History’s made of surprises that seem obvious in retrospect. - James S. A. Corey

This was the problem with thousand-year Reichs. They came and they went like fireflies.

All the numberless different solutions that evolution had come up with under all the different stars, and all responding—more or less—to the same pressures. Eyes on every world. Mouths near the sense organs, because things with feeding coordination did better than things without.

The founding impulse of Freehold is sticking it to the government.
Loses some of its shine after you get elected.