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Mass Effect Legendary Edition: 15 Assignments In The First Game You Need To Play

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The first Mass Effect game revolves around Commander Shepard and their quest to hunt down Saren and Sovereign to save the galaxy from destruction. However, the protagonist doesn't spend all of their time on a single quest. Alongside the game's main missions is an abundance of assignments for players to complete, all of which are included in the Mass Effect Legendary Edition .

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The side quests focus on other happenings in the galaxy, which Shepard needs to sort out. They offer a nice reprieve from the main quest and add some life to the galaxy, making it feel lived in. Some assignments can be a little repetitive, but plenty of others are worth playing.

Updated on January 16th, 2022 by Talha Bin Rizwan: The first game from the Mass Effect: Legendary Edition trilogy has players take control of Commander Shepard to save the galaxy from the Saren, Sovereign, and the Geth. In addition to the main quest, players can undertake many side quests that are found all over the galaxy. These side missions, or assignments, as the game calls them, add some variety to the gameplay allowing Shepard to help people in a more one-on-one way. While some side-quests can be tedious for players, other side missions can be just as engaging as the main quest, if not more.

15 Garrus: Find Dr. Saleon

Loyalty missions don't exist in the original game, but some assignments relate to specific companions. For instance, the search for Dr. Saleon concerns perhaps the best squadmate , Garrus. Dr. Saleon, aka Dr. Heart, is a cruel Salarian who used to clone organs inside his patients' bodies to sell, often causing complications for the victims. When he was a part of C-Sec, Garrus tried to stop the evil physician, but Saleon slipped away.

If Shepard talks to the Turian enough throughout the game, he'll tell the tale of Dr. Saleon and give the Commander coordinates to find the villain. The action in the assignment is limited, yet the compelling backstory makes up for it. Plus, it's always nice to see great characters like Garrus get some spotlight.

14 Asari Consort

Shepard can find the consort’s chambers in the southeastern part of the Citadel. Inside, they will meet Sha’ira the consort, who’ll task them with getting a Turian General to leave her alone. The general is spreading lies about Sha’ira and all Shepard will need to do is talk to him.

Once done, they can return to Sha’ira where they can get one of two rewards, either a romance scene or a Prothean trinket that leads to an easter egg on the planet Eletania.

13 UNC: Missing Marines

Relatively early in the game, Shepard can speak with Admiral Kahoku, who sends him on an assignment to find his missing marines. At the last known coordinates of Kahoku's team, the player finds only dead bodies and a huge Thresher Maw.

In the original game, fighting the giant monster wasn't too interesting. Yet, the Legendary Edition has made several exciting alterations to Thresher Maw battles. Maws now have sensory tentacles that players must shoot to get it out of hiding, which adds more variety to fights. Furthermore, their aim is incredible as they predict the Mako's movements, making their acid spit much harder to dodge.

12 Noveria: Espionage

Not every assignment in Mass Effect is about violence. In 'Noveria: Espionage,' Shepard has to keep Rafael Vargas talking while a device hacks into his personal network.

RELATED: Every Mass Effect Race & Their Population Size

To please the Asari who gave Shepard the job, the player has to convince Vargas that they're genuinely interested in buying something from Binary Helix. Since this is Mass Effect , there are multiple ways for the quest to play out, partially based on whether Shepard is Paragon or Renegade. It all makes for a unique and compelling assignment that players can find near the Hotel bar on Noveria.

11 Homecoming

The quest is a short one but may have an emotional impact on players. The quest can be acquired after Tali joins Shepard’s party. They will find an NPC in front of the embassy front desk at the Presidium who is trying to get the Alliance to recover his wife’s body from Eden Prime.

Shepard can intervene on his behalf and talk to the clerk responsible who will release the body. It’s a small quest that takes only a few minutes to complete, but it is one of the few which can touch the players emotionally.

10 Citadel: The Fan

Despite featuring sparingly in the trilogy, Conrad Verner is a memorable character. He's a fanatic of Shepard's, desperate to follow in his hero's footsteps. At different points during the first game, he'll be waiting down in the Citadel markets.

As part of 'Citadel: The Fan,' the Commander has several conversations with Verner. During each talk, Verner's enthusiasm and delusion is funny to watch. Shepard's reaction to their number one fan is always entertaining, regardless of the protagonist's moral alignment.

9 UNC: Geth Incursions (aka Geth Activities)

The Geth are among the most powerful races in the Mass Effect universe , so Admiral Hackett is understandably concerned that they have multiple outposts in the Armstrong Nebula. As usual, it's up to Shepard to put an end to the Synthetics' activities. The Commander must go around to each outpost and destroy the Geth forces waiting there.

The enjoyment of this assignment depends on players' feelings about the new Mako, as it features heavily in the mission. However, the main reason to do this quest is the important terminal at the final base. Shepard can give the data retrieved from this terminal to Tali, which will strengthen their relationship.

8 Rita's Sister

This side mission can be acquired at Flux where players will overhear a waitress, Rita, talking to her Volus manager about her sister. Upon exploring, Shepard learns that Rita’s sister is working on a dangerous assignment for C-Sec, and she is worried about her sister’s safety.

Shepard is then contacted by a C-Sec officer and can assist him in dealing with the matter themselves. In doing so, Shepard will complete the assignment he gave to Jenna, Rita’s sister, after which she will be free to go.

7 UNC: Rogue VI

'UNC: Rogue VI' is an assignment given to the player by Hackett. The Alliance Admiral asks Shepard to go to Earth's moon and destroy the out-of-control VI that's taken over Luna Base. During the mission, the Commander and their team shoot through an abundance of flying drones.

As players spend most of the story facing Geth or Krogan, the drones are a nice change of pace. The real reason to complete this quest, though, is because it rewards the player with a Class Specialization. If players choose the right Specialization, it can make them significantly stronger.

6 Hostile Takeover:

The mission is available after Shepard completes the main missions on the planets Therum, Noveria, and Feros. They’ll need to hack one of the terminals at the C-Sec Academy to pick this side mission up. C-Sec will be investigating a suspected criminal named Helena Blake who can be found in the Financial District.

She’ll ask Shepard to take out two of her business partners. The quest is short but fun and depending on how players complete the quest, Helena Blake will appear in the second game of the trilogy.

5 UNC: Cerberus

Players might not remember that Cerberus is barely involved in the first game's adventures. However, in the rest of the Legendary Edition , the morally questionable organization plays a significant part in the story. In fact, Mass Effect 2 feels a little weird without knowing why people hate the Illusive Man's crew.

