Teeth and Eyes of the Unagi
The Final Trials had begun. Inductee Haru had passed his first Trial, surviving the genetic augmentation injections that would elevate him to a Tactical Marine. He now stood two meters tall, he was bulging veined muscle. He could run faster than the winds, he could snap human bone like toothpicks between his massive fingers. He could see in the dark, he could smell the footprints left behind by animals, he had the dexterity of a tiger. But was he ready to join the ranks of a Tactical Marine?
Soshiro guided him along the path, deep in the bamboo forests and out to the Golden Cliffs of the fortress moon Edo, home to the Chapter House. He instructed Haru to strip naked and to swim to the far off island, a three kilometer swim, there and back. He was given one item, the sword he had used as an assassin scout, slicked with animal blood to attract all manners of marine predators. Soshiro remembered how Brother Sergeant Ichigara had instructed him to do the same. It was suicide for a normal man he said, but if he was truly honorable enough to emerge a Tactical Marine, he would pass this danger as easily as all of his past undertakings. Haru bowed in honor of Soshiro and the rest of Tactical Squad Tiger and leaped off the thirty meter cliff and into the crashing white waves below.
Tactical Squad Tiger stood in full battle dress. Their armor, a rainbow of colors, were a result of the Chapter's individuality, each marine choosing a color and armor of his pleasing. Unlike other chapters who molded all their marines into a single cohesive unit erasing all senses of individuality beyond personality and strategic combat preferences, the Rising Sons Art of War encouraged it, believing that individuality and creativity resulted in a more effective combat unit, with so many different chaotic elements thrown into a single cohesive fighting force that would unbalance the enemy and force him into a state of confusion.
Brother Tokayaka's shoulder pouldrons were spiked for ramming. His helmet was adorned with a pair of bull's horns as well. The full redness of his armor mirrored his personality, an inclination to battle fury matched by no other in the chapter.
Brother Manatsu's green based, yellow trimmed armor betrayed his simplicity, the color chosen because they were the easiest paints in reach. His down to earth fighting style was a legend amongst the chapter and he was the second best blade handler in the squad. His skill, came from his rooted devotion to the core principles of sword fighting, leverage, balance and strength and relied primarily on basic moves.
Brother Yokumano's light blue orange trimmed armor matched the sky and the morning sun. Although no master fighter amongst the Chapter House, he was loved for his way with words and his song, his vocal talents often called upon during ceremonies. In addition to his sword and bolter, a five meter tall lance stood by his side. A bamboo shaft with an adamantium point, phlanged with spikes and a serrated age for stabbing and slashing, could be converted to a flute and when Yokumanu swung the weapon, it whistled as though performing the death song of his enemies.
Brother Saketo's armor was gunmetal grey with a red, blue and yellow trim. He never showed any enthusiasm but his loyalty to the House and his sense of honor were unmatched in Soshiro's opinion. But he would have to be watched, Soshiro had no intention for anyone to repeat Brother Sergeant Ichigara, whom Saketo had shed not a tear for.
Brother Apothecary Fomuwo adopted the white and red armor that befitted his status, he handled stress better than all of his squadmates and served as a man of council for any with private problems they wished not to shame their brothers with. Instead of the standard katana blade that his brothers carried he had seen fit to equip himself with two shortened blades, identical to that he had carried as an assassin scout. He used these in place of scalpels, and his accuracy when he threw them were the boast of the squad.
Brother Uzikato was the eldest member and the wisest. Although not the second in command, Brother Sergeant Ichigara often deferred to Uzikato's instincts and experience, something Soshiro would imitate. His armor was white with leaf and diamond emblems across his chest.
Brother Dorimo's black armor with yellow trim and star marks marked him as the most stealthy of them all. Above this, he was the crack shot of the squad, the additional equipment he carried into battle was a sniper converter for his boltgun.
Brother Kamida's armor was scaled, like that of a dragon. A veteran of the Chapter House's Assault Squads, he had transferred to the Tacticals after the death of his entire team at the hands of Orks. He was the most distant of them, yet Soshiro knew he could count on his loyalty and standing. He was the only other Brother in the squad to carry a powersword aside from the sergeant and he had kept his jump pack in addition to his equipment, a miniature gauntlet flame thrower in his left hand and his knack for explosives.
Soshiro's own armor was gold, with a red trim along the pouldrons and gauntlet gloves. He had a feather design along the arms and his helmet curved downward like a beak and he had struck three adamantium phoenix feathers on the right side of the helmet. The red blade of Crimson song glistened as if eager for the taste of blood.
As one, the rising sun reflected a kaleidoscope of colors off the united squads armor onto the golden rocks under their feet as they watched Brother Haru finish his trial. His climb back up the sheer drop of a cliff was only slowed by the heads of a dozen Unagi, giant predator eels with teeth capable of shredding and ripping through flesh and bone in microseconds. Soshiro nodded toward the equipment laid out in front of the gasping Haru, a stove, blocks of adamantium and food and drink which Haru tore into ravenously. When he finished his meal he cocked his head curiously at the forge and blocks of metal.
"You will forge your own armor, your second skin, as is the tradition of the chapter." Soshiro said. "You have prepared for this have you not?"
"I have not brother sergeant." Haru admitted sheepishly. "the devotion of my attention went to the Emperor and how best to serve him."
"then I will teach you." Brother Uzikato stroked his gray hair and sat beside Haru.
"The metals and forge equipment have all been provide for you, as well as the delicate wiring that will connect you to this skin. But it is up to you and with the guidance of the Emperor to create this armor for you. First we will take your measurements…"
The squad had been through the process before. It would take at least a month for Haru to complete his Trials, for that was how long it took for him to size, forge, wire and paint his armor if he did it all perfectly the first time. Not only this but he would have to hunt for his own food and forge for his own water, he would have to create the paints he wished to have and search for the inspiration of his armor. And in addition he would forge his own blade, a process alone that took two weeks. But from these trials emerged a Space Marine, one of the Chapter House ready to combat the Emperor's enemies with sword and blood. Tiger Squad would observe the entire time, training and encouraging as Haru underwent the trials for they were all brothers, all one squad. Haru crushed the Adamantium Ore with his hands and when those failed, with a hammer and slowly but surely his armor began to take shape, plate by plate, sheet by sheet. And by the end of one and a half months, Brother Haru, in his new checker patterned red and blue armor, like that of a regicide board (he had bested Soshiro much to his surprise) and a helmet with the dagger teeth and double pair of glaring eyes of an Unagi stood amongst Tactical Squad Tiger, ready for the next undertaking.
