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Further complication comes in the form of their society- this isn't just a backwater. This is an intelligent alien species, unified, self-interested, and belligerent. The Migrators were barely animals. The Vetuck are a few millennia behind yourself in technology. The Haazar came to you, and the Baalathi asked for it. But this is an independent alien species-state. To force them to your will is conquest- intentional and bloody. Of course, the Hegemony has no issue with that. Using ones power to acquire more power is both righteous and morally good- all of the power you can gather for the Hegemony means it isn't in the hands of someone worse then you.
The truth is that the <span class="mu-s">Swall are smart</span>. They know that if they decide to start a war with you, they will lose. The question is, how much are they going to destroy in the process? They can make themselves a mad dog- too costly and dangerous to bring down. In an ultimate show of defiance, they could nuke their own planet to deny you the conquest of a rich habitable world. They would understand game theory- they're in the losing sign of the conflict. Collectively, they could decide to make you pay up the difference.
Your decision now is very important. You have to push them hard, but not too hard. They don't know your trauma with nuclear weapons, and you have that small advantage over them.
It is very unfortunate that this is the final system in your local cluster. You cannot simply build an embassy with the Swall with a few dozen Jaxtians and claim the job done. You need an intentional, independent Hegemony controlled colony or planet here to complete your vow. To do so means encroaching on the Swall's “gods given” territory, if one could even consider them as having such a thing.
So now it comes down to your gut. You will either become an imperialist, or break your vow. And if you do become an imperialist, you will have the threat of a nuclear attack. What are you going to do?
>Convince the Swall that they need to disarm and peacefully submit to Hegemonic rule (Leads to another choice)
>Prepare secret full scale invasion force and come back for a full conquest
>Create a stealthy remote colony in the system that the Swall won't be able to reach or detect
>Respect their autonomy and leave the system alone- failing to complete your vow.
