Apologies: Hello and I am sorry for the delay in posting anything on here for some months. Furthermore, I am sorry that this is not an update to my previous fanfic. Life can indeed be a cruel mistress and it was unfair to you the reader or my story to vent my own personal frustrations. This idea popped in my head and just would not go away.
Disclaimer 1: I do not own any DW6 character however the plot is mine. Taka is a character I created from DW6 Empires.
Disclaimer 2: This is not a crossover fanfic. Names and scenes have been taken from The Last Samurai but that is all. I have also not played any of the SW games so any similarities are purely coincidental.
Chapter 1. Call to Arms
It was near sunset as Liu Bei dismounted his horse along with his brother Guan Yu at the entrance to the mercenary camp. Guan Yu had just returned from Cao Cao's indebted service and informed Liu Bei of his intention. Liu Bei and his followers were in the middle of their exodus en-route to Wu. If the could arrive in Wu they could try to convince Sun Quan to make a temporary alliance and stand up Wei's encroachment. Liu Bei bowed as he addressed the guard posted at the entrance of the camp.
"My name is Liu Bei. I request an audience with your lord, Taka"
The guard may have been intimidated by Guan Yu's stature but did not show it. He simply turned his head over his shoulder and shouted one name, "Ujio!" A moment later a middle aged man wearing slightly more odd and elaborate armor than the others approached and asked, "What is it?" in a tone that was more of an order than question. The guard then spoke to the elder man in a language that Liu Bei did not recognize and the older man's face wrinkled into a scorn.
"Chinese!!!" the older man spat out with venom.
The younger guard flinched at the old mans tone. Properly chastised he spoke again, "This is Liu Bei. He requests an audience with Taka," in broken Chinese.
The old man then turned to Liu Bei and spoke in perfect Chinese, "Welcome to our encampment. Taka is currently speaking with a messenger from Wei. Please follow me. I will escort you to where you may wait. You may keep your arms but be aware, if you prepare yourselves for violence then we shall deal with you." And with that the elder warrior turned on his heal and began to march further into the camp.
As they walked behind him Liu Ba's heart sank. It seemed that the rumors about this camp were true. A band of warriors, exiled from a land far to the east, in search of a lord to serve. At this time who was more powerful than Wei? These warriors would have many opportunities to achieve glory if they sided with Wei. Liu Bei hoped that Cao Cao had not sent a good negotiator as their envoy.
Approaching a large tent in the middle of the camp it was impossible to not notice Dian Wei, Cao Cao's personal body guard standing guard over a pair of horses. Their escort brought them to an area on the opposite side of the tent and motioned for them to tie their horses. "Wait here. You alone may enter when the envoy of Wei has left the tent."
Liu Bei bowed in understanding and the older warrior bowed in returned the left to bark at some soldiers that had apparently performed poorly in training. Their attention was now focused entirely on Dian Wei. He seemed ready, eager for a fight as he stared at the pair with vehement hatred. A moment later he relaxed as if remembering the old warning. Dian Wei's eyes shifted towards his surroundings as he relaxed causing both Liu Bei and Guan Yu to do the same. They both marveled at what they saw. No soldier seemed to be in a relaxed state. Every move seemed deliberate, disciplined. The soldiers training with weapons and unarmed had an intensity that is often only seen on an actual battlefield. The spared in groups of two with curved wooden swords. A loser was declared by being struck hard with their opponents weapon and instead of growing angry, he simply backed off, calmed himself, and bowed, and began again. They then noted how strange their weapons were. Each soldier carried up to three blades, each curved and single edged of varying sizes. The soldiers carried at least one no matter what they were doing, training, eating, or meditating. Even sheathing these swords looked to be ceremonial. They appeared to function as both one handed and two handed weapons however their wielder preferred. Liu Bei looked to Guan Yu and both reached a silent agreement. These were not mere mercenaries or soldiers. These were warriors.
The tent flap opened and virtually all hope Liu Bei had of achieving his goal here were cut asunder when he saw who exited. Zhen Ji, wife of Cao Cao's second son Cao Pi, songstress, dancer, perhaps a woman of peerless beauty, and well know for for abilities for diplomacy and to swoon the hearts of men. Liu Bei could not help but be in awe himself of her beauty, as well as as elegant and regal her dress was it still barely performed its basic function. The only hope he dared maintain was that she appeared to be composing herself, then the neutral expression on her face. She then gracefully descended the short stairs and noticing Liu Bei she approached and bowed gracefully, diplomatically. She allowed a soft smile to grace her features that Liu Bei briefly thought was honest.
"I hope you are more prepared for whats inside than I was, Lord Liu Bei." With that the turned and strode over to where Dian Wei was holding her horse. She mounted side saddle and the two left together. Liu Bei was floored. Had she just called him "Lord?" Did she honestly hope he was better prepared? His heart bled for her. It really was a shame for a woman of such beauty, such talent to be whored out as she was.
