Ender Wiggin's Last Game

Pressure Points

With the new notion that Ender was either going to die next to Meiji as they tried to escape the clutches of a noncooperative nation or spend close to five years with him (depending on which planet they decided to flee to in the future), he found himself growing attached to him.

Over the next few months with him, they talked a lot more and they went over the plan several times. Ender could recite it by memory long before this point. He knew exactly which risks he would be taking and he was determined to take them despite Meiji's warnings.

It was mere weeks before they would dock again, this time in orbit if Earth. Ender had grown close to Meiji in the same way he had grown close to Alai when they were still green little launchies in Battle School for the first time. It made Ender sad to think about, so he didn't do it very often. Only enough to make the connection.

Ender was nervous, however much he tried to hide it. He could see Meiji going over the plan every day, again and again to make absolutely sure it was as good as it could be. Ender hadn't thought about it much, but now that he had to, he realized just how much trust they were putting in luck when trying to steal a starship.

They had left nothing out. They went over hand to hand combat. Ender didn't know Meiji had been trained so extensively. Meiji taught him how to use weapons that he didn't use during his time in Battle School. Knives, mostly, though they worked a little with a faux gun (that was used mainly to knock out opponents) to make sure Ender could handle the kickback.

Ender took advantage of the training ad much as he could, squeezing every drop of information out of Meiji that he could manage. They tested out tricks and new tactics to disarm your enemy.

For example, while one person is grabbing their attention, can the other potentially kill him even when both are in sight? Of course, they couldn't test this one, but they discussed it. Using scare tactics to put the enemy on edge. Luring the enemy into a false sense of security so they could take the weapon and use it against them, etc.

Ender hated the idea of killing them. He figured they could just knock them out if it really came to hand to hand combat. If Ender was surrounded, he wondered if he could escape without hurting anyone.

It was only a precaution, all of the training, but Ender was determined to go over and over the moves, hoping to engrave it into his muscle memory by the time he needed to use it.

Ender needed to know how to disable people without hurting them or leaving permanent damage. Meiji had spoken of pressure points being able to numb someone, but he glossed over it as if he thought is wouldn't matter. Ender disagreed. For him, that would be the only way to put his opponent on the floor without guilt shredding him apart from the inside.

Ender had to know. So he went to Meiji and his shared room. Ender figured out a long time ago that there were other rooms on the ship, bedrooms, but he didn't request to sleep somewhere else. He didn't think he could sleep alone. He hadn't done it since he killed the Formics and he was sure the shame and guilt would drive him insane if he slept alone again. He had to stay next to Meiji.

He knocked twice, quickly. It was early that morning... or at least, as close to the morning as you could get when traveling through space. Ender had woken hours ago and only just recently finished his chores.

Normally, Meiji slept for another two hours, and because of that, when he didn't respond, Ender nearly turned and walked away. He figured he may as well let him sleep. After all, he would need it.

But has he took his first step away from the door, he heard the hush of the thing as it slid open. It disappeared into the wall to the right of Meiji as he stood there, his body barely taking up any of the frame. Meiji was not by any means small. He was taller than Ender, despite generations of genes working against him, the door was just tall. It had become a design trend after the third Bugger war.