fandomhigh | Mad Kings & Queens, Week V [Monday, Period 4]

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mad kings & queens

Mad Kings & Queens, Week V [Monday, Period 4]

"Today might seem familiar to some of my previous students, and for that I apologize. I had to re-arrange our syllabus slightly."

"Over the last few weeks, I have given you some examples of rulers gone mad," Ghanima stated. "To be honest, the best way to survive such a monarch is to quite simply keep your head down. If you don't make waves, you'll probably survive the experience. Some may call this cowardly, but it is common sense. Unless you have some way to change the status quo, your best option is to try and wait it out."

"There are many ways to remove someone from power." Hopping off the recreation of her desk, Ghanima picked up a marker and twirled it between her fingers. "Assassination, a military coup, a legalized change in the laws of succession, a conspiracy by other family members, bribery, kidnapping, the list goes on and on."

"Today we are discussing how to be a successful revolutionary, as well as how to keep and hold power. For those of you who favor the democratic methods, I’m going to ask you to set aside your personal feelings for the time being. Our focus today is on the various ways to overthrow a government. I’m not interested in hearing about the right or wrong just yet, that’s up to each of you as private individuals."

"We're going to discuss what revolutions can be used for, how they can be put together, and why a failed revolution can be just as effective."

"Weapons. Organization. Tactics. Propaganda. Intelligence." Ghanima turned to the wipe-board at the front of the room and began writing as she spoke. "These are some of the basic resources on both sides of the divide. However, these alone are not enough to overcome a government. It requires teamwork, coordination, a willingness to make hard choices, determination, and passion. Despite what romantics and poets may think," she said, turning back to the class, "there is no such thing as a one man revolution. While one person can start the ball rolling, they most assuredly will not win without an organization backing them."

"What is the difference between a revolution and a rebellion?" Setting down her marker, Ghanima grabbed some handouts from her desk and began distributing them. "Is it simply the matter of selecting an adjective, or is there a fundamental, underlying difference between the two? How do you decide if you are rebelling, or beginning a revolution? If you are an emperor, how would you portray such an insurgency? To the ruling faction, is there a difference, or is the only distinction in the eyes of the opposition?" She asked, smiling quietly at each of the students. "These are difficult questions, and I do not expect you to have conclusive answers already prepared."

"Now, how is the battle fought?" More handouts were passed around the class. "Guerilla warfare, the army, irregular soldiers, special forces, spies, propagandists, strategists, tacticians, all of these people are employed by both sides of a revolt. You don’t just need to win a fight on a physical battlefield, half the battle in a revolution is spiritual. You need to win the hearts and minds of the people. No matter which side you’re on, if you do not gain the support of public, you will never win. Never. You might win a reprieve today, or tomorrow, or for a week or a year or ten years, or ten thousand years, but you. Will. Lose."

"As the ruler of a country, what would you do when faced with a revolution? Don’t say 'negotiate', or 'listen to their grievances,' because realistically that is not what’s going to happen," she said, stalking down the rows of desks. "You are the God King of the Universe, born, bred, and trained to the position, and you have some nobody telling you that you’re not doing your job properly? Are you actually going to listen to these people? No, you are not."

"Remember – sometimes a failed revolution can do just as much good as a successful one, if you play your cards right. However, is a dead revolutionary really a successful one, even if his or her cause succeeds?" Ghanima leaned back against her desk, neon eyes swirling. "I will leave that up for you to decide."

[OOC: ~~Plz wait for the~~ OCD ~~to go~~ up!]

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Merlin made a face, looking very uncomfortable with that tone. "I might have picked a fight with him, actually."

An interesting reaction to her use of Voice, and Ghanima filed it away for future contemplation.

"A fight? Well, that only took him five weeks," she said lightly. "Usually Leto annoys people much sooner than that."

"That sort?" No wonder he and Arthur... well. Merlin just wasn't going to think about that.

"That depends on what you mean by 'that sort.'"

"I love my brother dearly, but I remember how we were quite clearly at that age. Smug, sarcastic, highly intelligent, and we clearly knew better than everyone around us."

They actually had known better than anyone, but that was beside the point.

"We were so used to finishing each other's thoughts that we sometimes lacked the ability to deal with other people." Ghanima interlaced her fingers and smiled. "Twins. One heart, two bodies; we were the counterpoint to each other. I'm sure it doesn't even occur to Leto half the time that he's being impossible, because he's used to having me there to balance him out."

"Although if he's being 'that sort', you certainly have permission to toss something at his head."

Merlin burst into a laugh at the end. "I don't think I would do that unless he did something to Arthur."

"And did he do something to Arthur?" she asked mildly.

Afterall, a fight had been picked.

"I thought they had a fight and asked Leto about it, because Arthur... Arthur. And has the subtly of a rock thrown at your head about his moods." Merlin looked a bit sheepish as he continued. "And Leto didn't want to answer what happened."

"He used the Voice on you while trying to keep from answering." Ghanima was clearly Not Pleased. "What, exactly, did he say?"

"That he would not harm Arthur." Merlin shrugged. "Is that a common ability among people where you're from?"

"Common? No. But it is something that most people can be trained to do," Ghanima said, "with varying degrees of sucess. It is usually used to compel obedience, but the level of success depends on how well the user has mastered the ability."

"It is nearly impossible to lie while using the Voice, so if he said he would not harm Arthur, he means it."

Merlin nodded, looking down. "Then I suppose I owe him another apology."

"And I apologize if he frightened you." Ghanima shook her head slightly. "The Voice can be disconcerting, the first few times you hear it."

"I wasn't frightened." Oh sure, that was the important thing to say. "Is it a learnable thing?"

"Everyone in our universe has the ability to learn it, to some degree," Ghanima said. "Leto and I, however, have a bit of an advantage. Our bloodline makes us predisposed to many talents, not the least of which is mastery of the Voice."

"Could someone be taught to not listen to it?"

That caught Ghanima's interest, and she raised an eyebrow. "Of course," she answered mildly. "Unless you render yourself deaf, you can't not hear it, but there are ways to raise your awareness of it, and make yourself immune to its effects."

"I think I'm already aware of it," Merlin muttered. "How would --someone make themselves immune?"

"The most common method is to learn to use it yourself," she replied honestly. "Once you can use it yourself, it becomes easier to detect and resist."

"It is of limited utility against an extremely disciplined mind, you see. It works against the unconscious, and the person using it against you must be able to accurately judge in what tone and manner it will be effective. It's not a blunt-force weapon, but a delicate tool, and like most tools can be turned to your own advantage."

"I don't think I'd want to use it on people," Merlin said, honestly. "Would you be able to teach me how to turn it?"

She's going to collect another stray, Mohiam mocked sharply from the fringes of Ghanima's Other Memory. Disgusting!

Ghanima chose to ignore the tau hovering at the edge of her conciousness, instead focusing on Merlin. "Why?" she asked. "Personal interest, or are you worried about Leto?"

"Personal interest."

Ghanima considered Merlin. "It's highly unlikely that the Voice even exists in your world," she pointed out. "If you do not feel threatened by my brother, why do you wish to learn to resist it?"

She pulled the combined talents of the Bene Gesserit to the foreground of her mind, watching him through the lens of Mohiam's Truthsaying abilities. If he lied, she would know.

"I've heard something like it before," He admitted.

Well that wasn't worrying at all.

"Sit," she commanded, pointing at a chair. "Where, when, how, and did they try to make you do anything?"

Merlin took a seat, looking around for any sort of squirrel. "You wouldn't tell anyone about this?"

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