Hypergates

Utilizing a network of wormholes generated at their center, Hypergates act as an "Interstellar highway," between solar systems, connecting what would normally take weeks, months, or even years apart systems to a matter of hours.

Hypergates were developed by The Uprising of the Rakkari, and thus had their schematics released to the galaxy without any form of strings attached. While the material required to make even one is immense, their introduction was well past the time of scarcity that colonization brings, causing planetary scales worth of materials to be essentially just sitting around. Due to this partial coincidence, Hypergates can be found all over the Milkyway (aside from the Dead Zone, where civilization itself has broken down), with population density majorly influencing their location - at the densest, individual systems can have their own Hypergates, while in the further reaches of space, they can be upwards of hundreds and in some cases thousands of light years apart.

Due to the ease of travel that Hypergates provide, it is not uncommon to plan to travel to distant star systems for small appointments or meetings with friends, despite the ease of access through The Phaneron. Even on galactic scales, no person is more than a day from one another, leading to an exceedingly connected galaxy.