Editing Space: Above and Beyond (section)

====History====
As the series presents it, human contact with the Chigs begins when an uncrewed probe, launched by the military-industrial corporation Aero-Tech, lands on "celestial body 2064K" (later given military designation 'Anvil'), the [[natural satellite|moon]] orbiting the Chig homeworld. This moon is sacred to the Chigs because it is where life originated via [[panspermia]] and where Chigs still go to be born.<ref name="And If They Lay Us Down To Rest..."/> The Chigs evolved from bacteria that originated on Earth billions of years ago: an asteroid collision threw these bacteria into space, carried by [[meteorite]]s, where they eventually landed on the Chig sacred moon. Life on Earth had already advanced to the [[eukaryote]] stage of development, and the rate of evolution proceeded slightly faster for the bacteria on their new world, allowing life there to evolve to the point that it could produce the sentient Chigs at roughly the same time that modern humans evolved.

The Aero-Tech probe manages to obtain a limited amount of data before the Chigs send a warning signal through it and destroy the probe. Aero-Tech, for unknown reasons, apparently chooses to keep this "[[First contact (science fiction)|first contact]]" a secret from the governments of Earth. In early 2063, Chigs declare war on humanity, launching what appears to be an unprovoked first-strike against humanity's budding interstellar colonies. The colonists, sponsored by Aero-Tech and called the Vesta and Tellus colonies, are attacked, destroyed, and the few survivors taken prisoner. The Chig space forces begin a push towards Earth, devastating the unprepared Earth forces. Only the actions of the US Marines Aviator 58th Squadron at the Battle of the Belt prevent Earth itself from falling (the battle was fought in the [[Jupiter Trojan|Trojan asteroid field]] at Jupiter's [[Lagrangian point]], not the [[main asteroid belt]]).<ref name="Pilot"/>

Through surprise, superior numbers, and advanced technology, the Chigs gained the advantage in early battles. However, humanity's adaptability and ferocity catch them off guard. The Chigs, who favor large, direct military strategies, are unprepared for the guerrilla tactics used by the human forces. [[Special operations]] missions, infiltrations, assassinations, [[sabotage]], and small unit engagements all prove effective against the Chig attackers. The Chigs ally with the remnants of the [[Silicate (Space: Above and Beyond)|Silicates]], a human-built race of [[Android (robot)|androids]], that fled to space after losing the AI Wars on Earth. The nature of the alliance is vague and not expanded upon in the series. Just as humans are ready to conquer the Chig homeworld, an emissary comes to negotiate for peaceful relations. The emissary reveals that humans and Chigs seem to have a common origin, based on their chemical makeup.