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Jagee had been busy making everybeast in Mochizuki respect him through fear and intimidation. Once Ikkit Claw came to power he made Master Krinz's old dojo his fortress and was bestowed the title of 'Steward of the Domain' by his new master. Always ignorant that the sword he carried wasn't the Starfire Katana. He paced around his throne room that was once his old master's study and dormitory, while his slave, a doremouse maiden was polishing his prized katana sword. "Make sure you shine it properly or I'll test the edge on your tongue and make you use it as a rag!" "Yes Lord Jagee," she replied. Jagee unsheathed his wakizashi and placed it under her throat. "Glendal, how dare you speak to your master without permission? You disappoint me slave!" With that Jagee sheathed his blade and beat her on the side of the head. "Deadpaw!" The stormvermin captain Deadpaw rushed to his lord and saluted smartly. "Have one of your guard to take this slave out and flog her." "How many lashes your lordship?" "Five." With that Deadpaw grabbed Glendal and dragged her out of Jagee's presence before Jagee raised his paw to stop his captain. "Actually... make it ten lashes." "Yes sir." When Deadpaw had withdrawn from the chamber, Jagee heard pawsteps. He turned round to see the weasel in black. "Ah! My ninja," Jagee said warmly. The weasel knelt before him, "So my eyes and ears in the darkness what news do you bring?" The ninja remained kneeling as he reported to Jagee. "My Lord, on the southern coast of the domain I saw a junk anchored offshore. It's description matches that of the Heart of the Ocean; a sea-guard ship that took an old monk called Tin-Jin west of here. I approached closer to investigate. I saw multiple creatures; otters, shrews, a hare, a mouse with a strange sword, a squirrel and a fox." Jagee sat on his throne digesting the information in his mind. "And?" "The shrews, and several others were wearing clothes I have never seen before and were speaking in a language I could not understand. I only managed to catch one name; Sandokhan." With that Jagee stood and was on the ninja in a trice with his wakizashi unsheathed. "Sandokhan? SANDOKHAN?! If I find out you have lied to me I'll gut you. Then I'll leave your carcass out in the sun for the carrion to pick clean!" The unfortunate ninja knew it was futile to squirm under Jagee's grip, so he tried to justify himself. "Please Lordship, I was only repeating what I heard. I'm reporting to you so you can advise on what to do next." The ferret released the weasel as he shook with frustration. "Advice? Fine! You are to take my entire ninja team to where they are encamped. Kill them all! I'm sure you can do that." The weasel ninja rose from the floor and bowed numerous times as he exited the chamber. Jagee paced over to the window and watched as his slave was flogged, however his thoughts were elsewhere. So Sandokhan you have returned home. It'll be the last mistake you'll ever make. * As night fell crickets chirruped noisily and the waves of the sea lapped the shore gently as the warriors took a late alfresco supper. A stew was prepared by the otters made with six types of fish and the GUOSIM shrews made shrew cake for pudding. "I say chaps, I think I might actually be full!" George remarked as he loosened his belt. Meanwhile Sandokhan unfolded a map of the area he copied from his great grandfather's journals. "Right," he began. "If there are no objections, I think it's time to think of a plan. From what Wataru has told me, Ikkit Claw has made Jagee steward of Mochizuki domain. So we are to assume that he has power more or less everywhere. So it's bound to be a monumental task that lies before us. Now I believe if we find Jagee, we'll find Claw." Elmtail raised his paw, "Er, question. How exactly do we find this Jagee?" "My thoughts exactly Elmtail. Now, I think a good place to start would be here," Sandokhan said as he pointed to a symbol on his map. "Takashiro Village. It's the most built up place around here. If I'm right, we should get some valuable information and hopefully meet up with Wataru's friends in the resistance." "If they haven't been crushed already," said Mattimeo. "I mean, if Jagee is as powerful now as Wataru and yourself say then isn't it possible that he's aleady quelled any resistance against him?" "Neither myself nor Wataru are dismissing the fact. But all they need is a spark to wake everybeast up." Sandokhan continued. "And it would be a chance to try out your skills in Jimanese," said Tsuzuku. George perked his ears up and saw it as a chance to demonstrate. "Better leave the old chitchat to a skilled linguist like me don't cha know. Have a listen to this..." The hare then made up a random sentence in Jimanese that he thought was quite simple. After he had spoken Sandokhan, Wataru and Tsuzuku rolled about on the sand roaring with laughter while the otters looked at him absolutely confused. "Confounded blighters!" George scoffed. "What's so bally funny?" Sandokhan sat up straight and wiped tears of mirth from his eyes and explained. "George you just said; 'Don't cry, I'm going to eat your feet.'" Everybeast present broke out in fits of laughter, except George who had his jaw open in disbelief and indignation. "Hahahahahaha, I think you could scare off any Stormvermin rat with that phrase George," Mattimeo laughed. * Away from the camp, a single shrew sentry stood guard. The shrew was too intent of taking in the crisp night air and calm to notice somebeast sneaking up behind him. In a trice, something grabbed him by the snout and throat. Suddenly the sentry felt something pierce his stomach. He tried to scream but the assailant clamped down on his mouth so no sound would rouse the others at the camp. The lifeless corpse hewed to the ground as numerous creatures dressed in black bounded and galloped over the unfortunate shrew. *

