fandomhigh | The Art of War, Week #10 [Period 3, Monday]

"Congratulations, you've made it all the way to week ten," Ghanima said dryly from her perch on the desk. "So far, many of our discussions seem to have focused on physical engagements of force, mostly because many of you are all familiar with tactics in a military sense."

"While I am as much a fan of armed combat as the next Fremen, however, it is it necessary to learn how to apply the tactical ideas you are learning outside a battlefield."

"Last week, we tried to measure cost against outcome when weighing the human element," Ghanima remarked. "Today, we focus completely on the human component, and turn our tactical prowess to that most dreaded tactical engagement of all - relationships."

"Each of you has a slip on your desk with an assignment. You must try and follow the directions to the best of your abilities, using the tactical ideas we have discussed in your negotiations. You are not limited to your classmates for this exercise, and indeed, I shall award extra credit for each successful 'mission' you undertake. I will do my best to listen to radio and chart your progress, but you will be expected to report on your varying levels of success next week."

"Yes, boys and girls, you are going on dates. Get what you want out of the other person, without giving too much ground. Try not to end the world while you are at it."

[OOC: OCD is up, go forth!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

He met her eyes, then shook his head. "Not this week."

Ghanima nodded once. "Thank you, Ben. I appreciate your honesty."

"Get last week's notes from your classmates," she said briskly. "I am usually in and out of my office all week if you have any questions about the previous lesson or need anything, and I am always available to my students."

She returned his gaze, unflinching. "I will not lie to you, Mr. Skywalker. It does not get 'better', but I can promise you it will eventually get easier."

"I keep hearing that," Ben said. "Maybe after we've found her killer."

Ghanima snorted in a most un-ladylike fashion. "That's not when it get easier, Ben," she said dryly. "That's when it gets satisfying."

"Although as your teacher, I should be advocating justice and all that, I suppose," she said, a small half-smile in apology. "My universe is simply a bit more... direct... than most, when it comes to vendetta and kanly."

"I'll take satisfying," Ben said. "Easier seems a bit like a betrayal." He shrugged. "If I told my grandfather about this he'd blather on about revenge and hate and the dark side and I don't care."

"Dark side?" Ghanima looked at him, puzzled. "What on earth does darkness have to do with revenge?"

"When a Jedi feeds into his hate, very, very bad things happen," Ben said.

"When anyone, with any kind of intelligence or power, allows hate to completely cloud their mind, bad things happen," Ghani replied. "But there is absolutely nothing wrong with the very human emotions of rage or revenge, and assuming that it's automatically wrong for everyone is simply short-sighted."

"And if your grandfather tries to make you feel badly about that, you can send him to me."

"I'm not exactly talking to him right now," Ben said. "I don't need his lectures."

"No," she agreed, "you don't. I'm sure he means well," and he had damned well better mean well, "but as a sentient, you have a right to your anger and your grief."

"To lose that would be to lose that which keeps us human, and brings balance to those of us with power."

"Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering," Ben recited.

Ghanima looked at Ben as if he'd lost his mind. "Tell me that's a joke," she said faintly. "Is that what that Mr. Solo of yours has been teaching you?"

She'd kill him. Slowly. With a dull blade.

"You talked to Jacen?" That was not a happy look on his face.

Any normal standards of parent-teacher confidentiality went out the window at the look on Ben's face.

"If by 'talking to him' you mean that I insinuated he should remove himself from my office, then yes, I spoke with him." Ghanima said briskly. "We agreed that you were an outstanding pupil, and then I do believe I made him distinctly uncomfortable."

"Which I must admit, I enjoyed."

That got her a smile. "Not many people make him uncomfortable."

"I'm afraid I was a bit sharp with him," she admitted. "I dislike being patronized or lied to in my own office, and I told him so. Not the most professional moment of my teaching career, but I suppose I shall recover."

"Should I not have spoken to him at all?" Ghanima asked, concerned. "If not, I do apologize."

"I'm his apprentice," Ben said. "He wanted to know what I'm learning here."

It took special effort to sound that neutral.

"So he said, and he seemed quite pleased that I only had positive things to say about you," Ghanima replied. "There was even a smile, and I think it might have been genuine."

That was not necessarily the most reassuring thing Ben had ever heard. "I'm glad he was pleased with me," Ben said. "I didn't get him the hotel room he wanted."

She hadn't meant it to be reassuring.

"He's incapable of making his own hotel reservations?" Ghanima asked. "You may be his apprentice, Ben, but you are not his servant. Unless apprenticeship means something different in your world than mine, which I find very unlikely."

He shrugged. "He has moods," he said, understating things by a lot.

"I have moods," she replied. "My brother has mood swings that make a galaxy hold its breath. Mr. Solo has, if you will pardon my bluntness, an ego that brooks no competition, and a stick in unmentionable places to match."

Ben snickered, slightly scandalized. "Dean called him a dick," he shared. "He was pretty awful at the funeral."

Ghanima was used to being scandalizing, so she found Ben's response rather comforting. If he could laugh, even a bit, then that was good.

"Good for Dean," she said promptly. "It is nice to know that I'm not the only one who finds Mr. Solo disagreeable, although I am deeply sorry he was ill-behaved at the funeral. That's simply disgusting."

Ben shrugged. "Dad thinks we shouldn't antagonize him."

Ben disagreed rather a lot.

Re: Talk to Ghanima

atreideslioness - 2008-11-11 22:32 (UTC) - Expand

momslilassassin - 2008-11-11 22:54 (UTC) - Expand

atreideslioness - 2008-11-12 00:25 (UTC) - Expand

momslilassassin - 2008-11-12 03:11 (UTC) - Expand