Shuttle landing zone, Hijra [Six months in stasis, twelve years Earth time gone, Tuesday in Fandom]

[momslilassassin]

After saying their final goodbyes to Ender's parents before getting to Ganges, there wasn't really much point to staying awake between stops, and so all three of them went into stasis for the duration of the flight between Ganges and Hijra, a planet they'd picked for its relative obscurity, warm, dry climate, and sand (but not too much sand, Ben had been sure to check. He hadn't come all this way to end up on another Tatooine. There was obscure and there was "furthest star from anything.") Besides, after their trip back to Kaeleer, Ben hadn't exactly been anxious to be alone with his thoughts for much time.

He'd memorized what little information had changed about their new home planet: very quiet, minimal interference from Earth's government (which was now a few generations past Peter's time, and that was a little hard to get used to), made up primarily of Earth immigrants from the Middle East, and Northern and Central parts of Africa. They'd been drawn to the heat as much as Ben had been. With all of his possessions in the duffel over his shoulder, he stepped down out of the shuttle and took his first breath of non-recycled air in six months. "Sure is hot," he said, tilting his head up to the sun. "Feels good. Where's our house again?"

Comments

[endsthegame]

"We're not sure how long we'll be staying on this planet," Ender said, stepping in before this could go... somewhere bad. Sigh. "But I don't see us leaving this universe any time soon."

[momslilassassin]

Ben found a seat not too close to Alai and smiled back just as insincerely. "I like the quiet," he said.

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"There's plenty of that on Hirja," Alai said. "And the sea is quite lovely."

[endsthegame]

Mercifully, Ender kept his headdesking internal. "So what do you do these days?" he asked. "Govern, or enjoy the quiet?"

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai smiled, shifting to face Ender more fully. "You've governed. Is there much quiet in it?"

[endsthegame]

"Not much at all," Ender said, with a slight smile. "Even when you try to enforce scheduling limits."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"The people will always look to me as a spiritual leader," Alai said. "If they didn't, they wouldn't have followed me here. I am content to continue that service to them. I have no need to remain overly involved in the civilian aspects of government."

Though the religious and civilian aspects on Hijra were fairly intertwined, in keeping with the nations the population had been drawn from.

[endsthegame]

"But enough so to be able to find a name on a passenger manifest," Ender noted lightly.

It occurred to him, in at least one part of his mind, how far their current conversation laid from the banter they'd shared in their youth.

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"Eh," Alai said with a little smile, "but there are some names that will always stick out."

[endsthegame]

"I'm trying to make sure I stick out less," Ender said dryly, "But thanks for letting me know it needs work."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"At least half of the colony is too young to recognize it," Alai said, "but I'm very glad this Andrew Wiggin is you."

[endsthegame]

Ender's mouth curved up briefly. "Well, since I can't escape being this Andrew Wiggin," he said, "So am I."

Sorry, Ben.

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai ignored the sour look Ben was shooting him and smiled at Ender. "Can I give you a tour of the city?" He turned to Ben. "You and Valentine are welcome as well, of course."

[endsthegame]

"I think we would enjoy that," Ender said lightly, because he wasn't going to give Ben an opening to voice his thoughts. Not on this one. "We'll be here for several months at the very least; it'd be good to have our bearings."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"We'll wait until your sister comes back, then," Alai replied, sipping from his water. "I wouldn't want to exclude anyone."

Ben.

[endsthegame]

Ender fought a brief, hysterical compulsion to bang both of their heads together. "All right," he said, taking a sip from his glass. "She'll appreciate it - and probably come bearing something actually edible."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"If she doesn't discover it on her own, I'll show you where to buy the best dates and pistachios--or what comes close to them, here--in the city," Alai promised.

[endsthegame]

"Thank you," Ender said sincerely.

He glanced towards Ben. "Do you want something to drink?"

[momslilassassin]

Ben nodded and stood up. "But I can get it," he said. "I need to figure out our kitchen anyway."

Subtle, Ben. Really.

[endsthegame]

"All right," Ender said. He smiled at Alai. "So where do they house spiritual leaders on Hijra?"

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"Near the construction for the new mosque," Alai said. "It's not great for meditation."

[endsthegame]

"Time to sound-proof your walls," Ender said.

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai chuckled, "Or stop being stubborn about keeping my windows open for the breeze."

[endsthegame]

"I'll get you a fan for your birthday," Ender promised him.

[momslilassassin]

Ben banged the cabinet he had been investigating a little too loudly at that. "Sorry!" he called out to them.