> Why did hostilities between Terrans and Vasudans commence?
Many results for this query, no universal consensus. The following answer currently has the most "informative" votes:
"In many ways, the war was probably inevitable. Ironically, this is probably because the two species were too similar... similar enough that the inevitable differences became somewhat amplified. One thing the war taught us is that it's easier to misunderstand someone who is somewhat like you than someone totally alien.
Both species were also at a new prime in their power and rising fast, and were overconfident in their ability and perceived supremacy. They were both expanding their territories quickly, and had little interest in sharing their resources. For both races, there were enough people willing to fight to maintain that "supremacy" that it was probably only a matter of time before an excuse was found.
The excuse came with the death of the Vasudan Prince Mihos. A growing handful enterprising individuals from both species had begun trading... not all of it of the legal kind. Terran illegal drugs were a smash hit with the Vasudans who tried them. One meeting between Terran drug smugglers and Vasudan buyers erupted into violence; the cause is unclear, but it was likely due to simple greed on one or both sides (although cultural differences may have also come into play). When the smoke cleared, Prince Mihos was among the dead.
The Vasudans accused the Terrans. The Terrans blamed the Vasudans. The critical negotiations of the time were stalled, and military forces marshaled. A week later, Vasudan ships opened fire on a Terran patrol that they believed was violating their territory. The Terran ships were destroyed, and war was officially declared the next day.
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