can the Solarian League recovered diplomatically?

it was mentioned in to End in Fire that a lot of their former protectorates and neighbors were trying to get a "just in case" defensive treaty against the Solarian League with Manticore. The fact they think that sort of behavior is necessary really doesn't bode well for the league in terms of diplomacy/reputation.

Diplomacy is the art of saying "Nice doggy" while searching for a bigger stick.

Puidwen wrote:it was mentioned in to End in Fire that a lot of their former protectorates and neighbors were trying to get a "just in case" defensive treaty against the Solarian League with Manticore. The fact they think that sort of behavior is necessary really doesn't bode well for the league in terms of diplomacy/reputation.

Think of the DL's breakup in the context of the former British Empire. Some nations got nominal independence but stayed in the Commonwealth, some went fully independent but maintained friendly relations with Britain, some went independent and formed other alliances, and some threw the Brits out on their imperial butts.

The Solarian League was never a monolith. Each star nation will have its own concerns, and the level of foresight and canniness displayed by their leaders will vary. Barregos and Rozak saw it coming and made plans, and the Maya Sector Alliance will probably wind up being a strong and stable multi-system polity. Others will dither until desperation forces them to act, and will wind up with less than ideal solutions.