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Admiral Kahoku gives players the chance to learn about the group, tasking them with investigating a few of their research facilities as part of the 'UNC: Cerberus' assignment. During the lengthy mission, Shepard finds out some horrifying information, helping flesh out the story.

4 Wrex: Family Armor

If players want to hear Wrex deliver great lines throughout the entire trilogy , they should do his family armor quest. Completing this assignment isn't the only way to keep this Krogan alive, but it is the easiest.

To acquire the mission, Shepard has to regularly talk with Wrex on the Normandy until he reveals that his family armor is in the hands of a Turian pirate. During the assignment, players will storm the base of the trophy hunter and attempt to kill plenty of his people in an entertaining battle.

3 Shepard’s Backstory Missions

During character creation, players select a background for Shepard out of three choices; Earthborn, Colonist, and Spacer. These allow players to determine Shepard’s origins and how they started their journey to become a galactic legend. During the game, Shepard will be prompted to pursue certain missions based on the background selection.

With Earthborn, Shepard helps a former friend help his companion escape. With Colonist, a person from Shepard’s colony needs their help in stopping a suicide. And with Spacer, Shepard will help a man who claims to be their mother’s friend. These missions are small but allow players to flesh out their Shepard as a character.

2 Virmire: Assisting Kirrahe's Team

Shortly after arriving on Virmire, Shepard will meet a Salarian captain named Kirrahe. It doesn't take the leader long to become popular with players, as he's a very likable character.

During the assault on Saren's base, the Commander can help the charismatic Captain stay alive. To do so, players have to complete 'Virmire: Assisting Kirrahe's Team'. The objective to destroy the Geth flyers is the one that really matters, but it's worth completing the entire assignment, as it's enjoyable to help out allies.

1 X57: Bring Down the Sky

Originally, Bring Down the Sky was an expansion for the first game, but now it's included as part of the Legendary Edition . The main quest is a lot longer than a typical assignment, and it sees Shepard attempt to stop a group of Batarians from destroying a colony named Terra Nova.

New enemies, fun action, and a solid story make the Bring Down The Sky assignment one of the best. In fact, if it had more connection to Saren or Sovereign, it would feel more like a main mission as opposed to side content.

Mass Effect Legendary Edition is available on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

MORE: Mass Effect: Everything You Need To Know About The Reapers

• Mass Effect
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Collection Assignments

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This category comprises all of the collection assignments available in Mass Effect .

To add an article to this category, put [[Category:Collection Assignments]] at the end of that article.

All items (7)

• UNC: Asari Writings
• UNC: Collection Complete
• UNC: Locate Signs of Battle
• UNC: Prothean Data Discs

• UNC: Turian Insignias

• Mass Effect

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• PlayStation 4
• PlayStation 5
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GameFAQs Q&A

• Where in the world is Major Kyle? Main Quest 3 Answers
• Can I get other characters to decript things? General 3 Answers
• Where do I find Garrus if I recruited Wrex and Tali first? Plot 2 Answers
• how do you get to the Normady in the citadel? Side Quest 2 Answers
• My Squad won't follow any orders other than "Go Here." How do I fix it? Tech Support 5 Answers

• Pre-Service History 1
• Psychological Profile 2
• Paragon or Renegade? 3
• Tips and Tricks 4
• Infinite Paragon Points - Eletania 5
• Infinite Paragon and Renegade Points - Noveria 6

• Prologue: On the Normandy 7
• Eden Prime - Find the Beacon 8
• Prologue: Normandy After Eden Prime 9
• Citadel: Meet the Council 10
• Citadel: Meeting Garrus 11
• Citadel: Meeting Wrex 12
• Citadel: Expose Saren 13
• Normandy After the Citadel 14
• Citadel Exploration 15
• Therum: Refinery 16
• Therum: Liara's Dig Site 17
• Normandy After Therum 18
• Citadel After Therum 19
• Feros: Zhu's Hope 20
• Feros: ExoGeni Headquarters 21
• Feros: The Thorian 22
• Normandy After Feros 23
• Noveria: Port Hanshan 24
• Noveria: Peak 15 25
• Noveria: Rift Station 26
• Normandy After Noveria 27
• Virmire: Landing Zone 28
• Virmire: Base Approach 29
• Virmire: Base Entry and Labs 30
• Virmire: Base Main Level 31
• Race Against Time: Escape the Citadel 32
• Race Against Time: Ilos 33
• Race Against Time: Final Battle 34

• Asari Consort 35
• Scan the Keepers 36
• Jahleed's Fears 37
• Xeltan's Complaint 38
• Presidium Prophet 39
• Reporter's Request 40
• Doctor Michel 41
• Homecoming 42
• Rita's Sister 43
• Schells the Gambler 44
• Signal Tracking 45
• Missing Person - UNC: Privateers 47
• UNC: Hostile Takeover 48
• UNC: Missing Marines 49
• Mikhailovich Inspection 50
• Family Matter 51
• The Fourth Estate 52
• Planting a Bug 53
• Our Own Worst Enemy 54
• Negotiator's Request 55
• Data Recovery 56
• Geth in the Tunnels 57
• Water Restoration 58
• Power Cells 59
• Varren Meat 60
• Smuggling 61
• Espionage 62
• Wrex and the Genophage 63
• Assisting Kirrahe's Team 64
• I Remember Me 65
• Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things 66
• Old Friends 67
• Tali and the Geth 68
• Garrus: Find Dr. Saleon 69
• Wrex: Family Armor 70
• UNC: Besieged Base 71
• UNC: The Negotiation 72
• Unusual Readings - UNC: Distress Call 73
• Strange Transmission - UNC: Major Kyle 74
• UNC: Asari Diplomacy 75
• UNC: Lost Module 76
• UNC: Rogue VI 77
• UNC: Hostage 78
• UNC: Cerberus 79
• UNC: Hades' Dogs 80
• UNC: Dead Scientists 81
• UNC: Geth Incursions 82
• UNC: Colony of the Dead 83
• UNC: Espionage Probe 84
• UNC: Lost Freighter 85
• UNC: Missing Survey Team 86
• UNC: ExoGeni Facility 87
• UNC: Derelict Freighter 88
• UNC: Listening Post Alpha 89
• UNC: Listening Post Theta 90
• UNC: Depot Sigma-23 91
• UNC: Asari Writings 92
• UNC: Locate Signs of Battle 93
• UNC: Prothean Data Discs 94
• UNC: Turian Insignias 95
• UNC: Valuable Materials 96
• X57: Avoid the Blasting Caps 97
• X57: Missing Engineers 98
• X57: Bring Down the Sky 99

