An Exchange of Ultimatums
- Location
- Rockford, USA
- Pronouns
- They/Them
[X] Plan Damocles
-[X]Demands
--[X] The immediate release of Virmirean merchants from Lystheni territory (civilians released as a precondition of continued negotiations).
--[X] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[X] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[X] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[X] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[X] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
-[X] Leverage
--[X] A continued complete trade embargo (what it says).
--[X] The dissolution of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty and a complete blockade of Lystheni space (claim the LBZ and put defense platforms in every system to make sure that nothing passes).
--[X] War (make your implicit threat explicit).
-[X] Concessions
--[X] Economic support of Lystheni interests, working towards a common understanding and cooperation (basically civilian Marshall Plan by Virmirean companies).
--[X] A commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of the Lystheni state as a priority of Virmirean foreign policy (guarantee the Lystheni's independence).
--[X] A general withdrawal of military forces (stand down the 3rd RWF).
--[X] The release of captured Lystheni intelligence operatives in Virmirean space (give back their spies).
-[X]Demands
--[X] The immediate release of Virmirean merchants from Lystheni territory (civilians released as a precondition of continued negotiations).
--[X] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[X] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[X] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[X] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[X] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
-[X] Leverage
--[X] A continued complete trade embargo (what it says).
--[X] The dissolution of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty and a complete blockade of Lystheni space (claim the LBZ and put defense platforms in every system to make sure that nothing passes).
--[X] War (make your implicit threat explicit).
-[X] Concessions
--[X] Economic support of Lystheni interests, working towards a common understanding and cooperation (basically civilian Marshall Plan by Virmirean companies).
--[X] A commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of the Lystheni state as a priority of Virmirean foreign policy (guarantee the Lystheni's independence).
--[X] A general withdrawal of military forces (stand down the 3rd RWF).
--[X] The release of captured Lystheni intelligence operatives in Virmirean space (give back their spies).
An Exchange of Ultimatums
With a quick breath, you step forward, shoving open the door to the briefing room.
Tha Dalatrass, seated within with an aide by her side and two guards behind her, merely glances up before returning to her notes.
Your eyes narrow. True, you're no diplomatic veteran like Kirai, but you know when you're being snubbed. It would seem that the Dalatrass is trying to claw back some measure of control over these proceedings. You ignore her, and cross to your own chair. Kirai follows you in lockstep. Your guards take positions behind you both and off to either side, preserving their firing lines. You sit down, take out your documents, and review your list.
It's not a final list; that would be wildly premature. You of course have ideas about what concessions you're willing to trade for which demands, and at what points you're willing to call in your various points of leverage, but a negotiation does not proceed according to script. From the word go, everything collapses, and you've dealt with the Lystheni enough to know that they will surprise you at some point.
So you have only one point of order, to begin.
"You will release my citizens immediately, and unharmed, or these negotiations are concluded," you say, shattering the silence with a voice suited for a much larger room, before falling silent again. You don't look at the Dalatrass.
After a moment, you hear her voice -- old, cracked, and far more aged than the last time you spoke with her -- saying, "I was under the impression that we were here to conduct a discussion, Prime Minister. Opening with an ultimatum does not seem like the best way to start as we mean to go-"
"There are no negotiations under the threat of hostages," you say, voice brisk. "I am beginning these talks exactly as I mean to go on. You have wronged my nation. Every second you sit there with my people held captive wrongs my nation. We have many things to discuss, but we will discuss none of them while you continue to wrong us. They will be on their way out of your space in the next hour, or we have nothing to discuss." You look up.
The Dalatrass looks ancient; barely clinging to life. It's something of a shock, honestly; you still remember her as she was when you last met. She was by no means young then, but she is clearly almost out of life left to live now.
She scowls at you. "Well, if that is the tone we are taking..." She straightens in her chair, trying to regain her momentum. "I will not open my borders to a force with troops on the other side, and I will not be patronized to regarding citizens held when you hold several of my embassy staff captive -- illegally, by the terms of our embassy treaty! And you talk of treaty violations." She sneers. "You will stand down your fleets and release my kidnapped children, or you are correct in that we have nothing to discuss, Prime Minister!"
A quick trade of ultimatums later, the two of you have begun with your first head-on clash. Your reply? As a reminder: approval voting. Tally program will count only your latest vote. In case you are wondering, her allegations regarding breach of treaty are pure bullshit; espionage is not an offense covered under your terms of diplomatic immunity with her.
[ ] Reject her demands out of hand. She gets nothing.
-[ ] And walk out.
--[ ] Really.
--[ ] Unless she bends when you start.
-[ ] And reiterate your demands, this time backing them with one of your points of leverage if necessary.
--[ ] A continued complete trade embargo (what it says).
--[ ] The dissolution of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty and a complete blockade of Lystheni space (claim the LBZ and put defense platforms in every system to make sure that nothing passes).
--[ ] War (make your implicit threat explicit).
-[ ] And try to move past the point. Surely preconditioning the very occurrence of these talks on a point and then failing to follow through won't undercut your position. Instead move onto demanding...
--[ ] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[ ] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[ ] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[ ] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[ ] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
[ ] Accept one of her demands [WRITE-IN WHICH HERE], but refuse the other.
-[ ] And offer nothing else. She gets one thing for one thing, not two.
-[ ] And offer something else instead.
--[ ] Economic support of Lystheni interests, working towards a common understanding and cooperation (basically civilian Marshall Plan by Virmirean companies).
