What happens if you save Sloane?

I don't agree,

Reyes, Con artist, slick do anything, say anything back shooter, whose accent is most likely phony vs Sloane, filthy traitorous pirate, total whack job, wana be queen.

Not really a good choice either way.  I just stayed out of the way and let them have had it.  However I do NOT trust Reyes any further then I can toss Drak, and he WILL be trouble.

Agreed. While Reyes may not be the most vicious criminal in the deep recesses of his heart, he's still a crime lord. Letting the Collective grow strong and flourish is a terrible idea. When Reyes is inevitably replaced, or simply proves himself less amiable, the Collective will be in a position to cause all sorts of trouble across the cluster.

Sloane, on the other hand, has no ambition beyond protecting the citizens of Kadara. She will never oppose the Initiative, as long as they don't endanger her people. She was a true believer in the Initiative, and ended up exiled only because of Tann's foolishness and Spender's conniving cowardice. With a Pathfinder in the picture, and the Nexus changing, a strong relationship with the Ai seems like an almost certain future. Once Tann is no longer in charge, the biggest hurdle will be removed.

Sloane softens dramatically after saving her. If you choose the, "Maybe I came to check on Kaetus" option, you see the tough act completely drop, momentarily. You see the old Sloane resurface, for a moment. She's seen and done too much, and can't afford to show weakness; so she'll never be able to completely relax while ruling Kadara. Still, her appreciation and admiration for Ryder is clear.

As to her treatment of Kadara's angara, you have to pay attention to recognize the truth. Her people never fought the angara, excepting the roekarr. This is stated plainly. She traded with them. When she liberated Kadara from the kett, they welcomed her leadership. (Remember, these angara are not the same as those elsewhere. They're considered riff-raff.) They came to resent her protection fees, as most everyone eventuallly would. The fact that an alien ruler was taxing (extorting?) them likely fueled their anger. Then, she felt she couldn't trust them, because of risk of roekarr infiltration. This distrust was probably a mistake, as it alienated many angara, making them feel like outsiders in their own home. It certainly played into the hands of the Collective, and likely the roekarr, as well.

Sloane is not a cruel or evil person. She's not greedy. She's doing what she thinks is necessary to keep Kadara Port safe and running. (Note, I'm not claiming she's good; just not evil. She's ruthless.) Knowing Sloane's history and personality pretty well from "Nexus Uprising", I'd expect that the distrust, the protection fees and the drug trade will end as the stability brought by DITAEON's establishment ultimately makes such behavior unnecessary.

If these decisions ever result in "save imports", I'd expect Sloane's Kadara to be an ally, and Reyes' Kadara to be a criminal stronghold.

Sloane is a angel compared to slimeball Reyes

I'm aware of all of this. Everything you posted relevant to the angara fits precisely with my post. Sloane had her reasons for partially excluding the angara, and it was likely an error. This was exploited by the Collective, who are concerned less with protecting Kadara Port and more with seizing it and making money.

I disagree that the Collective is better for everyone. There's a mixed reception either way. Reyes does a better job of selling the Collective, no doubt; but ultimately they're a ruthless crime organization. While Sloane's rule is likewise ruthless, she at least has no agenda beyond protecting the citizens of Kadara Port. Sloane might be able to alter some of her more oppressive policies, as Ditaeon brings wealth and stability. The Collective will never have such a need, as they're a criminal business enterprise.

Sloane is terrible at playing the political game, and comes off as more harsh, but she's a believer in the Initiative dream. Her foil is a crime lord out for personal and/or organizational gain. Reyes is likable, and a skilled BSer/diplomat, but he runs the mafia. Handing Kadara to the Collective is handing it to the mafia. It will come back to bite, and will only appear the "people friendly" choice for a time.

BioWare Austin-based DLC. Just like The Descent.

Yeah, I'm sure it's just her looks and not the fact that she's a petty warlord who gives literally no reason to save her /s

Is this for real? I've yet to encounter any legitimate reason Sloane is better than Reyes .

Go ahead and keep spouting the Collective party line.  It's taxation because she's in charge.  

The brutal realities of life in exile, and the changes this wrought upon the exiles, is clear. Sloane is protecting the people of Kadara. Without her, all of the angara would be dead or exalted. They were corralled and being processed when she arrived. The Ai personnel would be dead or living in a totally lawless environment. Without Sloane's harsh rule, you get people like the cannibals in the badlands rising to the top. Sloane's rule is harsh, but it's keeping far worse at bay. Sloane willingly gave up her life, essentially, to save these fool exiles. It has not been ideal, but it's worked long enough for a Pathfinder to arrive and start repairing the damage.

