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I am not a native speaker, so please forgive my errors.
Our space federation A is currently in the fiftieth year of a limited war with the alliance B, and the control of the K sector will greatly improve our position in this war. Our scout fleet has already surveyed the star systems in the sector, and found that most planets in these star systems have no life forms. The exception to this is the third planet in Sol system. That planet, Terra, has already developed a great industrial base and would be a perfect logistics depot and repair base.

However, to take advantage of that, it would be better to have the local inhabitants cooperate in a peaceful manner. Negotiation with the highest governing body of Terra, the Security Council, was going smoothly, but a blunder on our part has made them wary: they know that we are at war and wish to use their planet as a base.

They want to have closer interaction with us and learn the secrets of our technology, but do not want to be involved in a dangerous space war, as they have nowhere to run if their planet is attacked. Both federation A and alliance B will respect their neutrality if they stay out, but the one with Terra cooperation will control this strategic sector.

Like British and American cooperation in WW2, Normandy may fail, but with American resources and Britain support, other invasions will happen, and some will succeed eventually.

The main fleet of both sides will take some years to reach Sol, but our intelligence says that B has got wind of our negotiation and will try to sabotage the deal. We have got 1 month to seal the deal before B decode the Terra language and make a better deal with them to stay neutral or sided with B. What should we do to get Terra on our side?

Edit:
 Assumption:
- Terran know there is a limited war in their sector, so they assume the galactic situation is not totally peaceful, there are different factions, but the political climate is "warm" with limited war and inter galaxy law, not "hot" with total war and no law.
- There is a galatic UN-like organization that ensure neutrality of third parties, which Terran is currently not know of. But if A omit this in negoiating, B will try to contact and fill the blank to sow distrust in Terran and A. To prove their argument, B can simply help Terran reach the public communication channel of galatic UN, and A will have a hard time to deny the general information and policy of UN.

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  • $\begingroup$ also see worldbuilding.stackexchange.com/questions/36363/… $\endgroup$
    – Erik vanDoren
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 15:54
  • $\begingroup$ The remark about the communications blunder makes me think that Terra knows little or nothing about the galactic political situation. Your comment to my answer makes me think that Terra knows at least the outlines of what is going on. Could you clarify? $\endgroup$
    – o.m.
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:39
  • $\begingroup$ DTN, I mean this respectfully, but you're coming across as a little bit overly critical. Accept that each answer has its pros and cons, and some are better than others. It is a difficult situation you have put us Earthlings in, and there is no easy way out. $\endgroup$
    – Xandar The Zenon
    Commented Mar 12, 2016 at 4:09
  • $\begingroup$ @XandarTheZenon The cons in the answers come from the unclearness in the original question. I think I should clarify my point so others can understand the situation better (and may be improve their answer). I will accept the answer later today, but I hope for some change after I edit the question. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 12, 2016 at 5:02
  • $\begingroup$ @XandarTheZenon Also, please tell me the part I come across as overly critical. I am still new to the Internet posting and commenting (I am always a lurker in the past). $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 12, 2016 at 5:04

6 Answers 6

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Oh no, an asteroid is headed for Terra. How ever did that happen!

Luckily, the Federation has asteroid stopping technology, but it is classified. Only Federation planets can use. The Federation council would usually make an exception, but there is no time to contact them. The diplomats could only give them to technology if they where a Federation planet.

Luckily, the diplomats are allowed to admit new planets into the Union, so...

(Once in control, take over the media and improve living conditions.)

