What little he knew of these ersatz Jedi was that they were of a telepathic species that had a sort of Eastern philosophical culture. That they were close enough to Jedi as far as Kachoo was concerned, but that wasn't necessarily very close. Just some of the "fish" stocking Lake Alexandria was proof enough that the ancient entity wasn't that precise about things. One of the "fish" had in fact turned out to look like something out of "Nausicaa" - armored plate and long teeth with at least twenty eyes and thirty feet long.
Governor Kemp had immediately posted warning signs that the lake was NOT available for swimming. Fishing at the shallow end only or near the bridges which the beastie seemed to avoid.
What to say to them? "Greetings and welcome to Earth!" No too cliche. "Klaatu Barada Nikto." No too derivative. "Anaal Nathrax Outhvas Pentas Dohielle Niente." Too obscure. "Peace and long life?" No. "Have a long trip?" No, too banal. Whatever he said would be recorded by the cameras and fed to CNN, Fox, WNN, and all the other news channels. It had to be something clever and inventive and wouldn't leave him looking like a schmuck for the next thousand years.
Here they came. Flowing robes that rippled as they floated towards him. Humanoid - arms and legs and head in appropriate places. Some desert-dwelling species - leathery skin, though the eyes seemed to be solid without visible iris or pupil.
"Greetings to you, Lord Governor of the Australian Sector," hissed the lead as they stopped and lowered to the ground. "We three be teachers of the Way. Jedi we have been named."
Noting that the lipsynch was off, the Governor hoped the universal translator would work for him as well. "Greetings to you honored teachers, welcome to Earth." He winced, realizing that he could have come up with something more profound.
*Do not stress so, that is not the True Path.*
Governor Kemp nodded. Telepaths. They probably just used the translators for the primitive audio/visual recordings humans were used to.
*Spry your mind is. Looking forward to working with you.*
Governor Kemp smiled at the humor in that mental declaration. "Well, let's get you introduced to the students."
The universe was a cruel place, and many galactic societies regarded those weaker than themselves as prey. To get respect in the universe, good intentions were not enough to make friends. You had to be able to demonstrate that you weren't going to be the latest victim.
So when humans would go out into the greater universe and finally leave the cradle, they'd need to be prepared.
They were being assembled in space now. Sleek cruisers and cannon-studded dreadnaughts, swift scouts and lumbering transports. Armored, armed, and not pushovers. Not too complicated, but certainly ahead of what the Earthling had previously.
They waited, patiently, for their crews to find them.
The game went agonizingly slow compared to the action-orientation of the previous contests.
Each move was meticulously planned, all possibilities considered.
For Ami it was the ultimate match, her best game possibly ever. A defining moment in her life where her skills in this arena were tested to a point she'd never considered possible before.
In the end it came down to a few pieces left, and Ami could see no way out for her.
"A tie? Well played," said Kachoo, not unkindly. "Should we settle this by means of 'best two out of three' or by another method?"
Ami slumped in her chair. She'd practically exhausted herself in this endeavor, and the normal quick contest had started on Sunday and lasted till Tuesday (with breaks for meals, school, and juku on her part) - there was no way she'd be able to handle herself half as well in a rematch.
Seeing this, the alien tsked. "Then again, we're taking entirely too long on this endeavor. Best two out of three would likely take us to the next contest period. Therefore, I propose something more potentially entertaining and educational."
"Such as?" Ami asked.
"A simple contest," said Kachoo. "We..."
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(Posted Thu, 24 Jul 2003 16:00)
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