Chapter Forty: Introductions

Washu was not at all in a good mood, all things considered.

She'd spent a long, long time sleeping on ice after having the worst happen several times over. Then she'd woken up on a distant, faraway planet. She'd found herself meeting with her long lost daughter, Ryoko. Only Ryoko was only interested in her for power.

It had been... depressing, to say the least.

Needless to say, Washu had decided to give her an extensive timeout.

And now here she was being led through the trees of Earth by William Mark. The agent had refused to acknowledge her knowing his identity. Which Washu was actually fine with. The trees in this area of Earth had changed a great deal. Her scans indicated that much of Earth was very different.

They also indicated several different Juraians on various continents.

So Azusa had not taken her to advise.

This kind of fiasco would never have happened when Nesshin was in charge.

Even so, Mark seemed to know a great deal. Whenever Washu asked him a question, he had an answer for it. Though being what he called an American, he regarded himself as superior to those around him. What was impressive was the sheer amount of effort he'd gone to to make himself appear like a buffoon.

He had bruises, which he described as happening to him when others took his lunch money. That was breathtaking attention to detail. And somewhat worrying.

At last, Mark led Washu to the house where Kasuhito, the local priest, lived. It was a fairly nice, one-room building. She looked at Mark, who seemed a bit distant. He looked a little dead inside, now that Washu thought about it. She'd seen that same expression on her face after Naja died, but he was at most eighteen.

Welcome to Earth, she supposed.

"So, this is where Kasuhito is?" asked Washu.

"Yes, Kasuhito is the priest here, Ms. Washu," said Mark, adjusting his glasses. "I'm sure you'll be able to get everything explained to you here."

"Oh, really?" asked Washu, raising an eyebrow. "Any chance you could do some explaining for as well?"

Mark adjusted his glasses and looked away with an embarrassed blush. Didn't he ever stop? "I just work here, Ms. Washu. I wouldn't feel comfortable talking to you on his behalf."

"Whatever you say," said Washu.

Then she walked up to the door and knocked politely. A moment later, the door opened, and Kasuhito looked out. He was an old man, with iron-gray hair and a mustache. "Yes, oh, Mark? Who is this young lady? Another alien from outer space out to meet Tenchi?"

"Actually, I found her sealed inside the cave," said Mark, looking away in shame. He drew off his bag in seeming exhaustion and set it down by the door.

Kasuhito frowned. "I believe I instructed you not to go in there."

Well, he had a nonchalant reaction to powers beyond comprehension. But Mark seemed to regard him with respect, so Washu suspected he knew more than he let on. "Sorry, um... Ayeka and Ryoko forced the issue," said Mark.

"And where are they at the moment?" asked Mark.

"Oh, otherwise indisposed," said Washu. "I'll let them out after they learn their lesson."

"My teaching people lessons?" asked Kasuhito. "You seem quite confident."

"Well, they did have a firefight over a populated, unshielded world," said Washu. "I think some time to reflect on what they've done is only fair."

"Yes, well, perhaps we should take this inside," said Kasuhito.

"I'm going to head out," said Mark. "I've got to get home and feed daisy."

Wait a minute, he was using her presence here as an excuse to "I could probably help you-"

"No, thank you, I'd rather take the bus thanks," said Mark, before walking off as quickly as he could.

Kasuhito frowned. "...perhaps you'd best come inside."

Washu eyed the bag Mark had put there. "Not yet.

"Mark has left something behind."

Kasuhito frowned and kneeled to check the bag. Pulling out a book, he tested the weight, then sent a surge of energy through it. Something sparked. "Hmm, nothing too sinister.

"Ah, a recording device, very crude. But the design is fairly efficient. I'll leave it be for the moment."

Then he put it back.

"Then, you know?" surmised Washu.

"That William Mark is reporting on my activities?" asked Yosho. "Yes.

"I have lived on Earth long enough to know that the governments here are no fools. They have a meticulous ability for observation when they put their minds to it. And they do have a right to have some idea of what I am doing here."

Washu remembered the last time they'd met. It seemed such a long time ago, even if it was only a few hundred years ago. She thought. "Well then, perhaps we should drop the facade, Yosho."

Kasuhito sighed, walked into the room, and kept the door open so Washu could walk on through. He shut the door and poured both of them tea before they kneeled before one another. "I haven't gone by that name in a very long time, Professor Washu.

"I prefer Kasuhito."

"Did you know I was imprisoned within that place?" asked Washu.

"Of course," said Yosho. "We'd met often enough due to our mutual friendship with Kagato. I could sense your power."

"And you made no attempt to free me?" asked Washu, feeling a bit offended.

Yosho looked at her flatly. "Why would I?

