Terran-Kilrathi War
From Wing Commander Encyclopedia
The Terran-Kilrathi War was a galactic military conflict which began in 2634 and ended in 2669. The Terran Confederation, Union of Border Worlds and Firekkan Planetary Alliance defeated the Kilrathi Empire.????
Prelude
The Terran-Kilrathi conflict actually dates back to humanity's first encounter with the Kilrathi during the year 2629. During that year, a Terran research vessel known as the TCS Iason was conducting research deep within the Terran-controlled Vega Sector when it encountered an unidentified alien starship. Hoping to ensure peaceful contact with the unknown vessel, the captain of the Iason, Jedora Andropolos, transmitted a non-verbal greeting to the ship's crew, and he ordered that the defenses on the Iason be deactivated. Upon receiving the message, the crew onboard detected wide-band radiation from the transmission, and believe that it is an attempt to render their shields powerless. Twenty minutes after initial contact, the mysterious vessel opens fire on the Iason, destroying the defenseless vessel and killing its entire crew.
Some time later, the vessel is identified as the KIS K'rath'kan, a warship serving with a felinoid sentient species known as the Kilrathi. Upon receiving word of the disastrous engagement, the Terran Confederation sought to establish peace with the Kilrathi, and they called for a peaceful compromise with them by means of diplomacy. The Kilrathi, however, reject these calls and refuse to send ambassadors to discuss relations with the Terrans. Instead, they resort to a campaign of piracy and murder along the Terran frontier, capturing or destroying defenseless Terran transports and inflicting severe material and civilian losses. In response to these attacks, the Confederation Senate enacts a non-aggression policy aimed at discouraging Kilrathi activities on the frontier. However, as these raids continued, the Terran Confederation threatened military reprisals against the Kilrathi Empire if they refused to cease all activities of piracy within Terran airspace.
After five years of undeterred piracy and murder within Terran space, the Kilrathi attacked yet another civilian vessel in 2634. This vessel, a transport known as the TCS Anna Magdalena, was ferrying orphans to their new homes on the planet Dieno deep within the Vega Sector. Two Kilrathi starfighters ambushed the defenseless vessel and destroyed it, killing its entire crew and all passengers. News of this murderous act sparked outrage across the Terran Confederation, and on 2634.186, the Terran government officially declared war on the Kilrathi Empire, thus sparking what is now known as the Terran-Kilrathi War.
(To be continued)