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  • $\begingroup$ A surprisingly good answer. I am amazed that such a short and simple answer could evade almost all the trouble I can think of. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 16, 2016 at 14:53
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    $\begingroup$ In space, puny Terran have no way to identify all threat from asteroids, and Federation A can just give the Terran the technique to detect the asteroid themselve, with some "nudge" in the technology transfer process. No need to make a fuss about it and make the whole thing suspicious. Can give offhand comment like "That asteroid look like it is in a collison course. Tell your leader to ready the anti-asteroid shield. What? Your civilization didn't develop it, even after knowing about the lizard disaster?" to look even more innocent. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 16, 2016 at 15:08
  • $\begingroup$ Space is big, and with their scout fleet one month away, there are no way B can give convincible evident to make A look bad enough to reverse the good will from the savior act of A. Someone may overthink it and notice the perfect timing for A, but no one will aware the siniter act of A without another disaster grade blunder. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 16, 2016 at 15:18
  • $\begingroup$ Now I realize the true problem of this situation: to become supply base for A, the Terran must be "forced" somehow, but the Terran can not attribute their hatred to A. So the act must be subtle enough that even B cannot give subtaintial evident about A foul play, but also dangerous enough to make Terran panic and give up their diplomatic plan quickly. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 16, 2016 at 15:25
  • $\begingroup$ The only problems I can think of are: A may not have the ability to make the asteroid quickly, B sensor may be so good that A act got caught red hand, or Terran already have a good asteroid defense plan. But I can handwave them easily. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 16, 2016 at 15:28
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  • Start with some technology transfers at once, without preconditions. This should be selected to be immediately useful to the locals and also useful to your war effort, should the negotiations prosper. Keep other technology back as a bargaining chip.
  • Convince them that the Federation A is a multi-species polity where any species can rise to the highest office. Make sure that all your delegations are diverse, and that the senior officers in different areas (chief diplomat, chief soldier, chief scientist) are different species. The goal is to convince mankind that they can find a home in the Federation.
  • Convince them that the war will come their way whatever they do, and that B would violate their neutrality as soon as it becomes expedient for B. This will be a lie, so lie carefully.
  • Offer to transport some humans to a "lifeboat colony" outside the warzone. Make sure that there is travel between this colony (on one of your worlds) and Terra. That gives mankind a stake in the survival of the Federation.
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  • $\begingroup$ You are trying to integrate Terra into the federation, and that may drag them to your future war against Alliance B or Empire C. They want to avoid war because in space war, weapon againt planet often cause apocalypse disaster to the population in the planet. Lose a great part of their population at space war is exactly the fear of the Council. A lifeboat colony is far from enough. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:23
  • $\begingroup$ Also, the lie about violating neutrality will be expose when B contact Terra. A and B are parts of a UN-type galaxy organization, and B can just bring proof of great consequense for violating neutrality. A lie in that scale will cause deep distrust in Terra about A, and they may doubt your other promises. Anyway, after the lie is exposed, the base potential of Terra will decrease a lot, as Terra will actively try to limit their involve in war and may secretly negotiate with B. But I did not mention UN in original post, so this is OK. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:29
  • $\begingroup$ @DTN, the goal of Federation A is to recruit/dupe Terra into becoming a base for their war. My suggestion is to make a believable offer of membership, whether that offer is genuine or not. When B tells the truth, A could always claim that B is lying. How can Terrans tell? $\endgroup$
    – o.m.
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:36
  • $\begingroup$ If A lie, after B connect to Terran, they can tell Terran where to get public general information about law and history of galatic diclomatic relation (galatic wikipedia, for example). A may trick Terran to accept a deal before B connect, but when the truth come, Terran may think A is a big liar ("our military is stronger than B" is understandable lie, but deny them the neutrality guarantee by galatic UN is a big lie) and cite it as reason to break the deal. And A cannot really use that as a reason to attack Terran, because they break the law first. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 20:02
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Rather than going through the UN Security Council, the easiest way to quickly arrange for a treaty necessary to set up a base and trade deals needed for resupply would be to simply send out messages to as many news outlets in as many languages as possible.

The message:

We wish to set up a base on this planet. The country that gives us the best deal in the next 10 days to allow us use of its territory to set up a spaceport will receive exclusive trade rights for the next 20 years. All distribution of our technology and goods will only be through the spaceport, and subject to controls by the hosting country. The host country will also immediately be under our protection and will be defended from attacks by other countries.

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With only one month to make it deal it's time for drastic measures.

