Esther
It had been some time since the raids that rattled Ryoko Owari Toshi took place. And in their wake, Masanori found himself in front of the civil hall in the final few hours of the night. He was made to return later in the morning for the Imperial's expected response—displeasure and scorn for the tasks done under their name. But it stopped largely at displeasure and scorn, and for that much, he could thank the Emperor's hands. It would have been far easier to censure the Unicorn if they had acted alone. But to make an enemy of both the Left and the Right in the same breath? Such a thing would be unthinkable for any Imperial authority trying to keep the peace. 

But peace had its price. The Unicorn struck a telling blow against the city's underworld, and it would take the Scorpion precious time to rebuild the networks disrupted by their heroics. Certainly, more time than it would if they still reigned supreme in the city, able to act with relative impunity so long as the right magistrates were properly cared for or distracted. The time it would take them to rebuild lent a level of legitimacy to the governor's rule. Legitimacy won with Unicorn blood and reputation. 

It was not often Masanori's way to negotiate on matters of payment. But he had put his clansmen on the line in the name of Imperial authority. It was only right that they were repaid in kind for the risks they had taken—and the risks that they would be subjected to when the Underhand inevitably made its response.

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So the lieutenant found his way into the seat of Imperial authority in the city, and then toward one of the meeting rooms set aside for important dignitaries to discuss business. He had managed to arrange an impromptu meeting with the man responsible for the security of Ryoko Owari Toshi proper, such that he might extract his price for services rendered. How well it would go... That much was difficult to say, given the inscrutable reputation of the Otomo family. But he had faith. The man in question was not an Otomo, but a member of the Daidoji family, and if there ever were pragmatists to be had anywhere in Rokugan, they were found among the ranks of the Iron Crane.
Steven
As Masanori waited for Daidoji Sho to arrive, a servant would come by with tea and water. "Utaku-sama," She said softly, "Daidoji-sama will be with you shortly. He is, er... Finishing his climbing." She didn't elaborate, but she would pour water or tea for the man, as well as a cup for the soon-to-arrive Sho, made just the way he liked it: devoid of any and all extras. 

Soon enough, a gruff voice came from the door frame. 

"Utaku Masanori." The man could've been mistaken for a short Crab: dark hair, facial hair (albeit cultivated and cultured into a sharp goatee), and a look of impatience and slight annoyance. Truly an Iron Crane that spent some time among the Hida. "Daidoji Sho. I hope you'll excuse my lateness," He said, giving a proper bow after Masanori did his, "I was exercising. A man of my age needs to stay spry. I learned at the wall that physical exertion keeps the mind sharp. I swear by that."

He took his seat across from the Unicorn, and after taking a sip of tea so Masanori could enjoy his (you can't take the etiquette out of a Crane, no matter how Crabby), he got right to business. "Now, I understand you wished to speak to the Imperials in regards to the 'incident' that occurred at the end of Spring. I will note that it was impressive work. There will be problems that come with it, with the addicts raising hell, but if they were strong Samurai, they wouldn't be addicts, now would they?

"Now, before we begin, I will remind you that I serve the Empire first and foremost. I know the Crane and the Unicorn are allies, and I respect that decision. But, I will not let that have anything to do with this meeting. I am a man that does not enjoy politics nor courtier games, and from what I've heard of you, you aren't one for that ilk, either. So, simply give me the facts, Utaku-sama, and I can assure you a fair assessment." 

Sho was a peculiar one.Verbose like a Crane, but very austere like a Crab. But, it was clear that he meant what he said, and he showed no signs of giving a falsehood.
Esther
Punctuality was always an important matter to Masanori. It was a matter of principle for him—it would not do for a samurai to indicate he would arrive at one time and then fail to make good on his words. Given that the meeting was arranged by himself and *Not* The nominal head of the Thunder Guard, however, a level of leniency was in order. The man himself did not make Masanori wait all that much longer before appearing. Daidoji Sho was a far cry from Doji Koharu, who straddled an interesting line between the poise of a Doji and the asceticism of the Iron Warriors. He certainly shared more features in common with the Crab that the Utaku had known, his sire included.

"It is no trouble, Daidoji-sama. I am well acquainted with the rigors of conditioning. It can be a time-consuming affair."

The man spoke straightforwardly and true, and for that much, he could be respected. Perhaps more than the majority of the clerks and diplomats who made civil hall their daily roost. What lay ahead was certainly a level of political maneuvering, but that did not mean it needed to be wrapped in layers of metaphor and platitudes. He took a sip of his tea as he considered the Daidoji's words.

