assignments in mass effect

Mass Effect 2 Assignments - every side quest & how to trigger them

Mass Effect 2 is a far more streamlined game than its predecessor, but it still has aspirations of being a traditional, full-fat RPG - and that means there’s a bunch of side quests and optional missions which take the form of Assignments , just as they did in the previous game.

In ME2, assignments are generally a lot more simple and fall into two basic categories. First, there are missions that involve talking - to resolve a situation, to buy an item, etcetera. Second, there are missions where you’ll find an item during a story mission (such as a recruitment or loyalty quest) and must return it to the correct NPC. Finally, there are combat-focused side missions where you get into a scrap and fight your way through.

The entire game has been streamlined, meaning this guide isn’t quite as complicated as our ME1 assignments list - however, there’s still assignments here that can have consequences in Mass Effect 3 if undertaken - and the rewards are valuable in your main story quest, too - with credits and resources gained valuable for getting the best weapons & ship upgrades to survive the suicide mission .

This page lists every assignment in Mass Effect 2 , broken up into a few simple sections, based on where you are in the game and when the quests unlock:

• Act 1 Assignments
• DLC Side Quests & when to play them
• Act 2 Assignments

Mass Effect 2 Assignments - Act 1 side quests

Here’s all of the assignments and side quests that can be triggered in ME2 in the first ‘act’ of the game - so after Freedom’s Progress and getting the Normandy, but before the next compulsory story mission on Horizon. First, the assignments on planets and major locations:

• Normandy: FBA Couplings - talk to Ken and Gabby, the Normandy’s engineers, down on the engineering deck. They’ll ask for these. You can buy them cheaply from Kenn’s Salvage on Omega. Can result in unique ambient dialogue in ME3 if completed.
• Normandy: Serrice Ice Brandy - talk to Chakwas on the Normandy Crew Quarters deck, in the med bay. You can buy the item you need in the various bars across the world; the Citadel’s Dark Star Lounge, Afterlife on Omega, and from shops on Tuchanka or Illium. You only need to buy it once.
• Normandy: Special Ingredients - talk to Mess Sergeant Gardner on the Normandy Crew Quarters deck. Buy the item from Zakera Cafe on the Citadel.
• Citadel: Crime in Progress - interrupt a conversation between a Quarian, Volus, & Human on the Citadel Wards, Level 26. Find the chit at Saronis Applications store nearby.
• Citadel: Krogan Sushi - overhear two Krogan arguing on the Citadel Wards Level 27. Talk to the Turian groundskeeper inside the Dark Star Lounge club nearby. Either tell the Krogan the truth, or buy a fish from the Souvenirs store to give to them to lie.
• Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered - pick up a datapad during the Archangel recruitment mission. Hand it over to Aria in Afterlife on Omega.
• Omega: Batarian Bartender - downstairs in Afterlife, order a drink from the Batarian Bartender. Choose how to deal with him.
• Omega: Struggling Quarian - speak to Kenn the Quarian at Kenn’s Salvage shop. Either pay his way, or help him another way.
• Omega: The Patriarch - after completing one or both recruitment missions on Omega, talk to Grizz the Turian bodyguard of Aria, near her private booth. Find the Patriarch downstairs. The neutral route gets less rewards; go for Paragon or Renegade.
• Omega: The Professor : Missing Assistant - automatically mentioned when you first meet Mordin during his recruitment mission. Daniel can be rescued in a side room in the second half of that mission.

These missions unlock at the same time, but at N7 missions, take place on random worlds typically discovered through Planet Scanning:

• N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot - either scan the planet Daratar in the Faryar system of the Hourglass Nebula, or get the quest off Aria after completing the Datapad & Patriarch quests on Omega. The credits you get at the end of the mission varies depending on how many crates survive.
• N7: Lost Operative - scan the planet of Lorek in the Fathar system of the Omega Nebula, or get a message off Cerberus HQ after recruiting Archangel.
• N7: MSV Estevanico - scan the planet of Zenthu, which is in the Ploitari system of the Hourglass Nebula.
• N7: Abandoned Research Station then takes place on Jarrahe Station in the Eagle Nebula’s Strabo system.
• N7: Hahne-Kedar Facility takes you to the planet Capek in the Haskins system of the Titan Nebula.

Mass Effect 2 DLC Side Quests & Assignments

There are DLC Missions that are technically side quests, but are significant. Unlike other side missions, we include these in our suggested ME2 mission order - so we suggest you consult that page if you’re struggling to decide when to do them. The other DLC missions not listed here - Kasumi & Zaeed's quests, as well as Lair of the Shadow Broker and Arrival - are considered main story quests. Again, to know when to do them, see the order guide.

• Normandy Crash Site - you can do this any time after getting the Normandy. There’s no combat, but some decent rewards - so consider taking it on early.
• Project Firewalker - this consists of a string of 5 missions; Geth Activity/Incursion, Prothean Ruin, Rosalie Lost, Artifact Collection, and Recover Research Data. You can do these whenever you want, and they’re completely safe to do in the early-game, with no regular combat.
• Overlord - this DLC consists of 4 stages; Investigate Project Overlord, Atlas Station, Prometheus Station, and Vulcan Station. We suggest you save this string of missions for the second half of the game. 

Mass Effect 2 Assignments - Act 2 & 3 side quests

After a thrilling visit to the planet of Horizon where you meet an old friend and get a far better idea of the threats you’re facing, a bunch more major planets and systems open up in ME2 - bringing with them a wide range of additional side quests. 

First, there’s the quests that take place on the major story planets you can now visit, plus a few extra quests on previously visited worlds:

