"At least, there's no possibility of this technology being realized in the short term."
"As for how to keep the Star Sector Capital in check, that's simple too. We can station a fleet directly under the Imperial Military's command at the Star Sector Capital, ostensibly to maintain the sector's security, and have it regularly patrol the surrounding core regions.
"On top of that, we can have the intelligence agencies follow up and establish branches in every river system. There are all kinds of ways to do this. The most important thing for curbing the Star Sector Capital's ambitions is for the Imperial central government to be strong enough and its monitoring systems to be up to the task. As it happens, those are exactly the Empire's strengths," she explained.
"Very good. Then put it into action," Lin Zhichen said with a nod.
The documents submitted by the Administrative Council were quite thorough. More than a hundred Star Sector Capitals had already been selected. Each would be promoted by one administrative rank and designated a Star Sector Governor's Mansion, distinct from a river system governor's mansion. The river system governor's mansions under them would be subject to the Star Sector Governor's authority only in part, and would still retain a considerable degree of independence.
Using these Star Sector cores as a foundation, the Empire's Engineering Fleet set out in force and began building Ladder Star Gates across the gaps between river systems. The Star Sector Capitals gradually became transportation hubs linking the surrounding river systems.
Naturally, more and more resources began to flow toward these sector centers. As time went on, the trend became increasingly clear. The river systems serving as Star Sector Capitals developed noticeably faster than those around them, gradually becoming regional political, economic, and cultural centers.
The additional