Fire and Ice

Chapter 39 ∞ Valentine

It's been a few days since I got Kayleigh's approval of the articles and posted them. The topic of trying to peacefully end the war is starting to rise among debate columns.

To have some fun, I entered an article that stated the Gold Squadron was alive, with dated pictures, courtesy of Kayleigh and other IF officers. The topic of Kayleigh herself was also becoming a front runner in the debates. Would she continue the war? If she's alive, which government controls her?

Such good questions.

No good answers.

However, it seems that people are beginning to rally behind her. She's the saviour of humanity, just like Mazer Rackham. People of all walks of life agree that they'll follow her decisions.

I also throw in my younger brother. He has been commanding the armies for years, after all. He deserves some credit. People also rally behind him. The current Defender. The vids of his Simulations are spectacular.

Ding Ding!

An email notification pops up from Kayleigh.

††

Six days of touring.

It took me six days of tours to figure out what happened.

Unfortunately, it was too little, too late. I grimace as Petra throws a small stone at the bars of our cell in the brig.

Someone alerted the Strategos of our little scheme, as I expected. I suspect Major Anderson. He could never keep his mouth shut. And this is our punishment.

They lured us into a false sense of security on the analysis tours, days going by without incident. And then they arrested us.

Fortunately, while they stripped all of my weaponry, I still have the screens in my suit to play with.

∞∞

The IF captured us and is holding us on one of the battle cruisers in bugger airspace.

Oh no.

Ding Ding!

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Oh. Yeah. Duh.

Help.

That's me.

Hmmm... What would help?

Need some political uproar to brighten your day?

I wait anxiously. What if she can't reply? Is it already too late?

Ding Ding!

Sounds nice.

A wicked grin spreads across my face.

Watch this.

I quickly create a burner account and post the propaganda vid of Kayleigh and Ender.

I plaster it everywhere.

†

Watch this.

I flip over to some of the larger debate forums and see the propaganda vid posted. Excellent timing Val.

-------------

A loud knock sounds on the Strategos' office door.

"Come in," he yells, bored. Major Anderson comes in, out of breath, followed closely by Colonel Rackham.

"Have you seen it yet?"

"Seen what?"

"It's plastered on every news and debate site there ever was," Rackham claims.

"Here, I'll show you, sir." Anderson says, flipping his datapad around to begin playing a vid.

-"I'm tired of fighting," a young boy's voice began. "All my life the war has been all I've been told was important. Training. Do your part. Don't be wasted resources. I'm exhausted of it. This war isn't working. The adults refuse to see it." The screen plays clips of the Second Invasion, of Rackham's ship. It fades from that to switching between a dimly lit close up of Ender's face speaking the monologue and Ender in the Command School Battle Simulations, winning, but only with great loss. Dramatic music plays dimly in the background, beginning to crescendo with each word spoken.

"Kayleigh Bright. A9 Karlstein. Harbinger of war, goddess with a scythe. Death incarnate," a young man's voice sneers as clips of Kayleigh from the Invasions play while the music continually crescendos. "You're one to preach about peace. Some legend you are. You're weak."

The music cuts completely, the screen switching to a dimly lit video of Kayleigh and Ender standing side by side, surrounded by Command School pilots in the midst of their control panels.

"If you think choosing to set yourself on a new course is weakness then you have no idea what true strength is," Kayleigh states firmly and Ender nods. The music immediately returns, still urgent, but also triumphant. It shows clips of Kayleigh at the Reconciliation. Of neighbors helping one another after the Invasions devastated their homes.

"I was trained to become a weapon. But I thought for myself, and brought an end to the war that enabled my torture and devastated many. I broke the cycle and made peace with my former enemy. We must do the same now so that future generations will no longer live in fear of an enemy that doesn't exist." Kayleigh says as a clip from the failed Command simulation a few days ago plays, showing the formics leave without firing a shot on the IF ships.

"It's up to us now." Kayleigh's voice claims as the music pushes to one final note, a crescendo of triumph that fades with the screen into five simple words.

JOIN US.
STOP THE FIGHT.