Ender Returns to Earth *Currently Editing*

Chapter 3 - An Unpleasant Journey

"Are you done packing yet?" Admiral Mazer Rackham walked into Ender's room in full military uniform, just as Ender was zipping up his backpack. 

"Yeah. I am just finishing up, but I've got lots of time. I'm not scheduled to leave until 0900." He slung the backpack over his shoulder and rose to his feet. 

Mazer laughed as he struggled to adjust the bag. "Since when do you have so much stuff worth taking?"

"Since they kept me hostage in this base for the last year. I've accumulated formic records, pictures, and decomposition traits through my research. I also have my ansible, and my class notes."

"They let you have your own ansible now?" Mazer smiled at that.

"Yeah. Not long after the victory they presented me with one as some sort of special honour." 

"It actually is. Colonel Graff and I have one, but the majority of Eros has to use the library for access to the nets. Even the Governor."

Ender raised an eyebrow. He didn't know that. "Is there a shortage or something?"

 Mazer laughed again. "They're given to whoever the government deems the most important to get in contact with."

"I must be very important then." Ender rolled his eyes. "I'm so important that they haven't sent me any important messages yet."

"You should be thankful that they haven't. You're important to a lot of people, and they'll be calling on you eventually." Mazer was serious when he said this. 

"Lucky me," Ender sighed. "and to think they told me I was done with the military."

"I would think that you're smart enough to decipher that as a lie. From my experience, you'll never be done." Mazer brought a reassuring hand up to Ender's shoulder. Ender tried hard not to flinch away from the touch. "They still try to involve me in their schemes and I've got one foot in the grave. They don't care about that in the slightest."

Ender gave him a look. "Just because stasis allowed you to live past everyone else does not mean you can't retire."

"Yeah, well...we don't have time for this conversation right now. We've got to go." Mazer turned his attention back to their current mission.

"We?" Ender caught onto his phrasing right away. "You've decided to come and babysit me?"

"No. If it were up to me, I would spend the rest of my days away from that mess of a planet. But it wasn't my choice. It's mandatory." Mazer paused, contemplating his next words. "You should know that there's going to be a court martial. It'll take place on Earth, and both Colonel Graff and I have to be present."

He forgot to mention me, Ender thought. It was obvious. If the government was going to go through the trouble of organizing a court martial they would be stupid not to try to convict him. Ender Wiggin had quite a few skeletons in his closet that they could draw out. It wouldn't be difficult at all. He was almost positive that Graff had used his violence to brag about his competence to other members of the I.F. over the years. Nothing was better for their cause than brutality. Now that the war was over, though, the track record that once credited him as the best could destroy his reputation. 

Maybe omitting his involvement was Mazer's lame way of trying protect him, but he no longer needed protecting. He was tired of people keeping secrets from him and only telling him half truths. It was ridiculous. They still didn't understand that he could fend for himself. He wasn't even a kid at heart. He had seen more death than anybody should in their lifetime. He was hardly innocent. He hadn't been for a long time. 

"And me", he added. He wasn't about to play their game. Not this time. 

Mazer kept his face casual. Whether or not he was surprised at Ender's vocal assumption, he could not tell. It was always difficult for Ender to discern the inner workings of Mazer's mind. The man was one of the most composed people he'd ever come across. He was just that calculating.