An examination of the activities of some of the Empress’ greatest servants, the Jeweled Champions.
Tactical Redeployment
By Rusty Priske
Edited by Fred Wan
There were disadvantages to being Yoritomo Sachina, and she knew them too well. Paramount among these problems was that there were times that she might have wished to move across a room without drawing the attention of others arrayed there. That was impossible.
Despite this small hardship, Sachina did not wish it to be otherwise. She had worked hard to ensure that hers was one of the foremost names on the lips of court, and if that meant she had to take further steps to ensure private matters stayed private, well, that was an acceptable cost.
Today, for example, Sachina wished an audience with the Amethyst Champion. The risk that her request would be rebuffed was too great and to have that lay exposed for the courts to whisper behind her back would not do. There were other ways for her to achieve her goals.
Finding out when her quarry left her chambers was simple. It took no more than a smile and lowered eyes with a quickly smitten underling. Knowing where this wandering would lead her, and whether the stroll served any other purpose, took promises of a more concrete nature. That was also simple since the promises were made to one who would be soon reassigned back to the Mantis Isles due to her lack of discretion.
Sachina never made promises that cost her anything in the delivery.
The rock garden near the Otomo building was simple, and not a common location for casual wanderings. It exuded neither the beauty of some of the Crane-tended gardens or the spiritual complexity of those designed by the various monks in residence. This lack of conventional drawing points made the place perfect for Yoritomo Yoyonagi when she wanted time alone. The arrangement of the stones may have had some special significance to the Otomo who laid them out, but to the Mantis it was just a reminder of the rocks on the shore near her home.
Sachina stepped carefully along the narrow path and spoke before Yoyonagi looked up. “What a surprise to find you here, on such a morning, Yoyonagi-san. I had thought your duties gave you no time for yourself.”
Sachina’s words were met with a warm smile and cold eyes. “Good morning, Sachina-san. My duties do keep me quite busy, which is why I consider my time alone to be so valuable. I am sure you would agree.”
“Of course.” Sachina paid no attention to the underlying message of Yoyonagi’s words and sat on a low bench, opposite her clan-mate. “I know only too well the weight of duty for the Amethyst Champion. It is amazing that you can find any time at all.”
Yoyonagi’s eyebrow raised. “You know the weight of the mantle, do you? I was not aware that you had strong ties to my predecessor, Isawa Sawao.”
“I did not mean direct experience, of course. We both know that I decided that my skills were best utilized with the Mantis delegation. I am only saying that you must be very busy indeed if the head of your own clan’s delegation is unable to arrange an audience.”
“I always have time for the head of the Mantis delegation. I am keenly aware of the importance of that position, but my current duties keep my days much more filled.”
Sachina smirked slightly as she rebutted, “That may have been true when you held the post, Yoyonagi-san, but the Mantis have risen in importance within the courts, as I am sure you will agree, so I truly understand how difficult it is to juggle all the demands on your time. Ever since I assisted in securing the Amethyst Championship for you, I have worked diligently to ensure that the Mantis delegation has been well represented in the courts. We are both very busy women.”
“As you say.” Yoyonagi casually stretched, as if she had been sitting too long. “I will indicate that your request for a meeting is to be prioritized. I am certain that in a few days there will be an opening – maybe a week at the outside.”
“There is no need.” Sachina smiled, with just an air of smugness. “What I wish to discuss will only take a moment and since we are both here anyway, why disrupt your carefully managed schedule?”
Yoyonagi suppressed a sigh. “Why indeed? Still, I must not be too long. These stolen moments are brief, I am afraid.”
“I understand completely. What I wish to discuss is to your benefit, however, so I am certain you would want to fit it in.” Sachina paused, waiting for a reaction.
“Continue.”
“Word has reached my ears that you have been speaking in various other ears about expediting a reinforcement request. Pardon me if this sounds ludicrous, but well placed sources have convinced me that you have been trying to have a unit of Emerald Magistrates reassigned to the Scorpion lands. This sounded preposterous to me as interfering in anything under the influence of Shosuro Jimen would not seem to be a strong decision for one already risking irrelevance.”
“Irrelevance? Are you projecting, Sachina-san? Jealousy does not become you.”
Sachina chuckled mirthlessly. “If I had wanted that position… in fact, we may have been better off if I had taken that position and left you as delegation head, despite the initial losses that would have entailed. The court knows full well that the Empress, when she was simply Kitsuki Iweko, had her run-ins with you. Even though her celestial person would be beyond a simple grudge, it puts the Amethyst Champion in an awkward position when she cannot count on the support of the Empress.”
Yoyonagi’s mouth hardened into a line. Her voice steeled as well. “The Empress has shown no indication that she thinks any less of me for our history together.”
