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]

"It's good to know I chose well, then," Ender noted. "Quiet is what we were looking for."

He shot Ben a quick glance and a smile.

[momslilassassin]

Ben smiled back, moving a half step closer but still staying further apart than he had at any point since they'd started dating.

"How hot will it get here?" Ben said. "Does the sea negate some of that?"

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai nodded. "Some of it," he said, "but you've arrived in late spring, so it's going to get hotter than it is right now. On the plus side, the sea warms up enough that swimming is quite pleasant."

[endsthegame]

"I missed swimming," Ender said. "There weren't any great bodies of water on Shakespeare that were safe for it."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"There were some--not quite sharks, but something aquatic with pointy teeth--that showed up our first year, but we managed to scare them off," Alai said.

[endsthegame]

Ender's eyes slid briefly to Ben again. Apparently their conversation had been paused, not ended.

"Were there any other major hazards?" he said. "The people of Shakespeare encountered a plague of parasites before I arrived."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"We had some as well--the work out of Shakespeare was invaluable--and there's something very large outside of the settled areas but we haven't been able to catch it yet. Naturally this is leading to some mythology," Alai replied.

[endsthegame]

"It seems only right that the inhabitants of a new world made it their own," Ender noted. "In mythology as well as geography."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"Grandmothers are claiming it's a djinn to get the children to sleep on time and eat their vegetables," Alai said.

[endsthegame]

Ender chuckled softly. "Well played," he said.

They kept walking, Alai pointing out things of interest. Ender chatted about little but the planet itself and Alai's role on it - he shared nothing of himself.

Soon enough, they were coming back around, heading back towards the house.

"It's a beautiful colony."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai smiled proudly. "Thank you. We've worked hard."

[endsthegame]

"I can tell," Ender said with a little smile, coming to a stop at the front door of his house. "We'll see you again while I'm here, I hope?"

Though for Ben's sake, not too often.

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

Alai gave him a genuine smile in reply. "If you'd like."

He'd noticed Ben, too.

[endsthegame]

One didn't get to - or through - Battle School without being perceptive. "I would," Ender said sincerely. "But as it is, I think we need to finally get ourselves settled."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"Here's my contact information," Alai said, handing over a card. "Give me a call when you're ready." He gave Ender another smile. "It really is very good to see you again, Andrew."

[endsthegame]

"Likewise, Alai," Ender said, pocketing the card. "Even if it was a surprise."

[momslilassassin]

"Bye, Alai," Ben added with a little wave.

Subtle he wasn't.

[endsthegame]

Ender managed not to sigh.

He reached out to give Alai a firm handshake. "Until next time."

[arcane-delphi.livejournal.com]

"Ma’a salama," Alai replied, inclining his head.

[endsthegame]

Ender inclined his head in turn.

That was the end of it, as far as he knew.

[momslilassassin]

Ben blew out a long breath and ran his hand through his hair. "Well."

[endsthegame]

Ender stepped into the house before answering. "That was unexpected."

[momslilassassin]

"Yeah," Ben said, flopping into a chair and closing his eyes.

[endsthegame]

Valentine glanced from one to the other and back. "Right," she said, "I'm going to go set up my stuff upstairs." She vanished up the stairs.

Ender sat down in another chair.

"What are you afraid of?"

[momslilassassin]

"I don't know," Ben admitted softly, putting a hand over his eyes. "It's like fighting against a ghost...like with Tahiri and Anakin again. I know I don't need to, but--"