Hastatim

Turian conflicts are often marked by fierce citizen resistance. Most turian families keep small arms in their homes and all are trained in the art of warfare during bootcamp. To suppress such citizen militias, the Turian Hierarchy makes extensive use of a division of its special forces known as the Hastatim, whose name translates more or less as "execution squads".

The methodology of the Hastatim has changed little over the millennia. After a city's fortifications have been breached by lightning barrage from heavy artillery, the Hastatim are deployed to begin the process of subduing any remaining resistance before the infantry moves in to occupy. Firstly, they establish a safe camp, erected within housing centres built for such a purpose during the city's initial construction, which they supply with cots, toilets, food, water and medical staff. The Hastatim will then conduct house-to-house raids on the city's citizenry, demanding the surrender of all. Those who surrender are transported to the safe camps, where they will be sheltered from the fighting until the conflict ends, and any weapons they had in their possession are confiscated. Those who do not surrender are executed. To stop the spread of disease, the Hastatim use mobile crematoriums to cremate the bodies of those they have killed.

While brutal in the eyes of other species, it is considered necessary by the turians themselves. Without the sanctuary provided by the safe camps, no turian would ever surrender, and without the Hastatim, it would take years for a population to be pacified, resulting in the needless deaths of soldiers and non-combatants alike. Safe camps are viewed as a place of mercy, and not as prisoner of war encampments. Citizens who surrender into the custody of safe camps are protected under turian law; abuse is strictly forbidden.

The Hastatim recognise that they have an image problem and are the first to argue that they are not death squads. Their primary purpose is to transport civilians to safe camps where they can be protected. To facilitate this, they are trained to speak all turian colonial dialects and are issued with combat ambulances to treat those who have been injured. The Hastatim are legally required to treat everyone who surrenders, regardless of whether or not they have previously taken up arms. During the Taetrian Uprising of 2185 CE, the Hastatim were responsible for saving the lives of 60-70% of the native population by transporting them to the safe camps and providing life-saving emergency medical treatment.

The more sinister side of their role, however, still colours their reputation, especially in the eyes of the galactic press. As such, Hastatim units are also issued with combat armour which deliberately obscures their faces to protect their identities.

Such a sinister reputation is not without evidence, however. During the Taetrian Uprising, the Hastatim executed approximately 3000 citizens in the city of Spaedar alone, over the course of one day. Over the course of the two-month-long conflict, the Hastatim executed between 45,000 to 80,000 citizen insurgents. Of this number, between 7000 and 8000 were classified as "non-citizens"; namely the mentally and physically disabled, and children under the age of 16.