User blog comment:Traditionalfire/Killing in games/@comment-3450019-20120919114126/@comment-4961148-20120919191647

Well put. What is also interesting is that the mercs whom the player faces in ME1 and ME2 will fire killing shots as soon as they see you approaching their position. No warnings or attempts to negotiate are offered.

Now what always puzzled me a bit was how accustomed Shepard's squad members throughout the series were to killing sapient beings. Most of the squad members recruited in the three games have military or law enforcement backgrounds, but what about Tali and Liara (and perhaps Miranda), who are clearly not soldiers by any definition? They certainly have no qualms about gunning down enemy personnel.