It's been almost seven months since the war started. The last estimates have Earth's population at only 13 million. I never thought it would have lasted this long. It won't last too much longer.
When the Oringe first landed, I was one of those who said, "Don't attack! They are probably friendly!" And for the next 15 years, they were. They led us into new areas of physics, mathematics, and calculus. We gave them computers, desalination technology, and fiction. Yes, it was a friendly and mutually beneficial relationship.
I guess the problem really arose due to their physical looks. We all remember the xenophobes who said that they resembled seven foot tall, 4-legged lobsters. Their armor plating wasn't natural, but helped them in the hostile climates of the planets they visited. Peg (a very high ranking Oringe, I never could get her name right) would complain about the heat in Chicago, and I would laugh and say, "Visit the Amazon sometime!"
So, Peg did. On the annual world tour, we were about 200 miles north of Brasilia. The Amazon Forest was steaming, as usual, and Peg and I were discussing the possibilities of something, when I noticed an insect about 3 to 4 inches long on one of her appendages. Absentmindedly, I brushed it off and stepped on it while continuing our conversation.
The war started at that moment. We never questioned their mating habits or behavior -- we especially didn't expect their females to be 28 times larger than their males.
I had inadvertently killed the Oringe Galactic Emperor.