Fire and Ice

Chapter 34 † Kayleigh

I meet Ender and Petra back at our hotel and break the bad news.

"Why does he need us back so soon?" Ender demands. "I thought we had almost a week."

"We did," I say, clearing my throat. "My team is alive."

Ender and Petra stare blankly at me, processing.

"What?" Petra says absently.

"How? Their deaths are confirmed! They have a grave, and...an... and records!" Ender exclaims. Oh boy here we go.

"While I was at the, um, Karlstein Institute Colonel Dress may have engaged in some, um, some genetic modifications."

"Those are illegal!"

"They are, but he wanted supersoldiers, Ender," Petra says as I nod sadly.

"What he demanded of us was, um, outside the realm of human capability sometimes, so he spliced some alien DNA into ours and now I can..."

"Fix the plaster," Petra says. "I thought that was just your suit?"

"That is my suit. The genetic mods are slight, y'know? Increased stamina, pain tolerance, healing, mind meld..."

"What's mind meld?" Ender asks. He unknowingly shifts his feet further apart and squares his shoulders.

"I can, um,..." Shit, shit, shit, shit "I can read people's minds? To an extent." Ender backs slowly away from me, placing his arm close to Petra's and balling his fist.

"Read people's minds?" He asks. I nod. "And control them." I don't move. I don't want him to think I'm lying, and saying or motioning anything would condemn me in his eyes.

"Have you been controlling us Kayleigh?" Small tears prick my eyes. No no no no! I wouldn't! I try and speak but my vocal chords won't vibrate.

"Answer me!" Ender demands. "You're mind controlling us aren't you?" I stumble back from the force of his accusation.

"Ender calm down," Petra warns. I can't see her. Or Ender. Why would he think that?

Someone pushes me. Hard. I stumble back and into the bedside table.

"Ender!"

"Answer me, Kayleigh!"

"No," I finally choke out. It doesn't matter. You won't believe me... "I couldn't."

≈≈≈

I watch as tears streak down Kayleigh's face while Ender screams at her.

"Answer me, Kayleigh!"

"No," she sobs. "I couldn't."

"Ender, please," I plead. He turns and glares at me.

"Please what? Please let her manipulate us?"

"Shut up!" I yell. He staggers a step backwards, shocked. "Kayleigh is one of the most feared commanders in history. In case you've forgotten, she's fiercely loyal. To you. To us. And to her team. And you're a dumbass for believing that she would do anything to hurt us when we're her friends and her team could get killed for real. Shut up and let her talk." He closes his mouth and hangs his head. By now Kayleigh has stood up, tears still staining her face.

"I can't control people's thoughts. That would be the others specialty. I can just see what they're thinking. But Graff and the Strategos know that my team is alive, which means they think that we're planning something behind their backs. Which we are, sort of."

"That's why they want us back early," I muse.

"Yes."

"So now what?" Ender asks. "We can't just continue not fighting. They expect you to become more riled up than ever now that you have your team back."

"I know. But we have to."

††

"I know," I scoff. "But we have to. We continue playing nice until I get my team up to Eros. Then-"

"Then what? Mind control?" Ender spits.

"No. No mind control. We don't do that. And if anyone in the squadron does they're dead and they know that we won't hesitate. We don't endorse that shit. What we do is play nice while Locke and Demosthenes stir up rebellion, and then we end the war."

"That's it?" Ender asks incredulously.

"Yep."

"Hard to believe."

"Maybe for you honeybun, but I have an obligation to the people of Earth. And so do you. You and I both know that the buggers aren't going to invade, and we have to let them know and end this damn war!"

"You're right," Ender sighs, rubbing his face in his hands before slamming his palm into the wall. "Damn it," he mutters before abruptly turning  and walking to me. He hugs me and whispers "I'm sorry. I shouldn't've doubted you. I was scared." I return the hug.

"You're forgiven. I understand."

†††

We pack up and head out and arrive at Eros as scheduled. I escort Ender and Petra back to their rooms and head to the library for some peace and quiet. Colonel Graff stops me just outside the doors. A man in IF uniform with stripes that identify him as an admiral walks around the corner, trailed distantly by a group of jittery, nervous-looking people tapping frantically on screens and whispering urgently in ear-pieces. The Strategos. I gulp but stand my ground as he walks toward me.

"Admiral Bright," the man deeply calls.

"Strategos." I respond

"Have a productive trip?"

"Yes."

"Find anything interesting?"

"I think you already know what I found." The Strategos chuckles.

"I had a gut feeling. How much destruction are you seven planning?"

"None if we can help it."

"I find that hard to believe Admiral."

"That's probably because you can't see outside the narrow frame of mind you've had ingrained into your personality. May I suggest you lighten up and separate the two?" The Strategos steps backwards and frowns.

"Bold words," he bites.

"Were you expecting anything less?"

"I suppose I shouldn't've."

"So now what, reassign me? Restrain me? That won't win you any brownie points in the eyes of your soldiers."

"Those were my two front running options. What do you suggest, then?"

"Let me do my job," I state firmly.

"I'm not sure you still want it."

"I finish what I start."

"Whatever you say, Admiral. As long as the buggers end up dead."

"Don't worry. They will." They won't.

"Good." He raises his gaze and shifts away from me. "Colonel."

"Yes sir," Graff says while snapping to attention.

"Make sure you keep close watch on her." Rude.

"Yes sir."

"She's still here." The Strategos rolls his eyes. Why you little...

"Dismissed."

Colonel Graff grabs me and pushes me gently away from the Strategos before I punch him. Egotistical prick.

"Not now, Admiral."

"Why not, Colonel?"

"I believe you," he whispers.