On being sent somewhere. Canon is Pacific Rim. Potential spoilers in the comment

[oldmanstriker]

Really?

Are you seriously planning on dumping me somewhere with aliens? You've bloody gone 'round the bend, mate.

Still, as long as they don't try to eat me, I suppose we'll get along fine. But, mark my words, the second something goes wrong, they'll regret it. And so will you.

[Arms folded.]

And I told you, stop looking at those damn pictures. It's not helping.

Comments

[atallcost]

You expect them to be friendly?

[oldmanstriker]

I'm expecting them to leave me alone.

[atallcost]

We're taught otherwise: kill or be killed. [ as much as he hates it. ]

[oldmanstriker]

We fought in self-defence. I'd prefer not to fight.

[atallcost]

[ so would he, but-- ] Our preferences don't matter. We are all tools for the survival of our species.

What will you do? Without a war to fight.

[oldmanstriker]

I'll come to that when we get to it.

[He doesn't know.]

[atallcost]

You don't know, do you? You don't know any more than I do. [ in a way, it's a relief. ender can't think of what he's supposed to do now that he's no longer expected to command a fleet, while everyone around him seems to be adapting. ]

[oldmanstriker]

I'll probably join back up with the Air Force.

[That, and there's a bit of a... complication. Something very complicated.]

[atallcost]

You'll keep fighting?

[oldmanstriker]

Let's just say my life is complicated.

[a_fixedpoint]

After all we've seen and done, surely a few extraterrestrials aren't something outside your expertise.

[oldmanstriker]

Sir.

[He perks up straight away. Marshall on deck.]

That's what I was saying. They'll be fine if they leave me well alone.

[atallcost]

I should think so. Warfare was not something you were essentially born and raised for. It's expected that it would leave complications behind.

[oldmanstriker]

There's more than that. My mun doesn't want me to say, just in case yours hasn't seen... what happened.

[atallcost]

She's seen. You should have had my team and I.

[oldmanstriker]

More Jaegers and pilots would have been welcome, but you're a bit young.

[atallcost]

My age doesn't matter, and I'm not a pilot. I command. Warfare is what I do.

[oldmanstriker]

We had a commander. A very good one. He saved the world.

[atallcost]

I'm not saying he wasn't. He did what he could.

[oldmanstriker]

And he won. [His tone's a bit dry. Dangerous ground here, Ender.]

[atallcost]

[ a lift of his brows, expression mild. ] He did. I'm also not arguing that.

[oldmanstriker]

Then what are you saying?

[atallcost]

We would have worked well together. He had his team, I have my own. You don't take command of people who neither know nor trust you.

[oldmanstriker]

And your team can handle drifting into and piloting Jaegers?

[atallcost]

We're soldiers. We adapt. Don't you?