Name: Diego Delgado
Nobody really expected a Western European nation to ever really become a super power in the world again. Rodrigo Delgado proved that they were all mistaken. When his family found oil underneath their house, the sixteen year old shrewdly invested the money from it and within a few months had tripled the original number. In what Time magazine called "the most shocking overnight success story in years", Delgado went national, expanding his business ventures to include first natural gas and coal, and later other, more sustainable forms of energy. Though he came from a poor background, Rodrigo had been instilled with strong morals by his parents, morals that held fast in his business ventures. Before long his reputation had grown enough that he not only had the power to effect massive change, but also the influence to win people over to his cause, no matter what it was. And the causes he chose to support were always noble in the eyes of the people; within three months the influx of drugs from South America that plagued the coast of Spain had been cut down to a trickle thanks to Delgado's public education programs and private security measures along the coast line. A government in most European countries is lucky to maintain power for a few months before it is toppled by a coalition, but this one man was able to effectively control half the continent. It wasn't long until he began expanding his operations into Asia. This is when the real trouble started.

Rain struck the window panes of his office with a dull thrum, causing the glass to vibrate in it's frame. It was another late night for Delgado; a necessary evil as far as he was concerned. Niten Industries was a major player in the global energy market, but their quarterly gross product was astronomical. They must have been off the books. Under most circumstances he would have a team of lawyers and economists doing this research, but anyone who sniffed around Niten Industries too much seemed to drop off the face of the Earth, and he wasn't willing to put those people at risk. Besides that, it would be easier to keep his work quiet if no one else knew about it. In fact, the whole business deal had been kept quiet; no one outside of the board was even aware that the two companies were in talks, and only Rodrigo knew the true purpose of those talks. Still, the time away from his family over the past few weeks had been difficult, to say the least. His wife, Maria, had just given birth to a baby boy. Diego, named for her brother.


He ran his fingers over his tired eyes; it would all be for the greater good. Was it still raining? Yes, the thwap against the window sill was still there. But there's another noise too. A sudden, shattering noise. Water and glass showered over his head. Bullet proof glass.


No one is entirely certain of what happened to Rodrigo Delgado that night, or the rest of his family for that matter. Or at least, the investigations into the matter did not last long and the outcry at the murder of one of the most beloved men in the country  went with it.

No one realized that Delgado's son was alive. That the men responsible for slaughtering his family had taken him. That Diego, the son of Rodrigo Delgado, was now a son of the Sacred Order.

More to come...

Hanging fires cast flickering shadows across the walls of the stone room, mingling with the ornately carved symbols that filled the walls to produce grotesquely twisted shapes. He had only been in this room on a few occasions before today, but the one he remembered the most vividly was the first; when his training with the Order had begun. Though he was barely a child at the time, Diego still remembered the words that his master had spoken to him then.


"<The traditions of our order are ancient ones, stemming from a Feud that began long ago. Through what our ancestors learned we have perfected the art of ninjistu; of using the shadows for our purposes. This is not what you will learn, though. You have a different fate, one that requires you to learn the way of the Samurai. It will be difficult, but if you succeed then you will serve the Order well, young one.>"


Looking back now the years seemed to have melted away. Every day of his life from then on was dedicated to training. Those who were injured were deemed unworthy and were shunned from the temple. If they were able to make it back inside after one night then they would be allowed to resume training again, but those that were unable to did not last long on their own. Diego knew from experience that the mountains were unforgiving of mistakes. But unlike some of the less fortunate, he had spent an equal amount of time training his mind as he had training his body; his master had always said that for what he was to do a learned individual would be necessary. But today his time as a student was over. Today, Diego would receive his name.


His master's face was partially obscured by the darkness of the room. He leaned forward slightly, looking down at the young man from the stone platform on which he resided."<It is time now for you to learn the truth of your family.>" He paused for a moment as if gathering his thoughts. Though his curiosity was piqued, Diego knew better than to speak out. "<Your father was a very powerful man, who posed a great threat to the Order. We had no choice but to silence him and any who would attempt to usurp his position. Your life was spared, though. For all of the trouble that he could have caused, the power that your father had at his disposal would surely prove to be an asset to us in the right hands. Your hands.>" Silence filled the room once again, the words that his master had just spoken fading as if into nothingness despite the echo that should have followed. "< You will take your father's place. You will use the power that he possessed in the name of the Sacred Order; in the name of the greater good.>"  From out of the darkness, the master drew out a thin, black sword with a slightly curved blade, barely visible in the dim light. "<As this sword will serve as an extension of your arm, you shall serve as an extension of mine. Your name will reflect this honour. From this day forward, the Sacred Order and our enemies shall know you as Espada."