As far as the President of Maliro was concerned, he truly had no other options left.
He could either throw his lot in completely with the Federation, then let the Federal government establish a puppet regime within Maliro, just as it had in Nagaril and Lehmer.
Or he could choose Peng Joe—but Peng Joe had to show sincerity. Otherwise, he had no qualms about siding with the Federation.
Regardless of which side Maliro chose, it would be a nightmare from which it would be difficult to awaken.
Yet refusing to choose was unrealistic.
If they refused to choose, the Federation would not trust them. The fortifications the Federation had built along the border made that clear.
Peng Joe would not provide them with supplies and financial support, much less help them train government forces.
The consequences of refusing to choose would be even more nightmarish than a nightmare. Maliro might even fall apart after the war ended! There were already signs of this. Sanchez and his sister had not made any major moves for now.
But once the Federation began unconditionally supporting their efforts to split up Maliro, the warlords of Maliro would never be able to withstand the actions of the siblings.
Dismembering Maliro might well be the Federation's ultimate objective.
Sometimes, knowing your own future but being unable to change it was the most tragic thing of all! Right now, the only opportunity lay with Peng Joe and its ambitious emperor.
The President of Maliro was not particularly worried that the Emperor of Peng Joe would refuse. Their weakness had always been naval warfare, and if they wanted to draw out the Federation's war potential, the best way was to aid Maliro.
Although this was not actually a good thing for Maliro, since they would have to fight