Bring Them Around
Sometimes you've got to break the rules or maybe just evade them. Sometimes you need your subordinates' help to do it. Sometimes, they don't like it.
Perhaps the situation is more complex than you can explain now, or perhaps you just need or want to break the rules, but either way, you have to get them to do it. They could revolt, or go over your head. Even in a military situation, you might face the Anti-Mutiny if you don't Bring Them Around.
Anything from cajolery, to bribes, to threats and overbearing them can work.
In serious situations, killing the Rebellious Rebel, or just making him flee, can be double-edged: it raises the stakes of opposing you, but makes your character, and the risk of joining you, clear.
Shoot Your Mate and other techniques may be used to get their hands dirty, after which they will be less willing to rebel, because it would mean admitting wrongdoing.
Anime and Manga
- In the first Filler arc in the Bleach anime, one of the Bount is reluctant to try their Soylent Green Super Serum. Then he tries it anyway and turns into a massive prick.
Literature
- In Gav Thorpe's Warhammer 40,000 story "Renegades", after Gessert killed some Rebellious Rebels and saw another one flee his ship (to Bring News Back), he demanded that the rest paint over their chapter insignia to show they knew they were renegades. Some falter, but it is clear that he will kill anyone who fails.
- In Terry Pratchett's Making Money, a professor must cajole students into a necromantic rite. He starts with What Is Evil?—and then promises all As. Whereupon one student realizes that this transcends mundane rules about good and evil.
- In Ben Counter's Warhammer 40,000 story "Words of Blood", Athellenas orders his Black Templar Space Marines repeated retreats. When Valerian objects to the dishonor, preferring a Last Stand, Athellenas threatens him with not only execution, but depriving him of honors due the dead and not fighting in the final battle at the end of the universe. After his obedience, and the enemy's falling upon each other, Athellenas asserts that first, he, being captain, did not need to explain, and then explains that victory was the most important thing—and then learns that it had, indeed, been that crucial, because they were the only thing standing between this force and massacre.
- In both Lois McMaster Bujold's The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game, Miles Vorkosigan uses a wide variety of these techniques to control a mercenary fleet.
- In Rick Riordan's The Last Olympian, Nico goes to great lengths to persuade Hades to come and help the Olympians fight; whatever they had done to each other, they were family.
- In the first Honor Harrington book, Honor's crew blames her for their assignment to the worst post in the fleet, and she has to win them back through sheer force of will. She eventually brings everyone around except for her First Officer (who's jealous of her being given the command he wanted) and the Chief Medical Officer (who's just lazy and doesn't like Honor making her do any work).
Live Action TV
Xander: Got the address. I beat it out of Willy the snitch personally.
Buffy: You beat up Willy?
Xander: Sure. Well actually, let's just say I applied some pressure. Or more accurately, I asked politely and then... okay, I bribed him.