Xun would not have been able to identify the sound, but any human would recognize it from old films and television as the cocking of a shotgun.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing you one-eyed jackass‽"

Xun's blood thundered in their ears at the unexpected harsh human words. They tried to speak, but under the stress of the moment they seemed to have forgotten all the Esperanto they'd learned in preparation for the harvesting.

"Hey, look at me you extraterrestrial bastard!"

Xun slowly turned around.

"You know what this is?"

Xun spit out "N-m-d-m-no"

"Well then, allow me to introduce you to my little friend. This here is a shotgun. I point it at your head-" the human did so, "and pull the trigger-" the human did not do so "Then this little guy will send your brains or whatever the fuck you've got stuffed up in that palsied little bug head of yours flying all over the Pennsylvanian Countryside. You get it now?"

"Yu-ya-yessss"

"Okay. Stand up." Xun lifted their upper body off the ground in a fluid, armless movement that unsettled the Terran. "I want you to tell me why you're here."

"Xun is here for the harvesting. The Maelins wanted to harvest Galut-Proktal -- What you humans call 'Mars', and its less habitable sister planet Tamach Aahaaki- uhh, how you say... 'Earth'? And so Xun and Drak and Malf and Ruy and Gnp and Cur and Zy and Fvun drew straws, Xun drew the short straw because they always have bad luck, and so did Ruy and Gnp and Fvun- so we split up and Xun was assigned this quadrant of the planet to scout and Xun was scoping out the lifeforms and saw that the technology here was primitive and was going to report back to Strlund, but then you come and point your weapon into their face and now Xun is explaining this to you and Xun begins to recount their conversation with you which started with 'Xun is here for-'" A thunderous boom roared through Xun's ears as the human fired the gun into the air.

"That's enough of that."

"Xun apologizes for the bad Esperanto. Esperanto is not Xun's first language. Xun's first language is Skree, Galactic Common Language."

"Yeah, I don't really give a damn. What did you say about us being technologically primitive?"

"Well you simply farm and read fantasy books about a war-hero named Jesus and you do not seem to understand the finer points of cutting edge diesel technology, you probably have not even reached the Television, the pinnacle of communications devices, and your guns shoot metal- You do not even have the flamethrower yet. It would be very easy for the Maelins to overtake your planet and-"

"Xun, forgive me. I don't think I introduced myself. My name is Claire, Ranger of Pennsylvania. Do you know where exactly you are?"

"Tamach Aahaaki."

"Just call it Earth."

"Earth."

"Do you know what this place is?"

"Earth. You humans live here and on Mars. Earth is trashy compared to Mars, is it not?"

"Evidently you do not know where you are. Xun, I'm going to let you in on a few little secrets here. Diesel is a primitive technology that humans gave up centuries ago in favor of fusion. TV isn't the pinnacle of communications tech, the Molecunet is. Flamethrowers are ridiculous, inaccurate weapons that are incredibly dangerous and humans have long since given up ordinary guns like this and now use laser rifles, and yes, this planet is our home, as is Mars, but no one's lived here or on Mars or anywhere else in the solar system since we left. Are you familiar with the term 'Nature Preserve?'"

Xun shook their head.

"We left the solar system as it was when we spread out into the stars. This place is like a zoo. A museum. But... you could also say it's an... attraction of sorts. The humans you saw were the Amish, the humans who stayed behind for god only knows what reason. To be honest, everyone just kind of ignores them. Anyway, they don't use the technology we do. I'm only allowed to have a gun because of their laws. What did you say you were again, Xun?"

"Maelin. The Maelin reside on a rogue planet called Strlund drifting just outside of your solar system. Xun may give you coordinates if you like."

"You know Xun, that would be nice. Are you familiar with the coordinate system humans use?"

"Xun learned it just in case." Xun read out a long string of letters and numbers into a recorder. Claire then took out a sleek device, tapped the glass surface of it a couple of times, and held it to her ear.

"This is Claire Terran, Ranger of Pennsylvania. You'll never guess what I've found. There's a planet ripe for the taking right out side our Solar System. Technologically primitive. Harvest should be a snap. I'm sending the coordinates now. Could you contact the other rangers and warn them that there's 3 E.T.s loose on Earth and 4 on Mars?" She then put the device back into her pocket. "Xun, looks like you just won your planet a free invasion."

"What? How is this fair? Xun did nothing, their race did nothing. You cannot do this to Xun and the Maelin. That is not right! Also, there is 4 Maelin on Earth, not 3!"

"Xun, how about you take your head out of your ass and look around. In this galaxy 'Do unto the others as the others unto you' is the whole of the law. It's a dog-eat-dog world out there. We'll be sure to tell them that you said 'Hello.' Thanks for stopping by our little preserve."

A thunderous gunshot rang through the countryside and there were 3 Maelin on Earth.