The Authorized Ender Companion (5 page)

In meeting with Volescu, Petra realized that he did not have a test to determine which embryos would have Bean’s mutation. So, she changed their plans midconversation. Volescu and his staff would create the embryos from Petra’s eggs and Bean’s sperm, but they would take them to a neutral women’s clinic for implantation.

It was hard for Petra to watch as Volescu and Bean disposed of the embryos that Volescu said tested positive for Bean’s mutation, knowing that there was really no way he could actually know that. But, he gave the couple several embryos for implantation.

They went to the women’s clinic and had the first embryo implanted, and agreed to part ways for safety reasons. They were to meet again in a week. As they walked out of the women’s clinic, Petra was put in a cab driven by an Indonesian driver. Bean felt that the taxis that had Dutch drivers were too dangerous. It proved to be a smart move, as the Dutch drivers were supposed to kidnap Petra, and kill Bean. The embryos were also stolen.

The Indonesian driver was working for Alai, and took Petra to the airport
where she flew to Damascus. There she would be protected by the Muslim League. Upon her arrival in Damascus, she met with Alai who, she realized, led not only the Muslim League, but the entire Muslim world as Caliph.

Alai promised her safety and that his people would find her stolen embryos. Petra found little comfort in Alai’s promises and retired to her room. A short time later, Bean arrived and tried to comfort her as well. It was futile, as Petra had fallen into hopelessness regarding her embryos and Bean himself. She was convinced that Achilles had won, and there was nothing to live for.

Over the next few months, Petra grew sicker and sicker with her pregnancy. She and Bean had remained at Alai’s underground compound, and both occasionally advised Alai and his military leaders on how to proceed with their plans to attack China and free the Muslim nations of Asia. She grew more optimistic about life, and consistently reassured Bean that her morning sickness was not his fault.

As Alai’s armies fought their way into China, Petra reassured the Caliph that all was going well. She and Bean witnessed his first speech as Caliph via a newsnet vid at a restaurant in Damascus. They had given all they could to Alai’s cause and had left his compound to resume their own lives and to search for their stolen embryos.

The search appeared to be short-lived. Achilles baited a trap for Bean, claiming that he had the embryos in his possession. Petra sent Bean to Brazil to regain their children. He joined with Peter Wiggin in storming the Hegemony compound. Petra didn’t know all the details, but received an e-mail message from Bean a few days later saying that he had killed Achilles, who did not have the embryos.

Petra joined her husband in Brazil, and they moved in to a small house where they would raise their baby once it was born. And they began scouring the Earth, once again searching for their embryos.

Once again, the search was interrupted as Peter asked Petra to accompany him to Damascus where she would introduce him to Caliph Alai. They posed as bickering spouses, which was an easy act for Petra. She loathed Peter; she resented him for making Bean risk his life on Peter’s behalf and for taking her precious time with Bean away from her.

In Damascus, the two met with Alai and informed him of Muslim-committed murders occurring in India. They revealed that many Muslims viewed him as a figurehead without true authority. When his own soldiers confirmed this by their actions, Alai was motivated to assume greater control over the Muslim world. He expressed his appreciation to Petra, who only wanted to get back to Bean.

She and Peter returned to Brazil and with Bean watched as Virlomi spoke out in a televised statement against the Muslim occupiers in India. Petra recognized that Virlomi was rallying her people for war against either the Muslims in India or China. She would marry the leader of one of the two, and fight with him against the other.

Petra and Bean counseled with Peter on the strategy to bring peace out of the impending war. Though Peter was hesitant to listen, they eventually helped him create a plan of action. This plan included Petra writing essays about Hegemony policy under the name “Martel,” as Valentine Wiggin had done years before as Demosthenes.

The couple traveled to Rwanda where Volescu was hiding, creating a weapon that would turn Anton’s Key in future generations of humanity. Bean nearly killed Volescu, but Petra stopped him. They called in Anton to study what Volescu had been doing and then searched via the nets for the location of all the surrogates of their babies.