• Save or Slaughter the Colonists of Zhu’s Hope 100
• Spare or Execute Shiala 101
• Kill or Spare the Rachni Queen 102
• Kill or Calm Wrex 103
• Keeping Captain Kirrahe Alive 104
• Save Ashley or Kaiden 105
• Save the Council or Not 106
• Anderson or Udina for Councilor 107

• How to Romance Ashley 108
• How to Recruit Ashley 109
• Best Ashley Build 110
• How to Recruit Garrus 111
• Best Garrus Build 112
• How to Romance Kaiden 113
• How to Recruit Kaiden 114
• Best Kaiden Build 115
• How to Romance Liara 116
• How to Recruit Liara 117
• Best Liara Build 118
• How to Recruit Tali 119
• Best Tali Build 120
• How to Recruit Wrex 121
• Best Wrex Build 122

• Soldier Talents 123
• Best Soldier Build 124
• Engineer Talents 125
• Best Engineer Build 126
• Adept Talents 127
• Best Adept Build 128
• Infiltrator Talents 129
• Best Infiltrator Build 130
• Sentinel Talents 131
• Best Sentinel Build 132
• Vanguard Talents 133
• Best Vanguard Build 134

• Basic Armor 135
• Combat Armor 136
• Tactical Armor 137
• Engineer 139
• Infiltrator 140
• Sentinel 141
• Soldier 142
• Vanguard 143
• Barrier 144
• Singularity 146
• Assault Training 150
• Fitness 151
• First Aid 152
• Medicine 153
• Intimidate 155
• Spectre Training 156
• Bastion 157
• Commando 158
• Nemesis 160
• Operative 161
• Shock Trooper 162
• Asari Scientist 163
• Krogan Battlemaster 164
• Quarian Machinist 165
• Turian Agent 166
• Damping 167
• Decryption 168
• Electronics 169
• Hacking 170
• Assault Rifles 171
• Pistols 172
• Shotguns 173
• Sniper Rifles 174

• Phoenix 176
• Gagarin 177
• Grissom 178
• Tereshkova 180
• Knossos 183
• Macedon 184
• Hercules 186
• Theseus 187
• Asteroid X57 188
• Antaeus 192
• Farinata 195
• Century 197
• Fortuna 198
• Strenuus 200
• Herschel 201
• Caspian 204
• Acheron 209
• Columbia 212
• Yangtze 213

• Roadmap 214
• Achievement List 215

Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition

Assignments citadel, mikhailovich inspection.

This Assignment takes place during your second visit to the Citadel once you have completed any main mission off-world such as Liara’s Dig Site . This Assignment will never appear in the Journal.

(1 of 2) Return to the Citadel after completing a main mission

Return to the Citadel after completing a main mission (left), you’ll find Rear Admiral Mikailovich who wants to inspect the Normandy. (right)

How to Begin ¶

Once you’ve completed any main mission once you become a Spectre and leave the Citadel, return once more to find Rear Admiral Mikhailovich waiting for you at the Docking Bay. He’ll immediately begin a Snap Inspection of the Normandy, however you can outright refuse it and earn +2 Renegade . This is the least desirable outcome provided you have sufficient points in Charm/Intimidate as there are greater rewards to be had.

Normandy Inspection ¶

Once the Inspection begins in earnest, you’ll have to listen to the Rear Admiral scrutinize every part of the Normandy and the operations on it, at which point you’ll get some choices.

When discussing the CIC, you can respond with the following:

• Saying “It’s a Turian design.” (6 points of Charm ) will result in you defending Turian Logic and count towards your final Charm rating at the end.
• Saying “We’re trained for it.” (6 points of Intimidate ) will inform him that you’re not inexperienced and count towards your final Intimidate rating at the end.

When discussing the Drive Cores, you can respond with the following:

• Saying “It’s useful.” (5 points of Charm ) will result in you pointing out how useful the Normandy can be and count towards your final Charm rating at the end.
• Saying “Do you read history?” (5 points of Intimidate ) will insult him on his lack of knowledge and count towards your final Intimidate rating at the end.

When discussing your crew, you can respond with the following:

• Saying “They’re allies.” (7 points of Charm ) will result in you pointing out the benefits of your allies and count towards your final Charm rating at the end.
• Saying “That’s my choice to make.” (7 points of Intimidate ) will inform him that its you’re decision and count towards your final Intimidate rating at the end.

(1 of 3) You’ll get several Charm and Intimidate options for his questions

For your final remarks regarding the Normandy, you can respond with the following:

• Saying “We need to build bridges.” (9 points of Charm ) will result in you letting him know how good this makes the Alliance look to the other species and count towards your final Charm rating at the end.
• Saying “We need to kick ass.” (9 points of Intimidate ) will tell him that the Normandy’s innovation will catch the other species by surprise and count towards your final Intimidate rating at the end.

The final outcome is determined on your answers, for maximum morality points and XP, you want to a answer with Charm for all of the questions or Intimidate, doing so will earn +2 Paragon/Renegade along with some XP.

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Guide Information

• Publisher Electronic Arts
• Platforms, PC, PS4, XB One
• Genre Action RPG, Third-person shooter
• Guide Release 14 May 2021
• Last Updated 17 August 2021 Version History
• Guide Author

Share this free guide:

The guide for Mass Effect 1 Legendary Edition features all there is to see and do including a walkthrough containing coverage of all Assignments, detailed breakdown of all the important choices, class builds and much more!

• Full coverage of all the Main Missions.
• Every Assignment covered.
• In-depth look at the major choices and consequences of each.
• Full details on how to romance Ashley, Kaiden or Liara
• Class builds to get the most out of your chosen class.
• Details on every Talent.
• How to spec your squad.
• Breakdown of all Paragon and Renegade opportunities.
• Trophy/Achievement guide.

