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To Protect the Empire
By Brian Yoon
When people turned their thoughts to the Scorpion Clan, Yogo Rieko mused, they doubtless imagined a world of clandestine meetings and dark, hidden corners. A world of shadows and deceit, where Scorpions plotted the deaths of their enemies and brewed poisons every night. To give credit to their imaginations, sometimes the Scorpion had to do what was needed, Rieko admitted. Still, it would disappoint playwrights and rumormongers if they ever knew the truth: the Scorpion Clan was just as mundane as any other when it came to everyday dealings.
Soshi Uidori, the Soshi Family daimyo, had called a meeting the moment news of the Imperial families’ proclamation reached the Scorpion lands. They gathered in the gardens of Shiro no Soshi, surrounded by flowers and elaborate architecture. The kami sang to Rieko, joyous with the beauty and serenity of the land. It was the perfect place for a meeting of the most powerful shugenja of the Scorpion Clan.
They sat on benches facing the beautiful scenery, and Rieko surreptitiously glanced at the others gathered today. Soshi Yukimi, master sensei of the Dojo of the Closed Eye and identical twin of Soshi Uidori, stood silently behind her sister. Nearby was Soshi Shuuko, shugenja of the hidden organization known as the Kuroiban. Rieko knew she was a talented and clever shugenja they had worked together on Kuroiban business in the past, and she had been impressed at Shuuko’s abilities.
The last member of the group was someone Rieko only knew by reputation. Shosuro Atesharu was an enigmatic man. He was a member of a famous acting troupe, but Rieko knew he was more important than others realized. His mere presence at this meeting was proof of his hidden talents.
Uidori stood up and all attention focused on the daimyo. “Thank you for arriving on such short notice,” she said. Her gaze slowly moved from each person to the next. “Rieko-san, you represent your daimyo Yogo Koji in this matter. Shuuko, you represent the interests of the Kuroiban. Atesharu, thank you for coming.”.
Atesharu gave a short bow. Rieko glanced at him once more, wondering what secrets his mask hid.
“The Jade Championship Is upon us once more,” Uidori said. “It falls to us to decide what the Scorpion must do in this situation.”
Rieko spoke first. “Our clan scored a major victory when Jimen assumed the position of the Emerald Champion. We should continue to push Toward and use this opportunity to bring more power to our side.”
“Must we bring undue attention to ourselves?” Atesharu asked quietly. He gestured at the gathering. “I am sure Jimen’s victory at the Emerald Championship was a personal landmark to him, but it was a foolish gesture. He will only bring scrutiny onto himself and his actions. We do not need to repeat the same mistake with the Jade Championship.”
“We cannot allow a Jade Champion to run amok, with no Scorpion guidance,” Shuuko warned. “If the new Champion gets it into his head to regulate our activities, it would become a large problem for both him and the Kuroiban.”
“Unregulated?” Atesharu made an exaggerated laugh and shook his head. “Who said anything about leaving the Jade Champion with no supervision? Any position would be better utilized from the shadows. Our men can manipulate whoever assumes the mantle and no one need be any wiser for it. I would have thought a member of the Kuroiban would know the importance of secrecy.”
Shuuko and Rieko turned to Atesharu and fixed him with a stare. “Be civil,” Uidori cautioned.
“It is not as simple as that to manipulate the Jade Champion, Atesharu-san,” Shuuko argued. “Look at the two most recent examples available to us. Asahina Sekawa proved quite intractable to our suggestions and ended up abandoning his duty. Kuni Utagu reacted violently to our attempts to control his behavior.”
“Perhaps you are correct in those cases,” Atesharu said. “However, neither Sekawa nor Utagu interfered with the Scorpion’s dealings. Sekawa did much to use his position to aid his clan; however, he failed to notice the threat of Atsuki until it was too late for his Jade Magistrates to be of any use. Utagu did not interfere with the workings of the Kuroiban, despite his personal distaste of our clan. We will take care of our own, no matter the identity or affiliation of the Jade Champion.”
“Do not forget the tragedy that was the Jade Champion after the Day of Thunder,” Rieko said. “Kitsu Okura wrecked the empire with his maho. He summoned Oni no Akuma and bound an oni to his soul. Such actions should never have happened and should never happen again. Our clan was in exile, but we had several of our operatives inside Rokugan. We should have eliminated the problem before he could threaten more than merely Lion honor.”
“The threat of a maho-tsukai Jade Champion need not concern you,” Yukimi said, finally joining the conversation. “We will not allow that mistake to occur again. If the new Champion is corrupt. he will be dealt with immediately.”
“Rieko brings up an important point that cannot be ignored,” Uldori said. “The first and foremost concern should be the protection of the Empire. In the end, it does not matter if we do not gain the power tied to the position. We will make sure the Empire is protected from all threats.”
“If we take the position of the Jade Champion, we will draw more attention to ourselves,” Atesharu said. “Mark my words. The Scorpion have never been a popular clan. We have always done what must be done, performed the role of villains. When others notice we have a stranglehold on both the Emerald and Jade Championships, they will resent our good fortune. We will lose whatever benefit the position may give us because more people will resist our efforts.”
“Resistance does not matter,” Shuuko countered. “The Jade Champion and the Kuroiban will not let any political concerns stop us from doing our duty. We will do what must be done, as you say, regardless of whoever may stand in our way.”
A foolish and naive idea,” Atesharu said with a sniff. “One day, little girl, you will learn about the cruelties of the world. I hope you will be able to pull yourself back together.”
“Enough,” Uldori said before Shuuko could respond.
“My lady,” Rieko said, “allow me the opportunity to represent our clan in the Jade Championship. I will do my best to attain the honor for our clan. While I attend the event, I can watch out for strange events that may portend a Shadowlands invasion. Daigotsu attempted to intervene at the last Jade Championship, after all. We cannot be too careful.”
Uidori nodded. “Permission granted.”
“I will accompany her,” Shuuko said. “I believe I can succeed. I will prove my conviction with my actions.”
Uidori turned to Atesharu. “Go with these two,” she said.
Atesharu’s eyebrow rose. “Attend a championship I do not want to win, my lady? Well, your will be done, Uidori-sama.” He bowed.
‘ “Good. You are dismissed,” Uidori said. Atesharu, Shuuko,
and Rieko bowed and left the two sisters alone among the flowers.
“I will attend the event also,” Yukimi whispered. Uidori smiled.
“We must do everything we can to succeed, dear sister,” Uidori said. “You know what must be done.”
