Ghanima Atreides (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
atreideslioness) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2013-12-04 12:30 pm
atreideslioness) wrote in fandomhigh2013-12-04 12:30 pm
Entry tags:
Diplomacy, Relationships & Tactics: the Art of War [Wednesday]
"I apologize for missing the last two classes," Ghanima said as students arrived today. "My player has been ill There was a political situation at home that I needed to deal with in-person."
"Which means we have a lot to cover today." She turned and started writing on the boardf:
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. "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.
"The eleventh chapter of Tzu's book speaks of both the varieties of ground found within terrain, and of leadership styles."
"I do not feel like going over territory disputes, I've done that enough this past week. Instead, we will look at the leadership aspects of the chapter. There are as many different styles of directing people as there are people in the universe. While Tzu has some very good, and very bad, ideas, I'm curious to see what qualities you look for in a leader."
"First, however, I want to hear how you did over the last week."
"Which means we have a lot to cover today." She turned and started writing on the boardf:
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. "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.
"The eleventh chapter of Tzu's book speaks of both the varieties of ground found within terrain, and of leadership styles."
"I do not feel like going over territory disputes, I've done that enough this past week. Instead, we will look at the leadership aspects of the chapter. There are as many different styles of directing people as there are people in the universe. While Tzu has some very good, and very bad, ideas, I'm curious to see what qualities you look for in a leader."
"First, however, I want to hear how you did over the last week."