The Battle School

Ender from Ender’s Game

Junior from Absolutely True Diaries of a Part Time Indian

It was just after a battle at the school. Ender got the message that there would be one more member coming to their squad making an uneven 41 for dragon team. “What’s the news?” Crazy Tom asked.

Ender replied “We’re getting a new player.”

“Why do they keep trying to mess us up?”

No team in the school had 41 players, it was just another disadvantage. Sure another player would give them a sheer number strength but other than that everything else was drawbacks. For starters he would probably be a launchy a weak new player to the game. Second, Ender had five squads of eight guys, one more would throw off balance. Topping off the cake there was no time to train him meaning he wouldn’t know Enders tactics and just be in the way.

Junior was playing one-on-one basketball with Rowdy when an odd man in a suit came up to him.

“Hello” the man said in a casually.

“You’re white” Rowdy said out loud. Rowdy and Junior had sort of mended their relationship over the past month or so, even though their relationship was so weird that nobody could tell. Rowdy still had no problem making his opinions vocal.

“I am from the battle school” the man said in a politicians voice.

“Is that supposed to mean something fart face-” Junior stopped him from elaborating.

“What do you want?” He asked suspiciously.

“To keep it short the battle school looks for gifted young minds to train into warriors in the war to keep the alien race we call the buggers away from Earth and the human race. We fear a bugger invasion and are doing everything we can to be prepared in case of emergency.”

The laughter that emanated from the basketball court could be heard for miles around. Junior laughing because this man claimed to be an alien fighter and Rowdy laughing because he called Junior gifted.

“Keep moving white guy” Rowdy said, tears in his eyes.

“Junior, you need to come with me.”

Junior shrugged, he didn’t really care, and besides he was white, had a suit, and he had a badge on his chest. It also looked like he might have a gun so he decided not to push him, even  if he was diagnosably insane.

He got in the car with the man and made sure Rowdy told his parents where he had gone.

About an hour later in a long stretch of desert road he turned on to an unmarked dirt path. Then he saw it, a space shuttle.

If it was possible for a space launch to be boring then this was it. Junior knew he should be excited about going into space but he just …. wasn’t. He got in and prepared for launch. At least they weren’t lying about the space part he thought.

The shuttle stopped moving and all the lights turned on as a couple older boys started getting out. The strange place must have been a space station, he thought. Another white man gave him directions. He entered a room full of boys all younger than he was.

A chorus of “Sup bro” and “Hey” and even “Ho there” went up. Who said “Ho there”?

“I’m Ender your new commander”

He looked down to see a nine year old boy looking up at him. He could tell it was going to be a long day.

“First off you’re, like, six years younger than me, so bug off. Second, What do mean commander.”

“Wait, are you new to battle school?”

“Yea, I just got here why?”Junior answered.

Ender was speechless, they couldn’t do this to him, not again. He wasn’t even a launchy, he wasn’t from battle school At all! Plus he was older so he probably thought he was all high and mighty. This was just another obstacle not a gift, but he had already known that.

They trained for the day and Junior didn’t really learn anything but in the morning there was a battle. Junior got up and got ready because he wanted to do well, then maybe he could leave. They walked to the door and Junior prepared himself, flash gun in hand. The door opened. Junior was instructed by Ender to stay out of the way of the squads so he would hide behind a star, a little square, to protect him. He fould cover shot from behind it. He didn’t want to get hit so he didn’t look, just shot in their direction. He didn’t know how many he got but he got flashed after What seemed like an hour, which meant he couldn’t move. It ended only a few minutes after that.

He was proud and some of his teammates didn’t seem to like it. He supposed they hadn’t expected a rookie to do well. He got a note later saying he could leave. On the shuttle back he asked why he had to go.

The man said “They are our best team and you were a challenge to overcome.”

“Well it looks like your plan backfired.”

“Actually we expected them to be able to win even with you on the team.”

“But I did well, I lasted a long time and shot some of them.”

“Junior, I hate to tell you this, but you didn’t shoot any enemies, in fact you shot six of your own teammates and even though it seemed like a long time you got flashed after about 30 seconds.” Then Junior went home.