• Citadel: Found Forged ID / Citadel: False Positives - this quest can have two names, depending on how you acquire it. Either find the Forged ID as loot during Garrus’ loyalty mission , or overhear chatter between two Asari on the Citadel later in the game. You’ll need to talk to Kalara Tomi and decide what to do, either giving her the ID (if you have it), or going to C-Sec Customs to resolve it verbally. You have more options if you get reinstated as a Spectre. 
• Omega: Packages for Ish - after Horizon, a Salarian named Ish will appear near the entrance to Omega. He and his companion want you to pick up packages from the Citadel (from near Saronis Applications) and Illium (in Eternity) and deliver them to him.
• Illium: A Troublemaker / Illium: Conrad Verner - only available if you completed the Citadel: The Fan assignment in ME1, and if you charmed or intimidated Conrad. If so, he’s back on Illium - an Asari outside Eternity gives you the assignment. Depending on the outcome, Conrad can show up in ME3.
• Illium: Blue Rose of Illium - in the area with the shops, Charr the Krogan is reading out his poetry. Talk to the Asari merchant to start the quest. This has consequences in ME3.
• Illium: Gianna Parasini - only appears when you import an ME1 save. She appears regardless of if you completed her side mission there or not. Meet Gianna near the entrance to Liara’s office. Drink the beer to get the quest.
• Illium: Indentured Service - if Conrad Verner is present, you must complete his quest first. Then, there’ll be a Quarian and Asari in Eternity. Decide the Quarian’s fate.
• Illium: Medical Scans - if they survived, this will be a character from ME1. Regardless, though, you’ll be approached near Illium’s tracking office.
• Illium: The Assassin: Salarian Family Data - during Thane’s recruitment mission, pick up this datapad to start this mission, then return it to the Salarian in one of Ilium’s hallways. 
• Illium: The Justicar: Smuggling Evidence - find this datapad during Samara’s recruitment mission. After the fighting is over, you’re returned to the port for a debrief. During this time, before the mission ends, hand the datapad to either Pitne For or Detective Anaya. Anaya gives less of a cash reward, but is the paragon option.
• Illium: The Justicar: Stolen Goods Found - find the note during Samara’s recruitment mission and choose to upload it. That starts this mission. Back in the Illium hub, you’ll be approached about this.
• Illium: The Prodigal: Lost Locket Found - when completing Miranda’s loyalty mission , find this locket as loot. Return it to an Asari back on the Illium hub.
• Tuchanka: Combustion Manifold - talk to the Krogan mechanic, or find the manifold from an upside down vehicle during the mission. 
• Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks - talk to Ratch, the shopkeeper, to be challenged to this little tower defense mini-game. 
• Tuchanka: Old Blood: Missing Scout - before going on Mordin’s loyalty mission , talk to the Chief Scout in the Krogan camp hub area. Rescue the Scout during the loyalty mission.

Beyond this, there are also a new series of N7 missions that unlock once you’ve completed the story mission on Horizon. Again, they’re mostly found through planet scanning:

• N7: Abandoned Mine - first, you’ll need to buy the Star Charts from Baria Frontiers on Illium. Next, go to the Minos Wasteland cluster’s Fortis system and scan the planet Aequitas. 
• N7: Anomalous Weather Detected - you’ll need the relevant Star Chat from Baria Frontiers on Illium. Then scan the planet Canalus in the Dirada system of the Pylos Nebula.
• After completing that, an email will kick off N7: MSV Strontium Mule.
• Another email then sends you to N7: Blue Suns Base
• Finally, EDI will point you to N7: Javelin Missiles launched, though you can also trigger this early by just scanning its location (the moon Franklin in the Skepsis system of the Sigurd’s Cradle cluster).
• This directly leads to the next quest, N7: Blood Pack Communications Relay. You can trigger that mission early by scanning its location - Tarith, in the Lusran system of the Crescent Nebula.
• N7: Captured Mining Facility - scan the planet Helyme, which is in the Zelene system of the Crescent Nebula cluster.
• N7: Endangered Research Station - this mission either unlocks after Horizon & completing Project Firewalker: Rosalie Lost, or after the Collector Ship story mission. Scan Taitus, a planet in the Talava system of the Caleston Rift cluster.
• N7: Imminent Ship Crash - you’ll need another star chart from Baria Frontiers on Illium. The Broken Arrow is a ship found in the Nariph system of the Pylos Nebula, which is unlocked by a chart.
• N7: Mining the Canyon - this mission either unlocks after Horizon & completing Project Firewalker: Rosalie Lost, or after the Collector Ship story mission. Scan Sinmara, a planet in the Solevig system of the Caleston Rift cluster.
• N7: Quarian Crash Site - you’ll need a star chart from Baria Frontiers again. Once you have it, scan Gei Hinnom, which is in the Sheol system of the Hades Nexus cluster.

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

As an RPG, Mass Effect contains plenty of side objectives for players. With the release of the Legendary Edition, which are most worth your time?

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 .

RELATED: Mass Effect: All Alien Squad Members In Thea Franchise, Ranked

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.

RELATED: Mass Effect: Miranda Lawson's Best Quotes, Ranked

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

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Assignments are the name given to side missions in Mass Effect . Assignments  do not advance the story but completing them can help the player understand the inner workings of the Mass Effect's universe, the interactions between Races , etc

Assignments in Mass Effect

Shepard's background .

These assignments depend on the pre-service history the player chooses while creating the character

• Citadel: Old, Unhappy, Far-off Things
• Citadel: Old Friends
• Citadel: I Remember Me

Squad Member 

These assignments are related to your Normandy Crewmates.

• Garrus: Find Dr. Saleon
• Tali and the Geth
• Wrex: Family Armor

Citadel First Visit

These assignments are first available since your first visit to the Citadel, and remain so for the rest of the game.

• Citadel: Asari Consort
• Citadel: Doctor Michel
• Citadel: Homecoming
• Citadel: Jahleed's Fears
• Citadel: Presidium Prophet
• Citadel: Reporter's Request
• Citadel: Rita's Sister
• Citadel: Scan the Keepers
• Citadel: Schells the Gambler
• Citadel: Signal Tracking
• Citadel: The Fan
• Citadel: Xeltan's Complaint
• Missing Person

Citadel Second Visit

These assignments become available after completing one of the three major Missions (Feros, Noveria o rescuing Lara T'Soni)

• Citadel: Family Matter
• Citadel: Planting a Bug
• Citadel: Snap Inspection
• Citadel: The Fourth Estate

Citadel Detainee Visit

These assignments are only available during the time you are detained at the Citadel.

• Citadel: Our Own Worst Enemy
• Citadel: Negotiator's Request

These assignments are specific to Feros

• Feros: Data Recovery
• Feros: Geth in the Tunnels
• Feros: Power Cells
• Feros: Varren Meat
• Feros: Water Restoration

These assignments are specific to Noveria

• Noveria: Espionage
• Noveria: Smuggling

These assignments are specific to Virmire

• Virmire: Assisting Kirrahe's Team
• Virmire: Wrex and the Genophage

Galaxy Collection

These assignments require you to travel Citadel space and finding hidden collectibles.

• UNC: Prothean Data Discs
• UNC: Turian Insignias
• UNC: Valuable Minerals
• UNC: Locate Signs of Battle
• UNC: Asari Writings

Uncharted Space

Assignments from Uncharted Space in the galaxy

• A Person of Interest
• Doctor at Risk
• Geth Activities
• Investigate Facility
• Mercenaries
• Investigate Samples
• Investigate Shipments
• Strange Transmission
• UNC: Asari Diplomacy
• UNC: Cerberus
• UNC: Colony of the Dead
• UNC: Dead Scientists
• UNC: Depot Sigma-23
• UNC: Derelict Freighter
• UNC: Distress Call
• UNC: Espionage Probe
• UNC: ExoGeni Facility
• UNC: Geth Incursions
• UNC: Hades' Dogs
• UNC: Hostage
• UNC: Hostile Takeover
• UNC: Listening Post Alpha
• UNC: Listening Post Theta
• UNC: Lost Freighter
• UNC: Lost Module
• UNC: Major Kyle
• UNC: Missing Marines
• UNC: Missing Survey Team
• UNC: Privateers
• UNC: Rogue VI
• Unusual Readings

Morality-dependent

Assignments that depend on Commander Shepard's alignment.