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Mass Effect™ Legendary Edition

• UNC: Depot Sigma-23
• UNC: Turian Insignias
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Gas

• 1R Initial -> Escape pod (UNC: Distress Call)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage requires medium Electronics.)
• 3R Initial -> Turian wreckage and corpse (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 1Y Thorium -> Rare
• 2Y Mercury -> Heavy
• UNC: Prothean Data Discs
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Light Metal, 1x Rare Element

• 1R Initial -> Pirate base (Wrex: Family Armor)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage requires Master Electronics.)
• 3R Initial -> Asari capsule and corpse and pyramid (UNC: Asari Writings)
• 1Y Lithium -> Light
• UNC: Asari Writings
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Light Metal

• 1R Initial -> Overrun research outpost (UNC: Geth Incursions).
• 3R Discovery -> Scavenger corpses
• 4R Discovery -> Abandoned camp (salvage unlocked crate.)
• 5R Initial -> Crashed escape pod (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 6R Unmarked -> The song associated with the rachni can also be heard in this general area.
• 1Y Titanium -> Light
• 2Y Polonium -> Rare
• 3Y Thorium -> Rare
• UNC: Locate Signs of Battle, Medallion

• 1R Initial -> Geth Headquarters (UNC: Geth Incursions)
• 2R Initial -> Asari capsule (UNC: Asari Writings)
• 3R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage requires medium Electronics.)
• 2Y Uranium -> Rare
• 3Y Magnesium -> Light

• 1R Initial -> Geth outpost (UNC: Geth Incursions)
• 2R Initial -> Geth encampment. Guarded by 3 Geth Heavy Turrets.
• 3R Initial -> Crashed probe (can be salvaged with any Electronics skill.)
• 4R Initial -> Beacon (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 1Y Gold -> Heavy
• 3Y Samarium -> Rare
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 2x Heavy Metals

• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (at least medium Electronics required for salvage.)
• 3R Initial -> Prothean ruins (UNC: Prothean Data Discs)
• 4R Discovery -> Wreck, corpses, and Thresher Maw
• 1Y Magnesium -> Light
• 3Y Lithium -> Light

• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (requires moderate or high Electronics to salvage).
• 3R Initial -> Ancient debris (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 4R Discovery -> Odd Skull
• 5R Unmarked -> Five Geth Heavy Turrets are dotted along the road leading to the outpost
• 2Y Beryllium -> Light
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 2x Gas
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Gas, 1x Heavy Metal
• Therum is a mission world.
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Gas, 1x Light Metal

• 1R Initial -> Stronghold (UNC: Asari Diplomacy)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage Average Electronics)
• 3R Initial -> Abandoned camp and asari capsule (UNC: Asari Writings) and crate up the hill to the north (salvage). South-east of the camp, there is an abandoned tent.
• 4R Unmarked -> The "song" associated with rachni can be heard here.
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Gas, 1x Rare Elements

• 1R Initial -> Missing marines and Thresher Maw (UNC: Missing Marines)
• 2R Initial -> Mummified salarian (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 3R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage) — master electronics required
• 4R Unmarked -> Burning M29 Grizzly
• 1Y Polonium -> Rare
• 2Y Palladium -> Heavy
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Heavy Metal

• 1R Initial -> Downed recon probe (UNC: Lost Module) The song associated with the rachni can be heard in this general area.
• 2R Initial -> Debris (salvage)
• 3R Initial -> Prothean ruin (vision)
• 4R Discovery -> Mineshaft with Space Monkeys (UNC: Lost Module)
• 5R Discovery -> Space Monkey colonies
• 1Y Palladium -> Heavy
• 2Y Gold -> Heavy
• Feros is a mission world
• This is a mission world.
• This is a mission world, and can only be visited at the beginning of the game.

• 1R Initial -> Syndicate hideout (UNC: Hostile Takeover). Contains three Alliance Heavy Turrets.
• 2R Initial -> Engine debris (salvage, requires medium Electronics.)
• 3R Unmarked -> Mummified salarian (box) (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 4R Unmarked -> Abandoned camp (salvage unlocked crate and hardened crate (hard Decryption).)
• 2Y Cobalt -> Light
• UNC: Lost Freighter
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Gas, 1x Rare Element

• 1R Initial -> Survey camp (UNC: Missing Survey Team)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe and Scavengers (salvage: Master Electronics Required)
• 3R Initial -> Transmitter tower and unsalvageable probes
• 4R Initial -> Turian wreckage (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 5R Unmarked -> Thresher Maw
• 6R Discovery -> Mine entrance (UNC: Missing Survey Team)
• 7R Unmarked -> The "song" associated with rachni can be heard here.
• 1Y Uranium -> Rare
• 2Y Plutonium -> Rare
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Heavy Metal, 1x Rare Element

• 1R Initial -> Underground complex (UNC: Besieged Base)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage)
• 3R Initial -> Abandoned camp (UNC: Asari Writings ×3 and salvage)
• 4R Discovery -> Crashed satellite, salvager corpse and mercenaries
• 1Y Plutonium -> Rare
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 2x Light Metals

• 1 Initial -> Syndicate hideout (UNC: Hostile Takeover)
• 2 Initial -> Crashed escape pod (not salvageable)
• 3 Initial -> Mummified salarian (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 4 Initial -> Crashed probe (salvageable: Hard Electronics)
• 1 Platinum -> Heavy
• 2 Beryllium -> Light
• UNC: Hostage
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 2x Rare Elements

• 1R Initial -> Warlord's outpost (UNC: The Negotiation)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage: High Electronics)
• 3R Initial -> Mercenary outpost (UNC: Asari Writings, UNC: Locate Signs of Battle, salvage)
• 4R Unmarked -> Thresher Maw
• 2Y Samarium -> Rare
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Light Metal, 1x Heavy Metal

• 1R Initial -> Biotic commune's compound (UNC: Major Kyle)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed Probe (salvage)
• 3R Discovery -> Wrecked Mining Vehicle (not salvageable)
• 4R Initial -> Ancient debris (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 5R Discovery -> Abandoned camp (salvage)
• 6R Unmarked -> Thresher Maw
• 7R Unmarked -> Mercenaries
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 1x Rare Element

• 1 Initial -> Engineering outpost (UNC: Hostile Takeover)
• 2 Initial -> Turian Wreckage (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 3 Initial -> Crashed Probe (requires average Electronics to salvage.)
• 1 Iridium -> Heavy
• 2 Uranium -> Rare
• 3 Thorium -> Rare
• Noveria is a mission world.