--[ ] A commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of the Lystheni state as a priority of Virmirean foreign policy (guarantee the Lystheni's independence).
[ ] Accept her demands in full, thereby securing your own.
-[ ] And onto your next demand.
--[ ] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[ ] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[ ] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[ ] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[ ] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
-[ ] And walk out. If your people are out of Lystheni hands, then the Lystheni have no leverage, and you can deal with them however you see fit. After this, diplomacy is not on the list of, "ways you see fit."
-[ ] And walk out.
--[ ] Really.
--[ ] Unless she bends when you start.
-[ ] And reiterate your demands, this time backing them with one of your points of leverage if necessary.
--[ ] A continued complete trade embargo (what it says).
--[ ] The dissolution of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty and a complete blockade of Lystheni space (claim the LBZ and put defense platforms in every system to make sure that nothing passes).
--[ ] War (make your implicit threat explicit).
-[ ] And try to move past the point. Surely preconditioning the very occurrence of these talks on a point and then failing to follow through won't undercut your position. Instead move onto demanding...
--[ ] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[ ] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[ ] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[ ] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[ ] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
[ ] Accept one of her demands [WRITE-IN WHICH HERE], but refuse the other.
-[ ] And offer nothing else. She gets one thing for one thing, not two.
-[ ] And offer something else instead.
--[ ] Economic support of Lystheni interests, working towards a common understanding and cooperation (basically civilian Marshall Plan by Virmirean companies).
--[ ] A commitment to maintaining the sovereignty of the Lystheni state as a priority of Virmirean foreign policy (guarantee the Lystheni's independence).
[ ] Accept her demands in full, thereby securing your own.
-[ ] And onto your next demand.
--[ ] Full disclosure of Lystheni history and society, including their origins and the nature of their animosity towards the Citadel (Lystheni forced to stop being cagey).
--[ ] The resumption of trade, this time on Virmirean terms (resumed trade relations with an open market, economically subordinating the Lystheni to you and proving far more profitable than the previous, protectionist agreement).
--[ ] Full Lystheni commitment to the Rachni War effort (all Lystheni military assets placed under your command).
--[ ] Full disclosure and surrender of the stations in Sikel in violation of the Virmire-Lystheni Border Treaty (get the artifacts and the stations on which they sit, along with experimental records).
--[ ] A network of your best observation posts throughout Lystheni space (become Big Sister).
-[ ] And walk out. If your people are out of Lystheni hands, then the Lystheni have no leverage, and you can deal with them however you see fit. After this, diplomacy is not on the list of, "ways you see fit."
TWO-HOUR MORATORIUM. THIS VOTE IS NOW CLOSED.
I have seen this being discussed here.
World War One was a very complicated matter. Unquestionably, everybody involved bears significant responsibility for what transpired. Unquestionably, the Allies-produced history texts' insistence that it was all down to those dirty Huns (sic) is a gross oversimplification, and a blatant attempt at ensuring that none of the blame for that nightmarish cataclysm of death and horror fell on them. Yet even so, one cannot deny from whom the first war declarations came, and who made the choice to start things. How much this shifts responsibility around in the equation is a matter of some debate, even today. Entire libraries have been written on the subject, and likely shall continue to be so for as long as we remember the Great War. It is one of the greatest, most lamentable tragedies in history, a status only heightened by the fact that even today, we find it impossible to point to, in any intellectual honesty, any one given actor and say, "That one! Those are the irredeemable, inhuman monsters to blame for the whole mess!"
The First World War was all the more tragic because, if you dig hard enough, it was so unbearably human, at its roots. Everybody involved had good reason to believe throughout the entire matter that they were making the right decisions, before blinking to find that four years and eighteen million people, around a third of whom were civilians, had passed, and that a further some twenty-three million had been injured or gone missing, and that no reasons could possibly have been good enough. This conflict has lessons to teach, and it deserves ample discussion and thought.
All of which, regrettably, would be grossly inappropriate to discuss here, where it could only be underserved in contrast to what it deserves.
Thank you.
World War One was a very complicated matter. Unquestionably, everybody involved bears significant responsibility for what transpired. Unquestionably, the Allies-produced history texts' insistence that it was all down to those dirty Huns (sic) is a gross oversimplification, and a blatant attempt at ensuring that none of the blame for that nightmarish cataclysm of death and horror fell on them. Yet even so, one cannot deny from whom the first war declarations came, and who made the choice to start things. How much this shifts responsibility around in the equation is a matter of some debate, even today. Entire libraries have been written on the subject, and likely shall continue to be so for as long as we remember the Great War. It is one of the greatest, most lamentable tragedies in history, a status only heightened by the fact that even today, we find it impossible to point to, in any intellectual honesty, any one given actor and say, "That one! Those are the irredeemable, inhuman monsters to blame for the whole mess!"
The First World War was all the more tragic because, if you dig hard enough, it was so unbearably human, at its roots. Everybody involved had good reason to believe throughout the entire matter that they were making the right decisions, before blinking to find that four years and eighteen million people, around a third of whom were civilians, had passed, and that a further some twenty-three million had been injured or gone missing, and that no reasons could possibly have been good enough. This conflict has lessons to teach, and it deserves ample discussion and thought.
All of which, regrettably, would be grossly inappropriate to discuss here, where it could only be underserved in contrast to what it deserves.
Thank you.
As it turns out, two preconditions smacking into each other makes for a swift stop for a vote.
Have fun debating!
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