• UNC: Besieged Base
• UNC: The Negotiation

Bring Down the Sky

Assignments for the first  DLC  for  Mass Effect

• X57: Bring down the Sky
• X57: Avoid the Blasting Caps
• X57: Missing Engineers

Pinnacle Station

Assignments for the second  DLC  for  Mass Effect

• Pinnacle Station: Combat Missions
• Pinnacle Station: Convoy
• Pinnacle Station: Vidinos

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• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - Fun Side Missions You Need To Play

These side missions are among the best to check out in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition.

By Matt Espineli and Jean-Luc Seipke on May 13, 2021 at 5:00PM PDT

There are many fantastic side missions in the Mass Effect series--known in-game as Assignments--that are well worth your time. There are also plenty that aren't worth doing at all, so we've compiled below a list of some of the best side missions you won't want to skip during your time playing the series in Mass Effect: Legendary Edition .

Note that we've only listed Assignments from the first Mass Effect so far. We'll be updating this feature with even more you shouldn't miss in other games in the coming days. Otherwise, be sure to read our Mass Effect: Legendary Edition review in progress .

Asari Consort

Rita's sister, the fourth estate, shepard's backstory quests, squad member assignments, colony of the dead, hostile takeover, missing marines, cerberus, hades' dogs, bring down the sky, mass effect 2 & 3 coming soon, mass effect 1.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadel. You can find this one in the Consort's chambers in the southeastern corner of the Presidium. Speak to Sha'ira.

Why It's Worthwhile: In this Assignment, the Asari Consort Sha'ira asks you to help with a Turian general who is spreading lies about her. It is a fun quest in its own right with two rewards: One being a steamy encounter (if you pick the right dialogue), and the other a Prothean trinket, which, if taken to the uncharted world on Eletania, gives you a nifty little Easter egg.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadel. Speak to Rita in Flux to pick up this Assignment.

Why It's Worthwhile: This particular Assignment has you helping a C-Sec officer save her sister, Jenna, who is working undercover and in potential danger. Complete it, and Jenna will show up in Mass Effect 3 in an unexpected way.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadel. Speak to Conrad Verner in the Upper Markets of the Ward.

Why It's Worthwhile: You'll get to meet Conrad Verner, the galaxy's biggest fan of Commander Shepard. You'll need to return to the Citadel several times for this one (typically after each major story quest) and talk with Conrad to finish the quest. Conrad is a fan favorite and will return in both Mass Effect 2 and 3 as long as you complete his quest.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadel. Talk to Samesh Bhatia, who will be in the Presidium Emissary suites after Tali joins your party.

Why It's Worthwhile: This Assignment is a heartbreaking little quest about a man who wants to recover his wife's body so he may give her a proper burial. It's hard to miss because, as we mentioned above, it will present itself outside the Presidium Emissary after meeting Tali.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadel after you've completed one or more of the game's main missions (Therum, Noveria, or Feros). After coming down off of the elevator to meet with Captain Anderson in the story, a reporter will be waiting for you. Talk to her to trigger this Assignment.

Why It's Worthwhile: The Fourth Estate is a tiny little quest where reporter Khalisah Al-Jilani interviews Shepard. Al-Jilani makes an appearance in all three games, each time referencing how things played out previously, so it's a good idea to talk to her and experience that fun continuity of events as you go.

Acquisition Details: When you first start Mass Effect, Shepard has three possible backstories to choose from, and each has a related Assignment you can do that fleshes out your selected background. All three of them are located on the Citadel and are available after completing one or more of the game's main missions (Therum, Noveria, or Feros).

• Old, Unhappy, Far-Off Things (Spacer Background): A human named Zabaleta will call Shepard over when you're passing by the Wards Access corridor.
• Old Friends (Earthborn Background): A human named Finch will address Shepard in passing when you're running around Chora's Den in the Wards.
• I Remember Me (Colonist Background): When you returnto the Citadel and leave the elevator from the docking bay, Lieutenant Girard will contact Shepard.

Why It's Worthwhile: For the most part, Shepard is built as a blank slate for you to define through your decisions as you play through the Mass Effect series. However, these backstory Assignments offer more story detail to help provide insight and color to Shepard's past.

Acquisition Details: While squad loyalty missions wouldn't become a series hallmark until Mass Effect 2, there are missions available for Garrus (Find Dr, Saleon), Tali (Tali and the Geth), and Wrex (Family Armor) in ME1. To unlock them, keep talking with your crewmates and exploring all their dialogue options when on the Normandy between missions until they come up.

Why They're Worthwhile: All three of these squad member Assignments are great missions and will help progress your relationship with these characters. Wrex's, in particular, is worth doing if you don't play pure Paragon or Renegade, as completing it can be invaluable to keeping Wrex around as a mainstay party member.

Acquisition Details: Located on Feros. Hack the server node in the upper level of the ExoGeni headquarters to retrieve it.

Why It's Worthwhile: This one is a creepy horror-themed Assignment that we won't spoil. Just expect to be spooked. It's important to note that you need a character with good decryption to hack the server node, so make sure you're allocating your skills accordingly or have a teammate who can handle it.

Acquisition Details: Located in the Citadelafter completing the main missions in Therum, Noveria, and Feros. Hack one of the computers in the C-Sec Academy located at the Aroch Ward of The Citadel to pick this one up. C-Sec is investigating a suspected criminal named Helena Blake, who you can find near the Emporium in the Financial District.

Why It's Worthwhile: Criminal Helena Blake asks you to take out her two business partners. It's a fun quest, and depending on the outcome, Helena will make a small appearance in Mass Effect 2.

Acquisition Details:

• Missing Marines: Acquired when you talk to Admiral Kahoku after the meeting with the Council, who can be found at the terminal before the stairs up to the Council's chamber. Alternatively, you can get it by completing the Doctor Michel Assignment. You can also pick up the marine unit's distress call yourself when you approach Edolus.
• Cerberus: After completing Missing Marines, the next time you use the Galaxy Map, Admiral Kahoku will message you about a new Assignment.
• Hades' Dogs : You can acquire this after completing Cerberus. When you return to the Normandy, you'll be able to track the location of the main Cerberus base.