• 1R Initial -> Privateer base (UNC: Privateers). Guarded by 4 Alliance Heavy Turrets.
• 2R Initial -> Geth beacon (ambush by 4 Geth Armatures)
• 3R Initial -> Turian wreckage (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 4R Initial -> Abandoned camp (reveals minerals' locations.)
• 5R Anomaly -> Corpse and Destroyed Vehicle
• 6R Initial -> Debris (salvage - requires Hard Electronics)
• 7R Unmarked -> Thresher Maw
• 8R Unmarked -> The song associated with the rachni can be heard here.
• 3Y Iridium -> Heavy
• Garrus: Find Dr. Saleon

• 1 Initial -> Underground science facility (UNC: Dead Scientists)
• 2 Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage)
• 3 Initial -> Turian corpse and wreckage and Space Beetles (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 4 Unmarked -> Space Cow herd (including a Shifty Looking Cow)
• 1 Gold -> Heavy
• 2 Palladium -> Heavy

• 1R Initial -> Training ground with three dual turrets (UNC: Rogue VI)
• 2R Initial -> CCCP Luna 23 (salvage requires average Electronics.)
• 3R Unmarked -> Four Alliance Heavy Turrets (they don't shut down after the assignment is completed.
• 4R Unmarked -> Four Alliance Heavy Turrets (they don't shut down after the assignment is completed.
• 5R Unmarked -> The song associated with the rachni can be heard here.
• UNC: Valuable Minerals, 2x Heavy Metal
• UNC: Derelict Freighter

• 1R Initial -> Civilian building (UNC: Colony of the Dead)
• 2R Initial -> Civilian building (UNC: Colony of the Dead)
• 3R Initial -> Science facility (UNC: Colony of the Dead)
• 4R Initial -> Probe (salvage)
• 5R Initial -> Prothean pyramid and dig site (UNC: Prothean Data Discs) (salvage)
• 6R Unmarked -> Space Cow herd
• 3Y Beryllium -> Light

• 1R Initial -> ExoGeni facility (UNC: ExoGeni Facility)
• 3R Initial -> Ancient wreckage (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 4R Unmarked -> Crashed ship and Thorian Creepers
• 5R Unmarked -> Abandoned camp and Thorian Creepers (salvage). The "song" commonly associated with the rachni can be heard here.
• Ilos is a mission world.
• Virmire is a mission world.

• 1R Initial -> Listening Post (UNC: Listening Post Theta)
• 2R Discovery -> Anomaly (UNC: Asari Writings). The "song" commonly associated with the rachni can be heard near the wreckage.
• 3R Discovery -> Crashed Pod (salvage)
• 4R Unmarked -> Rachni colony
• 1Y Samarium -> Rare

• 1 Initial -> Listening post (UNC: Listening Post Alpha)
• 2 Discovery -> Rachni infested mine (UNC: Listening Post Alpha) (Not accessible before receiving coordinates from Lt. Durand)
• 3 Initial -> Crashed Probe (salvage)
• 4 Initial -> Mining camp (salvage). The "song" commonly associated with the rachni can be heard here.
• 5 Initial -> Safebox (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 6 Unmarked -> Rachni colony
• 7 Unmarked -> Rachni colony
• 1 Uranium -> Rare
• 3 Titanium -> Light

• 1R Initial -> Mine entrance (UNC: Espionage Probe)
• 2R Discovery -> Mine exit to mercenary camp and Mako (UNC: Espionage Probe)
• 3R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage)
• 4R Initial -> Scavenger corpse – human male (UNC: Turian Insignias)
• 5R Discovery -> Charred corpse
• 1Y Beryllium -> Light
• 2Y Magnesium -> Light

• 1R Initial -> Underground facility (UNC: Hades' Dogs)
• 2R Initial -> Crashed probe (salvage - requires Advanced Electronics)
• 3R Initial -> Mummified salarian (UNC: Locate Signs of Battle)
• 4R Unmarked -> Shack (salvage)
• 2Y Platinum -> Heavy

• 1R Initial -> Research facility (UNC: Cerberus). Guarded by 2 Turrets.
• 2R Initial -> Research facility (UNC: Cerberus). Guarded by 2 Turrets.
• 4R Initial -> Prothean pyramid (UNC: Prothean Data Discs)
• 5R Initial -> Research facility (UNC: Cerberus). Guarded by 2 Turrets.

Mass Effect: Helena Blake and Hostile Takeover quest walkthrough

The original Mass Effect is absolutely full of side quests and side activities for players to participate in, as shown comprehensively in our ME1 Assignments List . One of the more challenging side quests in the game is UNC: Hostile Takeover , which sees Shepard do some dirty work for a woman called Helena Blake .

On this page, we run down the Hostile Takeover quest, including how to start it, where to go to beat it, and what the potential consequences are for the various options you have during and throughout the mission.

If you need more help with Mass Effect’s myriad choice-driven narratives, check out our in-depth Mass Effect trilogy choices & consequences guide , which covers all three games in detail.

How to start the Helena Blake Hostile Takeover mission

C-Sec is investigating a woman named Helena Blake. There's no hard evidence against her, but if these reports are correct, she's a powerful criminal element on the Citadel. She was last seen near the Emporium on the Presidium.

You’ll be able to start this quest as soon as Shepard obtains their Spectre status from the Citadel Council, quite early on in the game. From that point on, there’s a few different ways you can obtain the quest:

• You can hack a computer in the C-Sec Academy area in the Citadel Wards Access that’s between the Presidium and the Upper Wards. This is a difficult decryption, but doing so will give you a report that points you to Helena Blake.
• Easier, you can just find Helena Blake yourself - she’s hanging out near the Emporium in the Citadel Presidium’s Financial District - that’s near the Hanar shop and Barla Von’s office. She’ll even call Shepard over as they walk past!
• Finally, the quest will automatically trigger if you accidentally stumble upon any of the involved criminal bases while exploring uncharted worlds:

Once you speak to Helena Blake, she’ll reveal that she’s part of a criminal organization - but she wants her fellow Crime Bosses killed so she can take over the business. Blake says she wants to lead the illegal empire in a way that’s slightly less evil - though no less illegal.

Shepard has the option of accepting or refusing Blake’s offer. Whatever you choose, you will be given the coordinates to the bases ‘just in case’ you change your mind . 

How you answer Blake will net you Paragon or Renegade points, depending on if you agree to help her criminal aspirations or not. Paragon players fear not, though - you can still continue to use the coordinates, as there’s a Paragon path throughout the rest of this mission.

UNC: Hostile Takeover - breaking the syndicate

If you choose to continue with the quest, you’ll then need to head to two different bases. One is in the Gemini Sigma cluster’s Han system, on the planet Mavigon. The other is in the Hades Gamma cluster’s Dis system, on the planet Klensal. 

Both of the bases are packed with mercenaries and soldiers. Expect to face snipers, assault troops, and Krogan that’ll rush you head-on. Many of the enemies can use immunity to temporarily protect themselves, and some of them can also regenerate health even when gravely damaged.

Deciding the fate of Helena Blake

With both of the syndicate bases finished, your next destination is the Fortuna system in the Horse Head Nebula cluster. The planet Amaranthine is your ultimate destination.

On this planet, you’ll be able to pilot the Mako over to Helena Blake’s base. When you arrive, you won’t be attacked on sight - enter the base and Blake will be waiting for you, and will engage you in conversation. 

