Disclaimer: Ender's story, the Ender Quartet and any characters, places, or ideas native to it belong to Orson Scott Card

--Instigate--

(Something the matter?)

(Yes, but I can't determine what.)

(Speak.)

(This morning, I wanted to confer with the Father Trees. It seems a war of words is going on between Grego and Quara.)

(Go on.)

(I couldn't.)

(Were they not listening?)

(No, I could hear bits of their voices, but nothing would come through clear. It was another hour before we could communicate.)

(We sense it too. Our workers rebelled earlier today.)

(All of them?)

(No, but it was more than usual. A faction. There seemed to be a leader.)

(And...?)

(And that cannot be possible. I am all of the Hive Queens and we are all of the workers. We act as one body. For a worker to defy us deliberately is unthinkable.)

(And this happened today?)

(Indeed. Once in a while, a worker may detach itself from us, but without our control it moves in a frenzy. This morning their was an organized attack.)

(Is everything alright?)

(We have more than enough workers to sustain our losses, but we are greatly disturbed by this recent turn of events.)

(I agree. I think we should look into it.)

(What you are suggesting will take a great deal of our energies.)

(Are you up to the task, old friend?)

(Yes, my friend. I am up to it.)

Miro hadn't said a word in hours. Young Val was worried by his violent mood. Some time ago, Miro had signed on to the webs and found them sprawling with articles on the descolada. The information these works contained were supposed to be classified information. Immediately, Miro had contacted Jane and discovered that his own brother and sister had resorted to childish rivalries, and in the process, revealed their closely guarded secret. Human dealings directly with alien species sparked the fires for a Second Xenocide. Now that that xenocide was avoided, it would not help the situation if Congress knew the dealings were still going on. Val and Miro had hoped that Lands' report would show the Congress that there is more to be studied and to hold off on war, but now he was dead.

'What else could go wrong?' Val thought and immediately regretted it. Miro had been sitting at the terminal in the xenobiology lab, poring over Quara and Grego's documents. Suddenly, Jane's face appeared in place of the works.

"Miro, we've got trouble. If somebody named 'James' tries to talk to you, sign off imediately."

And then she was gone. Miro shared a worried glance with Val. Peter and Wang-mu had gone to Lands' station to investigate the murder. Now something was wrong. No sooner had Jane disappeared, a message appeared on the screen.

"By order of the Starways Congress, this laboratory is official evidence in the trial against Quara and Gregorio. An investigation will begin in under one hour and all persons are expected to vacate the area or be subject to penalty of law."

The terminal shut off. The lights followed.

"Damn." Miro's first word in hours.

~~~~~~~~~

Near the fringes of the Hundred Worlds, a small planet had sat, revolving quietly with few evolved species. Lately, a new species inhabited the planet and flourished in the virgin wilderness. Their community advanced and expanded. Then this day began. The day of the Starways Congress investigation, the day Peter and Wang-mu searched Lands' room, the day things fell apart. Flames rained down on the quiet communities. Men, women, and children, perished in the hellfire. The sun would set on the smoldering stumps and charred forests and a war would begin, one that would threaten all of humanity.

~~~~~~~~~

3...

2...

The door was locked.

1...

0.

Nothing happened. Peter looked around. Nothing had changed. He moved back to the terminal and typed.

"Planning to suffocate us again?"

"No, I feared my work was getting stale. I considered sounding an alarm throughout the station, alerting the guards to your presence and let them take it from there. But that wouldn't have been as much fun as what I thought of next." The door opened. "Goodbye, Peter."

~~~~~~~~

Bishop Gregorio stormed into the empty Church. Everything was going wrong. Eight more ships were attacked in the passed three days, 2 of them passenger ships, the others Fleet Bombers. The families at mass were nearly inconsolable. And the other folks, those who didn't lose anybody were losing interest in him. He nearly wanted to scream with rage when he heard a few parishioners gossiping outside his Church.

"The bishop's sermons are rather dry today, don't you think?"

"Sure, even he can see the dark times we're in. Families keep disappearing and...."

"And there is no way Congress has forgotten us."

"I thought Peter had..."

"Oh, no dear, didn't you hear?"

And so it went. They filled each other in on rumors about Admiral Lands, suspicions on Grego and Quara, and other nonsense. But then...

"To be honest, I think perhaps the Bishop is losing his faith."

-WHAT!? How can they be so insolent to think that I have lost faith. I have dedicated my life to the Creator. I have spent hours on end in prayer and abstinence and reconciliation in the hopes that I am even fit to speak His name and they dare judge the purity of my faith!?- He moved about the Church in a frenzy, touching random objects, moving hymn books, cleaning pews, but not really focusing on any one task as he continued to rage in his thoughts.

-Andrew Wiggins. The Xenocide. HE is responsible for the slaughter of an ENTIRE species and he has the gall to waltz into Lusitania, into this Church and spread his humanistic, Godless psycho-babble to our parishioners! And those faithless jackals flock to him as if he were some golden idol! I have led this Church faithfully for years and they turn on me as soon as the darkness settles over us. They're all against me, Lord. Forgive them, for they know not what they do...-

In his tirade, Bishop Gregorio stole a glance at the altar and saw the Bible. With a small glimmer in his eyes, he walked to it and began to read. He was always inspired by the passages. Moses always rallied feelings of righteousness within him. -To have the Lord speak to me and choose me to spread his word...-

Next to the Bible lay the Bishop's Diary. All the Bishops of Lusitania recorded their teachings in it. Bishop Gregorio found useful interpretations of Bible passages, sermons, questions and answers, and so on. He most enjoyed reading Bishop Velasquez' entries. He was a powerful speaker, a devote follower of Christ, and most importantly he despised the Speaker of the Dead. Of course, he had never met Ender, neither had Bishop Gregorio, but this Bishop did know Ender's current incarnations. -Non baptized, unnatural, spawns of Ender. They are the root of our problems...but everyone loves them.-

-Nearly everyone.-

Bishop Gregorio hesitated. The thought came to him so quickly, he wasn't sure it was his. Perhaps the Lord had finally seen fit to make him His messenger. Bishop Gregorio shut the Bible, grabbed the Diary, and quickly rushed to his room in the rectory. He had meditating to do. If the Lord wanted his assistance, he would need to be clear of mind and spirit. He would sit and revel in the Lord's infinite wonder, almighty power, and His righteous revenge....

~~~~~~~~~