Would they be willing to enter into semi-speculative deals? Help now in exchange for hulls later? I would not mind at all committing to restoring and selling some of the airships in the future for the assistance we need to get Suspendium now.
Like those coil guns and bright lances we cannot afford... It would be interesting to sign a deal where we get one of the Line ships up and running with Forge Clan assistance, but under the terms that if we don't get a second up and running and sent to them within X turns the ship, and the guns mounted on it, go to the forge clan.
We are stretched far enough with our mandate that I sorta want to get the Forge Clan tied in as semi-allies with concrete deals. This will likely mean giving them some REALLY choice things like potentially airships, but we NEED to meet our quota. Selling them an airship to get 2 airships online (one of which we sell to the Forge Clan) is a good deal in my book.