Why They're Worthwhile: This ongoing questline involves Alliance officer Rear Admiral Kahoku. These three quests technically contain the first mention of the organization Cerberus, which plays a major role in Mass Effect 2 and 3.

Acquisition Details: You'll get this Assignment after warping into a system. Admiral Hackett will contact you and ask that you return to Sol.

Why It's Worthwhile: Shepard's asked to visit an alliance training ground and destroy the VI stationed there. The quest takes place on Earth's moon, which is always fun. It's worth doing from a gameplay standpoint, as completion will unlock Shepard's specialization class. It also comes back in a very interesting way in later games, which we won't spoil here.

Acquisition Details: Becomes available after you leave the Citadel. It's marked on the map as Asteroid X57.

Why It's Worthwhile: This is Mass Effect 1's only major DLC ( Rest in peace, Pinnacle Station ). It is not required to beat the game, but it is an excellent mission involving stopping a group of terrorists from sending an asteroid into the planet of Terra Nova. It is also the introduction (and only appearance in Mass Effect 1) of the Batarian species, which shows up regularly in the following games. Depending on your choices at the end, you'll even get an epilogue of sorts in Mass Effect 3.

As noted above, we'll be updating this feature with all the side missions that you need to play in Mass Effect 2 and Mass Effect 3 in the coming days. For now, enjoy your time in Mass Effect 1 and make sure you complete the ones we highlighted to optimize the fun continuity of your series playthrough.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Guides & News

• Mass Effect Guide - Legendary Edition Tips And Tricks Roundup
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Beginner's Guide - Essential Tips For First-Timers
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition - Everything Returning Players Should Know
• + Show More Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Guides & News Links (7)
• Mass Effect Walkthrough
• Mass Effect 2 Walkthrough
• Mass Effect 3 Walkthrough
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Trophy Guide - Full Achievement List
• Mass Effect: Legendary Edition Mission Order - Novaria, Feros, Or Therum?
• Rarest Mass Effect Moments You Might Not Know About

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Assignments are the name given to side missions in Mass Effect 2 . Assignments DO NOT advance the main story, but completing them can help the player understand the inner workings of the game's universe, the interactions between Races , etc

All Assignments in Mass Effect 2

Normandy: FBA Couplings Normandy: Serrice Ice Brandy Normandy: Special Ingredients

Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered Omega: Batarian Bartender Omega: Packages for Ish Omega: Struggling Quarian Omega: The Patriarch Omega: The Professor: Missing Assistant

Citadel: Crime in Progress Citadel: False Positives Citadel: Found Forged ID Citadel: Krogan Sushi

These become available after completing Freedom's Progress

N7: Abandoned Research Station N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot N7: Hahne-Kedar Facility N7: Lost Operative N7: MSV Estevanico N7: Wrecked Merchant Freighter

These become available after completing Horizon

N7: Abandoned Mine N7: Anomalous Weather Detected N7: Archeological Dig Site N7: Blood Pack Base N7: Blood Pack Communications Relay N7: Blue Suns Base N7: Captured Mining Facility N7: Endangered Research Station N7: Imminent Ship Crash N7: Javelin Missiles Launched N7: Mining the Canyon N7: MSV Strontium Mule N7: Quarian Crash Site

Illium: A Troublemaker Illium: Blue Rose of Illium Illium: Conrad Verner Illium: Gianna Parasini Illium: Indentured Service Illium: Medical Scans Illium: The Assassin: Salarian Family Data Illium: The Justicar: Smuggling Evidence Illium: The Justicar: Stolen Goods Found Illium: The Prodigal: Lost Locket Found

Tuchanka: Combustion Manifold Tuchanka: Killing Pyjaks Tuchanka: Old Blood: Missing Scout

Normandy Crash Site Project Firewalker: Geth Activity Project Firewalker: Prothean Site Project Firewalker: Rosalie Lost Project Firewalker: Survey Sites Located Project Firewalker: Volcano Station Overlord Overlord: Atlas Station Overlord: Prometheus Station Overlord: Vulcan Station Arrival

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Mass Effect: The Citadel: Homecoming Assignment Guide

Here's everything you need to know to complete the Homecoming Assignment in Mass Effect.

Wondering how to complete the Citadel: Homecoming assignment? Here are all the options you have and the consequences they will have in the future. If you've been playing Mass Effect for a while now you may have noticed that there is a bunch of side content to get through, and it's just as engaging as the game's main story.

RELATED: Mass Effect - The Citadel: Presidium Prophet Assignment Guide

Your first mission in Mass Effect is on a planet where one of the first human colonies settled - Eden Prime . Eden Prime was developed and improved by the Alliance . Unfortunately, the planet is under attack by the Geth , a sentient AI race . A lot of people were killed during this attack and the Citadel: Homecoming assignment is exactly about helping someone that is mourning a significant other.

How To Start The Citadel: Homecoming Assignment

If you've unlocked the Citadel: Expose Saren mission, then all you have to do is find Tali, the quarian, near Chora's Den . Then, once she joins your party, you will be granted access to the Citadel: Homecoming assignment.

To receive the assignment you have to talk to an NPC called Samesh Bhatia , you can find him in the Presidium, next to the embassy reception desk. Samesh will call out for you, so he's hard to miss if you walk past.

Samesh is a human, trying to get back his wife's body to put her to rest properly . She was an Alliance soldier, but, sadly, she was killed on Eden Prime. However, recuperating his wife's body hasn't been an easy task for Samesh, the Alliance has denied giving it back to him without any sort of justification . This, of course, quickly became a frustrating situation for him, and he requires assistance.

Additionally, if you have Ashley in your squad you will also learn more about the situation since she was in the same unit as Samesh's wife . Kaiden will also warn you about this if you have him in your squad but not Ashley.

How To Solve The Issue

Clerk Bosker , in the Embassy Lounge, is the one that's been denying Samesh his wife's physical remains. If you talk to him, since Shepard is a respectable soldier, he'll let you in on some information regarding the body. Bosker says that given the circumstances in which she died, the Alliance is conducting some tests so they can learn more about the geth technology and weaponry to improve defenses. However, the tests may go on for years .

Ultimately it is up to you to decide what is the moral thing to do here, but both options will result in you gaining either the same amount of paragon or renegade points - it only depends on how you decide to talk to the person .

Keeping The Body

If you think that the Alliance keeping the body will be best for the greater good and Samesh that should make a sacrifice, you have to persuade him to understand. To do this you can either charm him or intimidate him, but beware that Samesh requires an additional Charm and Intimidate point to persuade compared to Clerk Bosker, since it's understandably a much more delicate situation for him. Here's how you can do it:

• After receiving the quest from Samesh talk to Clerk Bosker, so he can explain the Alliance's motives
• Return to Samesh and talk to him
• With three Charm points, you can choose " This is important ", the quest will end, and you will be awarded +8 Paragon points
• With three Intimidate points, you can choose " This is war ", the quest will end, and you will be awarded +9 Renegade points

Not using morality options while allowing the Alliance to keep the body will make Samesh upset, he will leave, and you won't receive any rewards.