Petra gave birth to their first child—a boy—two months premature. It was discovered that he had the genetic shift of his father. Nonetheless, they christened the boy Andrew Arkanian Delphiki, planning to call him Ender. They were surrounded by family and friends in the ceremony.

Bean told Petra that the International Fleet had offered him a starship to travel at relativistic speed, keeping him alive for decades while the people on Earth searched for a cure to his genetic manipulation. Petra insisted on going with him and their children. Bean agreed in the moment, but had second thoughts later.

They would be together in the immediate future, though. Peter assigned Bean to lead the armies of Rwanda. That nation’s leader, Felix Starman, had requested Bean in exchange for ratifying Peter’s Hegemony Constitution.

Petra did not stay in Rwanda for long. She learned that Graff had found one of the embryos. It had been born a girl, named Bella, and was carrying Bean’s genetic mutation. She traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, where her daughter lived with the surrogate who’d birthed her.

It was heartbreaking for Petra to take this child from the family who’d had her for such a short time. Mazer Rackham, who had escorted Petra to Portugal, informed her that the father had lied to his wife. He was sterile, and the eggs they’d tried to fertilize hadn’t worked.

Petra returned to Rwanda with her daughter, promising to find the rest of the embryos.

She was sent with Bean and the babies to her home country of Armenia to negotiate the Armenian joining of the Free People of Earth. She and Bean
did a good job convincing the Armenian leaders that they would be protected from invasion if they joined.

While staying at her family home, Petra and her parents spoke about parenthood and shared memories of their past. Petra revealed her plan to go to space with Bean and the children, which was hard for her parents to hear, but they understood. They would just miss them very much.

While on assignment with Bean, Petra received a phone call from her upset mother: Mazer Rackham had come to the Arkanian home and taken the babies. Petra and Bean raced to the airport where they got on an airplane with Mazer. He had found five of the missing embryos, leaving only one unaccounted for. Four of the new babies did not have Bean’s mutation, one did.

Airborne, Bean revealed to Petra that he had divorced her and was taking the three babies that had the mutation into space immediately. The world would think he was killed in combat, while Petra would know that he was in space. She was not to accompany him.

Petra was crushed. She was angry with Bean and Mazer for negotiating this plan without her involvement. She did not plan to remarry, but knew that she would need support to raise her five babies—and perhaps the sixth missing one, if it was ever found.

Of the new babies that were found, two of the normal ones were named Andrew and Bella to replace the two mutant children who would accompany Bean into space.

Heartbroken, Petra threw herself into her work with the Free People of Earth (FPE) military. She conducted operations in Moscow for a year, avoiding her children because seeing them would be too hard.

When she finally finished her work, she returned to her home in Brazil where Elena Delphiki and Peter Wiggin had been taking care of the babies. She was scared to see her children, and was angry that Peter had been caring for them. But they loved Peter.

Bean had left Petra a short note saying good-bye to her. She was too emotional to read it, learning it existed only after her year away. Peter read it to her, and in the process professed his love for her.

Petra married Peter, and together they raised the five children she’d had with Bean, and the five they had themselves. Though forever loving Bean, Petra loved Peter, too. She stood by his side as the entire world, save the United States, joined the FPE. When Peter died, at his grave, Petra read the book Ender had written from space about his brother’s life.

Petra rejoiced, a couple of years later, when she learned that the final
missing embryo had been found. Ender and Graff had located the boy on a planet called Ganges. He’d believed he was Achilles’s son, but when he learned of his true parentage, he changed his name to Arkanian Delphiki. Petra’s last child, found!

She never felt that she was the best, but everyone she’d ever known believed it.

Arkanian, Stefan (SH, SG)

Stefan was the middle child of the Arkanian family—Petra’s younger brother. He was two years old when she left for Battle School, and was eleven when she returned.

