Énouement

Chapter Thiry Four

We had only been practicing for a month, so when the lights came on at 0600 we had no idea that we'd already have our first battle. Sure enough, by 0601, Ender was dressed in his flag suit calling for battle.

"We've got a battle with Rabbit army at 0700! I want us warmed up in gravity and ready to go. Strip down and get to the gym. Bring your flash suits and we'll go to the battleroom from there."
"What about breakfast?" Someone asked.

"I don't want anybody throwing up in the battleroom."
"Can we at least take a leak first?" Asked Nikolai.
"No more than a deciliter." They laughed, but they were also nervous. I knew they didn't expect to win with only a handful of veterans, but they didn't want to be humiliated.

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I ran down the corridor next to Ender, a step behind, on our way to the battleroom. Ender would occasionally jumped and touched the ceiling, and I'd laugh and touch the same spot. Behind us, the rest of the army would jump and touch the same spot. Except the smaller ones. I smiled knowing they'd grow soon enough.

We lined up in front of the battleroom in our toons. I smiled at Ender and he nodded back as he observed us.
"Which way is the enemy's gate?"
"Down!" No hesitation. This was good. The grey wall disappeared and the battleroom disappeared. It wasn't a bright game, nor a dark one, the lights were about half like dusk. I noticed with a smirk that Rabbit army immediately poured into the battleroom. I giggled as Ender looked back at me smiling. Crazy Tom, Hot Soup, and the other room leaders looked at us wearily.

"Sometimes I think they crazy." I heard Fly Molo tell Vlad. Hot Soup snorted.
"They always like that. They be in their own jeesh, and no one come close." I looked over my shoulder and saw them staring at us warily, but I just laughed turned towards Ender. He and I had the same thought when we saw Rabbit pour into the battleroom. Everyone had learned the wrong lesson from Bonzo's misuse of Ender. They all dumped through the door immediately, so that there was no chance to do anything other than about the formation they were going to use. Commanders didn't have time to think. But Ender would. He would trust our ability to fight and freeze our legs to give us more time when we came through late.

There were seven or eight stars scattered around.
"Spread to the near stars." Ender commanded. C try to side to the wall. If it works, A and F will follow. If it doesn't, I'll decide from there. I'll be with D. Move." Even with his instructions, we were only 10 seconds behind. Tactics decisions were entirely up to the toon leaders. It was time for battle. While Rabbit was doing some type of dance to get a formation together, we were more concerned with controlling the stars and corners, to break up the army. C toon attacked Rabbit and while they were able to drive the attack back, it wasn't before Crazy Tom and his boys carved them up. They froze a dozen rabbits before retreating to the safety of a star. Only it was a star behind Rabbit army formation, which made them easy pickings.

"A and E, slow on the walls!" Ender yelled out.
Vlad grabbed D toon and they flipped off the north wall and stacked the main formation. Ender took B toon and rebounded off the south wall to come up behind the two stars that Carn Carby's soldiers were defending. It was like cutting butter with a hot knife. Rabbit army was gone, and now Hot Soup and I just had to clean up. We scoured the corners and in three minutes the room was clean. Only one boy was completely frozen - one of C toon who had gotten the burnt of the assault. And only five were disabled, mostly self inflicted.

Ender had let us toon leaders do the honors of pressing our helmets to the gate, and Crazy Tom passed through the enemy gate. The lights went full and Major Anderson herself came through the teachergate. She looked very solemn as she had Ender the teacher hook used to unfreeze everyone. Ender unthawed us first and had us form into our toons, before thawing Rabbit. The other toon leaders filed in next to me, but a step behind. I looked at them confused but they didn't look back. I turned back towards Ender.

Crisp, military appearance. I knew that was what Ender wanted Carn Carby and Rabbit to see when they got their bodies under control. They may curse, lie about us, but they'll remember that we destroyed them. No matter what they say, other soldiers and commanders will see that in their eyes, Dragon in a neat formation, victorious and almost undamaged in our first battle.

Carby came up to Ender as soon as he was unfrozen. A twelve-year old who apparently only made commander in his last year at school, so he wasn't cocky like the ones who made it at eleven. He kept dignity and gave Ender the honor he has deserved. We were dismissed last and once we reached the gravity of the corridor we quickly assembled again.

"It's 0715, and that means you have 15 minutes for breakfast before I see you in the battle room for morning practice. I giggled knowing everyone was silently complaining. Saying, come on, let us celebrate. Ender let out a small smile.

"And you have your commanders permission to throw food at each other during breakfast." I laughed with the others and cheered. He dismissed the army to the barracks, but told us toon leaders that he didn't expect anyone until 0745 and that practice would be over early so they could shower. Ender was showing that leniency came from the toon leaders, not the commander.

I smiled and watched the toon leaders go down to the mess hall. I turned towards Ender and he leaned against the wall and sighed. I laughed and leaned up slightly to kissed his cheek. He was getting tall.

"Congratulations commander. You were great." He closed his eyes tiredly and leaned his forehead against mine.
"Thank you Tori."

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Not long I know, but writing battle scenes takes a lot out of me.
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