Swarm

"-the incarnation of gluttony, that's why. In an ultimate sense, every damned one is identical, and commits the exact same ultimate sin: They are boring."

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Swarms are used to describe a rather wide variety of things that can affect a person or society on an individual scale and yet the word 'trillion' is not sufficient to describe their numbers. Most of these are benign - Dyson swarms, coil arrays, some even compare humanity and other sapients to such swarms, replicating in order to gain a form of hegemony over all existence. The former only grow under guidance and the latter can be reasoned with, much as they may not be liked. In addition, such hegemonies will naturally split and fracture, and so long as they do not attempt to convert majority of the Universe's matter, they are not a threat to long-term diversity.

In the early 23rd century, a decision was made that mankind and any notable allies it made not only could, but, as a moral imperative, must, wipe out actual homogenizing entities. This was called the Anti-Homogenization Act, and set limits - if vague ones - on just what humans would do in their conquest. In addition, it set forth the principle by which humanity would declare preemptive war.

The Concord agreed, and the renlai adopted a similar policy as well after the Diaspora.

The First, despite their hostility towards humanity, provided extensive assistance against the Virgon, and if they are to be believed, have dealt with countless entities such as these in their home universe. Similarly, a type of exchange program exists with the Shadow in order to combat the Hydra. Not so much because the help is needed, but rather, in order to gain valuable experience in facing the different types of swarms that are no doubt already growing and consuming elsewhere.