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===Farsight Expedition===
The [[Farsight Expedition]] was launched shortly after the Damocles Crusade. Under the commander of [[Commander Farsight|Farsight]], the Tau forces engaged [[Ork]]s along an asteroid belt before Farsight mysteriously vanished with his [[Fire Warrior]]s. After the campaign, Farsight eventually continued his advance despite orders, encountering an unknown enemy at [[Arthas Moloch]] and thereafter establishing the [[Farsight Enclaves]].{{Fn|10}}
===Hive Fleet Gorgon===
{{main|Gorgon (Hive Fleet)}}
The Tau Empire was invaded by [[Hive Fleet]] [[Gorgon (Hive Fleet)|Gorgon]] in 899.[[M41]]. Gorgon was exceptional for its ability to quickly adapt on a biological level to new circumstances of battle, such as evolving immunities to Tau weaponry. This rapid pace of adaptation may have been unique to Gorgon, or it may have been a response to conflict with the Tau, who are also highly adaptable but on a technological level. The combined forces of the Tau and the [[Imperial Guard]] destroyed Gorgon in 903.M41, albeit after losing several trading partners and colony worlds.{{Fn|3}}
===Great War of Confederation===
The [[Great War of Confederation]] was launched sometime after the [[Farsight Expedition]] and was the first war of survival for the Tau. Faced with an enormous [[Ork]] invasion fleet, only the leadership of [[Aun'va]] and [[Commander Shadowsun]] led to Tau victory, paving way for the [[Third Sphere of Expansion]].{{Fn|10}}
===Third Sphere of Expansion===
*{{Main|Third Sphere of Expansion}}
Beginning after the Empire had united against the Orks in the Great War of Confederation, in 997.M41 [[Aun'va]] declared a beginning to the Third Sphere of Expansion, which has driven deep into Imperial territory.{{Fn|10}}
At some point, the Tau sent an expeditionary force to the planet [[Malbede]] where they came into [[Battle of Malbede|conflict]] with the [[Ultramarines]] [[Chapter]] in 936.M41. However, the world proved to be cursed when their fighting awakened the sleeping [[Necron]]s from their tomb beneath the surface. In an effort to combat this threat, the Tau and the Ultramarines combined forces to defeat the Necrons. Once the conflict was over, the Tau were allowed to evacuate their forces by [[Marneus Augustus Calgar|Marneus Calgar]] who proceeded to destroy Malbrede through an [[Exterminatus]].{{Fn|2}}
In [[M41|666.M41]], the Tau fought against the [[Space Marines|Adeptus Astartes]] of the [[Space Wolves]] [[Chapter]] during the War for Kvarium Alpha. On that water-clogged world, drop pods landed deep in the oceans where their occupants made a move to engage their enemy. On the surface, the battle was fought between the two sides with an equally deadly conflict erupting in the depths of the sea between the Space Wolves and Tau Battlesuits. [[Thunderhawk]] Gunships were used to great effect against Hammerhead tanks and Manta gunships with torpedoes, prop-bombs and missiles being used against the Tau. Ultimately, the Space Wolves proved to be the victor in the conflict where hundreds of Tau and Space Wolf corpses floated to the surface. With their mission complete, the Space Wolves made the long trek back to land across the sea bed.{{Fn|1}}
==Society==