Sachina shook her head. “Of course not, but she doesn’t need to. The fact that the history exists and that the court knows it is enough. A potential loss of political sway can be every bit as damaging as an actual loss. Rumors are often self-fulfilling.”
Yoyonagi stood, her back stiff. “I thank you for your warning, Sachina-san. I also thank you for talking to me now so there is no need to find a spot for you on my schedule.”
Sachina followed suit. “I only spoke for your good and the good of the Mantis. Do not interfere in the machinations of Shosuro Jimen. No good can come from it.”
“Oh? It seems that the rumors do not give you all the information that you think they do.” Yoyonagi practically sneered as she spoke. “Let us just say that someone were to discover a request from the Kuni Daigo for reinforcements at his position on the line. Let us then say that the request was brought to the attention of Yasuki Miliko, who happens to be the Ruby Champion, which also makes her the sensei for the Emerald Magistrates. She would certainly want to take a contingent of magistrates with her to answer that request, but her current orders would not allow it. Then, still just as a matter of discussion, her desires were brought to the attention of Shosuro Jimen, who has the power to order these particular Emerald Magistrates to deploy wherever he wishes. It just so happens that the area where the Jade Champion wished to have more troops is in Scorpion lands, where the home of the Emerald Champion is being threatened. What if Jimen did not want to risk the potential fall-out that would inevitably occur if he were to send both the Ruby Champion and many trained Emerald Magistrates to defend his home. What if the person who originally discovered the request from Kuni Daigo and brought it to Yasuki Miliko were to volunteer to instigate discussion among the court that she was pushing for this troop deployment, despite such a thing being out of her normal scope of duties. Let the court decide why she would do such a thing.” Yoyonagi paused.
“They think you are trading favors with Miliko.”
Yoyonagi nodded. “That is an acceptable response. In the end, the Emerald Champion would simply be responding to the will of the court when he approves the redeployment of Emerald Magistrates. Then, in reality, the person who orchestrated all of this has now proved herself a valuable and useful ally to three other jewelled champions, including the two most powerful. Would you consider that ‘irrelevance’?”
Sachina pursed her lips and pondered for a moment before saying, “It was so good to run into you here, Yoyonagi-san. You have been doing a marvellous job as Amethyst Champion. We should arrange further meetings where we can discuss how we can be of service to each other.”
Yoyonagi thought, then nodded and said, “Certainly. I will add you to my schedule. How does the day after tomorrow sound? We could meet for tea.”
* * * * *
Kuni Daigo looked over his written notes with a furrowed brow. He snorted once and then crumpled one sheet of notes and tossed it behind him, where it joined a few other similarly discarded pages. He read another sheet and grunted in disgust.
“Still as refined as ever, I see.”
Daigo spun around at the unexpected voice to see that Yasuki Miliko stood near the open doorway, standing with the casual readiness of a Crab warrior. “Miliko! I am surprised to see you here. I had thought your duties would keep you as nursemaid for new Imperials for some time to come.”
Miliko chuckled. “That is hardly an accurate description of my duties, Daigo-sama, but you know that. I am here because your request for reinforcements was heeded. I have not come alone. I brought whatever Emerald Magistrates that could be spared.”
Daigo’s eyebrow shot up. “I had thought my request would fall on deaf ears. The empire needs swords all over, not just here. How did you manage to get it approved?”
“That doesn’t matter. I know you don’t really care about politics or courtly intrigue.”
“Not in the slightest.” They both laughed. “Did Bikan come as well? We can always use another sword, even one that was trained as a Crane.”
Miliko smirked. “No. He was ready to come when he thought the front was still in Crab lands, but once he discovered that we were reporting to Scorpion territory he decided to remain in the capital. He has taken my post as a temporary measure.” Seeing the look on Daigo’s face, Miliko continued. “I am sure he was just disappointed that he could not defend the lands of the Crab. I think it is normal to want to prove yourself with your new clan.”
Daigo shrugged. “I suppose. How many did you bring with you?”
The smirk vanished from Miliko’s face. “Not as many as I would have wished. As you said, the empire needs swords all over.” Miliko gestured to the papers strewn about. “So what is this then? What is the situation here?”
Daigo grunted. “It may not matter how many troops you brought with you if we can’t figure out how to stop that thing out there. Some have taken to calling it the god-beast. At first I thought it was a very large oni, like Kusatte Iru, but that does not seem to be the case.”
Miliko frowned. “Not an oni? The reports we have heard called this thing massively large. They say it kicked apart a Scorpion city like rice paper. What could it be if it is not an oni?”
“The reports were correct. If anything, they do not properly represent how monstrous this thing really is.”
Miliko looked at Daigo with concern. “Then what can we do?”
“Keep looking. Anything can be killed. We just need to find the right weapon… hopefully before it tramples Rokugan into mud.”
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