The Tau exist for the Greater Good. Under their leader, the Ethereal Aun’va, the Tau hope to spread the Greater Good throughout the galaxy through trade, loyalty, care for their planets, and certain underhanded dealings with the criminal element of other cultures. Such elements will, of course, be subsumed beneath the Greater Good once all rejoice in the leadership of the Ethereal Aun’va.
Since Humanity had presented the Hyperdrive to the galaxy, the race was on, and the Tau, destined leaders of the galaxy or not, were in a bad position. There was a relative dearth of stars in the vicinity, despite being a part of such a large galaxy, and across the Damocles’ Gulf were the Terrans, who had expanded to more star systems than the rest of the races combined. And, on our side of the Gulf, the Altarians were pressing on three sides, and slowly squeezing us between their fingers. The planet Tau itself was nearly using their clothing instead of our own! But, inch by inch, we pushed the Greater Good upon them. Technology after technology aided our quest, and our fleets of constructors created starbases to spread the word of the Greater Good throughout their systems. First one planet, then another, discovered the glory of the Greater Good, and the Altarian seat nearly acknowledged the holiness of the Way. But then, there was a coup. The mostly goodly, though mislead, Altarians we knew and pitied were replaced by cruel, heartless monsters bent on destroying all other life. Their fleets attacked without warning, striking at our starbases, and the planets that they felt had betrayed them. Fleet after fleet wasted themselves on our valiant soldiers, but our great starbases fell. While we managed to hold one of the planets that had seen the light, the other quickly fell, as it was deep in their territory. But we had prepared against such a stroke, and quickly began producing a new type of ship: The first true capital ships the galaxy had ever seen. Our new ships, though of inferior weaponry and shielding, were large enough and fast enough to hold the ravening fleets at bay. And then, as our scientists discovered more and more ways to destroy our enemies, two events changed the course of the war. Our agents funneled us the knowledge not only of Planetary invasion, but of several other technologies to make our soldiers burn with the glory of the Greater Good. And, we discovered the Subspace Rebounder. Armed with this new knowledge, our fleets set forth again, and utterly destroyed the Altarian butchers. Our soldiers retook the world which had formerly joined us, another, and their homeworld in one week. The Altarians, with little left to do, having no more ships, surrendered to the Terrans.
Which brought the next obstacle to the Greater Good. While our war with the Altarians was won, it was still a small matter. The Terrans had not been idle, and were now the undisputed leaders of the galaxy in all aspects. But as our people filled the new worlds we had liberated, despite our small number of planets, we eventually outnumbered the Terrans. And, natural traders and diplomats that we are, we convinced them that we were no threat, and were instead great friends. The Arceans and the Torians were convinced of the help the Greater Good could provide also. But the Drengin, foul beings that they are, spurned the Greater Good for their darkness. With the firm necessity of a surgeon amputating a festering limb, we convinced the other races of the need to destroy them. And yet, despite an overwhelming superiority in numbers, technology, and might, they did not finish the foul beings. They had not the heart to follow through with what had to be done. So, retrofitting ships left over from the War, we sent a troopship, with all the possible benefits we could provide, across the tremendous void to the other side of the galaxy, and our five billion Warriors landed. And were met ferociously by eighteen billion defenders. We were forced to fire from orbit, destroying much of the planet, and almost all of what had been built upon it. However, we worried not, for the planet could be healed, and rebuilt, once the infection was purged. And then, recognizing us for the great Warriors that we are, and for the empathy we hold for all who would follow the Way, the Drengin repented of the darkness, and gave themselves to the Greater Good. We quickly sealed alliances with the other three races, and from that day on, the whole of the galaxy was united under the banner of the Greater Good.
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