An urchin is picked off the street by a nun and sent to war school to become a brilliant space-war strategist. He is Bean, so called because of his diminutive stature, the result of an illegal genetic experiment.
Bean and other members of Ender's Dragon Army return to Earth after their victory in the Formic War. All but Bean are soon mysteriously kidnapped; Bean turns to Ender's brother Peter for help.
As the nations of the earth attempt to control the children trained at Battle School, Peter Wiggin continues to consolidate his power with the help of Bean and Petra.
The children of Ender and Bean solve the great problem of the Ender Universe, the deadly virus they call the descolada, which is incurable and will kill all of humanity if it were allowed to escape from Lusitania.