▁has ▁a ▁Republican ▁Gal actic ▁Federation . ▁Ch and ler ' s ▁Empire ▁and ▁Federation , ▁both ▁relatively ▁ben ign , ▁have ▁much ▁in ▁common ▁– ▁both ▁covering ▁the ▁same ▁volume ▁of ▁space , ▁having ▁much ▁the ▁same ▁kind ▁of ▁Space ▁Navy ▁and ▁both ▁having ▁the ▁same ▁commercial ▁space fl ight ▁company ▁called ▁" The ▁Dog ▁Star ▁Line ", ▁suggesting ▁that ▁these ▁are ▁two ▁alternate ▁history ▁tim elines ▁which ▁branch ed ▁off ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁original ▁space ▁trav elling ▁culture . ▁▁▁ ▁In ▁Urs ula ▁K . ▁Le ▁Gu in ' s ▁H ain ish ▁Cy cle , ▁the ▁inter stell ar ▁entity ▁known ▁as ▁" The ▁League ▁of ▁All ▁World s " ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁" The ▁Ek umen " ▁is ▁in ▁possession ▁of ▁the ▁' ans ible '. ▁Technology ▁makes ▁possible ▁instant aneous ▁inter stell ar ▁communic ations , ▁and ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁send ▁instant aneous ▁un mann ed ▁ships ▁carrying ▁bomb s ▁to ▁another ▁planet ▁is ▁explo ited ▁as ▁well . ▁However , ▁living ▁be ings ▁can ' t ▁surv ive ▁such ▁travel , ▁and ▁thus ▁humans ▁are ▁limited ▁to ▁space ▁expl oration ▁done ▁at ▁relativ istic ▁spe eds . ▁Cor respond ingly , ▁this ▁organization , ▁despite ▁on ▁occasion ▁w aging ▁war ▁across ▁inter stell ar ▁distances , ▁ends ▁up ▁being ▁more ▁loose ▁than ▁a ▁true ▁emp ire . ▁▁▁ ▁Author ▁Or son ▁Scott ▁Card ' s ▁" Star ways ▁Congress ", ▁an ▁organization ▁featured ▁in ▁the ▁work ▁Spe aker ▁for ▁the ▁Dead ▁( the ▁follow - up ▁to