- "Within half a year after that, contacts started all along the sectors bordering towards this Confederation, and something of an unofficial war was even now under way."
- ― {{{2}}}
After the first contact between the humans and the Kilrathi, there were some years of tension and military crisis that escalated into an unofficial war. Eventually this escalated to the major Terran-Kilrathi War.
First contact[]
The Confederation first heard about the existence of the Kilrathi from the Varni who came to Confed space after a disastrous war.[1] After that War, the Kilrathi Empire focused attention inward. It was felt that there was nothing worth exploiting out towards the less dense galactic rim, where jump points became more difficult.[2]
The plans of the Empire changed when around 2630, the Kilrathi captured Fawcett's World, a planet near their borders freshly colonized by Terrans, which became the Kilrathi's first contact with them; they enslaved the humans, and from them, and their captured computers, the Kilrathi learned about the existence of the Confederation. All this happened outside the knowledge of the Confederation.[1]
The first official contact was the disaster with Iason on 2629.105.[3]
Right after the first contact there was an appropriation calling for building program of 8 new carriers (the Fleet had 7 antiquated). Only TCS Concordia and another one were completed, the others shut down and abandoned in Lunar orbit.[4]
History[]
- "War? Hell, son, we're talking police action. That means just nudge them a bit, don't get too provocative. After all, the Cats are just misunderstood, need a little counseling. Didn't you hear that news vid commentator claim that it was all but our fault, that we didn't understand the cultural differences and once we did everything would be settled?"
- ― Vance Richards[4]
Within half a year after their first contact, more contacts started all along the bordering sectors. One of the first incidents was the Miaquez incident, where the 2 sons of Spencer Banbridge and Janet were killed. The Kilrathi apologized claiming a case of mistaken identity, which was accepted.[1] The last direct (official) contact from the Kilrathi was that year, after which the Kilrathi maintained outside silence.[4]
The capture of Fawcett's World before the demilitarized zone was established, was the first of such rumors. Such rumors followed, concerning at least a thousand uncharted systems between the borders.[4]
The Emperor, through one official communique, barred all humans from crossing into Imperial sectors, and according to that tacit agreement, ships of neither side officially entered each other's realm, resulting to numerous skirmishes. The Empire assigned antiquated starship from the Varni War to patrol their borders, so their current technology and capability remained hidden. The only Terrans who had contact with the Kilrathi were outlaws of the border worlds, far from the reach of the Confederation. Some human were captured and the Emperor's official "questioners" tortured them for information. Within 4 years, an unofficial war was under way.[1]
Their political intentions or their true military assets remained unknown; even though the Fleet Intel managed to get data on a vessels, these were few and antiquated. Political and military circles estimated that the Kilrathi were a "3rd rate power": technologically inferior, without the societal flexibility for a sustained fight, and thus a minor threat.[1]
The Empire's frontiers were rapidly expanding and the resources of the Terran Confederation Fleet didn't have adequate resources to patrol. Winston Turner compared historical conditions of military tension (such as the Americans in the Pacific in the 20th century and the tension with the Yan in the 24th century) with the contemporary ones, predicting a war with the Kilrathi. When Admiral Spencer Banbridge saw it he put it among the classified. Worried about the situation, Banbridge wrote orders (2634-98,1) for a full update on the current internal political and military situation within the Empire. Joshua Speedwell proceeded to remote sensing, assembling a special division unit, and interviews with illegal merchants, that didn't add much to since first hearing about them from the Varni; his gut feeling was that War was inevitable. Banbridge also requested 3 carriers and 6 battleships, but the Senate Appropriations Committee ruled it out.[1]
The Kilrathi were pressured from other directions, specifically from coreward; Speedwell considered that confronting the Nephelim first would leave their rimward flank open to the Confederation, so they'd prefer to create first a buffer zone in the direction of the Confederation, before addressing the core. On the other hand the Confederation Intelligence Services thought that pressing the Kilrathi too much would provoke them to attack.[1] At least one news vid commentator claimed that the main problem was the cultural differences, blaming the Confederation.[4]
The Confederation border worlds who were harassed were complaining and the government considered to declare war, but 2634 was election year and politicians couldn't afford the responsibility; they held to Plan Orange 5, a halfway war measure, holding the borders against the harassment, and just push them through the Facin Sector; failing to realise that the Kilrathi would not be handled like humans, and limited warfare would not work against their actions. The Confed also continued unaware to broadcast freely information and news in the news links (letting the internal politics and defensive policies prey to the Kilrathi listening posts) whereas the Kilrathi broadcasted only static.[1]
Around 2634.120 there was no other carrier cruising between McAuliffe and Earth. 6 of the fleet carriers were concentrated to McAuliffe (strangely, not committed to the Facin Sector), 60% of their time docked to Alexandria to conserve resources and strain.[4]