[CaptainCrunch]

Solid points Ale, but

Spoiler!

They weren't authorized to use force to free their people, that's why the union was going to send diplomats in to negotiate.



On your second point, I keep going back in my head that this was a non space fairing race, that didn't even know that there was anyone out there. As well it was pointed out that their satellites weren't designed to look at the stars for study, but for position. In their minds as a non space faring species they would believe that those constellations were constant across the galaxy.