Do you entertain the notion that we are not able to defend ourselves? The...
He spat the word.
"Slave revolt" was a fluke in the lines. It came from within, not from outside. That is the only way it was able to happen, yet they are all dead or left for dead now. We have nothing to fear from within but traitors now. Even still, all of their efforts were wasted in vain to prolong the deaths of a few slaves, costing dozens of spacecraft in a death mission.
You've seen what has happened when the Corsairs have attempted to expand into our territory. The Augusta and it's battlefleet alone with our support was able to withstand the Corsair armada and stand victorious. Do we not have much larger forces at home? No. Malta is a hive waiting to sting any intruders that come. We will not face Corsair invasion tomorrow, we have time to get this done and get it done properly. The Theta campaign and the destruction of Atka was the most successful operation the nation of Malta has seen in decades. Do not diminish our capabilities.
Harabero seemed to calm down slightly.
Even still, I believe that the main purpose of our resolution was to provide the backdrop for a heavy long term defense. The first steps still must be attained, however. Until then we need to start from the bottom up, not the other way around. Once we begin expeditions into uncharted realms and reach scientific advancements, then provide the background to enable us to create heavy defenses, then we will be able to. For now, the best thing you can do is get started yourself.