I think making the Colossus tech not require the ascension perk would make warfare much easier for non-genocidal species. As it is, all the perk does is let you build a single ship with no combat capabilities that can trivialise planetary warfare, but only one planet at a time.

I think it should have an influence cost (discounted for militarists and maybe xenophobes) to build every time, while the ascension perk would allow you to have more at a time (maybe up to half your titan allowance), while also increasing your Juggernaut allowance.