"I appreciate your forthcoming nature, Daidoji-sama. But the reminder is unnecessary. I do not come here on matters of mutual kinship. My concerns lay strictly with Ryoko Owari Toshi and the Imperial vision."

There was a balancing game to be had. The Imperials were the undisputed masters of the city, until such a time as the Son of Heaven ruled otherwise. To challenge that authority was tantamount to treason. He needed to make it clear such was not his intention. The Unicorn's actions had satisfied both their pride and that of the Lion clan, but it had not been senseless bloodletting for the sake of placation. It had been the will of the Imperial families first and foremost.

"It is a fact that the Unicorn struck a strong blow against the city's criminal element with the spring's raids. We did so to honor the request of the esteemed Otomo Tanimaru-sama, who wished to see such a flagrant violation of Imperial law struck down under his tenure. And we did so without complaint—and will continue to do as bid by the governorship of the city—but the breadth of our operational abilities have been hindered by the status quo of winter."

That much was true. To coordinate such a widespread operation, and conduct it with enough speed to ensure its success, the Unicorn's resources had been stretched thin across two separate fronts. The Lion and Crane had filled the gaps in manpower but with just a little more in the way of military force than what was diplomatically justifiable, it was difficult to plan more grandiose ventures.

"I will not cover my words with comforting pleasantries: when it was stripped from the Scorpion, the entrenched powers that be shirked in their duties and allowed a level of chaos to prevail through the city. A childish lashing out in response to a perceived wrong. Gangs grow bold enough to war against each other. The roads to the north and west become all the less safe. Lowly criminals attack and murder samurai in broad daylight. Harmonious order is threatened."

The lieutenant set his teacup down poignantly, squaring his shoulders as he made his request clear.

"The Unicorn have done much to prove themselves a friend to the people of this city, and loyal servants to the Emperor and his emissaries. I desire to continue proving our earnest desire to better Ryoko Owari Toshi. But before it can be bettered, it must be made *Safe*. To that end, I request Otomo Tanimaru-sama's leave to allow a detachment of the *Junghar*, the Unicorn's home guard, to operate near the city. It would be their duty to patrol the roads leading to Sekitsu Pass, and restore order to the surrounding villages that support this city."

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Steven
Sho sat still, and listened intently, not interrupting or interjecting as Masanori made his case. It was rather impressive how still and quiet the man remained, only looking down once to make a few notes on some paper with a simple piece of charcoal. 

"I see." The Daidoji said that, then spoke not for a moment more before making his rebuttal. "It is no secret that the Unicorn Clan put in the work, and to the desires of Otomo Tanimaru-sama. And it was good work done, clean and efficient. Or, as efficient as one can get when it comes to Scorpion. And moreso, when one insect is killed, the smaller ones certainly swarm. Much like the damnedable goblins beyond the Wall..." He shook his head, not wanting to go into all that. 

"I see the logic in your request. Making patrols north and west would put things at ease. The river has been safer since Hida Koyama and Moshi Mai made their expedition. However, while the river has the blessing of being the ward of all that respect the kami, the _land_ is the ward of the Scorpion." 

Sho tapped his desk with his charcoal, as iff to make a point. "If this were to be approved, it would appear that the Empire has decided that the Unicorn can send and station forces into Scorpion lands. The more vocal Scorpion would say it was a declaration of war, or at the very least made in bad faith. The Otomo _must_ remain neutral, or at the very least, as close to neutral as possible. Something on these grounds would be difficult to approve as-is." 

He made his points, and awaited an explanation or a possible rebuttal.
Esther
There was logic in the Daidoji's reply. The Scorpion were liable to cry out in response to such a force being near the city. But the Scorpion clan was liable to cry out at just about *Anything* The Unicorn did. Allowing the complaints of those who once held the city to silence any discourse on how others might improve what they neglected was unacceptable, however. Masanori would need to press the point further, lest all the favor won with the Imperials be wasted by inaction and complacency.

"Indeed. The Scorpion will protest this decision. But I would wager the two of us have seen what actual warfare looks like. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, mobilized for common cause. What I ask is not something so foolhardy as the stationing of an army within the territory of another clan. I need only a few battalions of carefully selected men and women, who will only operate within the territory afforded to the governorship, and along the roads that connect this—an Imperial territory—and those of the Unicorn's land."

It was a small distinction to make, but an important one. There were those in the Scorpion who still considered the city to be *Their* Holding. They would never admit it so brazenly in front of the Imperial authorities, but it was obvious for all those who still witnessed how they strutted about the city, so assured in the return of the position of governor that they had scarcely considered that the Unicorn would make common cause with old enemies to punish them.

