fandomhigh | Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Tuesday

"We've spoken," Kerrigan started in, as soon as the door had shut behind the last student. She gave no other warning, "To some extent, about the kinds of subterfuge you need when the scales are tipped against you. Because the day, the moment, the whatever where you realise that the upstairs is keeping you from your full potential is the moment you either lie down and die, or you begin to adapt to the principles of asymmetrical warfare."

There were several chessboards laid out before her, but she didn't say anything. Yet. "Some of you will have the misfortune of a struggle that doesn't involve guns and explosions. Some of you might have to kill your way up to the top. But no matter which one you wind up going with, you need to keep in mind what I have been trying to teach you: you're on your own. Manage your assets wisely."

She gestured at the TAs ~~if they were there~~ to distribute some handouts. "The Thirty-Six Stratagems," she said, "Don't let any idiot tell you they're 'strategies' - it's a little more subtle than that. An old Chinese wiseman jotted these down so that you, my darling students, can learn how to wine, dine, and cheat your way through the inexcusably oppressive ranks. I want you all to pay special attention to chapter six. Defeat Stratagems."

She smiled dangerously. "Number one: the beauty trap. Use someone, use yourself, whatever - someone desirable to cause havoc, to distract, and to pit people against each other. It's... easier to rise up when your enemies think you the friend and each other the adversary. Number two: the empty fort. Make them think your... specialness gives you more power than they could possibly comprehend. Feel free to insinuate towards your education here - that'll throw a few for a loop. Number three: Let the enemy sow discord in their own camp." She smirked. "I know all of you know how to gossip, insinuate... embellish."

She leaned her hands onto the table. "Number four: We've talked about this. Make yourself look like a wounded deer and you'll find people will come running to help you. Number five: run several plans simultaneously. Complex machinations might mess with your enemy's head - but it might also blow the whole thing out of the water. And number six..."

She paused. "Well. Let's translate that to 'always keep an exit and use it', kids. All of that 'going down with the ship' crap is nice and proud but it's of no use if the bastards fucking with you get to walk off crowing victory afterwards." She pulled away from the desk. "Read the rest of them. Think about it. We'll come back to this next week."

"Today, we're doing something else." She nodded towards the chess set. "Chess. With no rules - or rather, rules, but no rules within rules. I want you all to memorise the stratagems and put them to use. And I don't just mean by playing with the board - who knows, you might drive one of these teenage boys to distraction with a quick shimmy."

She sounded dry as hell, but at least after that, she fell silent.

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Gunn sat down at the game board and pondered the pieces and tried to come up with the best way to use the "stratagems" in the process.

Leia sat down opposite Gunn, probably grateful for a chance to think of something else other than what had happened at the end of Flight & Flying ~~though then again that thread was still being played out~~. "Chess?" she said. "How do you play that?"

She was totally lying. They had chess in a GFFA, they just used holographic pieces that fought it out for spaces.

"Hey, don't look at me," Gunn grinned back. "All I know is the little horsey thing goes in an 'L' shape. I'm more of a Milton Bradley kind of guy."

Well he did know the other moves and had played some chess in the park but it was nothing fancy that he knew.

"That's still more than me," Leia grinned. "Should I just concede defeat now then, or can you teach me enough to put up a fight for my life?"

"Oh, I'm sure I can teach you a few things," Gunn said with a smirk and held up a pawn. "These are called prawns. And they can move anywhere on the board, in any direction and with unlimited moves. They're the most powerful pieces on the board."

[Sorry. Got hijacked for a bit.]

Leia almost laughed at the "prawns" and the description. But she put on her best confused look. "Then why are they so much smaller than the other pieces?" she asked.

"They're not trying to overcompensate," Gunn explained.as he picked up a rook. "Now these here? These are castles. They never move unless an enemy piece lands next to it and then it just sort of topples over on them."

"Does another piece have to push it over?" Leia wondered. "Or does it just fall by itself?" She was trying not to appear too ditzy, and the urge to snicker was strong.

"There's a sensor and a gyroscope," Gunn said seriously. "You just put any enemy piece by it and it falls on top of it."

Then he held up the bishop (http://www.wholesalechess.com/images/products/0727P_1S.jpg). "Now the name of this one I don't utter in polite company," he said with a hint of a grin. "When you use it it blasts away all the pieces around it and then you can use it for thirty minutes afterward."

"That sounds very powerful," Leia said, reaching out to draw one finger along the side of the bishop. "Are you good with that piece?"

Gunn's eyebrows went up just a tad at the question. "Sounds like a mighty personal question," he joked.

"I just thought you seemed like someone who liked to play with power," Leia said. She picked up the white queen. "What defense would I have if you unleashed that kind of power on me?"

"Power isn't my thing," Gunn smirked. "Now having a good time? Well I can help you there. As for a defense you could always use your own piece but that could always get a bit messy."

"I can handle things when they're messy," Leia said, reaching across the board to pick up Gunn's king. "It's even fun that way sometimes. But that doesn't mean fast and clean doesn't have its good points, too."

"So you're someone who likes taking their time when playing the game?" Gunn asked trying to hide a grin.

"I like to do things right," Leia said, winking at Gunn. "And if that means taking my time, then I'm happy to do so."

And, since he hadn't stopped her from picking up his king, she held it up next to her queen. "I also like to play to win, and since I just took your king, I believe I did."

"Funny, I don't think that's how the game is supposed to be played," Gunn said with a burst of laughter.

"I don't recall the rooks falling over or the bishops exploding either," Leia accused with a grin. "But I do know the game ends when when a king is captured, and I have yours." She waved it in front of his face.

"I think all you're missing is the phrase 'neener-neener'," Gunn said grinning back.

"I could argue you deserve it after the prawns comment," Leia said.

"You mean they're called something else?" Gunn asked innocently.

"They don't look anything like seafood," Leia pointed out, laughing again.

Breaking the Glass Ceiling, Tuesday

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