fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, April 24]

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Ethics [Thursday, April 24]

As Anakin paced around the Danger room, he looked like he hadn't really gotten a good night's sleep in a few days.

Which was very true. Spending time in a swamp wasn't great for the back.

"Welcome to your Ethics final," he said, pacing around the room. "I will provide you with a series of scenarios. Go through each and provide the answers that best fit what you have learned through this class. Then explain your choice."

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Karal hesitated for a long time before he actually went over to talk to Anakin. "Have you some time to spare?" he asked quietly.

"Always," Anakin replied, nodding.

At least for Karal.

"It's not about class," he added quickly. "Though I did find your class very challenging. Umm, in a good way." Karal was a little bit nervous, and it showed. Not that he could hide it from a Jedi, anyway.

"What's wrong?" Anakin asked, gesturing towards a chair.

He slumped into the chair and sighed. "Forgive me, I'm not doing this at all well," he said. "My thoughts are everywhere. Firstly, I wanted to thank you very much for the invitation to your wedding, and tell you that I may not be able to attend. I'm returning to my world on Tuesday."

Anakin carefully hid any disappointment he might be feeling when he heard that. "Do you need assistance?"

Karal bit his lip. "I, yes, I do, but there are people coming with me, to help. Umm, one of them is Jaina," he said, then quickly added, "But she should be in no danger, I promise."

"'Should be' isn't 'won't'," Anakin replied, voice going a little steely. "Perhaps I need some context."

He winced; he couldn't help it. It wasn't that he particularly wanted to tell Anakin, but he could only imagine the reaction if he survived, and Anakin found out he hadn't. He'd likely wish the device had killed him.

"The breakwater blocking the mage storms is going to fall," he said quietly, keeping his eyes on his hands. "In less than two weeks. A way has been found to counter them, at least, to counter the big one that is coming. Which will buy time to find a permanent solution. It, the counter is a magical device that draws on the energy of other worlds, through people from those worlds." He risked a glance at Anakin. "Altra has promised, should it go wrong, should something happen, he will Jump them to safety."

The muscles in Anakin's jaw tightened. "Other than my Jaina, who is helping you?"

He hadn't even noticed the possessive he'd put in front of her name.

"Gavin, Andrew, and Evey. It will not simply be us. The device has eight points - four mages, four people from other worlds, and each of them will be shielded by another mage." He swallowed and folded his hands. "I would not have asked them if I believed they would be hurt."

Anakin took a throttle hold on his possessiveness, which took a few minutes.

"And what will you being doing?" he asked quietly.

"The device has to be triggered by a mage channel, anyone else would be killed outright. But a mage channel can channel the energy and direct it where it needs to go." Karal kept looking at his hands. "I'm the only mage channel there is."

"You're going to be channeling the power of four different worlds through you?" Anakin checked, eyes going wide.

"Umm, yes. It's not," he fiddled with his Vkandis medal, "it's not me. Not really. Channelling is instinctive. It's more like being used than anything else. The device will weave the power into a single force and then," he swallowed again, "and then it will feed it through me to counter the storm."

"That's a lot to take on faith," he said softly, approval tinging his voice. "Any buffer for you?"

Karal shook his head. "It's not the first time I've had to act as a channel, though." And he still had nightmares of the Iftel border.

"And how did it work previously?" Anakin asked.

His focus had always been unnerving.

"It hurt a lot." He shivered, remembering it. "I stood inside a magic barrier and three mages sent magic through me. It gets stronger when you channel it, and they used the power to help raise the breakwater."

Anakin hissed in a breath. "And will this count as four? Or eight? Does it add up expodentially?"

"Eight, and I don't know. But a mage channel magnifies power." He looked up and met Anakin's eyes, not saying anything, but the knowledge that he could die, how scared he was, was at the forefront of his mind. Right then, it wouldn't have taken a Jedi to see it.

Edited 2008-04-27 10:01 (UTC)

"What happens if the magestorms hit?" Anakin asked softly.

What if you don't do this insanely dangerous thing? was the unspoken question.

"If the storms hit, people will die, the storms, they destroy in the physical plane, and they mutate people and animals and plants, twist them into monsters. They disrupt active magics, which means any shielding will fail, and there is more destruction held behind shields. Two thousand years ago, the same storms caused the Cataclysm; there are still parts of the world so poisoned no one can live there," he said quietly, hands folded around his Vkandis medal. "No one else can trigger the device. There is only me."

Edited 2008-04-27 20:56 (UTC)

Anakin listened closely, evaluating everything. "Is there a mage ready to aid you like they will aid the others?"

"There can't be. The power they're shielding the others from - and they're strong mages, Altra will be one of them and they won't let their shields fall," he said earnestly. "Is what I have to channel. It wouldn't work. I have to do it myself."

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