Part 2/11:
Central to the discussion of interstellar empires is the fundamental limit imposed by the speed of light. Currently, there is no known method to exceed this velocity, which poses significant logistical challenges. If an empire were to span several solar systems, communication failures could lead to catastrophic misunderstandings. For instance, a rebellion on a distant planet could go undetected for generations, with responses arriving decades or even centuries later. In astronomical timescales, what begins as a rebellion could be viewed as ancient history.