Ender's War

Chapter 19 - Destroyed

A sickly green glow illuminated the hall. The dimmer night time lights were on in place of the blinding fluorescence of the day, which made navigating around the Battle school a little more difficult.

It was surprisingly silent considering the number of children who were being housed here, which made him place his steps a little more cautious.

Phoenix.

Rat.

Salamander.

Scorpion.

Where was Dragon? Would Ender even be there? He didn't know, but he needed to find the young Admiral fast. 

Time wasn't on his side, and with everything that's been happening he didn't know how much of it he would have left. 

One thing he was certain of, as he wandered aimlessly among the poorly lit corridors, was that this was his last chance to succeed.

* * * * * * * * *

Ender waited. Bean's expression was unreadable as he deliberated the legitimacy of Ender's proposal.

"Do you really think you can do this?" He finally spoke.

"I don't have much of a choice." Ender sat down on the bottom bunk across from Bean. The Lion Army insignia on the wall partially highlighted his face in a bright orange. "My brother's gone too far. He has to be stopped."

"So...what do you plan to do? Kill him?" The younger soldier couldn't help but ask, knowing full well about Ender's accidental murders he'd committed in the past.

"Neh! Not if I can help it." Ender's reply was quick, and to the point. "He needs to be arrested and held accountable for Mazer's death. And I have to go back to Earth and find him to make sure that's what happens."

"What do you want me to do in your absence, commander?" Bean looked thoughtful, awaiting orders that Ender knew he didn't need.

"I trust that you'll know which Launchies need the most training, do what needs to be done to knock down their egos, and make them ready to be put into armies. And when I get back, give me a group of them."

"Yes, sir." Bean nodded, half-heartedly. He wasn't going to contradict Ender out-loud, but it was obvious to him that this wasn't the best plan. Ender was needed here, which was currently as far away from his brother as humanly possible.  He'd never actually witnessed an exchange between the two siblings, but from what he'd heard things were bound to get messy.

He also wasn't normally one to doubt himself or his abilities, but these children were told they were going to be trained by Ender. Not the scrawny member of his Jeesh that, in their minds, just so happened to fight along side him. They didn't understand what he went through, how similar he was to Ender, or how superior his skills were.

"Show them I'm not wrong in appointing you to lead." Ender smiled, albeit forced.  "I'll be back soon anyway. Once I find my brother we will have the leader of the Warsaw Pact in our grasp."

"Is that so?"

Ender was about to send Bean on his way when another person decided to join into their meeting. The scepticism that laced those three words could only belong to one person. And thankfully, Ender knew her well.

"What has our older brother done this time?" Valentine added as she walked into the barracks with Carn Carby lingering in the doorway.

"I'll see you again before you head off." Once he saw Valentine, Bean quickly nodded at Ender, got up off the bed, and made his way out of the barracks. The younger soldier took Valentine's appearance as his cue to leave.