Advanced Negotiations

[padmeofnaboo.livejournal.com]

Scenario:

You are to attend a diplomatic meeting with a historically hostile party. This party has had a long history of violent confrontation with your people and has a reputation for dishonesty. Yet, the rules of conduct for this mediated meeting are that no one be armed nor display anything that could be construed as aggressive. What do you do? Explain your reasoning.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

In order for this situation to work, one has to trust the mediator. Very well. I'm assuming that the meeting is in a neutral location, as well, otherwise you're screwed.
Bring people who are good at unarmed combat, or have other special skills- magic, superpowered, whatever- and be prepared for the worst. Have others waiting near the meeting site, ready to come in and fight at a signal- or perhaps a lack of a signal. Then, wait for them to start something. Or insist on neutral guards with stun weapons, who are instructed to stun anyone who looks about ready to get violent.

Or, alternatively, just kill them all. Why're you even trying to negotiate with them? They're violent, and their past dishonesty implies that they're not going to honor any agreements made at this meeting.

Just saying.

[neptune-wallace.livejournal.com]

*Wallace scoots his desk a little farther from Faith's*

I agree with every word. Please don't hurt me!

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

You mean these aren't the only kinds of negotiations there are? Huh. Guess you don't send Jedi to the easy ones.

You follow the guidelines as they've been set up, but you prepare yourself to improvise. Get a read on the body language of the party in front of you, see if they look like they're getting ready to do anything. Make sure you do a scan of the area before you step into it to make sure they've been following the guidelines they set out.

Be the one to behave in good faith but have a back-up plan ready in case they aren't doing the same.

[pure-blooddraco.livejournal.com]

Well, it's all about location. You have to make it in a place that is neutral to both sides. Though I wouldn't say no to any inside infomation saying where the meeting will be, then we can set up some sort of defense.
I'd bring people with me who can take and throw a punch. Perhaps people with supernatural powers that don't rely on wands.

And I'd be ready to kill as soon as they set foot in the room.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

*Looks over at the loud scooting noise. debates making a fake threatening gesture, remembers that she's trying to be good. also remembers rover.*
Oh, for god's sake, it's a hypothetical situation. Even if it was, you know, kinda true. I'm not actually killing anyone.

[fh_jackass]

Can we have a neutral third party enforce the weapons ban? Or is this purely on the honor system?

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

See, I like the way you think.

[padmeofnaboo.livejournal.com]

It is always best to prepare for anything, I suppose.

[padmeofnaboo.livejournal.com]

Of course. You could make that a condition of the meeting.

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

If you can persuade them that a neutral third party is an advantage, then you should conduct it with help from them. The location agreed on needs to be neutral, with access only being allowed in at a certain time. Before then would violate the accords agreed on prior to the meeting.

The representative party needs to know how to defend his/her self without weapons. Although their reputation is for dishonesty, you cannot presume that they will break their word on this occassion, and for you to break the agreement first will allow them to increase hostilities, thinking that they are in the right to do so.

[02maxwell.livejournal.com]

Go with the flow. Most higher up government-types are wussies anyway, so they're not the ones who're gettin' involved in the violent confrontation, so if they ask for an arms-free meeting, they're probably afraid of you. *grins* Also, make sure to keep someone with access to missiles or somethin' on standby. Just in case.

[padmeofnaboo.livejournal.com]

Very good, very thorough. You speak as if from experience?

[notcalledlizzie.livejournal.com]

*flushes, and sits there, mouth slightly open* Ah... I... *gives up* Yes

[fh_jackass]

Okay. So, you go with the meeting, although you keep your own armed people nearby in case you need backup quickly. You don't need weapons to negotiate.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

I would go out of my way to look as non-threatening as possible - down to wearing white if I can. If I deliberately look harmless, they may find me non-threatening, and could be more peaceful than otherwise.

[emo-padawan.livejournal.com]

That sounds exactly like my old teacher. "You don't need weapons to negotiate."

And you don't. You just need to do the research beforehand to make sure you are absolutely as prepared as you can be. And be ready for them to break the deal at any time.

[fh_jackass]

Yeah, you should expect them to pull some tricks, and be prepared for whatever they could come up with. Best thing would probably to get a diagram of the meeting place, figure out how many delegates they're sending, and try to come up with every possible scenario they could throw at you, and be prepared for them all.

Never trust anyone.

[fh_jackass]

*Eyes her suspiciously, with a hint of a grin.*

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

But if the other side has no intention of negotiating, as is the case a lot, then weapons rapidly become necessary.
Really, it's probably best to be overprepared, instead of underprepared.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_gottahavefaith/]

((ooc- best logan icon ever.))

[fh_jackass]

True. That's why I suggest having backup outside - so you can protect yourself without breaking the rules of the negotiation.

Of course, this is under the assumption that the neutral third party is reliable. If not, you need to take a different approach.

[auroryborealis.livejournal.com]

*looks innocent.*

What? If I have to look like Snow White, I should be able to use it to my advantage.

[fh_jackass]

I'll keep that in mind.

[fh_jackass]

[ooc: Thanks!]

[janet_fraiser]

OOC: *points and laughs at you*