So, about that "root beer"...

Yes, yes, I know, it had an origin as a celebration thing and inside joke combo.

But, taken at face value and interpreting the unfolding plot in the "Totally Overpowered" mission from the character's point-of-view, what do you think is actually going on? In lore-wise and as stuff happening in the game universe.

My take:

There seem to be some hints in the dialogue between you and IDA that something fishy is going on in the Totally Overpowered mission. Also, the orbital distillery seems a bit over-the-top for *just* a distillery, and then there's the Zirax strike to the facility. Why? They hate or like "root beer" that much? Sure...

So, how about this: The Polaris have been experimenting with the Legacy parasites. Remember the mumblings of the cryo-stored Talon? "Infinite Life Program". Perhaps the parasites grant longevity or even immortality to the host, and there's only that one bit of a problem that they take over the body and mutate it horribly. Surely something that a group of scientists can solve? Except they have not had any success and all their experiments thus far have blown up into their faces as testified by the remains of Theta Labs, Abandoned Buildings, and all the other POIs with "interesting" inhabitants. So, maybe move the operation into space? At least you can contain it more easily and nuke it if it goes wrong. Just need a public front to conceal the lab... Beer factory? Works as good as any.

Except then some pirates happen to capture a scientist with the latest genetic research on the parasites, and Polaris needs that research back and quick. In comes a suck... ahem... a great combat veteran who's in need of help to contact his missing comrades. Perfect.

The Zirax in the meanwhile have discovered what Polaris is up to, and they are just terrified of the Legacy parasites. There were hints about this, too, in the "Tales of the Past" mission and it was stated that Zirax would destroy any Legacy infected thing at sight with any means including blowing up the facility if one ever escaped. Presumably they still remember the cluster**** from the previous war with Legacy, and hey, maybe it was the same thing causing it the last time, too? That "Infinite Life Program" could have been a Talon-Zirax joint science experiment that went wrong and created the Legacy?

So, Zirax definitely want to take no chances. If Polaris is breeding Legacy parasites in an orbital satellite, that's a priority target needing immediate destroying, and so a strike team is assembled and sent to do the job. Except there was this human who somehow managed to defeat them. Ah, s**t. Now the Zirax are scared. If there ever was doubt whether humans were an enemy this cleared it out. Zirax now think the UCH fleet is either a direct ally of the Legacy or at best a partner of Polaris in their experiments. Either way, they need to be taken out if the galaxy is to survive.

Any other theories?

 

Certainly possible, and equally possible that the Zirax are simply teatotalers and intolerant of anyone enjoying a bubbly alcoholic beverage.
Many forget that "root beer" was originally created as an alcoholic beverage, not a soft-drink.
This could simply be a case of Zirax Prohibition - or it could be something much deeper and more sinister.