Jason completely understood Lily's point. This alien fleet was only a small fraction of the vast Viridian Empire and likely couldn't represent the entire civilization. Therefore, they probably didn't even have access to their species' most highly classified, cutting-edge technology...
Furthermore, a true "signature technology" is often considered more valuable than an entire fleet! The Americans back on Earth were happy to sell export-model weapons, but they would never sell the core theoretical blueprints; the Russians sold high-end rocket engines, but they strictly guarded the manufacturing processes.
That geopolitical logic likely applied to the wider universe just as much as it did to Earth. Advanced technology equates to supreme productivity and military dominance. A civilization's unique signature technology, if it even possessed one, would be its crown jewel, guarded with the utmost secrecy. They would never surrender it easily.
