Fire and Ice

Chapter 6 [] Ender

Graff leads me through the airlock and into the new facility.

"When was this built?" I ask. I jump at the sound of my voice echoing through the empty hall, even though I noticed our shoes clicking loudly with each step we took.

"Yesterday." Graff replies shortly. His eyes remain forward and his mouth downturned.

"Wha.. How?" I manage to stammer out, incredulous.

"You know how. According to the security footage, you two are buddies now." He snaps, immediately beginning to take longer strides so that I must run to keep up with him. My brain struggles to keep up. Kayleigh? Built this in less than a day? How? Security footage? I didn't even know there was a camera in my room.. isn't that an invasion of pri-

As we pass by a large window a thunderous booming sound and blur of color cut off my thoughts. Colonel Graff screeches to a halt in front of me and comes back to look out the window with me. In the distance, a small, single man fighter loops and twirls through an imaginary star scape, avoiding enemies we can't see or hear, or, perhaps just to show off. Since she knows she can.

"I'll be damned," Graff whispered to the glass, eyes fixated on the small ship as well.

†††

I missed my days as a Starfighter.

I forgot how easily the controls respond to my thoughts, how the tug of gravity that should cause me to empty my stomach fades away after the first 360 spin. My controls flashing at me, providing vision where mine fails. Data, analysis, projections, maps, numbers, languages... I missed it. The overwhelming calmness of this chaos. It reminds me of... them. My team. We always had each other's backs, were always exactly what everyone else needed... but now it's just me. Bearing this cursed immortality that was inflicted upon me during my training.

Small purple lights flash in my peripheral, pulling me out of my miserable nostalgia. My eyes connect, and flick up to indicate that I need the full screen shown. A video of my training facility pulls up, showing Ender and the Colonel walking through the corridors. Ender says something to which the Colonel replies shortly before speeding up and leaving Ender scrambling to keep pace. They'll be passing a window near me shortly. I grin wickedly into my helmet.

"Let's give 'em a show. Yeah?" I say absentmindedly into my comms, then sigh at the static that crackles in return.

"Yeah," I confirm softly to myself, before flipping the controls around to begin final tests before my return landing.

[][][]

We watch as the ship moves up, down, left, right, twirl, spin, nosedive, tight 180, move after move, each one executed with immaculate precision, over and over until I felt seasick while still anchored on land.

"She's.."

"Perfect," Graff whispered completed my thought. Not what I was going to say but, yeah. Pretty accurate. He suddenly straightens.

"Come on, there's more you have to be told."

"About what?"

"About her."

"Wasn't everything about Kayleigh declassified?"

"No, Ender. That's a child's dream. And you'll refer to her as 'Admiral.' She doesn't want or need you in her personal life." My mouth drops at this.

I close it quickly, in case I say something stupid. I steal a quick glance at the window and find her ship gone from our sight. I hear metal doors clanging open far in the distance. Airlock doors?

"Come on, there's much to discuss Ender."

I follow Graff's click-clacking heels with my eyes downcast, completely unprepared for what was about to happen.