Find a ambitious military leader who is both popular with the people and trusted by the army. Convince him that with your help he can take control of the security Council. bribe the mainstream media to portray the security council as indecisive. Have them convince the public that the security Council is putting the entire planet of Terra at risk by not form an alliance with you. Have them do everything they can to portray the council as incompetent, and indecisive. Supply you're ambitious military leader with Advanced weapons and ships, let him stage a coup d'État against the Council.

Since you already have the mainstream media in your pocket, used them to portray the military leader as a reluctant hero forced to take power in order to protect Terra from the incompetent Security Council.

Once that's done offer the new ruler of Terra the military technology he will need in order to hold his new position in exchange he will form an alliance with you.

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  • $\begingroup$ If the control of mainstream media is not as effective as expected (and control the media is really hard, especially in short time frame), the Terran has every reason to believe that they are invaded and puppeted by alien. Cooperation is out of the window, even the industrial base may be greatly damaged in the following civil war between the Council and your puppet military learder. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 20:10
  • $\begingroup$ Assume the control of media is success, that mean the media is easy to control, and when B scout fleet come in 1 month, this will become the war between A and B to control Terran media. A and B are old enemy, they know other tactic and counter, which draw out to this 50th limited war. B only need to disrupt the control of A over Terran media, and civil war will do the rest. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 20:16
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    $\begingroup$ Control of media wouldn't be hard. In fact, it'd be crazy easy... Step 1. Find one human proxy to act as middle man (someone down on their luck works well.) Step 2. Have Proxy approach someone in industrial sector. Offer space-gizmo "A" and blueprints in exchange for ridiculous amounts of currency. (If they don't buy, let them know you plan to sell to competitor). Repeat until funds acquired. Step 3. Do take-over stock-buy of News Corporation. All steps could probably be done within two weeks or less. It's been done before. Then have media stay same, and just tell what to spin. Done. $\endgroup$
    – lilHar
    Commented Jun 7, 2016 at 15:29
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Convince them that picking a side is better than being caught up in the middle. Stress that when the other side arrives, Earth will inadvertently be caught in the middle of the fighting.

If they become your allies, they'll get access to your technology and will be able to build up their defenses. Stress that you don't expect them to take active part in the war but just defend themselves.

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  • $\begingroup$ Even so, after the war, Alliance B will remember Earth's role in their defeat. Earth will always be under "protection" of Federation A to avoid attack from B, and likely caught in future war between A and B.They want a long lasting neutral like Switzerland. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:11
  • $\begingroup$ You tell Earth that they need to survive this first and make amends with B later when the war is over. In addition if Earth does not get A's tech, they won't be able to build up their defenses and being in strategic position will easy prey for others. Switzerland is a remote mountainous country which makes it much easier to maintain neutrality, Earth is caught in the middle of a huge war and has to quickly makes its mind if it want to survive. $\endgroup$
    – ventsyv
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 17:43
  • $\begingroup$ In fact, both A and B is bond by interal politic and intergalatic law, so they cannot make total war or obviously violate the neutrality. A or B may lie, but the other side will expose the lie when Earth has communication chanel to both side, damage the relationship and cooperation, lessen the strategic value of the Earth. $\endgroup$
    – DTN
    Commented Mar 11, 2016 at 19:46
  • $\begingroup$ If they don't know they'll be left alone, are you planning to tell them that? Or are you okay implying that B will think they are already allied with you, and that since they already have the drawbacks of association with A, they might as well accept the benefits as well? (Also, be sure to emphasize those benefits. Scared of losing their only planet? Help them immigration to your other worlds, or even a new world not involved in the conflict, if you can swing it.) $\endgroup$
    – Matthew
    Commented Feb 3, 2020 at 17:56
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If Federation A is an authoritarian state, have them approach the most authoritarian governments of Earth, offer them the technology to conquer the rest of Earth—but not enough to make them a real threat—and tell them that as long as they leave the Federation's bases alone, and have no dealings with Alliance B, they will be allowed to rule the rest of Earth as they please.

(If you don't think there are heads of state who would gladly accept this offer, you haven't read enough history.)

When Alliance B's diplomats show up, they get nowhere.

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