A Safehouse in Helsinki, Finland, Friday
The past two days had been pandemonium. Peter had probably put in more flight hours than he'd ever done in his life before, criss-crossing Europe, down to Thailand to drop off Suriyawong and discuss their plans, and then back again.
When they arrived at the safehouse sometime well into Friday afternoon, he had lost all track of time and location-- never mind any thoughts outside of how to handle the war that he had more or less purposefully instigated. It wasn't, in fact, until he sank into his chair that he observed out loud that they did not appear to be in Brazil. "I don't remember freezing my teeth off in Brazil."
Across from him, on the vidscreen, Graff shrugged. He looked tense. Peter was pretty sure he was gaining weight again. "We managed to pick up Vlad two hours ago," he said, "and received the details about the plans he drew up for the Russians."
Peter let out a sigh, rumpling his suit as he sagged in his seat. "Hit me," he said.
"Vlad names you and the FPE as the biggest threat any would-be superpower currently faces," Graff said, "so his first step--"
"--would be to take out, at the very least, Bean, and if he felt particularly ambitious, me and potentially everyone in the Hegemony compound, if I'm there," Peter muttered. "I'm flattered."
"Mazer is in Yerevan right now," Graff said. "Evacuating Petra and Bean and their children. There will be rockets inbound in an hour or so."
"And the compound?" Kuso. He hoped Envy had bailed fast.
"Safe as long as you're not present," Graff said, "But we've warned the guards and with your permission, we're putting it on lockdown. Just in case."
"Do it," Peter said. He wanted to say something like I need a drink, except he didn't drink; it'd feel like amateur theatrics the moment it left his mouth. "What are the details of Vlad's plan?"
"I'm sending you the entire debriefing now," Graff said. "I suggest you get your plans ready as soon as possible."
"No, I was going to sleep on it for another week," Peter said. He rubbed at his eyes - he felt exhausted. "Thank you, Hyrum. Now go make sure Bean gets out of this alive."
"He won't," Graff said.
Peter blinked for a moment. Then realization dawned on him. "So it's today?"
"No," Graff replied. "But soon. I hope you understand that's need-to-know only."
"I do," Peter said. He gave a little wave. "Go."
Graff's image disappeared. A moment later, Peter's desk bleeped twice: once, from Bean, detailing Bean's own plan for the FPE's end of the coming war. A second time, for Graff's debriefing.
From: Graff%pilgrimage@colmin.gov
To: PeterWiggin%private@FreePeopleOfEarth.fp.gov
Subj: debriefing
Attached are the data to the division level, including names of commanders. But the gist is simple enough: Russia is gambling everything on the quiescence of eastern Europe. They're all supposed to be terrified of a newly aggressive Russia. This is the move they thought they were going to be able to make when they had Achilles with them and kidnapped all of Ender's Jeesh.
What you can tell them, with authority, is this: Russia IS newly aggressive, they ARE bent on proving they're a world power again. They're dangerous. But:
1. They don't have Vlad. They have his plan, but can't adapt to any changes.
2. We have Vlad's plan, so we can anticipate every move they make while they follow it, and the generals in command are going to follow it with religious devotion. Expect no flexibility, even after they know we have it. Vlad knows the men in command. In the Russian military these days, any leaders with the imagination to improvise don't rise to the level where it will matter.
3. Han Tzu is being provided with their plan, so their main army will meet with disaster in the East.
4. They stripped their western defenses. A fast-moving army, competently led, should take St. Petersburg in a walk and Moscow in a week. That's Vlad's opinion. Bean has been over this information and concurs. He suggests you take Petra out of Armenia and put her in charge of the campaign in Russia.
Peter stared at his screen for a long moment, and wondered if it was possible to die of a combination of caffeine overdose and sleep deprivation.
Oh, well. There were probably worse ways to go.
[[ nfb, nfi, based on shadow of the giant, email taken directly from said novel. ]]
When they arrived at the safehouse sometime well into Friday afternoon, he had lost all track of time and location-- never mind any thoughts outside of how to handle the war that he had more or less purposefully instigated. It wasn't, in fact, until he sank into his chair that he observed out loud that they did not appear to be in Brazil. "I don't remember freezing my teeth off in Brazil."
Across from him, on the vidscreen, Graff shrugged. He looked tense. Peter was pretty sure he was gaining weight again. "We managed to pick up Vlad two hours ago," he said, "and received the details about the plans he drew up for the Russians."
Peter let out a sigh, rumpling his suit as he sagged in his seat. "Hit me," he said.
"Vlad names you and the FPE as the biggest threat any would-be superpower currently faces," Graff said, "so his first step--"
"--would be to take out, at the very least, Bean, and if he felt particularly ambitious, me and potentially everyone in the Hegemony compound, if I'm there," Peter muttered. "I'm flattered."
"Mazer is in Yerevan right now," Graff said. "Evacuating Petra and Bean and their children. There will be rockets inbound in an hour or so."
"And the compound?" Kuso. He hoped Envy had bailed fast.
"Safe as long as you're not present," Graff said, "But we've warned the guards and with your permission, we're putting it on lockdown. Just in case."
"Do it," Peter said. He wanted to say something like I need a drink, except he didn't drink; it'd feel like amateur theatrics the moment it left his mouth. "What are the details of Vlad's plan?"
"I'm sending you the entire debriefing now," Graff said. "I suggest you get your plans ready as soon as possible."
"No, I was going to sleep on it for another week," Peter said. He rubbed at his eyes - he felt exhausted. "Thank you, Hyrum. Now go make sure Bean gets out of this alive."
"He won't," Graff said.
Peter blinked for a moment. Then realization dawned on him. "So it's today?"
"No," Graff replied. "But soon. I hope you understand that's need-to-know only."
"I do," Peter said. He gave a little wave. "Go."
Graff's image disappeared. A moment later, Peter's desk bleeped twice: once, from Bean, detailing Bean's own plan for the FPE's end of the coming war. A second time, for Graff's debriefing.
From: Graff%pilgrimage@colmin.gov
To: PeterWiggin%private@FreePeopleOfEarth.fp.gov
Subj: debriefing
Attached are the data to the division level, including names of commanders. But the gist is simple enough: Russia is gambling everything on the quiescence of eastern Europe. They're all supposed to be terrified of a newly aggressive Russia. This is the move they thought they were going to be able to make when they had Achilles with them and kidnapped all of Ender's Jeesh.
What you can tell them, with authority, is this: Russia IS newly aggressive, they ARE bent on proving they're a world power again. They're dangerous. But:
1. They don't have Vlad. They have his plan, but can't adapt to any changes.
2. We have Vlad's plan, so we can anticipate every move they make while they follow it, and the generals in command are going to follow it with religious devotion. Expect no flexibility, even after they know we have it. Vlad knows the men in command. In the Russian military these days, any leaders with the imagination to improvise don't rise to the level where it will matter.
3. Han Tzu is being provided with their plan, so their main army will meet with disaster in the East.
4. They stripped their western defenses. A fast-moving army, competently led, should take St. Petersburg in a walk and Moscow in a week. That's Vlad's opinion. Bean has been over this information and concurs. He suggests you take Petra out of Armenia and put her in charge of the campaign in Russia.
Peter stared at his screen for a long moment, and wondered if it was possible to die of a combination of caffeine overdose and sleep deprivation.
Oh, well. There were probably worse ways to go.
[[ nfb, nfi, based on shadow of the giant, email taken directly from said novel. ]]