"The seal had been planted by Jurai in order to ensure you didn't escape. I had no means of contacting Jurai. And people are only put into that kind of containment for serious crimes. For all I knew, you had done something that warranted the punishment.

"So I simply arranged for the shrine to be set up.

"That was a long time ago, of course. By the time you did crash-land, I hardly remembered your face. It took me a few decades to piece together where I remembered you from."

"Weren't you even curious?" asked Washu. "Didn't you want to know what had happened since you disappeared?"

"Not really, in truth," said Kasuhito. "I left Jurai with Haruno to escape, and I haven't look back since."

"How did you end up here, then?" asked Washu. "I was never able to learn where you went, what with being forbidden from going to Earth."

"Yes, well, Father always was selective about who he would let come here," said Kasuhito. "He never let anyone go near it after Mother came back with him. Still, if you want to know, Kagato had laid a trap for me.

"He lay in wait with the Soja for my arrival and shot me out of the sky before I could respond. Haruno was wounded and, well, she did not survive long."

Washu stared. "Kagato, tried to kill you?"

"Oh no, if he were trying to kill me, I'd be dead," said Yosho. "I think he wanted to strand me here in Japan like had happened to him. Merlin never forgave Lancelot for the Fall of Camelot, after all."

"You mean his son? Arthur?" asked Washu.

"Yes," said Yosho. "The only earthling ever to be buried on Jurai. It was... my responsibility. My fault."

Washu paused. "And what happened then?"

Yosho sighed and sipped his tea. "A very long story.

"I had destroyed Camelot by betraying my King and friend. So I set to work attempting to create a variant of the chivalric code here, focused on loyalty above all else. It mutated and changed and came to be known as the Code of Bushido.

"Eventually, I met a woman I loved, married her, and had a daughter.

"That daughter, Achika, married and had a son.

"And now she is dead."

Washu thought that Yosho seemed thousands of years older. The Earth seemed to have that effect on people. The brutality and pragmatism had a way of forcing life experience on someone. "Does Jurai know you are here?"

"They may suspect," said Yosho. "But I've avoided their notice whenever they arrive. The Earthlings are, in some ways, more observant than we are. I've taken notice of several different aliens from other races arriving as well.

"What about you? How did you end up here?"

Washu wondered what all the Juraians she was detecting were doing here. There had been several other alien races as well. "The same reason you did.

"My scientific peers were envious of my abilities, and that envy only grew. Entire teams of people working were nothing compared to me working on my own. I managed to do all kinds of technological growth, but...

"I was afraid.

"My calculations indicated that Earth if it ever reached space, could be lethal. Their mindset could result in a destructive war that was like nothing Jurai had ever seen. Azusa, meanwhile, never took Earth seriously. He doesn't understand that the mindset that holds Earth back could kill us all. All it would take is proper channeling.

"Imagine if you could somehow arm an army of Earthlings with weapons so they could compete with Jurai. They'd be able to wear them down by attrition alone. Kill a thousand of them, and it means nothing. Mikamo and I saw what was happening, but...

"Azusa fancies Earth as a colony.

"Jurai doesn't take its rules of non-interference seriously anymore."

Yosho frowned. "A colony? That would be a direct violation of Emperor Tenchi's non-interference decree. One backed by Tsunami herself.

"Have things gotten worse so quickly?"

There was Prince Yosho before he went to Jurai in that statement. Washu still remembered the controversy. Kagato, son of Lady Seto had crash-landed on Earth and been stranded there for a few decades. Yosho, his closest friend, had gone to aid him, and the two had returned bitter enemies.

Apparently, Kagato had killed a human woman named Gwenevere in front of Yosho. But neither spoke much about it. The next century had been spent trying to get the two to patch things up, and it had seemingly worked. However, Washu had always suspected Kagato had only feigned forgiveness. He'd always been a vengeful sort, and Earth tended to make people more brutal and pragmatic.

"Far, far worse," said Washu. "Funaho was a Chinese Princess during an era when China was the most powerful nation in the world. Azusa married her, and through her, you have a claim as Emperor of China. When Kagato's ship crash landed in that lake, Tsunami had a divine loophole. One by which she could create Camelot.

"Most European nations draw legitimacy from Camelot's example. And now you've created the Code of Bushido, which defined Japanese culture. Between the three of them, every nation has been influenced by at least one.

"As far as Jurai is concerned, Earth is a colony they built up from nothing, and they just don't know it yet."

"You mean they know I am here?" asked Yosho in surprise.

"They have for several hundred years, at least," said Washu darkly.

"And..." Yosho hesitated. "They never even tried to contact me?"

