“Diplomacy is the only valid option. It can be a hollow shell of diplomacy, filled with bribes, threats, or manipulations—but you have to make the smallest effort to get local approval. And like I said, it isn’t working. These folks have rebuffed the most important and powerful forces in the cosmere for years. Not biting on gifts, not bending to threats. Instead, they unified under a central government and began making demands.”