Releasing The Body

The other option is to make Clerk Bosker release the body to Samesh so he can give her the cremation he wanted and find some peace. Clerk Bosker is easier to convince since it's not a personal issue for him, it's just part of his job to follow orders from the Alliance. Here's how you can convince him:

• After receiving the quest from Samesh talk to Clerk Bosker
• With two Charm points, you can choose " This isn't right ", he will release the body and you will be awarded +8 Paragon points
• With two Intimidate points, you can choose " I'm releasing the body ", he will release the body and you will be awarded +9 Renegade points
• After persuading Clerk Bosker, you have to return to Samesh and let him know that you were able to help him

Consequences In Mass Effect 2

You will only learn about the consequences of this assignment if you decide to take Samesh's side and release the body in Mass Effect 1 . Samesh will email you expressing his gratitude for your help. He will let you know that he's opened a restaurant to honor his wife's wish since this would've been her plan once she finished her military work.

But, on the other hand, there is also a chance that you may hear on the news that t he Alliance is finding it difficult to find new recruits since they aren't being able to match the geth technology .

NEXT: Mass Effect Legendary Edition Complete Guide And Walkthrough

SEASON 4 UPDATE DETAILS

A new season of content is on the way in the latest update to ea sports™ wrc, along with a sneak peek at vr and esports., ea sports™ wrc, ea sports™ wrc - season 4 update details.

A new Season of content is on the way in the latest update to EA SPORTS™ WRC.

Season 4 of EA SPORTS™ WRC content is just around the corner, including new Rally Pass items, Moments and more. Read the patch notes here and check out the info below for further detail, along with a teaser of what we’re working on next.

EA SPORTS™ WRC in VR - Coming to PC, end of April

One of the best ways to experience a rally car is to be in the driver’s seat, truly connected to the car and the forces you exert on it at full speed through a stage. 

It is a sensation that very few get to experience in the real-world, but one that EA SPORTS™ WRC players will get closer to than ever before with the release of VR on PC.

The development team at Codemasters has progressed far enough with the VR implementation that we can show you a little teaser, and also confirm that we are targeting the end of April as a release window. 

Check out the Season 4 Reveal Trailer once more for some in-development footage of VR in action.

Built using OpenXR technology, VR in EA SPORTS™ WRC adds a new dimension and level of immersion to your rally experience; we will share more details and a final release date once the work is completed, tested and a release is scheduled.

When VR is released in EA SPORTS™ WRC, it will come as a free update to all PC players.

Season 4 Rally Pass 1 - Starts April 9

The latest Rally Pass will begin from April 9, featuring a new set of customisation items for your driver and cars. Get a sneak peek at these new items with our Reveal Trailer, both embedded above and linked here .

Players can unlock a range of customisation items by earning XP throughout the game, with 20 levels of rewards in total. Drivers can unlock up to 10 free items, as well as an extra five with EA Play, and an additional 15 with the VIP Rally Pass for a total of 30 items across the entire season. 

If you’ve yet to complete Rally Pass Season 3 and unlock all of its rewards, you have until the morning of April 9 to do so, before the game switches over to Season 4 and all players are reset to Level 1.

Season 4 Moments 2 - From April 9

Also going live from April 9 is a new Season of Moments, celebrating the history of WRC with daily challenges in-game.

With the real-world 2024 season underway, Moments inspired by this year’s rallies will be available in-game 3 around 1-2 weeks after each event. Keep an eye out for Moments based on 2024’s Croatia Rally and Rally Italia Sardegna during Season 4.

To get a taste of what’s to come, Season 3 Moments based on February’s dramatic Rally Sweden and March’s Safari Rally Kenya are live in-game now, and all Season 3 Moments will move into the Archive tab once Season 4 goes live, where they can be re-played at any time.

As for Season 4 Moments, here’s a small sample of what you can look forward to:

Touring the Safari (Kenya)

Take this classic Porsche 911 SC RS to victory at Rally Safari Kenya. The perfect combination.

Take the Win (Monte Carlo)

WRC2 kicked off the season at the iconic Rallye Monte-Carlo, with Yohan Rossel taking the first event win of the season by only 4 seconds.

Battle of Attrition (Greece)

Due to the brutal nature of this abrasive and twisting rally in 1983, by SS9 this Renault driver was the last man standing in his class. This was until a mechanical failure occurred and ultimately forced him to retire too.

Neuville in Finland

With Rovanperä crashing out on SS8 at the 2023 Secto Rally Finland, Thierry Neuville went on to win 3 stages and claim another podium finish, keeping his title hopes alive.

A Rare Gem (Japan)

Survive this challenging and narrow stage in the BMW M3 Evo Rally with rear axle damage.

Version 1.7.0 Update - Out April 4

On April 4 the latest update to EA SPORTS™ WRC will go live, containing several fixes and improvements across the game.

This update primarily focuses on the Season 4 content & Moments ahead of its release on April 9, along with performance improvements and fixes across several locations.

You can read through the full patch notes here , and we’ve highlighted the key fixes below:

• Addressed an issue in which controller vibration was constantly applied when not driving.
• Addressed an issue in which Vibration & Feedback settings were not working as expected on PS5.
• Fixed an issue in which dust and snow kickup effects were not being generated in replays.
• Made improvements to rain effects.
• Made a number of performance optimisations to cloth-based visual effects in order to help improve framerates across all locations
• Made a number of performance optimisations to collision-based visual effects in order to help improve framerates across all locations.
• Made a number of minor performance optimisations across Estonia, Iberia, Mexico, Oceania and Pacifico.

Rally.TV Code 4 Promotion - Live Now

While you wait for the v1.7.0 update on April 4 and for Season 4 to begin on April 9, you have an opportunity right now to get a 3 month subscription code for Rally.TV.

Rally.TV is the official streaming service of the FIA World Rally Championship , featuring live coverage, onboards, historic rallies and much more.

As a taste of what to expect, check out the Rally Sweden footage above, before heading over to Racenet to join the Official WRC Club .

Take part in our virtual Croatia Rally event in-game, and once you’re done head back to Racenet and grab your code to re-watch the season so far, or tune in live to Croatia Rally, Rally Italia Sardegna and Rally Portugal in the coming months.

For more rally action you can check out our other Official Clubs and compete against the entire EA SPORTS™ WRC community: Official Historic , Weekly Rally and Weekly Power Stage .

