Maybe, Rico, just maybe, having power over other people was never something Garrus had any interest in. Because the truth is, the Legionnaire Legacy's assessment of Garrus - while maybe a little more generous than he'd ever think he deserves - was spot on. Deep down in his own, impulsive way, all he's ever wanted to do was even the odds for every poor bastard who ended up trapped under someone else's boot.
His problem is he cares too much to see things objectively. When someone or something gets under his skin, he leads with his heart and not his head. It's a realization that came through a lot of suffering, and a lot of mistakes that he's never going to be quite able to forgive himself for. Mistakes that have cut deeply enough that Garrus isn't even going to argue the fact that he probably should have been disowned, or that he squad is dead because of him. The words still hit hard, hard enough that his hands curl into fists at his side.
He'd like to say that, in that moment, his hand was stayed by self-control. He'd like to be able to say that he was the bigger man, but that's not true. Not in that way, at least. The fact of the matter is, Garrus just didn't want to give Rico the satisfaction, and spite is a hell of a motivator.
"Just because something's official doesn't mean it's right, Rico," Garrus snarls. "Laws are written by people - people who could be corrupt, blind, or just plain stupid. Like everything else, they're fallible. What makes a law worth the paper it's printed on are the principles behind it. You look at who it helps, who it hurts, and then you get an idea of whether or not it's worth a damn and whether or not it needs to be changed."
"If the law doesn't serve the greater good - if it really is just cruel and nonsensical - then what the hell is it worth?" Garrus snaps, his voice rising. "If the laws don't serve the greater good, if the ability to enforce it is all that counts, then what makes a cop different from any low-level gang enforcer? What's that badge on your chest worth, Dredd?"
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His problem is he cares too much to see things objectively. When someone or something gets under his skin, he leads with his heart and not his head. It's a realization that came through a lot of suffering, and a lot of mistakes that he's never going to be quite able to forgive himself for. Mistakes that have cut deeply enough that Garrus isn't even going to argue the fact that he probably should have been disowned, or that he squad is dead because of him. The words still hit hard, hard enough that his hands curl into fists at his side.
He'd like to say that, in that moment, his hand was stayed by self-control. He'd like to be able to say that he was the bigger man, but that's not true. Not in that way, at least. The fact of the matter is, Garrus just didn't want to give Rico the satisfaction, and spite is a hell of a motivator.
"Just because something's official doesn't mean it's right, Rico," Garrus snarls. "Laws are written by people - people who could be corrupt, blind, or just plain stupid. Like everything else, they're fallible. What makes a law worth the paper it's printed on are the principles behind it. You look at who it helps, who it hurts, and then you get an idea of whether or not it's worth a damn and whether or not it needs to be changed."
"If the law doesn't serve the greater good - if it really is just cruel and nonsensical - then what the hell is it worth?" Garrus snaps, his voice rising. "If the laws don't serve the greater good, if the ability to enforce it is all that counts, then what makes a cop different from any low-level gang enforcer? What's that badge on your chest worth, Dredd?"