The Unification Wars occurred in the days right after space travel became a common practice for the average civilian.
But for all this great technology, they were divided. Wars raged constantly as borders on land and in the seas shifted. Maps were made holographic for easier updating; borders appeared and disappeared by the day.
In the eastern hemisphere, small 'micro-wars' erupted. About seventy countries descended into chaos until one rose victorious, Timreh.
The nation of Quith-Pa, owning most of the western continent and a good deal of the oceans, was the largest of all the countries on Chilken Prime. In this era, the planet was still known as Chilken. Long ago, scientists had unlocked the secrets of the atom. Attempting to unite the world by force, the Quith-Pa launched a nuclear attack on it's key enemy, Timreh.
Cities were devestated. Entire countries were laid waste. By the time the merits of reason and compromise came about, the Chilkit had lowered the temperature of their homeworld by several degrees. Soon after this fact was discovered, Quith-Pa and Timreh made peace. A massive cooperation between these two dominant countries expelled enough greenhouse gases to avert a global ice age.
The first call of the Unification Wars came next. An unknown ship, bent on conquering an 'emerging backwater coalition,' entered the fringes of Chilkit space. Preliminary attempts at establishing communications failed when the unknown ship destroyed the probes sent to establish a dialogue. The nations of Chilken immediately banded together. Building about 70 massive solar powered ships, they managed to destroy the alien craft with large nuclear explosions.
The craft had a much more devestating effect than conquest. In order to adequately defend themselves from a hostile universe, the Chilkit conquerred the Klarr on the neighboring planet. They enslaved the race and turned the planet into a teeming industrial complex. Desperation and the drive to survive led the Chilkit to the stars, unified.