Yo I just want to say this one was fuckin sick. I've been reading Enchroachment (whole other review) and I love the way you write your characters' emotions. Shay Shepard's story, I wish I could hear more. You're amazing

That /is/ an astronomical casualty rate, but also in a plan-Z scenario with a relatively inexperienced Shepard more concerned about eliminating terrorists than living to fight another day. For a renegade Shepard, I still struggle to choose this background for moral reasons, but you can't deny, taking charge and terminating with extreme prejudice takes balls - and gameplay/story-wise, when was the last time you saw batarians do anything other than blow people up, hate humans, and threaten to kill you?

I'm also betting a lot of the casualties have to do with poor planning and shoddy equipment. Notice this is often the case throughout the trilogy and the comics. The Alliance just lags behind everyone, as you'd expect when the rest of the galaxy has been space faring since before you had horses and carts. All in all, a terrible situation that probably would have been even worse if not for Shepard - even if Shepard did less than duty called for.

I've been thinking for a while of writing in a Butcher of Torfan, Colonist Shep as a brother for a Spacer, War Hero, with religion and honor as points of conflict between the two. Found it odd Shepard was an only child, so estranged family, ho!