"You've been here for less than a thousand years, Yosho," said Washu. As she did, she reflected how absurd such timescales would seem to Earth. "That's not such a long time in the Jurai Court. Especially one that has become less and less involved in the affairs of the Empire.

"Azusa was furious with you running away from that marriage meeting. He wanted you to come crawling back. And Kagato reported that you did not want to be found."

"...And they didn't check?" asked Yosho.

"No one felt that Prince Yosho's best friend would lie about something like that," said Washu. "And confirming it would be calling him a liar. Everyone thought this was just a phase that you'd work through.

"Moreover, there were other things to think about. I wouldn't know their reasoning, to be honest. I've been out of favor with the Juraian Court since Nesshin died.

"So, how has Earth advanced while you were there?"

"Well, they're very good at killing one another," said Yosho. "And while pursuing that goal, they've learned to improvise medicine. Some of them are quite sophisticated—generations of doctors arguing and researching simply to cure one disease.

"Of course, it's still nothing compared to our most basic forms of energy healing. But for a species which lacks any kind of special power... well, it's all very impressive." He paused. "I wonder if you aren't being overly harsh with Father."

"Emperor Azusa is a puppet, Yosho," said Washu. "He was not prepared in any way for the position he was assigned. When Emperor Nesshin died, we needed an heir. Lady Seto was the one keeping things together, and she tracked down Azusa, who didn't even know he was of royal blood.

"She took him from his parents and more or less put him up as a figurehead while she handled things. But instead of trying to grow into the role, he ditched his responsibilities and fled to Earth. The entire Empire went into a panic looking for him, and he refused to return unless he could take Funaho with him.

"Tsunami then blessed Funaho with an extended lifespan. All so everything could regain a semblance of normality."

"...That's a very cynical explanation of the story I heard," said Yosho, frowning.

"I'm in a very cynical state of mind, Yosho," said Washu. "My point is that while Emperor Azusa is very powerful. He has performed the military duties of his office; he just doesn't seek actual authority. Seto should have groomed him to grow into his position, but he took all the duties herself more or less.

"The actual royal family is almost symbolic at this stage.

"There's a story that the first Jurai Emperor gained his powers when he ran into Tsunami.

"He has spent his entire life trying to pass his responsibilities over to others. But what gives a ruler power is performing his responsibilities. When I was sealed, there was talk of marrying Princess Ayeka to Kagato to merge the bloodlines."

Silence fell. Eventually, Yosho sipped his tea and eyed Washu. "...You haven't answered my question, Washu. How did you end up here?"

Washu sighed. "Alright, I'll be blunt.

"Mikamo and I tried to get the Royal Court to recognize the threat humanity represented. And as a result, Mikamo and I had our marriage forcibly broken up by his family. I had my own child taken away from me, and I never saw her or my husband again.

"Eventually, I decided to take matters into my own hands.

"I began creating two artificial lifeforms, using my own DNA as a base. Their names were Nagi and Ryoko. Kagato was invaluable in this regard. Together, we managed to create entities capable of wielding the gems.

"At the same time, I began making arrangements for a defense system.

"A system designed for the sole purpose of defending against an invasion by Earth. A means by which all travel to and from the planet could be sealed off. Scanners would work nonstop, and the area could be contained.

"It would buy us some time when Earth decides to attack.

"It's not the Earthling's fault; they're not evil. Just insane. The species is a danger to themselves and others. And they need to be kept restrained until they can be treated."

"So what happened?" asked Yosho.

"When the system was nearly ready to be put into production, Kagato betrayed me," said Washu. "He revealed what I was doing to the scientific community and had me arrested.

"I managed to get Nagi away to Aiur, but Ryoko was seized.

"My rivals in the scientific community ordered me sealed for trial, and here I am now. My guess is that Kagato didn't want me revealing just how involved he'd been."

Yosho leaned back on his knees. "...Well, the question now is what we do about all this?"

Washu considered what she knew, then all the angles. Then the various people present in this single place. "Nothing at the moment.

"All these new arrivals are sure to eventually attract the Emperor's attention. When that eventually happens, I'll need your help."

"Should we accuse Kagato?" asked Yosho.

"No point," said Washu with a shrug. "He has no motive."

"What do you mean?" asked Yosho. "We already know his motive."

"For you and Kagato, the fall of Camelot was the worst thing that ever happened," said Washu. "But all Jurai sees is Prince Yosho and his friend Kagato having a strained relationship.

"No one would understand how such a minor thing could drive Kagato to murder. And his action against me was wholly legal."

"Arthur was his son," said Yosho.

"Yes, and Arthur was given a proper burial on Jurai," said Washu. "The noble savage has flowers growing over his grave. End of story."

