The Art of War, Week #11 [Period 3, Monday]

[atreideslioness]

As the students entered this week, they would see a passage on the board:

Sun Tzu said: We may distinguish six kinds of terrain, to wit:
(1) Accessible ground
(2) entangling ground
(3) temporizing ground
(4) narrow passes
(5) precipitous heights
(6) positions at a great distance from the enemy.

"Terrain. Which I am sure you are all dreadfully sick of hearing me talk about," Ghanima announced as soon as the last student was seated. "However, if you do not know where or how you stand, in any battle, you will lose. I cannot stress this enough. It doesn't matter if you're facing a troop of Sardaukar on Salusa Secundus, or trying to make dinner plans with a cranky significant other. If you cannot understand the terrain under your feet, you will find yourself on the wrong end of a metaphorical or physical blade."

"This all goes back to what we discussed that first week of class, "'Hence the saying: If you know the enemy and know yourself, your victory will not stand in doubt.' To know your soldiers, you must know yourself. You must be able to assess both the capabilities of your fighting force, and your own ability to command them in terrain before you. If you cannot give the soldiers what they need, even the most elite squad in the Empire can fall against a small handful of women and children." Not that Ghanima would know. At all.

"First, however, I want to hear how you did over the last week."

[OOC: Ya'll know the drill - the OCD is up, so go play!]

Comments

Sign-In #11

[atreideslioness]

Victoriously! (or not, depending on your week.)

Re: Sign-In #11

[not-that-gentle.livejournal.com]

Susan Pevensie

Listen to the Lecture

[atreideslioness]

It's short, but take notes, pass notes, whatever tickles your fancy.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[solo_sword]

Jaina decided that a plus of fighting in space was that it helped even things out a bit on the terrain front. Still, there were other factors, and it wasn't like she only fought in space, so she was paying close attention.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah took notes. As per usual, she figured that this would help her in the battles she knew she was to have in her future.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

Lee took a few notes but spent most of his time trying to figure out how the different terrains on the different planets in the Colonies would affect him if he ever had to fight there.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

Ella listened closely, scribbling notes. She knew she needed to hope she knew the enemy, without letting them know her too deeply.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[intraspective]

Ino jotted down notes, nibbling on the cap of her pen as she did so. This was, really, more Shikamaru's strong point and she knew she had to get better at it.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[momslilassassin]

Ben had started taking slightly obsessive notes in this class.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[im-afrog.livejournal.com]

Adam was definitely taking notes. Funny how this could be applied to him and his friends back home.

Re: Listen to the Lecture

[weetuskenraider]

Tahiri's notes ended up having two columns: each of the six kinds of terrain according to Jedi standards, and each of the six according to Yuuzhan Vong standards.

Report!

[atreideslioness]

Tell us how your assignment went! Handwavey is fine

Re: Report!

[solo_sword]

"Uh, I wasn't here for part of the week, but I continued the assignment at home and it went really well," Jaina said, not exactly shy, but clearly trying not to sound like she was bragging. "I brought proof." Which was the slightly battered folded piece of paper in front of her with quite a few different signatures on it, a few people having signed their name multiple times throughout.

Re: Report!

[walks-two-paths.livejournal.com]

Savannah looked disappointed. "I was sick for most of the week and didn't end up doing much of anything outside of classes and work but rest in my room."

She had been looking forward to trying the assignment, too.

Re: Report!

[stupid-toasters.livejournal.com]

"I...failed the assignment," Lee said, "but, in my defense, I've been taking care of a baby Ewok for half the week and the other half, I've been sleeping. Other reasons too but those were the two big ones."

Re: Report!

[ella-obeys.livejournal.com]

"I got someone to cook me dinner," Ella said, with a shy smile to Ronan if he was there. "It was a delightful meal, and he was a perfect gentleman."

Re: Report!

[intraspective]

"I got Ichigo to buy me dinner," Ino volunteered. "And he brought me pastry the next day."

