Ves did not expect for the Arboreal Project to become a means for the Terran Alliance to increase its bargaining power in front of the Cybernetic Empire.
It made a certain amount of sense, though.
The stronger the Terran Alliance became, the less dependent it became on the Cybernetic Empire's help.
The Polymath invented a lot of great solutions, some of which had been proven to be effective against the native aliens.
It was natural for her to bargain hard for her tech and services, especially considering that her hard work would eventually get leaked and proliferate outside of her control once her innovations got into the hands of others.
This clearly did not sit well with the Terrans who did not want to be reduced to the Cybernetic Empire's vassal state.
The good news was that the Terrans were not as desperate as the Rubarthans. The Voribugs would have to go through the Rubarthan Pact and the Red Ocean Union first before they ever managed to threaten Terran borders.