"Surely not," said Yosho. "Arthur was... he was like no one else I'd met. He had a nobility to him that... he lived on Earth. But he believed in all the things that Jurai says it does. He lived them."

"There is a very real line of thought in Jurai that Earthlings do not have souls," said Washu. "Or there was when I was Head of the Academy. No creature can exist on a spiritual level without the blessing of the Goddesses. So the argument goes. Since Earthlings developed independently of the Goddesses will, they are automatons.

"Funaho, therefore, is actually born Juraian. Tsunami merely created her within a soulless body."

"...That's a very unpleasant ideology," said Yosho.

"Oh, it gets worse," said Washu. "See, Earthlings don't have souls; so no one needs to afford them the rights we do animals, let alone humans. Some of the scientific community had the idea of specially programmed organic servants.

"Organic servants 'manufactured' by adapting techniques from Earth. They'd use them on chosen automatons."

"That's monstrous!" said Yosho.

"Azusa had none of it, fortunately," said Washu. "He shut the entire project down flat out and then banned any use of 'programming' as they called it. All attempts to reintroduce the idea have been met with outrage."

Yosho paused for a moment, and now he was hardly the old man at all. "Listen, Washu, I think I can get you reintegrated into society.

"You were never convicted anyway, after all. And my son, Tenchi, would naturally solve the problem of an heir. If he married Ayeka, it could prevent Kagato from seizing the throne."

Washu couldn't bring herself to care about politics at the moment. "What about Mark?

"He's very intelligent that one. When I blew his secret, he never even reacted, just kept pretending like it wasn't discovered."

"Oh, he's very good at manipulating people," said Yosho. "But I think he cares more than he thinks he does. I think it would be best to come clean with Earth's government, however."

"Why?" asked Washu.

"It would be a sign of trust and goodwill," said Yosho. "Jurai has a sense of superiority to non-Juraians; it is our curse. If first contact is made between the governments of Earth and Azusa-"

"They'll probably act as though Earth is a colony," mused Washu.

"It'll be an absolute disaster," said Yosho.

"Right, right, so we'll need to bring the government up to speed if they aren't already," said Washu.

"They know a great deal," said Yosho. "Earthlings can be quite intelligent. And some of their philosophy is lightyears ahead of Jurai. When one faces death on such a daily basis, one ponders the nature of life far more."

"Well, all the more reason to give them information," said Washu. "Still, all this is a moot point until Azusa arrives. For now, I need an extended vacation.

"Which reminds me."

Finishing her tea, Washu stood and walked outside. Typing into her console, she opened two portals. Ayeka and Ryoko descended out of them and landed hard.

"Washu, I have been falling for hours," snapped Ayeka.

"Yes, and you'll be a bit more considerate about ship to ship combat," said Washu.

"Why you-" began Ryoko, before drawing a beam sword and slashing.

The beam impacted Washu's shield and shattered. A moment later, she was repulsed, and Washu sighed. "Ryoko, I see you've learned precisely nothing.

"Well, in any case, I've decided I like it here on Earth. I think I'm going to set up shop here and make sure things stay in order."

"Hang a second, you can't just make that kind of decision without consulting anybody!" said Ryoko.

"Does that not apply to you as well, Ms. Ryoko?" asked Ayeka.

"I just did," said Washu, looking to Yosho.

"Oh yes, Washu is in need of a place to stay, just as you are," said Yosho, coming forward.

"Besides, I think that Mark kid is pretty cute," said Washu, mostly to mess with Ryoko.

"Mark?" asked Ayeka, surprised. "But... um, why would-"

At that moment, Tenchi Masaki arrived up the steps.

Mark had mentioned him, always as a friend, though Washu suspected he held him in contempt. The boy was very attractive in a very average sort of way. Average height and build, and he moved forward to bow. "Oh, hello, are you the new guest Grandpa told us to expect?"

"Yeah, that's me," said Washu. "I'm Washu Hakubi, at your disposal. I'm going to be staying here for a bit, you don't mind, do you?" And she leaned in, deciding to play along with the theme.

Tenchi looked a bit nervous at her proximity. "Oh, um... not at all."

Good, because Washu was going to have to set up a subspace lab somewhere out of the way soon. Just as soon as she...

And then, while checking for a good place to build a lab, Washu noticed the sensors.

"Oh damn," said Washu.

"What is it?" asked Kasuhito.

"The Tal'Darim are here," said Washu.

What was Malrath's vessel doing all the way out here?

At that moment, a blue-haired woman rushed up the steps. "Ayeka! Ryoko! We have a serious problem!"

"What is it now?" asked Ryoko.

"It can hardly be worse than the person who's here now," muttered Ayeka.

"William has been kidnapped by the Tal'Darim," said Kiyone.

Well, things had just gotten interesting.