"Why can't you do something?" he asked. "You came from the stars, you've got another Federation-land a starship and tell people what to do!"

"We can't," Raj said. "First, we don't have the resources. There are only four worlds in the Federation, so far. There are thousands needing attention. And even if we could, that would just set us up for another cycle of empire, decline and war like the First Federation. The new worlds have to climb out on their own with minimal interference, and do so in the right way." correct, Center said, a true federation may achieve stability in an dynamic and mobile sense, a hegemony imposed from without could not.

"You want me to… somehow to stop the Chosen from taking things over," John said.

He felt a flush of excitement. It was a little like what he'd felt last week, when the housemaid looked back over her shoulder at him as she plumped the pillows and smiled, and he knew he could right there and then if he wanted to. But it was stronger, deeper. He could affect the destiny of a whole planet. Save the whole world. He, John Hosten with a pimple on his nose and a foot that still ached when he used it too hard, despite all the surgeons could do. specifically, you will act to strengthen the republic of santander, Center said, with my advice and that of raj Whitehall, you will rise quickly and be in a position to influence policy, such intervention will drastically increase the probability of the republic emerging as the dominant factor in the cycle of wars which will begin in the next two decades.

"The Republic will conquer… unite the world?" no. that probability is less than 12%, ±3. observe:

Troops in the brown uniforms and round hats of the Republic marched out of a city: Arena, in the Sierra. Crowds lined the streets, hooting and whistling. Sometimes they threw things. santander lacks the organizational infrastructure to forcefully integrate foreign territories.