[He has absolutely done his homework. His tone is pointed, but he's still got some modicum of self-control.]
Now imagine that Chaos Day has been going on, in one location or another, for your entire life. Imagine that the people causing it weren't known enemies, but that they just appeared right the fuck out of nowhere one day and started slaughtering your people and rendering entire planets lifeless because they hate you that much. Imagine that you're outgunned and outmanned at every turn and that nearly every battle is a losing battle.
And then you might have some idea of what living through the Human-Covenant War was like.
We didn't have soldier training from childhood - we enlisted when we were old enough, and it turns out basic training doesn't really prepare you for the psychological horrors of alien genocide. And when you finally do break - because everyone breaks in one way or another - you find something or someone to shore you up. I joined a military project that promised me a lot and, as it turns out, didn't give a shit about me as a person. They still had my loyalty until it was too late, because I believed they were helping me and that they were better than the hell I'd lived through. Locus got picked up by Felix, who is an incredible manipulator and one of the single most evil people I've ever met. Felix saw a broken man and kept him broken because he wanted an attack dog.
I'm not saying that genocide was a good decision, because it fucking wasn't and it never will be. I'm saying decisions aren't made in a void.
You're not going to find justice for your people by killing Locus. Revenge by proxy does not make you feel better, believe me.
[...he's said too much. He knew that coming in here, but still. A team that you trust turning on you is not something Locus deserves, even if he might believe otherwise; if Wash can prevent that, he will.]
no subject
[He has absolutely done his homework. His tone is pointed, but he's still got some modicum of self-control.]
Now imagine that Chaos Day has been going on, in one location or another, for your entire life. Imagine that the people causing it weren't known enemies, but that they just appeared right the fuck out of nowhere one day and started slaughtering your people and rendering entire planets lifeless because they hate you that much. Imagine that you're outgunned and outmanned at every turn and that nearly every battle is a losing battle.
And then you might have some idea of what living through the Human-Covenant War was like.
We didn't have soldier training from childhood - we enlisted when we were old enough, and it turns out basic training doesn't really prepare you for the psychological horrors of alien genocide. And when you finally do break - because everyone breaks in one way or another - you find something or someone to shore you up. I joined a military project that promised me a lot and, as it turns out, didn't give a shit about me as a person. They still had my loyalty until it was too late, because I believed they were helping me and that they were better than the hell I'd lived through. Locus got picked up by Felix, who is an incredible manipulator and one of the single most evil people I've ever met. Felix saw a broken man and kept him broken because he wanted an attack dog.
I'm not saying that genocide was a good decision, because it fucking wasn't and it never will be. I'm saying decisions aren't made in a void.
You're not going to find justice for your people by killing Locus. Revenge by proxy does not make you feel better, believe me.
[...he's said too much. He knew that coming in here, but still. A team that you trust turning on you is not something Locus deserves, even if he might believe otherwise; if Wash can prevent that, he will.]