fandomhigh | Nation Building and the Origin of Government, Period 5, Class 14, Thursday, 4-14

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Nation Building and the Origin of Government, Period 5, Class 14, Thursday, 4-14

"Welcome back," Alex said, sipping her tea as the students filed into the room. "This is our last regular class together. Next week is your final." Which she had yet to write, and would need to consider carefully.

"So, for this week, we'll take it easy. Part of this week will be review -- if there's anything you'd like to cover again, we can. Beyond that, though, there's just one discussion topic, but it's a little big, so hopefully there's room for us to dive in."

Another sip of tea. "Last week, we talked about finding yourself a successor. This week, we're going to talk about the other half of turning over your empire. Let's say this is the last day of your reign, and you are such an incredible ruler that you managed to accomplish every last thing your heart desired. This also means you're superhuman, and possibly magic, but this is just a thought experiment, and we're going somewhere with this."

"The point is: what does this perfect empire of yours look like? You solved all the problems you wanted to address. Society is running in exactly the way you would have hoped. What exactly does that look like, for you? When they build monuments to you, what kind of accomplishments will they list? What is it that you did for this country?"

She shrugged. "I just want to see how it is that you're defining success."

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"Yes," Alex said brightly. "Is there something I can help you with?"

She was organizing papers, and trying to look competent. She was also trying not to worry. What little she understood of Katniss's background meant that this probably wasn't an idle request.

"There's an event of mine that's coming up," she said a little awkwardly. The Games were hardly the kind of event anyone from here would want to watch. Anyone not obligated, anyway. "Back home. I -- you've been so helpful, this semester, and I've learned a lot from you. I just wanted to say that, because I'm not sure I'll be able to come back."

She cleared her throat, and added, "And I'd be honored if you'd like to watch. Professor Skywalker will be showing it in his office, while I compete."

There. She had successfully not actually explained the Games.

Alex was sure there was a great deal she wasn't getting. She bit her lip. The relevant parts were that Katniss might not be surviving whatever this event was, and that she was asking something important of Alex.

"Of course," she said. "I'm touched that you thought of me. Is this ... are you in some kind of trouble?"

And if so, could she help?

Katniss hesitated, fidgeting a little. "Yes," she said carefully. She hated telling people about this, about the Games and what she had to do, and what she came from. It became closer, realer, this way. "In Panem, we have something called the Hunger Games. Two teenagers from each district are randomly selected, taken to an arena, and given weapons and their own wits. Whoever survives to the end wins. I...won last year. This year is a sort of special all-stars event."

She made a face, wincing through her teeth, and added, "Unprecedented, in fact. So I'm gathering as many resources from Fandom as I can, so I can be more prepared than I was last year."

It was barbaric. They sent their teenagers off to be killed, for some kind of amusement. Alex took a deep breath to steady herself and hoped her expression wasn't too revealing.

"And so you have to go again," she said. "What kind of resources can you take with you?"

That was the important part. Not how Alex felt about it.

"My wits," Katniss said softly, with a little half-smile. "My training from Fandom. I've been training physically since I found out I'll be going back in." She fingered the gold mockingjay pin clasped at on one pocket of her jeans. "And my pin. Otherwise, I'm on my own. They'll give us weapons that first day -- I use a bow and arrow, and there'll likely be one for me in there. I might be able to score a pack of food, or medicine, if I'm lucky."

Or if she killed someone with one.

"People who are watching," Alex asked. "Are there ways we can help? Can you pass messages, or can we lend assistance in some manner? Or ..."

Alex wasn't sure how to broach this, delicately.

"If you were to choose not to go back," she said, "I imagine you would be safe, here."

"My family wouldn't," Katniss whispered, her eyes widening with long-repressed fear. "I have to go. I have to. They'll kill my little sister, my mother, my -- friends. The other tribute from my district. All forfeit because I was a coward. I have to go."

She cleared her throat, trying to push past the surge of anxiety. All she could see was Rue's body, covered in flowers. Rue had died because she was too late. She'd saved Prim once, and she couldn't throw that away, no matter how much she wanted to hide in her dorm room here forever, safe.

"Spectators can send us packages," she continued, her voice a little stronger. "I would've died last year if a sponsor hadn't sent me medicine."

"Okay," Alex said, quickly. "I didn't realize. I'm sorry. No one's suggesting ... you do anything that would endanger your family."

Alex was, however, going to take a moment to fantasize about calling in the SWAT team to take out whatever sick freaks had thought this system up.

"Can anyone be a sponsor?" she asked. "Will there be access channels, for us to send packages? I want as much information as you can provide, on how we can help without risking anything bad happening."

"My mentor will be in contact with Professor Skywalker," Katniss said with a nod. "Just because Haymitch has met him, and would be willing to accept things coming from him. But yes, anyone can be a sponsor -- my...boyfriend already swore he'd send me things, if he could. You won't be able to sign it, or tell me it's from you, but you can send me things." She winced, and added, "It's prohibitively expensive, though."

"That isn't a problem," Alex said, waving a hand easily. "I come from money."

She said that with the ease that came from years of never thinking about money, of knowing the right people and what calls to place in order to have doors opened up for you and only you. Which might do more to convince Katniss of her wealth than any long explanation could have.

"It seems like we should coordinate our efforts," she said. "Myself, your boyfriend, and Professor Skywalker. To make sure our packages aren't going to be redundant."

Katniss nodded. "I'll give everyone a schedule of the Games." She glanced hesitantly at Alex, and added, "You don't have to watch, professor. Not if you don't want to. They're -- upsetting. There's --"

She hesitated on saying it, trying to decide whether or not to confirm what she was sure Alex had to suspect. "I don't think I'll be coming back," she settled on, very softly.

"It's going to be graphic, and violent," Alex said quietly. "Just so we're absolutely clear on this: there's nothing that I could do that would help, beyond the packages? I have friends. I know what the other people on this island are capable of. If you wanted to be sure your family was protected ... if you needed help stopping this ..."

It was Katniss's choice. It had to be. But if she wasn't asking because she didn't want to impose, then that was very different than if she feared the consequences of amassing a force.

"They won't stop until I'm dead," Katniss said softly, shaking her head. "I started this. I have to be the one who ends it." By dying. "I...cheated, in the Games last year. I survived in a way they didn't want me to. This started a rebellion." She looked unsure, adding, "I think there'll be war in Panem, after these Games. It has to be why they're putting victors in the arena. It's a convenient means of killing me, since I lit the spark."

A pause, and then, "But thank you. The offer means...a lot to me." The words seemed hollow, but she meant them. "More than that, but I can't take it. It'll just delay the danger."

Alex hadn't expected her to agree, but she had, selfishly, needed to ask.

"And there would be no way to guarantee protection for everyone you would want to keep safe," she said, nodding. "I understand."

They wouldn't stop until they had silenced her.

"You say ... we'll be able to watch," Alex continued. "Would it be at all worthwhile to work out ... some kind of a code? Something innocuous, some way you could pass messages. In case of emergency, certain phrases to trigger certain responses. Something they wouldn't think to censor."

"I'd be able to say things to you, but not the other way around," Katniss said thoughtfully. "But I don't know what good it would do. If there were an emergency, there wouldn't be enough time to intervene before --"

She broke herself off, shaking her head. "The only thing I'm asking is that someone make sure no one's too broken up over me. I'll maybe...say something, if I think it's coming? If I have enough warning. So someone can watch out for people watching. Professor Skywalker promised to make sure Wesley is fine, after it happens."

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Nation Building and the Origin of Government, Period 5, Class 14, Thursday, 4-14

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