Get ready for esports WRC

Competitive players will soon have the opportunity to test themselves against the world’s best with the introduction of esports WRC 5 .

Hosted by the FIA World Rally Championship using EA SPORTS™ WRC 6 , the 2024 esports WRC Championship will challenge players across a range of locations and conditions in Rally1 cars.

More information will be revealed soon, but in the meantime you can watch some high-intensity action from the invitational exhibition event , which was held in Poland at the end of 2023.

Play EA SPORTS WRC™ Today

There’s never been a better time to jump in to EA SPORTS™ WRC, or return after some time away.

EA SPORTS™ WRC is available for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

Try out the game for 5 hours with EA Play and unlock exclusive rewards in-game. 7

1  Requires EA SPORTS™ WRC (sold separately) and all game updates. Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.

2  Requires EA SPORTS™ WRC (sold separately) and all game updates. Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://www.ea.com/games/ea-sports-wrc/wrc/disclaimers for details.

3  2024 WRC season Moments in Season 4 will make use of 2023 season cars and drivers in-game.

4  Requires EA SPORTS™ WRC (sold separately) and all free game updates. Conditions and restrictions apply. See https://ecdn.codemasters.com/ecdn/Racenet/PROD/WRC2023/promo_events/terms/index.html for details.

5   Requires EA SPORTS™ WRC (sold separately) and all free game updates. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF AU, AT, BE, BG, CA, CH, CL, CZ, DE, DK, FI, FR, HK, HU, JP, KR, NL, NO, PL, PR, PT, SE, SG, SK, TH, TW, UA, UK, US (excluding New York and Florida), ZA 18 YEARS AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED.

6  Sponsor: WRC Promoter GmbH, Liebherrstrasse 22, 80538 Munich, Germany.

7 Conditions, limitations and exclusions apply. See https://tos.ea.com/legalapp/eaplay/US/en/PC/ for details.

Related News

Ea sports™ wrc - patch 1.7.0, ea sports™ wrc - patch 1.6.0, ea sports™ wrc - patch 1.5.1.

Mass Effect 4's Primary Antagonist Feels a Little Obvious

• BioWare hints at a connection between Mass Effect 4 and Andromeda, potentially involving the Jardaan, Jheln, and the Scourge.
• The Scourge could serve as a Reaper-level threat in Mass Effect 4, forcing characters like Liara, Shepard, and others to come together.
• Speculated links between the Illusive Man and Andromeda could lead to cosmic horror elements in the next game, transitioning away from the Reapers.

Though official news about the next Mass Effect game is still scarce, the potential connection to Andromeda through trailers and promotional teasers seems to point to an obvious antagonist that could link back to the classic trilogy. After the currently untitled Mass Effect 4 was confirmed to be in development in 2020, BioWare has been understandably guarded about the upcoming game, leaving fans only able to speculate about where and when the next game will take place following Mass Effect: Andromeda 's controversial reception .

Since certain details hidden in Mass Effect 's teasers seem to support this theory, attention has turned to how exactly BioWare plans to connect the post-Reaper Milky Way with Andromeda's ongoing Kett conflict and the mysterious Jardaan. However, putting aside the challenge of overcoming the six-century time gap between these games, a possible solution BioWare could use lies with one of Andromeda 's antagonistic forces. Though there are many unknowns about Mass Effect 4 's story, setting, and characters, it does seem that if Andromeda is somehow connected to the next game, so will the likes of the Jardaan, Jheln, and the Scourge.

What to Expect From Mass Effect 4 in 2024

Mass effect 4 and the scourge of mass effect: andromeda.

While characters like the enigmatic N7 operative took the spotlight during BioWare's N7 Day in 2023, eagle-eyed fans have noticed background details that hint at both Geth and Angara featuring in Mass Effect 4 . If true, this could confirm that Mass Effect 4 plans to connect Andromeda to its own story, something which could call back to the Jardaan creating the Angara as genetic templates and seeding them throughout Andromeda.

This potential connection, however, leads to bigger questions overshadowing the Jardaan following Andromeda , such as who was the Opposition, who or what was Jheln, and what caused them to detonate the Scourge. While the current war with the Kett could remain exclusive to Andromeda for its prospective sequels to resolve, those involved with or behind the Scourge may be the only connecting choice for Mass Effect 4 's primary antagonist .

This seems even more likely given that Mass Effect 's creative director Mac Walters confirmed to Ars Technica that the Scourge is not related to the trilogy's Reaper antagonists.

Mass Effect: Andromeda's Scourge Could Bring Characters Together

Much like the Reapers and the galaxy-ending threat they posed in Mass Effect 's trilogy, the Scourge would also serve as an ideal replacement that forces characters together in Mass Effect 4 . For instance, characters like Liara already hint at how Mass Effect 4 might bring everything together after she appeared in the game's announcement trailer and as recordings in Andromeda . Combined with the advanced technology and life expectancy of Mass Effect 's aliens, fan-favorite trilogy characters could still join Andromeda 's own as the Scourge threatens both galaxies, such as:

• Commander Shepard (resurrected or cloned after Mass Effect 3 )
• Urdnot Wrex and Grunt
• EDI and Jeff "Joker" Moreau (as a parallel to Alec and Ellen Ryder)
• Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko (placed in stasis as the surviving human Spectre)

Mass Effect 4 Needs a Reaper-Level Threat Like the Scourge

However, with the potential for these characters to return in Mass Effect 4 , this could also lead to another fan-favorite character, the Illusive Man, being revived as the series' overarching villain. But despite the speculated links between the Illusive Man and Andromeda such as the anonymous Benefactor or Cora Harper's family ties, the transition away from the Reapers could suggest that Mass Effect 4 will lean into cosmic horror as seen in the strange dark energy of the Scourge. In doing so, Mass Effect 4 can recover from Andromeda 's legacy without sacrificing the interesting albeit obvious antagonists it set up for the series' future.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition

Franchise Mass Effect

Platform(s) PS4, PC, Xbox One

Released May 14, 2021

Developer(s) BioWare

Publisher(s) Electronic Arts

Genre(s) Action, RPG

Engine Unreal Engine 4

ESRB M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Partial Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol, Violence

How Long To Beat 100+ Hours

X|S Enhanced Yes

File Size Xbox Series 21 GB (November 2023)

Metascore 87

Psych 256: Cognitive Psychology, 002, SP24

Making connections between theory and reality., the mandela effect: mass false memories.

