Vlara's War (An Ender's game Fanfic)

Hound

He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around her in a firm hug, "Till the end, V. Go kick ass for me. If you have to face Wiggin in the battle room, you kick his ass too, just to prove you can."

So that was what it felt like to know someone cared. Ender had been an ally to her, but not a friend. Neither of them knew how to make friends on their own. But that's why they had Alai. He was the one they truly needed in this war. Ender and Vlara would win the war, Alai would clean up the mess and make them whole again.

Vlara had nothing to take with her. She almost wished there was something, just to give her a sense of finality about the whole thing. But that was a luxury they wouldn't be allowed in this place. No relaxation. No finality. Not until there was no more need fo a battle school at all anymore. It was what pushed everyone forward. Everyone knew that if they could be the best, then that itching need to complete something might be fulfilled. It was that same need to finish a puzzle, only much more subtle so it was harder to pick up on. It's harder to ignore something if you don't know it's there.

Hound army was doing fine in the rankings. Not too good, but not too bad either. Lenny was as new to commanding as Vlara was to taking part in an army, so he didn't resent her when she first arrived. In fact, he thought it was hilarious.

"How'd they know I always wanted a little sister?" He had asked when she first stepped foot in the barracks. It was obvious to see the way he ran things by the way the boys in the army were behaving. Their bunks were all straight, made, and pristine. There was no clutter. No desks left unattended. Yet the boys joked and laughed and played. To them, Lenny was a father, an older brother. Their guiding force. He rewarded their loyalty and obedience by being their friend.

"I know you don't have much experience, but we're going to fix that. I want you in fighting condition by the end of the month, then I can put you in a toon and use you. So you do your part, and you'll do fine. We keep our area clean. Failure to do so will be punished. We respect each other. If you need help, then you ask for it, yeah? During practice, while everyone else is doing formations, you'll be working separately on the basics. When a battle comes, try to stay out of the fire so your ranking doesn't go down to far, but don't just sit around doing nothing, alright?"

She fell in quickly with the rest of the army. They resented her at first for being so young, but soon enough they realized that she was there for a reason. During practices, while the toon leaders handled training the rest, Lenny drilled her over basics. In two weeks he taught her what launchies were meant to learn in a year. By her third battle, he had her fighting with the others. She bloomed under his command. Her maneuvers when she was deadly, and she could follow any order given to her with sharp precision. She climbed the rankings quickly, and landed at second soon enough, topped only by one name: Ender Wiggin.

She saw him often in the mess hall, but he never spoke to her, no doubt under orders of Bonzo, his commander. Many armies were instructed not to talk to others. Something about pride. Lenny never really cared, since most of his friends he had made in his launch group were with other armies. He even still talked to Petra since his transfer from Salamander army, not that they ever let Bonzo know about it. But orders were orders, and Vlara understood that, which is why she didn't act hurt at Ender ignoring her. She did keep contact with Alai, spending time with him in the game room and messaging him about the going-ons in her army. In return, he told her about the evening practices that Ender held, and even worked maneuvers with her during free time after lunch. They pushed each other in ways that were necessary to them both.

Her fifth battle as a member of the Hound army, and her first battle as a member of a toon, they were put up against Salamander Army; Ender's army. Of course she had heard that Bonzo Madrid refused to let him fight, which was why his standing score was top of the list. She supposed she was lucky that Lenny actually used her. She would go crazy if she had to sit useless in a corner. But this game was different. As Vlara followed her toon, working in the formations she had been instructed to be in she noticed Ender looking at her. It was hard to notice at first through the helmets, but he seemed upset. Jealous, maybe. He already seemed frozen, or else she would've done the honors herself just to get her mind off of him.

Her army was winning. She was one of the ones left at the end, which meant she would be one of the ones to press their helmets to the corners of the enemy's gate. She was so close when her suit tightened around her, and she ended up flying straight into the wall, landing painfully against it before bouncing right off. She was confused, as first, as to who could possibly be left to freeze her. But as she spun through the open space, she saw him. Ender Wiggin, with his arm outstretched, firing with deadly accuracy. He turned what should've been a victory into a draw.

Lenny was fuming the entire way back to the barracks, "Bonzo Madrid is an idiot. An absolute idiot. The only reason he won is because that little pinprick disobeyed orders. Him and his 'Spanish Honor' will loose us this war someday because he doesn't know how to use a genius when he gets one. Vlara!"

Vlara scrambled out of her bunk and stood in front of it, her back straight, "Yes sir?"

Lenny walked over to her, touching her shoulder to get her to relax, "Walk with me."

Vlara had never seen him doing this before. He didn't usually talk to his army with this formality unless they were in practice, and he never pulled them aside unless they were toon leaders. Hardly nothing was considered private enough to leave the barracks to discuss. But she went with him anyways, keeping in step with him as they exited out into the hallway. They walked for a bit before he finally spoke again.

"I'm not going very far, Vlara."

It sounded to her like a confession. It was jarring to hear. Commanders weren't supposed to bare their soul to members of their army. She didn't respond, so he took that as his cue to continue.

"I'm not anything special. I probably won't even make it to Command School. I realized that the moment you stepped into my barracks. This school is a joke. It's set up to push and break people like you and Wiggin. The rest of us mean nothing in the long run. We all fight to be the best, but in the end, compared to people like you, we never can be."

"Why are you telling me all of this?"

"Because I want to help you. If you're going to be the one that wins the war, then so be it. The least I can do is make sure I do my part in making sure you're ready for it."