[He nods. Pirates are largely a thing of the past where he's from, but he still remembers when sailors' hearts skipped beats at the sight of an unfamiliar ship on the horizon. It's not hard to imagine piracy in the open expanse of space.]

We're in a similar situation on my world. The disputes have been going on for just over five years, but they're not so much 'territorial' as the jealous demands of bullies who think they can start a war and have a right to claim what's left over.

[Is he happy about that? No. No, he really isn't.]