He moved to Brazil with his family during the rise of the new Hegemony. There they’d been promised protection. They had to go into hiding a short time after arriving in Brazil, though, to be safe from Achilles Flandres.

Armed Soldier (CH)

The armed soldier arrested Han Tzu’s father for helping his son cheat on the Battle School Entrance Exam.

Armenia (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Armenian President (SG)

The Armenian president met with Bean Delphiki and Petra Arkanian to negotiate Armenia’s entrance to the Free People of Earth, the worldwide government led by Peter Wiggin. He wanted his people to join, but was worried about outside invasion by the surrounding Muslim nations. Petra reassured him that the armies of the Free People of Earth would protect his nation.

Arrow (SD)

One of the pequeninos on the planet Lusitania, Arrow was handy with creating weapons—like arrows—out of sticks and bones. He was one of the pequeninos to speak with Ender Wiggin, the original Speaker for the Dead, hoping that Ender would bring the pequeninos the Hive Queen, so they could learn the secrets of space travel.

When Miro Ribeira climbed over the fence that surrounded the piggies, Arrow was one of those who saw him and wanted to plant him into a fathertree.

As Fábricas (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Associated Planet (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Ata Atua (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Auía (XN, CM)

An “Auía” was a term that could perhaps best be described as a “soul.” It represents the life force that binds all living things. An Auía exists in everything. That the computer Jane had one settled the debate about whether or not she was alive.

Baía (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Bairro das Fabricadoras (
See
Hundred Worlds)

Ballcaller (EG)

The Ballcaller was a device used to retrieve target balls from the Battle Room in Battle School during Ender Wiggin’s time there.

Bark (SD)

Bark was a pequenino, the native species of the planet Lusitania. He met human xenologist Pipo and learned that Pipo was a father. Bark was confused that Pipo could be a father without dying, as death preceded fatherhood among the pequeninos.

Barkdancer (SD)

Barkdancer was a pequenino, the native life of the planet Lusitania.

Battle of the Belt (EG)

The Battle of the Belt was an historic battle in the wars between humans and the Formics. It occurred during the so-called First Invasion of the Formics (where the Formics destroyed China), and was in “the belt” region orbiting Earth. Human spaceships were inadequately armed to fight the Formics and the battle was a disaster for the human forces.

Battle Room (EGS, EG, ES)

The primary section of Battle School, the nine Battle Rooms were the zero-gravity training facilities where Battle School students practiced combat in anticipation of their fights with Formics.

Armies fought against each other, using Flashers to freeze their opponents. Victories earned armies higher rankings in the standings, motivating each leader to better prepare his army for real war against the Formics.

Battle School ([PL], [TP], [PB], [CH], EGS, EG, WG, ES)

Orbiting Earth, Battle School was a space station–like facility where children from Earth were trained to fight in the Formic Wars. Students were chosen because of their excellence on screening tests. It was considered by many families to be a great honor to have children selected to go to Battle School.

Students were assigned to armies, and lived with their armies while at school. They trained in combat together, and competed against other armies.

If students did well at Battle School, they were promoted to Tactical School and then to Command School. Ender Wiggin and Bean Delphiki were the school’s top two students of all time. The primary feature of Battle School was the Battle Rooms, where students practiced combat and implemented strategy in anticipation of the Formic Wars.

Hyrum Graff was in charge of Battle School, working with several other officers such as Major Anderson and Admiral Chamrajnagar. Sponsored by the International Fleet, the school was turned into the base of operations for the Ministry of Colonization once the wars with the Formics were over.

Battle School Armies (EGS, EG, WG, ES)

The armies at Battle School were made up of forty-one soldiers—a commander and several platoons. They competed against each other in combat locations called Battle Rooms. Scores of the matches were posted in common areas throughout Battle School. The known armies are as follows:

Asp

Badger—Army commanded by Pol Slattery and defeated by Ender Wiggin’s Dragon Army.