11. Veni Vidi Vici

Teachers schedule relentless battles to push Ender. Ender refines Dragon Army into five smaller toons trained for independent, simultaneous actions. In their first battle against Rabbit Army, flexible wall-sliding and fragmentation overwhelm Carn Carby’s formation, yielding a decisive win. Ender projects strict leadership, then critiques marksmanship and mobility to raise standards.

In the commanders’ mess, Ender’s top ranking draws wary attention. Dink Meeker warns him not to get cocky; Petra avoids him, and Carby graciously acknowledges Ender’s innovations. Next morning, a surprise match against Phoenix forces Ender to adapt; Petra’s flexibility inflicts heavier losses, but Dragon still wins, straining their former friendship.

Across seven days, Dragon goes 7–0, with peers imitating Ender’s methods while targeting him with petty harassment. Seeking fresh ideas, Ender studies censored bugger-war vids, learning enemy-style unpredictability and unity while noting the secrecy around Mazer Rackham’s victory.

Graff and Anderson confront Ender about the pace and his video habits, then spring an immediate battle against Bonzo’s Salamander in a bright, starless room designed to negate cover. Anticipating an ambush around the gate, Ender invents frozen “shield” pairs: throwers hurl a frozen body with a shooter tucked behind (Bean among them), enabling devastating entry fire. Despite heavy Dragon casualties, the tactic wins quickly. Ender rebukes Anderson’s unfair setup and realizes he has humiliated Bonzo, deepening a dangerous feud.

That night, Ender admits exhaustion and escalating stakes to Bean, then tasks him with forming and training a five-soldier special squad—one per toon—to attempt unconventional, “stupid” solutions for future surprises. Bean accepts, already conceiving new tactics as both boys brace for harsher tests.