AN: I was heavily inspired by Dan Anbett's Brothers of the Snake. The following is a tribute to him. Before any of you ask, yes I realize how corny a Samurai Space Marine is, but you know what? If Mr. Anbett can write about Spartan Space Marines, hell I can do this :P. Anyway I hope that all of you enjoy this, I've tried to keep it within Japanese lore and feudal society at the same time that i keep with 40K canon. And no, THE NAMES ARE NOT FROM POPULAR ANIME CHARACTERS. lets get that clear... so keep your heads ducked, always check your armor and clean your weapons, prepare for death and glory and honor: Enter the Rising Sons.
The bamboo swayed in the outcrop and the warriors of the House knelt in a circle. The giant in the center, the veteran sergeant of Tactical Squad Tiger knelt in peaceful meditation, the silver blade across his thighs. He was freshly washed, bathed, oiled and perfumed with sweet soaps and clothed in a linen of the purest unsoiled whites. He bowed from his kneeling position, his iron hard belly pressing against the flat of the blade as he finished his prayer of servitude and honor toward the God Emperor of Mankind and the Red Sun that rose to the East, which was available for him to stare at as that portion of the bamboo forest had been cut away. They bowed with him and raised their eyes toward the veteran sergeant, for this was the Act of Ultimate Contrition and none should look away. His second in command stood and drew his curved sword, the blade reflecting a blood red mark on the ground in front of the sergeant. The sergeant looked at him and smiled, drawing his own blade. He shucked his white linens so that his torso was bare and naked, unmarked, unblemished and bearing scars for the honor of the Emperor. The blade flashed in the sergeants hands in a flurry of light so that in a space of ten seconds he had roughly inscribed a deep and bloody Aquila on his chest and belly. The pain, too great for even one as augmented as the sergeant who had been in countless victories brought a horrible grimace to his once calm face. He shed not a tear. The Aquila wept blood down his chest. He doubled over hiding it for a moment and let it hang, the blood dripped down, and the mark of the eagle was imprinted on the soil as it had been done since the Dark Age of Technology. He lowered his head and breathed the command.
Soshiro let his blade drop across his honored and beloved leader's neck.
Thus the Act of Ultimate Contrition had been performed, and not one warrior of the House looked away. The dishonor had been cut away by the path of the blade and the warriors of the House bowed their heads in honor of their brother sergeant's passing.
The next day the body was burned, the geneseed recovered and two days of funeral games were held in the passing leaders honor. Soshiro accepted the blade of his fallen leader, the power sword Crimson Song and assumed the mantle of Sergeant, leader of Tactical Squad Tiger.
"It is no dishonor!" Soshiro begged brother sergeant Ichigara. "We have felled many our enemies on that field of battle, enough for a thousand honors and a thousand feasts!"
Ichigar smoothed his head and scratched the cross scar on his cheek. "We have failed to complete our objective." He said simply. "That is dishonor to the Emperor enough, that I was, am, unworthy enough to complete his holy work." And there was nothing he could do to stop him. The Undertaking at Summerus five, fifth moon of the gas giant, had proven too much for Tiger Squad.
"It was too much for one squad to take at all." Soshiro begged again. He loved his brother sergeant, he was a strong leader, wise, calculating and ruthless. But his sense of honor had damned him and his pride was broken, shattered to a billion irreparable shards. "The Orks were too much for any one squad of the House, you have done your duty to them, to us, to the Emperor!"
"I have only done my duty to you and the House, and that was getting all of you brothers out alive." He said without looking at him. "But in not completing the duty of the Emperor, I have soiled myself and the Undertaking."
"But the Act of Contrition! Why would the House Council force such a trial upon you?"
"They have forced nothing on me." Ichigara smiled as he perfumed his hair, "I have asked for it myself. I have failed the Emperor and his displeasure is more than I can bear." He finished and walked toward his crimson and obsidian trimmed armor, stroking his second skin as he prayed goodbye to the machine spirit that had kept him safe for all of his tasks. The power armor would be melted down, and reforged to fit a new member of the House, one of the inductees Soshiro would see fit to acknowledge into his squad. "Keep Tiger bonded together, keep them strong, and may Crimson Song serve you as well as it has served me." He said and together, they walked into the clearing to perform the Act.
The Test of Blades was the one Soshiro undertook, he was the best blade fighter of Tiger, he gripped his bamboo mock sword two handed and took a defensive stance, baiting the younger inductee into an attack. The brother inductee Haru batted Soshiros blade aside and thrust at his chest but Soshiro backstepped and parried the blade upward and readdressed with a downward slash. Surprisingly, Haru let the slash slide off his own so that it trailed dangerously low, Haru following up with a vicious right kick that Soshiro blocked with his arm. He showed more experience than the other inductees, that showed potential. But the boy was hotheaded, over aggressive the way he swung his blade expended too much energy, his inner energy channeled outward uselessly. But he defended very well, taking to heart that the offense was the best defense, Soshiro's blade time and time again was forced into an overextension by Haru's simple wristwork and several blows, if not for Soshiro's own vast experience would have proved fatal if they were real. But an offensive defense was no match for a true blade defense. Soshiro parried Haru's blade after a particularly aggressive flurry of blows and ended the match in two strikes. The first was caught on the right side of his blade, blocked successfully, but quick as a striking snake Soshiro swung the hilt around to clout the brother boy across the temple hard enough to knock him over. Brother Haru bowed and smiled good naturedly as he stood up, admitting his own defeat. He walked away massaging the sizeable bump he had received.
"Mark him." Soshiro quietely told the Lexicanum. "Come and talk to me Brother Haru" Soshiro sat down in the fighting circle. "Leave us." He ordered the Scribe and he bustled away.
"You use your sword well." Soshiro noted as Haru sat down across from him. "Tell me how much combat experience have you had?"
"I have successfully completed three more than the required tasks, and can claim more than a hundred lives in blade work alone." A little boastful but quite satisfactory. More than satisfactory in fact, excellent. But still the hot headedness needed to be extinguished.
"All notable." Soshiro nodded "But does your brain match your brawn brother boy?" the confident grin wavered slightly. Soshiro produced a regicide board and pieces from his travel sack. He and the rest of the inductees had climbed to Mt. Jarayai to train, while the rest of Tiger rested and prepared for the next undertaking.
"Brawn is all I have Brother Sergeant." Haru admitted and suddenly Soshiro wasn't so sure the boy was as hotheaded as he seemed. "Though it is not in my nature to shrug off a true challenge. Perhaps you can teach me to use my brain."
"Perhaps." Soshiro nodded and moved the first peon forward. "But is the young brother boy so inclined to listen to my lesson?"
Haru nodded and matched Soshiro's move. Soshiro's second test was upon the boy and now the inductee new it.
"Then listen, for this is a tale of brawn, though it should have been of brain. I will tell you of one of my last tasks as a Scout Inductee and one that taught me the true path to honor and glory. The true Way of the Warrior…