About Me
We are the 'caretakers' of the universe. We value an ordered society and an ordered galaxy. Some races can fit within this order quite nicely, and these races are not harmed. In fact, the majority of them are probably not even aware that we exist. One of the main reasons for this, is that we don't really care what races do to their own planets and themselves - provided they keep their actions to their own planet. Once a race develops space flight however, then their potential for trouble increases amazingly, it is then that we have to keep the race under surveillance. If the race is good and keeps it's exploits of other planets down to a minimum, and if the race sticks to some sort of Cylon order, then they can be allowed to continue to exist under their own control.
Some races need a slight bit of guidance to be allowed to continue. These races will be contacted by the Cylons and spared provided they adhere to Cylon rule. Other races though, cannot submit, or will not. These races must be removed. There is no malice involved by the Cylons, they don't care what merits an individual race has or hasn't got. They simply become a threat and must be removed. For the sake of the Cylon order, and also for the sake of the Universe.
Whilst exterminated races are destroyed like pests, they are not destroyed with any malice. Nor are they forgotten. The Cylons do keep records of all the races they have destroyed, and do keep artifacts and pieces of art from these races if they are deemed to be suitable examples of that races works. Thus, for example, you'll still see the crystalline structures built by the Delphian Empire on Gamorray, just now inhabited by the Cylons.
