Tweet of the Day, But I’M Not Bitter About Letting Balak Go edition.

Ah, yes.  This bastard.

Lemme tell you about this bastard.  After the fold, because spoilers.

[SPOILERS]

SOB’s name is Balak: he’s a batarian (slave-owning alien species) ‘terrorist’ who first shows up in a DLC for Mass Effect.  The one where Shepard had to stop him from dropping an asteroid on a human colony.  She had to let him go, thanks to circumstances, but Shepard promised — she promised — that the Alliance would eventually track this guy down and double-tap him.  And Shepard meant that.

Fast forward to Mass Effect 3, where Shepard finally gets into a confrontation with Balak (because nobody else in the galaxy apparently can wipe their own nose without help… sorry).  Only problem is, the scumbag is apparently the only batarian left in their government (and that’s why the earlier scare quotes around ‘terrorist’) who can rally the shattered remnants of the batarian military for the fight against the Reapers.  But Shepard can still shoot him!  Go ahead!  I mean, if your personal honor is worth more than a few million more dead soldiers, Shepard…

God damn it, but that one still rankles.  Jackwagon probably survived the final battle, too.  He’s just the type to do so.

6 thoughts on “Tweet of the Day, But I’M Not Bitter About Letting Balak Go edition.”

  1. …And Batak, having proven that he can outfight and outwit her, wins her undying love, per Black Pill doctrine.

    This confuses the hell out of both of them, but Batak isn’t one to pass up his chances. And, you know, he kind of likes his new pet.

    1. Sorry, Balak, not Batak. Time to slam my stupid fingers in a drawer again, to remind them who’s boss.

      Per Wiki, “Balak was a king of Moab described in the Book of Numbers in the Hebrew Bible, where his dealings with the prophet Balaam are recounted. Balak tried to engage Balaam for the purpose of cursing the migrating Israelite community. A famous but enigmatic scene in which Balaam talks with a speaking donkey ensues.”

      Gods, and I thought I was stretching….

  3. For the non-Mass-Effect-playing readers .. how solid was the “had to let him go” ?
    .
    Because when I play video games, I’m generally somewhere in the “chaotic good” category .. and this SOB would never have made it out of the DLC, “reasons” be damned.
    .
    Mew
    .
    .
    .
    p.s. games are about doing the things we wish we could do in meatspace .. favoring the ethical areas we most feel we must slight in our daily lives ..

    1. Let him go, or he murders at least a dozen hostages. And even if you do let him go, you still have to find and disarm some bombs while he’s escaping, iirc.

Comments are closed.