He quickly steeled his resolve. He had come here with a purpose and must see it through whatever the result my be. He had to for both his vision and the people who followed him. Straitening himself he walked up the short stairs and into the tent. Once inside he noticed there was no one was present. He noticed the small bed that was well made. A desk with various maps and bamboo scrolls with writing on them that he did not recognize. His attention was the shifted to two stands. First the armor stand which held what appeared to be an ornate but very functional suit of battle armor that was colored shades of blue, purple and black. The second housed two weapons similar to the swords he saw the warriors outside wear and wield. They were both housed in scabbards of black and appeared to be very ornate. It appeared that one was missing because he only noticed the long and very short versions on the rack and the middle of the rack was empty.
"Don't let their appearances deceive you," came a calm, feminine voice behind him, "they have served honorably for generations."
Liu Bei turned and beheld a very unique woman. She was dressed in a light blue silk robe that seemed to scream nobility. Her hair was done up formally. She wore modest make-up. Her skin was fair and lightly complected. The only blemish he could see was a small scare above her right eyebrow. Not a beauty like Zhen Ji but still very fair. Her poise, posture, and even her gaze through her brown eyes gave her the aura of authority.
Liu Bei immediately straitened himself and bowed, "I am sorry. Forgive me my lady. I did not mean to intrude or to barge into your home."
She bowed politely and smiled, "There is nothing to forgive Lord Liu Bei. You were instructed to enter as the previous messenger left were you not?" she asked in perfect Chinese
"Yes, my lady, but I see that the Lord Taka is not yet ready to receive me," Liu Bei stated
She smiled as she addressed him again, "Lord Liu Bei, I am the ronin Taka. The samurai outside are at my command."
To say Liu Bei was surprised would be an understatement. His jaw dropped and his eyes widened. A woman warrior? More than that a woman being the leader of warriors? Taka noticed his shock and offered, "would you like to sit down?" and gestured to the chair across from her desk. Liu Bei gladly accepted and sat down in the offered chair as she sat across from him. Liu Bei finally noticed that she wore the medium size sword near her hip and lost all doubt that she was telling the truth.
"Forgive my reaction my lady, but is it not custom in your land that it is the duty of men to protect women from the horrors of war?" Liu Bei finally asked. Taka knew of his virtue but the question still caught her off guard. She then realized that it should not have. Liu Bei saw himself as a protector, not a warlord.
"Yes it is our custom though not quite how you imagine it. Consider my status as a warrior the reason for our exile here," she said quietly with a twinge of regret. "Tea?" she finally offered.
She began to pour him some tea and he noticed that like the warriors outside every move she made was deliberate and precise. He brought the cup to his lips and sipped his tea. It was different than what he was used to but still good. When Taka believed he was ready she spoke again. "Lord Liu Bei, I am honored by your presence, however I believe you came to make a request and not simply to enjoy a nice cup of tea with me."
"I am no lord." he told her, "I have no home, no lands. I wander from place to place"
"You claim you are no lord, but the people who follow you say otherwise. And I do not speak of the warriors who follow you. I speak of the commoners, the peasants who have chosen to abandon their homes and lives to follow you and your vision."
"What do you know of my vision?"
"I know that you dream of a land united. I know you wish for an end to the chaos and corruption that has gripped the Han Dynasty. I know that you wish peace for the land and it's people."
"You are well informed my lady"
"I also know you head to to river landing at Chan Ban in an effort to escape to Wu from the armies of Cao Cao."
"That is true my lady"
"So what is it you ask of us? Do you wish to enlist our aid for your escape? Do you wish us to serve you in your quest?"
"My lady," he started, "my force is quite small. I would not ask you to join a route that you would have little chance to survive. We are being pursued by an army that is estimated to size one million. I only ask, no...." he then stood up from his chair, walked around her desk, kneeled and bowed touching his forehead to the ground, "I beg you to delay your decision to join either Wei or Wu until the people who follow me can escape if we can make it. Please do not partake in the slaughter of innocent people who have never offended you."
It was Taka's turn to be shocked. Virtuous and honorable man or not, she never expected this. A lord kneeling before her begging to her, and solely to insure the protection and survival of the peasant who follow him? This was not how it was supposed to be. No longer able to hide her emotions she stood up and turned her back to this humble, kneeling lord and tried to compose herself. She was finally able to give him an answer. "Lord Liu Bei, your request has not fallen on deaf ears." She turned to face him again. "Unfortunately our supplies are running low, the donations given to us by the villages we protect are not enough to sustain us. But I give you my word of honor, I will delay my decision as long as I can."
"That is all I dare ask my lady," he said as he rose slowly.
She bowed to him and stated, "Good luck, and may the heavens guide and protect you on your quest, Lord Liu Bei." He started to exit the tent. When he reached the exit she called out to him once more. "Lord Liu Bei," he stopped and turned towards her. "Would you permit me to voice some of my father's wisdom to you?"