I'm not sure how you can't see that the Collective is an organized criminal syndicate. You fell for Reyes' charm and Collective propaganda too readily. Reyes seemingly isn't a terrible person, but he won't necessarily be in charge forever. Criminal enterprises always put profit ahead of the welfare of other beings. While Sloane's Kadara might gradually be reabsorbed into the Initiative, the Collective's Kadara never will. Criminal businesses don't just shutdown and cede power, thus ceasing to function as a business. The only "improvements" one can even claim to see is the pleasure of a few at being out from under Sloane's fees and oppressive order. Their opinions can't be given much weight, since they've not yet experienced the Collective's rule. "Give it 6 months, and then get back to me with an actual comparison, random NPC #26."

Thats my two credits. We ultimately won't know what happens with either decision, until BioWare chooses to follow up with this story thread.

Reyes' people have been able to craftily keep their beatings out of the public eye, so far. They're just as brutal. Give them 6 months in power and see what happens.

While "pay or get exiled" is a harsh policy, it's understandable under the circumstances. I don't approve, and would like to think I'd come up with something better; but desperate times lead to harsh policies. Reyes only has the option to "tax trade" because he's handed the opportunity by the establishment of Ditaeon. It's easy to come in under such circumstances and pretend to be a liberator or hero. There's no reason to believe that Sloane's regime wouldn't transition to something similar, in time. (If it had been an option initially, I'm sure she'd have gone that route.) She has to show strength, in the short term, and reassert her rule; but she was a true believer in the Initiative. I can't imagine her not working with them, in the long term. Her heavy hand will lighten as circumstances improve.

Is this the best sub-plot of the game? I liked the way it developed organically; there's loads of interrupts (well four across the arc); it involves a romance; and the final decision is really nuanced. Sloane vs Reyes is a much, much more difficult choice than Samara vs Morinth, for instance. Only downside is otherwise Kadara is kinda annoying.

The choice is good because it is both personal and political, and the debate on this thread proves how rich a combination that can be. Other parts of the game attempt this in some way too (i.e.: Tann etc), but we get to see some real outcomes here, and good drama.

As an aside, this arc also has the best directed cut-scene sequences (both the party and the duel). They have a lead in, you're not just abruptly teleported to be in front of someone who immediately starts talking. There's consideration for movement and pacing, and there are edits that enhance the storytelling. There's a proper cut between the scene in the store room and then drinking the whiskey on the roof. And where you end up when it's all over, in a dark space looking out into light, standing above a precipice, lends it some majesty. It's a great transition from cut-scene to in-game.

Given that I'd read Nexus: Uprising I was far more sympathetic to Sloane Kelly's situation than I would have been if I had just trusted the Nexus accounts. My Sara still romanced Reyes despite never really trusting him, and by focusing on making sure I got the romance with Reyes before locking in with Jaal, his reveal as the Charlatan was a nice surprise (as in, as soon as I saw him there, I realised who he was, right along with Sara).

So saved Sloane, did not shoot Reyes. Hoping BW can do this sub-plot justice in future game or DLC. The fact that Reyes lives guarantees his return in some way. Though if Scott/Sara were to have the opportunity to rekindle anything with him, it would have to be away from their current LI. So 'Omega' style DLC with Reyes and another as temp squad mates (or maybe Reyes with Drack)?

I chose Sloane, because she reminded me of Bhelen from DAO. both have an attitude with you and makes you not want them in power (especially if dwarven origin). Bhelen does everything good for the dwarves in the epilogue, so I can see sloane do the same thing in MEA 2.

I like Reyes, so I'd be happy to see his better nature win out over greed, duplicity and whatnot. He's instantly likable, even knowing he's a criminal. I hope we see him again. In that case, I'd mourn Sloane and what might've been. She was a hopeful idealist, like many Initiative personnel, at one point. I'd hate to see her story end in that way. Keeping them both alive is one more advantage to my siding with Sloane, I guess. The quote about good intentions is perfect for Sloane, and many Nexus exiles. This life is not what they had in mind when they joined the Ai, yet here they are.

No, of course there's no proof that one is superior. It's all conjecture. We don't really get to see either under favorable circumstances. Reyes could use the Collective for good, I guess. This would mean altering its current goals and structure, though. They're professional criminals, and not all would take well to becoming a peaceful, sharing ally of the Nexus.

In regard to both Sloane's Exiles and Reyes' Collective, in reminded of Bane Massani's words: "Most exiles are assholes; and not the likable kind." Reyes' a-holes seem to be more evolved, but it's hard to say, since they haven't been in power like Sloane's.