You have three options here:

• You can insist on arresting Blake. If you do this, Blake won’t allow herself to be taken alive and will attack. This leads to a combat encounter similar to the previous two syndicate bases, but slightly more difficult. Once the base is cleared, you can loot its contents. 
• You can use a high Charm or Intimidate stat to convince Helena Blake to disband the gang permanently. This will get you Paragon or Renegade points depending on which used, and nobody dies in this scenario. You can also still walk around the base and loot its lockers. Also, if you’re particularly blood and XP hungry, you can then open fire on Blake and her troops after this to fight them for the XP.
• Finally, you can accept Helena Blake’s reward. If you do this, you’ll be sent back outside with a bunch of credits. The door will lock behind you, so there’s no way back into the base. 

Beyond the various rewards, you can also think about how this impacts Mass Effect 2. If she’s alive, Helena Blake can appear in ME2 - though it’s ultimately a minor consequence that doesn’t impact the story in any significant way.

Regardless of what you choose, Blake will be in Omega’s Afterlife club in ME2. She’ll be part of a new criminal organization there, or if you persuaded her to give up a life of crime she’ll have a new, legal life doing good in the world. 

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I missed a few assignments in ME1 - is a perfect destroy ending still possible?

Spoilers ahead

I ended up locked out of getting Gavin’s data on Feros, I missed the discussion with the ‘Earth first’ protesters on the Citadel, I didn’t do the collection assignments (turian insignias etc), and I’m pretty sure there must be an Earthborn-related assignment I missed, because I didn’t come across one. I thiiiiink that’s all I missed. I’m planning on doing everything I possibly can in ME2 and ME3 (on track with ME2 so far). Is there still hope for my Shepard to survive, or would I have to go back to ME1? I’m very attached to the idea of not leaving Garrus alone lol. I didn’t realise until today that LE had upped the difficulty for getting the perfect destroy ending.

I wasn’t sure if this broke the FAQ rule, but figured it didn’t, as the FAQ stated was more a general ‘what is a perfect destroy ending and how can I get it’, whereas my query is more specific and I couldn’t just google it. If I am wrong and it breaks the rule, I am very sorry.

Task Finder

X57: bring down the sky.

This page of IGN’s Mass Effect wiki guide is about the Bring Down the Sky mission, including how to find all items, complete all side-quests, and make the best choices for Paragon and Renegade moralities.

Want more Mass Effect help? Check out the following pages:

• Legendary Edition Changes
• How-To Guides
• Key Choices and Consequences
• Romance Options
• Walkthrough
• Side Quests

Looking for something specific? Click the links below to jump to...

Assignment Stats

Before we begin, travel to asgard, survey station 3, body of t. slajs, transmission tower, disable fusion torch a, survey station 1, avoid the blasting caps, disable fusion torch b, explosives cache, disable fusion torch c, survey station 2, head to the main facility, ending conversations, so what next, essential stats.

• Persuasion Points : 2 Charm / 2 Intimidate
• Minimum Decryption : Hard Decryption
• Minimum Electronics : N/A

Recommended Squad

• Because you'll be facing organic opponents with many talents, you'll want to bring Garrus and Wrex for their heavy-hitting abilities. Ashley + Wrex isn't recommended unless Shepard is capable of Hard Decryption.

Bring Down the Sky is actually a rather valuable piece of DLC, as you can get a lot of XP, loot and Morality Points by completing it. But it can also be quite difficult, so here's some considerations you should keep in mind:

• Legendary Edition players won't have to worry about this as the Mako kill XP penalty has been removed in that version of the game.
• Whatever version of the game you're playing, if getting Morality Points early is important to you and you're not following our Uncharted Worlds Roadmap , you should start this content as soon as possible.
• However, at the end of Bring Down the Sky, you get to take your pick of some extremely valuable equipment, including a set of armor or an Omni-tool. These are scaled to Shepard's level, so if you want the best possible equipment in the game, save this until Shepard is at Level 50, which guarantees the rewards will be at Level X.

• Location : Exodus Cluster - Asgard - Asteroid X57

Bring Down the Sky is located in the Exodus Cluster, located just South of the Horse Head Nebula where Noveria is (and marked with an Asteroid X57 label). Travel to the Asgard system, then find Asteroid 57 close to Terra Nova, the first planet in the system. There are no Discoveries to make here.

First Fusion Torch

As we noted at the top of the page, while the level does have a clear golden path that takes you to each Fusion Torch, this page will also guide you through doing the two side quests, Missing Engineers and Avoid the Blasting Caps , as well as other findables on the map.

It's also worth pointing out that the interiors of the Fusion Torches are determined by the order you enter them. This means that the first Fusion Torch you enter will have the same layout every time, no matter where on the map it actually was. This page assumes you're going South to North.

There’s a great amount of things to do here on Asteroid 57, so we’ll begin by doing a bit of side stuff first. Drive West a little bit and you should see a question mark icon appear on the minimap. Follow it up the hill to get to Survey Station 3, a small little container room.

• Technician Kit - At the base of a rusty transmission tower in front of the container room.
• Body of G. Mendel - Lying just outside the container room, near the entry ramp.
• Aid Station - On the wall inside the container room, just above a bed.
• Station Log - A laptop on a desk close to the Aid Station.

If you used the Station Log just now in Survey Station 3, you'll have picked up a clue to another missing engineer, someone named Slajs. To find their body, return to the Mako and open up your Map; you’ll want to drive due North along the top of the tall ridge running along the West side of the area to the flatter area in the middle, then to the second ridge North of it.

Along the second ridge you'll find a wrecked red vehicle (known as a Grizzly).

• Body of T. Slajs - Lying next to the Grizzle vehicle.
• Technician Kit - Close to the Body of T. Slajs.

Now you’ll want to drive to the South East towards the X on the map labelled as “Transmission Tower”, located North-West of the Southern-most Fusion Torch. When you get there, Repair the Transmission Tower and you’ll get the locations of all three Survey Stations added to your map!

Now you'll want to drive along to our first Fusion Torch, labelled with a 1 on our Map earlier on the page. As you approach it, you may notice on your minimap that it’s guarded by six Heavy Turrets (four around the building, a fifth nearby and a sixth on the opposite side of the valley). These are protected by walls that retract so that the turrets can fire at you when you get in range.

You can drive past these and up to the building that controls the Fusion Torch, but it’s recommended that you destroy them as they give you large amounts of XP, although those not playing the Legendary Edition should deal the killing blow on foot in to make the most of it.

Once all the Heavy Turrets are destroyed, enter the building near the Fusion Torch. When you open the door to the main room, you’ll have your very first encounter with Batarians and their War Beasts known as Varren. Varren will charge right at you, so it’s important to shoot them down first.