In lesson 9 of our Cognitive Psychology class, we discussed the concept of false memories. This means our mind can create memories that involve specific details that aren’t real, often under the power of suggestion. One prominent example of false memories is what is referred to as “The Mandela Effect.” The Mandela Effect is named after an experience where many people claimed to have distinct memories of Nelson Mandela dying during his prison sentence. In reality, Mandela died years later, after his release from prison. The mass confusion (and questioning of reality and parallel universes) by those who remember him to already be dead led to several other instances that we’ve uncovered where we, as a collective, have created and shared other false memories. We will discuss how false memories form, examples of the Mandela Effect, and if there is any way to combat false memories.

According to neuropsychologist Dr. Aaron Bonner Jackson, PhD., there are several reasons for false memories. “Memory is reconstructive, meaning there are a lot of influences on the way we remember things. It is not necessarily a carbon copy of reality,” explains Dr. Bonner-Jackson. “Memory is influenced by different biases, perceptions, preconceptions, and expectations. This means memory can change over time as a person gains more information about what happened.” False memories can also be created as we seek to fill in the gaps of our memories, and especially when memories from other perspectives are shared. What happens when these memories are shared? Dr. Bonner Jackson likens this phenomenon to a game of telephone. He states, “The message starts off one way and then after a while, the message gets muddled,” says Dr. Bonner-Jackson. “Eventually, a lot of people have the wrong message.” The Mandela Effect is the perfect example of these mass false memories (Clinic, 2024).

One example of The Mandela Effect is the line “Luke, I am your father” from the famous Star Wars franchise. While it’s hailed as an iconic line of the film, the character never actually said that. Instead, he said “No, I am your father.” Another example is that the “Monopoly Man” character from the Monopoly board game never wore a monocle. Finally, Fruit of the Loom claims their logo never included a cornucopia in which the fruit was sitting. These are just a few examples of the results of these mass false memories.

When the Mandela Effect gained popularity and these memories began to be shared, many people were shocked to learn how easily they had fallen victim to false memories and people were surprised to learn how easily their memories can be manipulated. However, most of the effects of false memories are harmless, unless you’re testifying as an eyewitness in a crime, maybe. Dr Jackson Bronner states that “In many cases, these are benign things. People remember a certain cereal being one way when it was another,” says Dr. Bonner-Jackson. “But in more serious cases, I think the biggest thing would be to try and confirm for yourself rather than take someone’s word for it” (Clinic, 2024).

To conclude, false memories are a common and natural phenomenon that happens among people when we seek to fill in the gaps of our memories or hear suggestions of other people’s false memories. The Mandela Effect is a real-world example of these mass false memories. However, false memories are usually harmless but could possibly be reduced by remembering only what you yourself can recall.

Works Cited

Clinic, C. (2024, March 20). What is the ‘Mandela effect’? Cleveland Clinic. https://health.clevelandclinic.org/mandela-effect

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Kia to launch new Carens EV, two other mass-market EVs in India

With EV electric vehicle sales surging in India, several automakers are looking to grab their share. Kia recently revealed plans to launch three new EVs in the region, including a new Carens EV.

Kia to launch new low-cost models, including Carens EV

During its recent CEO Investor Day , Kia unveiled its new roadmap to becoming an electrification leader. The move comes as Kia looks to fend off low-cost Chinese automakers like BYD.

Kia’s new plans include introducing more hybrids while focusing on affordable electric cars. The Korean automaker plans to expand EV sales with low-cost electric cars, including the EV2, EV3, EV4, and EV5.

The new models were revealed during Kia’s first annual EV Day in October. They are part of a wide-ranging electric car line-up. Kia expects to cover most segments with prices between $25,000 and $80,000.

Kia will expand its EV line-up to 15 models in 2027 as it aims to sell 1.6 million electric cars by 2030.

The company already unveiled the EV5 in China with starting prices from $20,000 (149,800 yuan). In Australia, it will start at around $46,000 (AUD 70,000).

Kia is launching the EV3 this year, with starting prices expected to be around $30,000. The EV3 is a mini-EV9, Kia’s take on an all-electric compact crossover. It includes much of the design, tech, and features from the three-row EV9 in a smaller, more affordable package.

Next year, Kia will follow it up by launching the EV4, an entry-level electric sedan. It’s expected to start at around $35,000.

Kia plans to launch the EV2, EV3, EV4, and EV5 in major markets, including the US, Europe, and South Korea.

In emerging markets, Kia plans to deploy two new region-specific electric vehicles, including a Carens EV, for India.

Right now, the EV6 is Kia’s only electric car, but the three-row EV9 will be added later this year. The Kia Carens EV is expected to go on sale next year with starting prices around $25,000 (INR 2 million).

The news comes after Kia and Hyundai partnered with Exide Energy this week for domestic EV battery production.

Earlier today, Electrek reported that Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk is rumored to visit India this month, sparking speculation of a factory there.

EV sales in India are expected to rise another 66% after nearly doubling last year as subsidies and expanding infrastructure boost demand.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

Peter Johnson is covering the auto industry’s step-by-step transformation to electric vehicles. He is an experienced investor, financial writer, and EV enthusiast. His enthusiasm for electric vehicles, primarily Tesla, is a significant reason he pursued a career in investments. If he isn’t telling you about his latest 10K findings, you can find him enjoying the outdoors or exercising

Arrival (assignment)

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Admiral Hackett asked Shepard to infiltrate a batarian outpost and rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson . Kenson is a deep-cover operative and scientist who claims to have proof of an imminent Reaper invasion.

• 1 Acquisition
• 2 Preparation
• 3.1 Onboard the Normandy
• 3.2.1 Sneaking In
• 3.2.2 Guns Blazing
• 3.2.3 Rescuing Kenson
• 3.2.4 Breaking Out
• 3.3 Onboard the Shuttle
• 3.4.1 Arrival at Project Base
• 3.4.2 Fight for your Life
• 3.4.3 Escape from Med Lab in Progress
• 3.4.4 Get to the Project Control Room
• 3.4.5 Stop Kenson
• 3.4.6 Escape With Your Life
• 4 Back on the Normandy
• 5 Mass Effect 3 Consequences
• 8 Mission Summary
• 11 References

Acquisition [ ]

After the mission on Horizon has been completed the assignment will be added to the Journal. It indicates that there is an important message incoming from Alliance HQ, and directs the player to check Shepard's private terminal. Using the terminal for the first time after the assignment appears will initiate a communication with Admiral Hackett.

On the galaxy map this assignment is titled Rescue Dr. Kenson .

Preparation [ ]

You will be on your own for the vast majority of this very long mission, so plan weapons, Armor Customization , and powers/bonus powers accordingly. Maximizing bonuses to shields and health is recommended especially on higher difficulties.

