fandomhigh | Ethics [Thursday, October 1, 1st period]

When the Ethics class arrived in the Danger Shop, they stepped into an entirely different world.

An incredibly dry, hot one. That smelled really bad.

Anakin waved his hand around the room. "Welcome to the embodiment of gluttony," he said, "the palace of a Hutt."

He concentrated on the controls on the far side of the room, and the simulation sprung to life: dozens of beings drinking, eating, and dancing, with all activity centered around a vile slug of a beast laying on the raised dais at the front of the room.

In a place of honor on the wall was a man, face twisted in a silent scream but his features obscured beyond recognition, encased in silver. Anakin ignored it as he walked past to point at the creature on the dais. "That," he said, nose wrinkling in disgust, "is a Hutt. This particular version was named Jabba, one of the most powerful crime lords in the galaxy." A grim smile turned the corners of his mouth up. "At least until he met my children."

He shook his head. "That is neither here nor there. Today is an interactive experience for you, class. Take a good hard look around. See the effects that gluttony can have."

His eyes went flat. "Touch any of the dancing girls and you'll regret it. That's a promise."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Karla stalked over, everything about her tense and tight.

"What did they do to him?" she asked, her voice low and trembling. "Your children. What did they do?"

"Leia strangled him to death with the chain he'd bound her with, and Luke set the whole sailbarge on fire," Anakin said, darkly satisfied. "Don't mess with my kids."

Yeah, his kids were the last bit she was concerned about.

"Good," Karla said. "...How are we not supposed to get angry with this? Before, in your office, you talked about how students went around, in the thrall of their emotions. Well, could you explain to me how we're not supposed to be upset and outraged at this?"

Someone was perhaps a little more upset than a simple simulation--even one like this--should cause.

"Because most of the people in this room chose to be here," Anakin said, voice a little icy. "They were drawn to the power of the Hutt."

"And I'm not supposed to be glad they died when the sailbarge caught on fire?" Karla spat. Well, okay, death by fire was horrible, but she was having a difficult time caring about that right now.

"I'm not supposed to want to kill this...this thing myself? He's keeping slaves, but we can't get angry about that?! I don't understand how you can say that! Anger helped. You can't tell me your children weren't angry when they took care of these--these--" Karla couldn't actually come up with a vile enough epithet, just stood there struggling to hold back angry tears.

"Karla, breathe," Anakin said, watching her eyes. "Why does a simulation have you so upset?"

Karla dropped her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself. "It's just wrong, that's all," she muttered. "Slavery is horrible. Dehumanizing. It scars the soul so badly that some never recover."

"I know," Anakin said quietly, shadows in his eyes. "My mother was a slave."

Deflecting came naturally to Skywalkers.

A genetic trait, apparently.

Karla looked up at his admission, reaching out to place a comforting hand on his arm. Then she bit her lip and dropped her arm back to her side. It wasn't her place to do that.

Though she did send out the smallest tendril of warmth and understanding. "I'm sorry," she said quietly. "In Kaeleer, slavery hadn't existed for over fifty-thousand years."

"In the more civilized parts of the Republic, that was true." He glanced around sourly at the scene before them. "Tatooine was never that civilized."

"Glacia used to be," Karla said, refusing to turn and look with him. "That I can no longer say the same--hurts."

Anakin nodded. "Things turned a lot rougher after I left," he said. "My children grew up in a much different galaxy, one where slavery made a bit of a resurgence."

One that he had been a part of, but details.

"I am not pleased about all the parallels between our worlds sometimes," Karla said. "It's amazing how much things can change, and so quickly."

Ethics [Thursday, October 1, 1st period]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]

Re: Talk to Anakin [10/1]