Re: Report!

[momslilassassin]

"Jaina bought me ice cream," Ben said, "but it was mostly as part of a fact finding mission."

Re: Report!

[athosborn.livejournal.com]

"I was unable to get anyone to make or purchase food for me," Teyla admitted. "I could not get past my guilt at having anyone do such a thing."

Re: Report!

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

Agnes frowned, and held her chin up high. "I decided not to do the assignment," she announced.

Because no one would ever want to buy ME dinner.

Discussion: Metaphorical Ground.

[atreideslioness]

"Let's talk about the Tzu's classifications of 'ground,'" Ghanima said smoothly, "and try and sort them out into interpersonal situations you may be involved in. What sort of event might be called 'accessible ground'? How about a 'narrow pass?'"

[OOC: Feel free to ping with a situation that might fit the descriptions Tzu provides, and discuss from there. Information about the terrain can be found here]

Re: Discussion: Metaphorical Ground.

[finding-x-dream.livejournal.com]

"I think the 'narrow passes' and 'precipitous heights' are where all the pretty people start out," Agnes muttered grumpily.

Lecture II & Assignment

[atreideslioness]

"The funny thing about terrain," Ghanima said, "is that it can shift without warning. What was a dry creek-bed may suddenly become a flash flood. Entangling ground may shift to become a narrow pass. You cannot count on your battlefield staying the same, and this is especially true when dealing with other people."

"Negotiation, however, is startling efficient in bringing parties to a common ground, where your 'battle' can be on more equal terms."

Nevermind that Ghanima's personal idea of 'negotiation' was simply manipulating the other person until they came around to where you wanted them.

"Which is why, this week, you will be in groups of three. You will spend a minimum of forty-eight hours together over the next week. It does not have to be consecutive, although you may try and power through the assignment if you wish. However, you must spend time together as a trio, and each chunk of time must be at least four hours in duration."

"Whenever possible, you will visit your teammates' places of employment, and, if it is acceptable to their other teachers, attend classes with them. You will probably get on each others' nerves, and hate me before the exercise is over. However you will learn, hopefully, how to negotiate. Where and when are you spending time together. What is for dinner? What aspects of your lives are off-limits? In the process, you'll learn more about your classmates, practice your negotiation skills, and quite possibly learn new things about yourselves."

"I have broken you into groups, based out of names out of a hat. If you find your group completely unacceptable, simply negotiate to trade places with another person."

"Group one: Adam Park, Susan Pevensie, Myn Donos. Group two: Agnes Nitt, Harvey Dent, Savannah Levine. Group three: Ben Skywalker, Liir Thropp, Ella of Frell. Group four: Eve Levine, Ino Yamanaka, Jania Solo. Group five: Jo Harvelle, Teyla Emmagan, Edmund Pevensie. Group six: Reno, Tahiri Veila, Lee Adama. Group seven: Ronan Nolan, Alice Liddell, Tony Foster."

"Good luck."

[OOC the 2nd: This can all be as handwaved as needed, but be sure you clear it with your group-mates first!]

Re: Lecture II & Assignment

[solo_sword]

Hm. This was going to be interesting. Jaina waited for her group, already mentally trying to figure out how to fit other people around her insane self-inflicted work schedule.

Talk to the TA

[atreideslioness]

If he's there.

Re: Talk to the TA

[raspberryturk]

Of course he was there! And he had himself a flashy boutonniere proudly fastened to his jacket.

He was in a good mood, dammit.

Talk to Ghanima

[atreideslioness]

Feel free to flail at her and WTF. She won't mind.

OOC (again)

[atreideslioness]

Welcome to the 'diplomacy' part of the class. Have fun getting hands-on!

Edit: If you do need to switch groups or handwave, that is totally fine. RL schedule > RP.

Also, if you are planning on going to classes together, please remember to get OOC permission from the teacher! OOC = love!