chaos!"
MARCH OF THE CRAB
he sun will come up in about three hours. That is how long you have to rest!"
Hida Kisada heard his order passed back along the line. It would be several minutes before the last soldier got the news. He watched as four by four, the Crab army dropped their packs. Not bothering to remove their armor, they lay down on the grassy plains to catch what sleep they could. They looked like wheat being blown by a late summer storm. Eventually, the whole force as far as the eye could see were drifting off to sleep. Only sentry pickets remained on their weary feet.
The Great Bear lay down his pack and sat against a thick maple tree. He pulled out a short strip of dried fish and tore off a bit to chew on.
Three days.
It had been three days since he led his troops away from the Wall. For the first time in his memory, the Crab army was going to take arms against other Rokugani soldiers. The question remained—which ones?
As usual, his sons did not agree on the matter. Instead of sleeping, Kisada let his mind drift back three days.
XXXXXXXX
"Go up and down the Wall," the Great Bear ordered. "Tell every garrison they are to send two-thirds of their troops to meet us on the road to Otosan Uchi. We will leave in one hour on a forced march. We will not rest until we reach Beiden Pass."
"Hai!" said the runners. Rather than rely on a single messenger to relay important communications, the Crab had a network of runners set up along the Great Wall of Kaiu. Each runner would sprint from one tower to the next, then pass his or her message along to the next runner who would do the same. The effect was that of having a single runner who could sprint at full speed the entire length of the Wall.
"Two-thirds of our troops?" Sukune could not believe what his father had ordered. "You expect us to hold the Wall with two-thirds of our troops off on a fool's errand to the capital?"
Yakamo whirled on his brother, eyes gleaming within the dull gray metal of his helmet.
"Take care with your tone!" Yakamo stood so close to his brother that he looked straight down into Sukune's eyes. "No one questions the daimyo's orders so brazenly, not even his own son!"
"I only meant," Sukune said, standing tall and returning his brother's stare, "that Father says the politics of Otosan Uchi have no bearing on the Crab Clan. It does not matter who sits on the Emerald Throne. Our job is to protect the empire!"
"At any other time that might have been true," Kisada answered, stepping forward to separate his sons. "But the timing of this treachery and the offer I just received from the Shadowlands cannot be coincidence."
"On a forced march it will take you more than a week to get to Otosan Uchi," said Sukune. "By the time you arrive, the Scorpion Coup will either be solidified or eradicated."
"Perhaps," conceded Kisada. "But the chaos created by the loss of the last Hantei will be felt for weeks—perhaps even months. If not settled effectively, this could tear the empire apart more savagely than all the forces of Fu Leng combined."
"We cannot stand idly by while an honorless Scorpion sits the throne!" Yakamo spit the word Scorpion as though it burned his tongue.
"Why not?" asked Sukune. "It makes no difference to the Crab who runs the Imperial Court. We must still guard the borders. If the emperor calls himself Hantei or Bayushi changes nothing for our clan!"
"But what if the emperor called himself Hida?" asked Yakamo slyly.
Sukune gasped.
Kisada gave Yakamo a disapproving glance but did not strike him.
"Father!" Sukune exclaimed. "This cannot be your plan!" The young samurai then broke into a fit of coughing.
"Calm yourself, Sukune," said the Great Bear. "I have no desire to sit upon the Emerald Throne. We do not know what is happening in the capital, and that is why I am taking our troops to Otosan Uchi. The other clans can be trusted only so far. It is important that the Crab be there to insure the empire is protected. When all is
MARCH OF THE CRAB
he sun will come up in about three hours. That is how long you have to rest!"
Hida Kisada heard his order passed back along the line. It would be several minutes before the last soldier got the news. He watched as four by four, the Crab army dropped their packs. Not bothering to remove their armor, they lay down on the grassy plains to catch what sleep they could. They looked like wheat being blown by a late summer storm. Eventually, the whole force as far as the eye could see were drifting off to sleep. Only sentry pickets remained on their weary feet.
The Great Bear lay down his pack and sat against a thick maple tree. He pulled out a short strip of dried fish and tore off a bit to chew on.
Three days.
It had been three days since he led his troops away from the Wall. For the first time in his memory, the Crab army was going to take arms against other Rokugani soldiers. The question remained—which ones?
As usual, his sons did not agree on the matter. Instead of sleeping, Kisada let his mind drift back three days.
XXXXXXXX
"Go up and down the Wall," the Great Bear ordered. "Tell every garrison they are to send two-thirds of their troops to meet us on the road to Otosan Uchi. We will leave in one hour on a forced march. We will not rest until we reach Beiden Pass."
"Hai!" said the runners. Rather than rely on a single messenger to relay important communications, the Crab had a network of runners set up along the Great Wall of Kaiu. Each runner would sprint from one tower to the next, then pass his or her message along to the next runner who would do the same. The effect was that of having a single runner who could sprint at full speed the entire length of the Wall.
"Two-thirds of our troops?" Sukune could not believe what his father had ordered. "You expect us to hold the Wall with two-thirds of our troops off on a fool's errand to the capital?"
Yakamo whirled on his brother, eyes gleaming within the dull gray metal of his helmet.
"Take care with your tone!" Yakamo stood so close to his brother that he looked straight down into Sukune's eyes. "No one questions the daimyo's orders so brazenly, not even his own son!"
"I only meant," Sukune said, standing tall and returning his brother's stare, "that Father says the politics of Otosan Uchi have no bearing on the Crab Clan. It does not matter who sits on the Emerald Throne. Our job is to protect the empire!"
"At any other time that might have been true," Kisada answered, stepping forward to separate his sons. "But the timing of this treachery and the offer I just received from the Shadowlands cannot be coincidence."
"On a forced march it will take you more than a week to get to Otosan Uchi," said Sukune. "By the time you arrive, the Scorpion Coup will either be solidified or eradicated."
"Perhaps," conceded Kisada. "But the chaos created by the loss of the last Hantei will be felt for weeks—perhaps even months. If not settled effectively, this could tear the empire apart more savagely than all the forces of Fu Leng combined."
"We cannot stand idly by while an honorless Scorpion sits the throne!" Yakamo spit the word Scorpion as though it burned his tongue.
"Why not?" asked Sukune. "It makes no difference to the Crab who runs the Imperial Court. We must still guard the borders. If the emperor calls himself Hantei or Bayushi changes nothing for our clan!"
"But what if the emperor called himself Hida?" asked Yakamo slyly.
Sukune gasped.
Kisada gave Yakamo a disapproving glance but did not strike him.
"Father!" Sukune exclaimed. "This cannot be your plan!" The young samurai then broke into a fit of coughing.
"Calm yourself, Sukune," said the Great Bear. "I have no desire to sit upon the Emerald Throne. We do not know what is happening in the capital, and that is why I am taking our troops to Otosan Uchi. The other clans can be trusted only so far. It is important that the Crab be there to insure the empire is protected. When all is
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