The Kilrathi possessed a history of brutal warfare, in which they conquered dozens of races in their desire for galactic superiority. The humans atempted to make peaceful contact with this new race, only to be massacred in an unprovoked attack. For the next years, the Terran Confederation struggled to make peace with the Empire, but all efforts failed as the Kilrathi repeatedly laucnhed attacks on civilian vessels and infrastructure without provocation.
The two factions mobilized for full-scale warfare amongst each other, with the Kilrathi Empire intent on conquering the expansive territories of the Terran Confederation.