"Gladly my lady"
"Truly great men do not seek power, but instead have power thrust upon them."
"Thank you my lady." and with that he was gone.
Taka all but fell into her chair. She grabbed a bottle of sake and pulled it's cork. She needed to think. In the last two days, three envoys had visited her. Zhou Yu from Wu, Zhen Ji from Wei, and now Liu Bei himself. Zhou Yu though distinguished, was pompous and arrogant. He kept rattling on about the glories of the Wu kingdom and the lineage of the Sun Clan. Even though he was married, when he discovered that Taka was a woman he tried to charm her into bed. Zhen Ji was different. Upon first meeting she seemed reluctantly ready to bed Taka before she realized her identity. She became a better negotiator once she realized Taka was a woman and bedding would not be an option. Her points had merit but Taka could not get over the fact that Cao Pi had practically whored his own wife to secure the alliance of a mere 4000 soldiers when compared to the million already at their disposal. Taka hoped that someday she could help Zhen Ji but would not dishonor herself or her samurai by joining Wei. Then there was Liu Bei. Taka considered him a lord with no land but his aura seemed to attract and comfort people. She smiled as she realized that he reminded her of her father. "Honor is the foundation of the samurai, compassion is the root of honor," he had once told her. If he was to be successful, his road would be the longest and hardest. He wished for peace in a chaotic land for all the people. Isn't that worth fighting for? Isn't that worth dying for? A knock at the entrance to the tent interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes?" she called
"My lady, may I enter?" she would recognize Ujio's voice anywhere.
"Yes, please." she answered.
Ujio entered and bowed, "my lady?"
Taka scoffed corking her bottle, "Uncle you know that such formalities are beyond us here in private"
"Forgive me my lady, old habits and I am not related to you by blood"
"Your love and guidance has earned your that title, Uncle. Is there something you require?"
"At first I wished to ensure your well being. Lord Liu Bei had dirt on his knees. I feared there might have been a quiet struggle. But now I wish to hear of your decision."
"How do you know I have reached one?" she asked curiously.
"When I entered you were drinking sake from the bottle, which means you were thinking seriously. There is no greater decision for you to make now than which lord in this new land to serve. You have also just corked your bottle, which means you have come to a decision," he said with a smile.
"Sometimes uncle, I feel you know me too well" she stated with mock scorn
"You are your father's daughter." That earned a small laugh from both of them.
"I have chosen to swear my sword and service to Liu Bei." she said finally.
"I expected as much, He carries himself as your father once did. Where others see great power, he sees great responsibility. Has he been informed?"
"No, our actions shall inform him of our choice, look here." she said motioning to the map on her desk. "according to our scouts Cao Cao will catch up to our new lord here at Chan Ban. It is here I wish to make a surprise attack." Now Taka entered in to her tactician mode and had Ujio's complete attention. "If we try to engage in the open, before the village we will be slaughtered. Their numbers are too great. However the woods around the village will provide our smaller force with excellent cover. I want Hirotiro to strike the main camp with his 2000 infantry here," she said pointing to a spot on the map. "Take all high ranking and important people prisoner as we can, and seize any documents of strategic value." Ujio nodded and Taka continued. "You, uncle, I want you and your 1500 cavalry to seize the supply depot which I would place here," she said pointing to another spot on the map. "Take whatever supplies you can. It is doubtful we will be able to accompany our lord and we must be able to sustain ourselves until we can rejoin him. I will take my 500 honor guard and keep the dock on the Chan Xahn river clear of any hostiles and ensure our lord escapes."
"And what of this bridge across the river?" Ujio asked of the only weakness of his lady's plan. "A choke point such as that can not be ignored."
"Our new lord may be an idealist but he is no fool," Taka said with a confident smile, "If he has any experience in battle then he will already have that defended. He will simply not be in a position to counter-attack."
"Very well my lady. And prisoners?" Ujio finally asked.
Taka thought for a brief moment and then said resolutely, "The cruelty and dishonorable actions of the Wei soldiers have great renown. Below the rank of captain we give no quarter, let no katana remain unstained. And let those higher ranking witness the price of their dishonor."
"Very well my lady. Is there anything else you require?"
"Insure the troops are rested and well informed of their duty. I want to break camp and daybreak. If we move quickly, we can arrive with time to prepare the field of battle and make any necessary adjustments to our plan."
"Yes my lady, with your permission I will now take my leave" Ujio left with Taka's nod.
Taka watched her uncle depart then sank back into her chair. She had one last duty to perform before she herself retired to bed. She dipped her small paintbrush into her ink and began to write to her new lord hoping he would understand. She hoped he would understand her haste and her decision. Most of all she hoped that her written Chinese was readable. Chinese was such a difficult language to master.
Whew. So starts my first DW fanfic. I hope everyone enjoys and remember it is my first so please be kind but objective in your reviews.