Back at camp everybeast was asleep apart from Log-a-log Flugg, Wataru, Mattimeo and Sandokhan. Both the otter and the fox sat by the glowing embers of the dying campfire meditating while Mattimeo was sat by the shoreline drawing random shapes in the wet sand with the tip of his sword, whilst feeling the gentle lap of the waves caress his bare footpaws. Flugg sat next him, breaking the warriors' train of thought. "What's on your mind Redwaller?" Mattimeo looked up from his doodling, "Ah, it's just sinking in. The furthest I've ever been away from Redwall was Southsward. Now, I can't help feeling somewhat homesick. I wonder how Martin and Tess are getting along without me. I miss being in Cavern Hole eating supper. Some of Foremole's deeper n' ever beetroot 'n' turnip pie, flans, quiches, trifles, tarts, fresh strawberries with meadow cream, candied chestnuts I've got to hide from Martin or else he'll eat mine and..." "Please, please, no more! I think I'm getting hungry again just from listening to you," Flugg interrupted. Mattimeo couldn't help but smile at his friend. "Do you remember the great feast at Redwall when my father rescued us from Malkariss?" "Do I ever. That was when old Log-a-log passed away. Sometimes I wonder if he made the right choice, at times I don't feel like a leader." Mattimeo stood up and patted Flugg on the back. "From what I've seen so far you're a natural. Anyway I'm tired, I'm going to go get some sleep." As Mattimeo passed by Wataru and Sandokhan, the two samurai snapped their eyes open and grabbed the handles of their katanas whilst looking over their shoulders. Mattimeo drew the sword of Martin and started looking around him. "What's wrong?" "You smell that Sandy?" "Yes. The smell of blood. Tsuzuku rouse your otters!" Tsuzuku sat upright rubbing sleep from his eyes. "What's going on?" he asked. As soon as the words escaped his mouth, several figures dressed in black bounded out from the shadows with ninjato blades drawn. Pandemonium broke loose. Mattimeo, Wataru and Sandokhan stood back to back as they were surrounded by the black figures. "Who are they?" asked Mattimeo. "Jagee's ninja," Wataru explained. "Ninja?" "Assassins and back-stabbers. They prefer to strike from the shadows than fight honourably," Sandokhan added. Suddenly Jagee's ninja made a lunge at the trio. All three thrusted, slashed, parried and stabbed. Mattimeo had become more deadly with the sword after learning and sparring with Sandokhan. He managed to dispatch two with a single stroke and in little time the ninja began to back away, only to be cut down by the keen aim of Elmtail's bow. "Elmtail, behind you!" Mattimeo yelled. The squirrel spun round to see another ninja, a squirrel, advancing on him. Flugg balanced his throwing dagger in his paw before hurling it at ninja. The blade found it's target and the ninja squirrel collapsed at Elmtail's foot-paws. "Well thrown Flugg!" George commented. The shrews were proving to be easy prey with a handful falling to the assassin's blades. Tsuzuku and his otters joined in the fray to assist Flugg and GUOSIM shrews with Cheek and George Stag Hare. The hare was proving to be more skilled in paw-to-paw combat than in the ways of the blade. With one sublime roundhouse kick he disarmed two ninja of their weapons, while Cheek knocked them into unconsciousness with his bow staff. Just as Tsuzuku had killed one ninja, another sprang up behind him and plunged his sword into the otter's chest up to the hilt and cut sideways. Wataru was on him in a trice, decapitating his brother's attacker. Now Mattimeo and Sandokhan joined Fluggs' side, dispatching ninja as they went. Then silver clouds blew away from the moon, white light glinted off the blade of Sandokhan's sword. What happened next was strange, the ninja left alive caught a glimpse of the symbols on the fox's blade and they all backed off in fear. "Look!" "By the fur and fang!" "Starfire!" "Impossible! Lord Jagee wields the Starfire Katana." Sandokhan saw his chance. "Listen to me. This is the true Starfire Katana, the sword our first shogun forged for the mouse samurai Kenji. Made from metal that fell from the sky many ages ago. If you know what'll happen if you challenge the legacy of this blade and fail; flee now. Flee back to your master and tell him that the Shogun's Head-taker has returned and will cast him and his master out of this land!" The few ninja left needed no second bidding, leaving the wounded and the unconscious they threw down their blades and ran towards Jagee's fortress. All present wiped their weapons clean. Sandokhan looked around and saw the sands running red with gore and bodies strewn all around some still clutching their weapons in death. Wataru knelt next to Tsuzuku clutching the corpse of his brother, covered in blood, mouth open and his eyes clouded over. Nobeast spoke. They were all listening to Wataru making a pledge to his fallen brother. "They'll pay, they'll all pay. I swear it!" Sandokhan ripped off a long slim piece of white cloth from Tsuzuku's kimono and tied it around his old friends' head. White, the Samurai colour for vengeance.