Petra Arkanian
Encyclopedia
Petra Arkanian is a main character of the books Shadow of the Hegemon
and Shadow Puppets
by Orson Scott Card
. She is also a major character in Ender's Game
, Ender's Shadow
and Shadow of the Giant
.
and teaches him how to shoot. In fact she may, in the beginning, have identified with Bean because in many ways he was so similar to Ender (small size, amazing genius). In Shadow of the Hegemon
, it's mentioned that one of her teachers found her so aggressive that he actually had her genome scanned to make sure she wasn't a boy.
Petra becomes a member of Ender's "jeesh," or informal team and as such she rejoins him in Command School, where she serves as one of his most capable lieutenants during the campaigns against the Buggers
. He relies on her so heavily, in fact, that he pushes her too hard and she finally breaks during combat, dozing off from exhaustion and causing a number of casualties. Although she recovers, she loses her aggressive edge and she never quite trusts herself again, believing herself to be weak and unreliable, a judgment that later events prove wrong. It is shown at the end of the book that Petra might have some attraction to Dink Meeker, and vice versa.
. When Petra is later captured by Achilles, Bean strives to rescue her. The subsequent death of his long-time friend and caretaker Sister Carlotta drives him even more to rescue Petra.
While believing she was a weak link in Ender's team, Petra continually fights Achilles when in captivity, and she is able to use his insecurities to both keep herself alive, and expose Achilles to danger. In fact, Achilles has a short "romance" with Petra. Her actions also end up preparing and aiding several other captives of Achilles, once Bean finally comes to rescue her.
Throughout the rest of the series, Petra and Bean's relationship evolves. Petra believes that Bean is the man with the most desirable DNA, and decides she wants to have his children. (Edit: Petra TELLS Bean this, but in jest during an argument they are having on the subject. She makes it quite clear that she wants Bean's children because she loves him). Bean is reluctant, due to the fact that he considers his genetic abnormality to be a very large negative, and does not want to pass it on to his children. Petra and Bean do end up marrying, in Spain, while on the run from Achilles, and having children via in vitro fertilization.
Before Achilles dies, he acquires eight samples of Bean and Petra's embryos, and has them implanted in different women all over the world. Finding these children becomes a major plot point, and Petra is very fervent in the search. Being a mother, she seems to really grow as a character, showing much more sentimentality than she did in earlier books. She gives birth to little Ender, who unfortunately has Bean's genetic defect.
They then go on to find, with the help of the Hegemony and the I.F. Bella and Ramon–both of whom were named by their surrogate parents, and only Bella had Anton's key turned. However, when the I.F. found the other five children, only one of them having Bean's genetic defect. However, when Bean decides to go off into space, light-years ahead, he takes with him the three of his children with the defect. But because no one was to know of the ship taking off from Earth and Bean was supposed to be dead, two of the children found were also named Bella and Andrew. Bean later refers to the Andrew that he took with him as 'Ender', and Bella as 'Carlotta', after the nun who became his mother in his heart. Also, he decided to call the girl with Petra, named Petra–not wanting the children to get confused when he told them of their mother–he decided to call her 'Poke', after the nine-year-old girl who sacrificed her life for his when he was only a small four-year-old on the streets of Rotterdam–his father, as he calls her later in the book. Following Bean's 'death' (In actuality, he faked his death with the help of Hyrum Graff and went into self-imposed exile in space to prolong his genetically shortened lifespan), Petra eventually marries Peter Wiggin, the Hegemon and brother of Ender Wiggin even though she loves Bean. (Edit: At the end of the novel, when Petra is alone at Peter's grave, she tells him that she loves him, even though she never stopped loving Bean).
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow of the Hegemon is the second novel in the Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott Card. It is also the sixth novel in the Ender's Game series. It is told mostly from the point of view of Bean, a largely peripheral character in the original novel Ender's Game...
and Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets
Shadow Puppets , by Orson Scott Card is the sequel to Shadow of the Hegemon and the third book in the Ender's Shadow series . It was originally to be called Shadow of Death.-Plot summary:...
by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. She is also a major character in Ender's Game
Ender's Game
Ender's Game is a science fiction novel by American author Orson Scott Card. The book originated as the short story "Ender's Game", published in the August 1977 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact. Elaborating on characters and plot lines depicted in the novel, Card later wrote additional...
, Ender's Shadow
Ender's Shadow
Ender's Shadow is a parallel science fiction novel by the American author Orson Scott Card, taking place at the same time as the novel Ender's Game and depicting the same events from the point of view of Bean, a supporting character in the original novel. It was originally to be titled Urchin, but...
and Shadow of the Giant
Shadow of the Giant
Shadow of the Giant is the fourth novel in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Shadow series.-Plot summary:A belief is spreading in conquered China that the government has lost the Mandate of Heaven. Han Tzu meets up with Mazer Rackham, who passes him a blow dart pen, calling it the "Mandate of Heaven"...