Hit the Fuel Tank on the opposite side of the room, then press inwards to take out the Batarians, who act like other humanoid soldiers with mild biotic abilities.

While you're here, make sure to grab these loot objects:

• Grenade Storage Box - In the lower side-room, on some shelves close to the table.
• Storage Locker - On the West wall of the lower side-room, close to a bunk bed.
• Secure Crate - In the North-East corner of the upper side-room, close to the entry door.

With all the loot objects, well, looted, go to the upper side-room and check for the Torch Control. Hack it, and you'll have a scene with someone on X57's engineering team in the main facility. Unfortunately, the conversation will be brief.

After the cutscene, exit the building, where you’ll run into Simon Atwell first in the lobby room. To get the most dialogue and information out of this conversation, prioritize options on the left side of the dialogue wheel and avoid picking "I understand the situation" or anything else on the right-hand side of the wheel.

When you discuss Bataraians, you have the chance for Morality Points:

• Pick “They’re not all like this” for +2 Paragon Points .
• Pick “Why wouldn’t they?” for +2 Renegade Points .

When you end the conversation, Simon will give you the Missing Engineers Side Quest proper, as well as Avoid the Blasting Caps.. We’ll tackle them as we go.

Second Fusion Torch

Back outside, enter the Mako and drive up to the top of the mountain directly East of the Fusion Torch. At the top you’ll find a small container room for X57 Radio.

• Aid Station - On the wall, visible on your right as you enter the container room.
• Logs - A laptop on a desk in the back corner of the room.
• Radio Controls - The two inactive hologram projectors at the back of the room. Activate it to hear some Mass Effect elevator music!

Now open up your map and look for the marker named Survey Station 1 in the South-East corner and pin it. Drive out to it and park next to the container room so you can find everything here:

• Secure Crate - Average Decryption. Sitting next to the end of the container room, opposite the entry door.
• Aid Station - On the wall of the container room, sitting next to a server.
• Body of C. Hymes - On the floor next to the Aid Station.
• Station Locks - On the table next to the Body of C. Hymes.

Now you’ll want to go to the middle Fusion Torch located towards the middle of the map. It’s an easy drive to it from Fusion Torch A if you simply drive North through the valley, but as you get close you’ll come under attack from more Heavy Turrets. Remember Simon’s words and park outside the circle of yellow beacons, since they mark the area with proximity mines. Take out the Heavy Turrets before you head over to it.

To make things that much more difficult, there are four Batarians at the entrance of the building, one of which is a Rocket Trooper. You’ll want to take them out, especially on harder difficulties, but their position is sunk into the ground and provides ample cover. A good spot to snipe them is up the South bank where one of the Heavy Turrets were. Park the Mako safely, walk towards the facility to draw the Batarians out, then use the Mako as cover so you can pop out and shoot the Rocket Trooper, then the other three.

Now for the approach. The Mako is simply too big and unwieldy to navigate through the mines without getting blown up, so you’ll have to go on foot. The mines are marked on your minimap as orange Xs, and you can use the meter next to the minimap to get a warning if you’re too close. There are two good spots to approach from as shown via the map above:

• West-South-West where the orange Mako marker is. You’ll slip by two pairs of mines as you go up a hill, which you can use as cover to take out the Batarians at the entrance to the building.
• On the East side where the blue Squad marker is. You can walk up the hill behind the building directly to the Batarians, although you’ll have to drive around the mines first.

Once you make it past the mines and to the front door, use the Blasting Cap Controls to Disarm the Explosives and complete the Assignment. Now you can head indoors.

Inside you’ll have to deal with more Batarians, who are backed up by Rocket Drones. A good tactic is to make for the upper balcony where the Batarian Engineer is so that you can stop him from spawning in more Rocket Drones. The Engineer himself is also quite annoying because he can Hack your weapon, meaning the next shot will instantly overheat it and lock it that way for 10 seconds or more.

Once the room is quiet, check the area for this loot:

• Crate - Next to a thin column in the South of the main room. It'll be next to the raised area you can get to via a ramp to take cover.
• Storage Locker - On the West wall of the lower side-room.
• Medical Kit - On the upper balcony, on the Northern edge where the drones were spawning in from.
• Secure Crate - Average Decryption. Near the Medical Kit, hidden behind a red box.

When you've collected everything, head to the upper side-room and use the Torch Controls to continue the story.

Third Fusion Torch

We’ll now head up to the North-East corner of the map. Along the way, you’ll come across some structures marked with a question mark on the minimap, near the Eastern border of the map.

Head inside this little container room to find these objects:

• Aid Station - To your right when entering the room, on the middle divider wall.
• Station Logs - The laptop on the desk on the other side of the divider wall. Examine it to reveal on your map the location of an Explosives Cache to the North.

Open up your map and pin the icon for the Explosives Cache in the North-East corner of the map, then drive out to it to find it as a tiny container room shack. Head inside to get these objects:

• Grenade Storage Boxes x8 - On the shelves inside the container room. Each has 2 grenades, for a total of 16. However Shepard can only hold 5, so don't open them all at once or it'll be a waste!

You’ll now want to return to Fusion Torch B and strike out West, going over the hill to get to the third and final Fusion Torch. Take out all the Heavy Turrets as you approach it, then head inside.

You’ll once again fight Batarians and Varren, this time in a room with a U-shaped layout. Use this to funnel the Varren into an effective shooting gallery, then head around the corner to down their masters.

Once that’s done, check the building for these loot objects:

• Storage Locker - On the West wall of the lower side-room, between two inert Storage Lockers
• Grenade Storage Box - Tucked under the bunk bed to the right of the Storage Locker.
• Secure Crate - Average Decryption. In the South-East corner of the upper side-room,

Once you've gotten everything, go to the upper side-room and use the Torch Controls. That'll save X57, but you'll still have to deal with the Batarians. That starts as soon as you go down to the lower floor, where you'll have a confrontation with Balak's second-in-command...

When you get to the lower floor, you’ll be approached by Charn, who wants to negotiate with you. Here's how this conversation can go:

• If you have 2 Charm, pick "Forget Balak" to convince him to leave for +8 Paragon Points .
• If you have 2 Intimidate, pick “Don’t be stupid” to have him leave. Oddly, this also gives you +8 Paragon Points .
• If you pick “[Attack Him]” at any point (or shoot them before the conversation even begins), you’ll fight him and his men, getting you +9 Renegade Points , as well as a good amount of XP and Credits from the Batarians and Varren you now have to fight on the way out.

Once you’ve made your choice, exit the building to continue exploring Asteroid 57.

