Minor Faction Diplomacy

I feel the Diplomacy with the minor factions is lacking, all I can really see is two outcomes from it, either assimilate or destroy the Minor faction.

assimilate by completing one task for them, or by political "ass Kissing" lol... or through subjugation from military conquest which also gives you the option to exterminate them... 

just doesn't feel right to have such little options there, and call me nostalgic but a lot of these minor factions are some of our favourite main factions from ES1 and 

Cant we as the player choose to allow them to keep their independence and engage in trade, also have them field their own fleet and create military alliances with them?

I feel the diplomacy with the minor factions is next to pointless if all you can choose is two different options which 9 times out of ten players assimilate, might as well do away with the diplomacy and just have players colonize planets that have the minor faction populations on them.

Imagine a Minor Faction that could support its own fleet and help guard your territorial borders because you have established trade and a military alliance with them, and still gain their populations on your planets through immigration or by political influence spreading over the Minor Faction system?

and just like in my other ideas, the Devs might have a plan for this already because it is the games early stages still, just thought I would put this idea out there and see what happens, isn't a real war winner in regards to the game, the game is still great but it would be good to see some more attention in this area.

if not to the extent as I have mentioned at least give us a trade option or alliance/sustain independence option through diplomacy, I don't see why we always need to take their planet to gain the benefits of the minor faction pops.

the minor factions just feels like its just not finished ya know, its almost there but not quite, I think improving the MF's in a way similar to this would really put the final finish on them.