[] Kisada the Great Bear
[] Kaneka the Shogun
[] Hisao the Emperor
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AN: Sorry for how short it is but there really wasn't much to say.