"I could also say I know of Empires that are not terrible, but I both have none to name that I am well acquainted with and it would not be very funny."

His voice remained level.

"While on the Earth I call home, there are many governments with different kinds of rule, the ones that title themselves 'Empires' do not fare the best overall."

Even Rome did fall, though at least the Romans weren't spacebound.