Fandom High School

The walls of Trebor's pack-and-play had gotten taller again, the light glinting off the force-field top from where it was now more visible behind her desk. Despite not being Pre-Born, Trebor had rapidly departed the 'potato' stage of infant, and was rapidly becoming far more mobile.

"Good morning. Today, we work with chapter four, often known as 'Tactical Dispositions'," Ghanima said, smiling at the class as she went up to the wipe board. "Sun Tzu said: 'The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.'"

She picked up the marker and began to write. "First, he claimed that 'to secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.' This is excellent advice, as it reminds us that the enemy is never perfect, and that everyone, ourselves included, has a weakness. 'Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.'"

"'Security against defeat implies defensive tactics; ability to defeat the enemy means taking the offensive,'" she recited, writing quickly. "'Standing on the defensive indicates insufficient strength; attacking, a superabundance of strength.'"

"So, how do we reconcile these differences?" she asked, looking at them. "How can you create a plan of attack for anything, not just combat, using Tzu's ideas? Wooing a romantic partner by using almost defensive-only tactics seems doomed to failure, as does using that mindset during a business transaction. We know from our earlier lesson that a prologued engagement benefits no one in the long run, why do you then think Tzu advocates waiting here?" Ghanima set down her marker and turned around to face them fully. "I'd like to discuss this, and try to come up with a non-combat situation where this would be a viable, and indeed desirable, strategy."

"Begin."