Together

Chapter 16★ Amy

The rest of the week goes on. The army becomes closer, in toons and as a whole. No one argues. Training is going well. The launchies are up to speed and everyone is constantly learning or inventing new maneuvers or battle strategies. I come up with a couple new ways to use stars to our advantage.

After one week of training we get called in to fight Condor army. Normally, armies get a month to train before their first battle. I start to suspect that Graff and Anderson and their superiors are trying to test Ender. He must be important to them. Based on the newly accelerated rate at which they are moving him, I'd say that he might even be the next Command school candidate.

Ender runs into the bunkroom at 1400 hours in his flash suit. He pauses to catch his breath and the mechanized voice chimes.

"Ten-hut! Officer on deck." We are all sitting in circles on the floor, studying. We all pop up like popcorn and pull to attention.

"Put on your flash suits! Battle with Condor in fifteen."

"But, sir, it's only been a week," says Allie.

"Yeah, aren't we supposed to get, like, a month or something before our first battle?" says Caleb, Connor's twin brother. Complaints arise all around the room.

"I can't change it, so just put on your suits and let's go. We have an army to beat."

"Yes sir!" We chorus loudly.

★★★

Ten minutes later we are all standing at gate B.

"What are we going to do?" asks Wolf.

"Two people from E join every toon." E splits. I get Tom and Connor.

"A, flip left. B, flip up. C, right, and D down. Surround them. Toon E soldiers in A and C keep going even after the main toon stops and go underneath them. E soldiers in B and D, split from the main toon after they reach their destination and come back up. Surround them. Open fire after you get into position. Toon leaders, it's up to you on what to do after you surround them. Good luck. As soon as the gate opens, launch."

"Yes sir!" The gate opens two minutes later and out we go.

The rest of my toon and Tom flip out and I follow. Bean and Wolf lead us in two lines of five halfway to gate A. Condor starts floating out shortly after. We meet them at three quarters of the way to their gate and I hear them yelling.

"Stop," I whisper to Aiden, who is in front of me. I continue hearing whispers until Wolf and Bean stand near me. I look at my toon. Tom and Connor keep going.

"Bean, take two people up and spread them out. Wolf you do the same, but down." They nod. Wolf takes Sandy and Sammy. Bean takes Aiden and Alai. Which leaves me with David.

"David go over to a clump of stars close to the formation. When you get there and get yourself positioned, fire." He nods and pushes off. I go in the opposite direction. I feel my suit cinch around my right leg and immediately play dead. I reach the stars and position myself behind them. I start firing at Condor's formation and hear shots firing all around me. I look up and see Bean get hit in the thigh. I look down and see Wolf and her people take out ten Condors. The battle finishes relatively quickly. I see Dink and Allie take three other unfrozen soldiers to gate A. Allie, Dink and two others press their heads to the corners of the gate, and the fifth person floats through. The lights come up. Ender pushes off and heads to the gate. He passes through and puts something on his hand. My leg is released and my body is pulled towards gate A. Ender arranges us into a floating formation and then unfreezes Condor.

A girl that I remember Wolf shooting pushes off and makes for gate A. She floats through and shakes Ender's hand, so I take it that she is the commander of Condor.

"Dragon dismissed!" Ender says. We all salute and push off towards gate B.