Mass Effect 2 demonstrates the innate danger in legitimizing nationalist terrorist groups
Mass Effect 2 puts both Shepard and the player in a compromised position. As the player, we are blindsided by Shepard's death in the opening moments of the game. Presumably, Shepard is in a similar position as they drift in and out of consciousness/the void. Upon awakening--too soon, one might note--both the player and Shepard are thrust into a do or die situation where cooperation with the human-centered extremist group Cerberus is non-negotiable.