Main Facility

Before we go to the main facility, there’s one last Side Quest to tend to. Head North through the valley, then when it stops go West towards the marker for Survey Station 2 on your Map (pin it if you need to), another container room. Here, you can interact with two objects:

• Hardened Crate - Hard Decryption. In the left-hand corner of the container room, at the foot of a server.
• Aid Station - On the wall inside the container room, on the other side of the server.
• Station Logs - A laptop on the desk next to the Aid Station. Examining it will spawn in three Defense Drones you have to fight, but is mandatory for the side quest.

Fighting the three Defense Drones can be precarious because you'll be out in the open. Your only forms of cover will be inside the container room, two large boxes and a claw sitting nearby, or the Mako, whose weapons you can try to use on the drones if you wish.

Once they’re destroyed, check the East side of the container room to find some Footprints to Example, which apparently lead East. Hop into the Mako and backtrack East a bit and look for the Body of R. Montoya in a low area on the right. Examine him to learn his story and get a bit of loot.

If you've been following this page in order, that's the last person you need to Missing Engineers!

Now return to the North end of the valley and go East up the valley to get to the Main Facility. It’s guarded by three Heavy Turrets, but these ones are moving up and down on rails, making them tough to hit. If you’re on foot, you’ll want to use the Mako as cover now more than ever!

Once they’re all destroyed, head inside the facility.

After entering, head into the lobby and search the lobby for these objects before the fighting starts:

• Aid Station - Standing in the entryway facing in, it'll be on the wall to your left.
• Grenade Storage Box - On a little raised platform right next to the Aid Station.

Head up the stairs in the lobby to enter the main atrium, and a LOT of Batarian resistance!

Here you’ll be fighting Batarians strewn about the room as well as various Drones. This is a frustrating encounter because your minimap’s range doesn’t cover the whole room, so you’ll be spending a fair bit of time searching for the last few enemies to kill so that you can move on.

The room itself is split into two levels, and neither one is great strategically. The lower floor will have you exposed to enemies shooting from above, while the upper floor has plenty of cover, but the railing is so tall that it can actively block your shots to enemies on the lower level if they're too close to you.

Making matters worse are Batarian Engineers, who are all to happy to make your guns overheat 10 for seconds or more, and are not afraid to sabotage multiple guns one after the other! Be prepared to be forced into switching weapons just so that you can fire back with something .

Of course, there are also some items you can get which can help you during the fight:

• Grenade Storage Box - On top of a tall planter in the lower-most area of the lower floor.
• Aid Station - On the West wall of the medical room on the upper floor.
• Aid Station - On the South wall of the medical room on the upper floor.

Once you've defeated every enemy in the atrium, one last Batarian will spawn in the container room at the Southern part of the lower floor. Kill him, and a very important cutscene will commence.

You’ll now be confronted by Balak, the one responsible for this act of terrorism. While picking the left-hand options will always tease out more dialogue and information, the conversation will always make its way down to two choices: Attack him, or Let him go to save hostages.

• If you choose “[Let him go to save hostages]”, you’ll get +24 Paragon Points . You will still need to fight constantly-spawning Defense Drones, and you’ll have between two and ten minutes (depending on the difficulty) to find and disarm three Explosive Charges (marked in yellow on our map earlier). Disarming all three Demolition Charges ends the hostilities.
• If you choose “[Attack him]”, you’ll get +25 Renegade Points and have to fight Balak, his two Bodyguards, two Varren and two Defence Drones. You can't move on until you've killed all of them.

If you chose to attack Balak earlier, then when the fight is over you’ll be in a conversation with him again, although he's badly wounded and will eventually succumb to them. You can pick the upper-left options on the Dialogue Wheel to get information on him and his perspective, or the lower-left options to make him die painfully and slowly.

Either way, this scene will always result in Balak being taken out of the story, although you have three different methods of doing do:

• Pick "[Kill him]" at any time to kill him right there. However, this won't allow for more Renegade Points.
• Pick "[Leave him for the Alliance]" to have him put under Alliance custody later and tried for his crimes.
• Pick "[Leave him to die]" to walk away and have him die slowly. This opens up some Renegade Points in the next conversation you'll have.

Simon Atwell

After Balak's departure, you'll have a reunion chat with Simon Atwell, who'll confirm that you saved Terra Nova and his extended family. As always, picking options on the left side of the dialogue wheel will always result in more dialogue and info.

As for specific options here, what you should pick will differ depending on how you handled Balak:

• If you chose to let Balak go, pick "I'm not like him" when it shows up, then "Only temporarily" to get +2 Paragon Points .
• If you sacrificed the hostages and then left Balak for the Alliance, pick "No one could have done better" and then either "Damn right I am" or "As hard as possible" for +2 Renegade Points .

Next, Simon will express his gratitude for saving his family, and offer up one of six rewards: Quarian Armor, Light Armor, Medium Armor, Heavy Armor, or an Omni-tool. Here's what you need to know:

• The Omni-tool is locked behind a Persuasion check, so you'll need to have a good amount of Charm / Intimidate Points in order to get it. Neither will give any Morality Points.
• The armor options will always be Colossus armor. This is the best armor in the game, having the best shields and damage/tech/biotic protection. The Quarian Armor is especially notable for how rare Quarian Armor is in the first place.
• The level of the item you get will work just like loot, and thus will be determined by Shepard's level. In order to get the highest level, Level X, Shepard needs to be Level 50 by the time you finish fighting in the Atrium.

Finally, if you found all three of Simon's Missing Engineers, you can pick "About your three engineers" to confirm their fates and conclude the Assignment. If you didn't, you can always talk to Simon again at the desk in the lobby of this building.

Kate Bowman

You should now open the door on your right to free the hostages. If you spared them by letting Balak go, you’ll have a conversation with Kate Bowman which will give XP and Credits (if you didn't free them, they'll be charred corpses, who won't give you anything).

You can then get a little more dialogue from her if you exit the room and go to the far left, where she’s mourning her brother.

You are now done! If you haven’t found all three of the Engineers, head to the Missing Engineers page to learn their locations; once you’re finished, return to Simon here and talk to him in the lobby to finish it up. You can leave and return to Asteroid X57 at any time.

Following our guide from this point, there's one of two things you can do next, depending on if you have Mass Effect 1's other piece of DLC, Pinnacle Station.

• If you're playing the original release of the game on Xbox 360 or PC, and have the Pinnacle Station DLC installed, you should go do that next.
• If you're playing the Legendary Edition, are on PS3, or otherwise do not have Pinnacle Station, you should next head to our Post-First Mission World page.

Up Next: Missing Engineers

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