The way I see it, we need three things right now:
1) More and better troops
2) Stable economy - but we already have this
3) Trade with the humans that can later on be expanded on to military assistance and/or alliance
The reason we want to trade with the humans is because we then become a valuable trade partner. Even if the volume is small, well, if your back is to the wall and along comes someone and helps you a little - most people remember that. Even if the assistance is not much.
Normally this strategy would involve kicking up a Zorbite factory 'right here right now', but as we have a big pile I would vote to set up said factory next turn, and this turn do:
Plan Diplomacy:
[x] Send the humans some Meld, they might be able to find some use for it.
[x] You actually do have some samples of native DNA, you might as well see if it explains why the Ethereals are messing with a relatively primitive species like this.
For diplomatic reasons - let's not go kill natives en masse for more DNA? If it really proves useful for something, hey, maybe they would be willing to trade more extensive samples of humans for either zorbite or meld.
Next turn, see if those 'X-Com' or 'funding nations' are interested in any trade. If yes, factory and drones, if not, drones and interventions.
As I see it, as long as we do not have either drones nor trade, and we have plenty of resources, extra factories are a waste of time as long as they are not used for anything.
Yes, the whole 'human DNA experimentation' is potentially risky for diplomatic reasons, the 'safe' version of this vote would be to swap it out with making drones. On the other hand, being able to tell the humans that the Ethereals is after them because of 'such and such' is potentially rather big. 'Drones' this turn is safe, 'Human DNA' is interesting.