"Were even a few battalions allocated to the city while the Scorpion still ruled, then I would agree. But they do not rule the city. The Otomo family rules. And the Otomo family is within their rights to authorize the samurai of the Great Clans to dispatch whatever duties may be required. If the Scorpion would deny the entrance of these samurai to an Imperial holding, they would be acting in direct opposition to an Imperial decree."

The rationale seemed solid enough to Masanori, though given it was his argument, perhaps that was self-evident. But there were other such cities with similar arrangements. Though the governor of the City of the Rich Frog preferred to utilize ronin to keep the peace within the city, the Unicorn came to the defense of the city against many a threat over the years. The Imperials were mighty in their authority, but few in number. They needed to depend on their much larger contemporaries for such things.

"Should you find this amenable, numbers can be discussed to come to an acceptable size for this security force. It might be that relatively few of the *Junghar* Need to be called to the city. Many more... Zealous Thunder Guard, affiliated with my clan, came to our aid during the raids. They were dismissed from service as a matter of course, but it is clear to me that they love this city, and wished only to aid in Otomo-sama's vision for its future when the opportunity presented itself. It would be a shame to dismiss them back to Unicorn lands when their strength could still be of use to Ryoko Owari Toshi."

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Steven
Sho took in the rebuttal by the Unicorn, and he spoke wisdom. It was clear the man wasn't too afraid of any complaints from the Scorpion, and made a good point that the Imerpials would be in the right for the decision, if a dispute were to come up. And indeed, the Otomo ruled the city, not the Scorpion. 

"...I see." 

The Daidoji looked down to his notes, and started to write rigorously. He did not look up until he was done, which was quite some time. But, he eventually looked up, locked onto Masanori's gaze. "I have looked at all the angles," He announced, "And I find that your request has more positives than negatives. _With_ conditions.

"As you stated, this force will only patrol the roads leading to Unicorn lands. Protecting your merchants coming and going is the work of the samurai caste, and it only makes sense that you do as such. Those Thunder Guard have been removed from service in the city, but as you note, many of them live here. They will be your first line of recruitment, as to take care of their families in the city. I understand your clan is fond of a nomadic way of life; that may help cut down on standing structures, which the scorpion would be most upset about; if you patrols stay mobile within reasonable bounds, lets say not stationing in any one place for longer than four days, then I would say there is no case against it. 

"However, I will say that any word of wrongdoing, smuggling, or harassment of any non-Unicorns on the road that have merit will have heavy penalties. I say this expecting _no_ such thing to actually occur, but I would be remiss if I did not make certain that consequences were not listed. I apologize if that offends, but I take offense to ignorance over all things."

Sho slid over the conditions and terms for Masanori to look over. "Tell me what you think, Utaku-sama. If this seems amicable, I can have a proper document drafted for a signature by the end of the week."
Esther
For many, the wait following a proposal was a nerve-wracking affair. Especially when dealing with the Imperial authorities, who so loved their documentation. But Masanori's nerve was made of stronger stuff than that. He sat, unmoving, while the Daidoji put brush to page and drafted up a consideration for his request. His steely eyes did not linger upon every stroke but instead lingered ahead as he bided his time. He knew his request was a righteous one. The only matter of contest was to see whether the Imperials would also come to understand that or weigh the concerns of Scorpion over what was righteous. Eventually, the truth of the matter was made clear to him. 

"Your judgment is appreciated, Daidoji-sama. I assure you, it is not misplaced."

There were conditions. Always conditions. That was the true battle when it came to fighting the Scorpion. There was never a point where one's hands were not tied in some way, or otherwise busied. Even when the Scorpion themselves were not the ones holding him back, they still benefited all the same. 

"There will be no foul play, Daidoji-sama. If I may be frank, were my intention to waylay the people of the Ryoko Province, I would not have come to you for permission," A little sterner than perhaps one was expected to be with a member of an Imperial delegation, but Sho was born an Iron Crane before he was yojimbo to an Imperial governor, "My men will raise their blades in the defense of the common good—regardless of whether it belongs to merchants under the Unicorn banner or to farmers who till the land in the name of the Otomo."

A simple enough thing to leave it there. Part of Masanori wished to conclude the matter on such a thing. But, the situation in Ryoko Owari Toshi was complex. There were other conditions to consider. And given the response to his liberties with the governor's decree against the cartels, perhaps spelling things out in more certain terms was required. 

"It should be understood that the common good also includes matters of self-defense, of course. A samurai must come to the defense of himself and his clansmen. Should they come under attack in the dispatching of their duties, I cannot deny them their right to slay those who would do them harm. No matter who it is that may try to do them harm. Shall I assume this matter is understood?"

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