.
Ender's Game
In Ender's Game, Petra is one of the few female students at the Battle School. As something of an outcast herself, she acts as an older sister towards Ender WigginEnder Wiggin
Andrew "Ender" Wiggin is a fictional character from Orson Scott Card's science fiction story Ender's Game and its sequels , as well as in the first part of the spin-off series, Ender's Shadow...
and teaches him how to shoot. In fact she may, in the beginning, have identified with Bean because in many ways he was so similar to Ender (small size, amazing genius). In Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow of the Hegemon
Shadow of the Hegemon is the second novel in the Ender's Shadow series by Orson Scott Card. It is also the sixth novel in the Ender's Game series. It is told mostly from the point of view of Bean, a largely peripheral character in the original novel Ender's Game...
, it's mentioned that one of her teachers found her so aggressive that he actually had her genome scanned to make sure she wasn't a boy.
Petra becomes a member of Ender's "jeesh," or informal team and as such she rejoins him in Command School, where she serves as one of his most capable lieutenants during the campaigns against the Buggers
Formics
The Formics, also known as Buggers, are a fictional insectoid alien species from the Ender's Game series of science fiction novels by Orson Scott Card.The term "Formic" is derived from formica, the Latin word for ant...
. He relies on her so heavily, in fact, that he pushes her too hard and she finally breaks during combat, dozing off from exhaustion and causing a number of casualties. Although she recovers, she loses her aggressive edge and she never quite trusts herself again, believing herself to be weak and unreliable, a judgment that later events prove wrong. It is shown at the end of the book that Petra might have some attraction to Dink Meeker, and vice versa.
Shadow series
Throughout the Shadow series, Petra serves as a point of insecurity and necessity for Bean. He feels compelled to protect her, due to his failings to protect other important people in his life. In his early life he left his friend Poke alone, and she was murdered by Bean's continual nemesis Achilles de FlandresAchilles de Flandres
Achilles de Flandres is a major character and the primary antagonist in Orson Scott Card's Shadow series . It is part of the universe created in the novel and short story Ender's Game...
. When Petra is later captured by Achilles, Bean strives to rescue her. The subsequent death of his long-time friend and caretaker Sister Carlotta drives him even more to rescue Petra.
While believing she was a weak link in Ender's team, Petra continually fights Achilles when in captivity, and she is able to use his insecurities to both keep herself alive, and expose Achilles to danger. In fact, Achilles has a short "romance" with Petra. Her actions also end up preparing and aiding several other captives of Achilles, once Bean finally comes to rescue her.
Throughout the rest of the series, Petra and Bean's relationship evolves. Petra believes that Bean is the man with the most desirable DNA, and decides she wants to have his children. (Edit: Petra TELLS Bean this, but in jest during an argument they are having on the subject. She makes it quite clear that she wants Bean's children because she loves him). Bean is reluctant, due to the fact that he considers his genetic abnormality to be a very large negative, and does not want to pass it on to his children. Petra and Bean do end up marrying, in Spain, while on the run from Achilles, and having children via in vitro fertilization.
Before Achilles dies, he acquires eight samples of Bean and Petra's embryos, and has them implanted in different women all over the world. Finding these children becomes a major plot point, and Petra is very fervent in the search. Being a mother, she seems to really grow as a character, showing much more sentimentality than she did in earlier books. She gives birth to little Ender, who unfortunately has Bean's genetic defect.
They then go on to find, with the help of the Hegemony and the I.F. Bella and Ramon–both of whom were named by their surrogate parents, and only Bella had Anton's key turned. However, when the I.F. found the other five children, only one of them having Bean's genetic defect. However, when Bean decides to go off into space, light-years ahead, he takes with him the three of his children with the defect. But because no one was to know of the ship taking off from Earth and Bean was supposed to be dead, two of the children found were also named Bella and Andrew. Bean later refers to the Andrew that he took with him as 'Ender', and Bella as 'Carlotta', after the nun who became his mother in his heart. Also, he decided to call the girl with Petra, named Petra–not wanting the children to get confused when he told them of their mother–he decided to call her 'Poke', after the nine-year-old girl who sacrificed her life for his when he was only a small four-year-old on the streets of Rotterdam–his father, as he calls her later in the book. Following Bean's 'death' (In actuality, he faked his death with the help of Hyrum Graff and went into self-imposed exile in space to prolong his genetically shortened lifespan), Petra eventually marries Peter Wiggin, the Hegemon and brother of Ender Wiggin even though she loves Bean. (Edit: At the end of the novel, when Petra is alone at Peter's grave, she tells him that she loves him, even though she never stopped loving Bean).