Google_translate.say performance is slow

Configuration Voice Assistant
1

I have a Siri shortcut on my iPhone which calls a script that announces the location of my dog where ever he is in the house. (I use espresense for room presence detection). The shortcut works, but there is as much as 30 seconds from time I say: “Where is spot”, until hear the reply. I tried the default voice assistant, but then I installed Piper/Whisper and set that as my default VA. The performance in either case, the response is very slow in coming. Here is the script:

alias: Find Fawkes
sequence:
  - if:
      - condition: numeric_state
        entity_id: media_player.living_room_homepod_2
        below: 0.65
        attribute: volume_level
    then:
      - service: input_number.set_value
        data:
          value: >-
            {{ state_attr('media_player.living_room_homepod_2', 'volume_level')
            | float }}
        target:
          entity_id: input_number.homepod_volume
      - service: media_player.volume_set
        data:
          volume_level: 0.7
        target:
          entity_id: media_player.living_room_homepod_2
  - service: tts.google_translate_say
    data:
      cache: true
      entity_id: media_player.living_room_homepod_2
      message: "{{states('sensor.formatted_fawkes_location')}}"
  - service: media_player.volume_set
    data:
      volume_level: "{{ states('input_number.homepod_volume') | float }}"
    target:
      entity_id: media_player.living_room_homepod_2
mode: single

The sensor, sensor.formatted_fawkes_location returns an expression like this:

Fawkes is in the bedroom

Any tips on performance? It seems the other TTS type do not accept templates.
Thanks