With only a handful of exceptions you will be facing shielded organic enemies without armor throughout the entire mission which can open up some interesting options for bonus powers. Pick a bonus power that can alleviate the greatest weakness of your chosen class. Good choices include Energy Drain or Reave as they enable ammo-efficient damage to enemies while simultaneously improving your survivability; Stasis for immediately disabling particularly tough opponents; Dominate to prevent opponents from focusing all their attention on you; or Shredder Ammo as even at level 1 it will enhance your weapon damage against unshielded enemies considerably.

In terms of heavy weapons a large area of effect and also "crowd control" utility will come in handy; the M-622 Avalanche or Arc Projector are generally the best options. Both of these weapons will also come in handy in the latter half of the mission where you will encounter multiple pyro -type enemies at close quarters . The Avalanche can neutralize such enemies safely around corners without direct line of sight, and the Arc Projector can potentially instant-kill them by stripping their shields and overloading their fuel tanks in one shot.

Legendary Edition: All achievements related to this assignment have been removed. You are therefore free to do this assignment in any way you see fit and with fewer (or no) restrictions compared to the original version.

Walkthrough [ ]

Onboard the normandy [ ].

After accessing your terminal, Shepard will hear the first part of the message, in which Hackett will say that he has a sensitive matter that needs to be discussed privately. Shepard will then tell Kelly that the message will be viewed in the captain's cabin.

Inside the captain’s cabin, Shepard pulls up Admiral Hackett visually using the Model Ships display as a screen. Hackett will first thank the Commander for sparing time to hear him out. Hackett starts by saying that the Alliance has a deep cover operative in batarian space, Dr. Amanda Kenson, who found evidence of an imminent Reaper invasion. Shepard will ask why Hackett contacted the Commander, and Hackett will say that he learned this morning that she had been arrested and was being held on terrorism charges in a batarian prison. He asks Shepard to infiltrate the prison and get her out, as a favor to him. Hackett also asks Shepard to go in alone. You can ask him about the operation and it is advisable that you do so.

• When asking Hackett about the charges, Shepard will ask what she is really doing out there. Hackett says she’s a deep cover operative and that they only talk when they need to. He continues by saying that she was investigating a rumor of a Reaper artifact in the system and that her last report said she found it.
• You can also learn that Kenson is a top scientist and an Alliance agent that was working in batarian space. Hackett says the assignment is deadly and she is one of the few that can handle the job. He says that they go back a long time and he won’t let her rot away in a prison camp.
• You can press Hackett about the Reapers, and the official Alliance position is that they don’t exist. Shepard will say that she must have found some proof they exist. Hackett replies that she and her team found an artifact that is a possible Reaper device, and that it is proof that the Reapers are planning to invade. Hackett will conclude by saying that he’s known her for a long time and if she says she has proof, then she has proof.
• If you ask about why you are going in alone, Shepard will say that the team is strong and they won’t mind helping out. However, Hackett replies that if the batarians see a squad of armed soldiers they will kill Kenson. He says that it’s serious and that Shepard needs discretion, or not at all.
• If asked about the batarian response, which Shepard will say the batarians won’t take kindly to the Alliance breaking into a secret prison. Hackett will counter by saying that it is not an Alliance operation, it is one person going in to rescue a friend because if it was an official mission then they would be upset. As long as Shepard keeps it quiet, then there is nothing to worry about.

Finish and Hackett will say that she is being held underground at a batarian outpost on the planet Aratoht. Hackett tells Shepard he will upload the coordinates immediately. He tells Shepard that once she is secure, confirm her discovery, and that they will debrief them when they return.

Aratoht [ ]

Travel to the Bahak System in the Viper Nebula . It will be at the very bottom of the Galaxy Map, near the Local Cluster . Aratoht is the second planet.

When you arrive, the Kodiak will drop you off and then quickly depart. The door is locked, and if you try to open it, the prison’s VI will say that access is denied and to please enter an access code. Fortunately, there is a conveniently-placed power relay next to the door, solving this problem and opening the door. Head down the hallway until you come to an impassable obstacle -- a.k.a. a hole in the floor. Refined iridium (+400 iridium) can be picked up from just past the gap in the bars behind you. Activate the bridge control, but that doesn’t work so head down the ramp to your left.

At the bottom, you will encounter a Batarian War Beast (a.k.a. a varren ) so take it out before it has a chance to kill you. After it is dealt with, Shepard will say that this must be where the batarians send prisoners to die and that the Commander needs to get Kenson out of there. Activating the control here activates the bridge, so head back up and across.

Note: The next two sections -- Sneaking In and Guns Blazing -- cover the same content to get to Dr. Kenson. Both sections contain similar information, but are more specific depending on which approach you plan to take. The "Sneaking In" section contains instructions that will earn you the "Covert Action" Achievement , while the "Guns Blazing" section gives instructions for going in if otherwise you don't care and/or already have the achievement. "Guns Blazing" results in a very small additional amount of credits and the opportunity to hear a couple of extra recordings.

Sneaking In [ ]

Warning: From this point until you rescue Kenson, engaging a batarian will cause you to lose the "Covert Action" Achievement if you don't already have it. You can engage the two War Beasts you find, but don't shoot at the batarians. Furthermore, firing a shot at all or activating an ability (even, rather counterintuitively, an Infiltrator 's Tactical Cloak ) can preclude you from getting the achievement, if you're too close to a batarian. Since there is no such achievement in Legendary Edition, the choice to go in stealthily is entirely aesthetic.

As you continue, you will notice more dead varren all over, but keep moving. Head into the side room and up the ramps at the end of the hallway. When you reach the top, there is another power relay, and another War Beast. Take down the War Beast before dealing with the power relay. Cutting the power here will disable some of the security lasers, but not all of them.

Shepard will comment about the place being run down, even for a prison, but that’s only a bonus. Head down the hallway to the left, and as you round the corner you will see a door close and Kenson being lead into an interrogation chamber while telling the guards to get their hands off her. Don’t cross the security beams as it will activate the prison’s security systems and you will lose the Covert Action Achievement. Remember also not to fire on any batarians or you will lose the Achievement as well.

Eventually you will reach a dead end, but turn right and shoot the explosive hanging under the pipe. This will cause a small explosion and the venting gas to ignite. Note: The Geth Plasma Shotgun will not damage the explosive—you'll have to switch to a different weapon.

Needless to say, don’t run straight into the fire. Rather, turn the valve to divert the gas so you can continue. Head through the now open section and you will have two options: heading straight, or heading left (but deal with the War Beast first).

Going straight has a few nice things to pick up, but doing so requires that you activate both gas valves to redirect the flow — you can’t just do one — and while this blocks your access left, you can just redirect it again after you investigate the room. Inside is a personal log (see below), a locker (+400 credits), and a Heavy Weapon Ammo upgrade. After you've picked these up, head back out, redirect the gas again by turning both valves, and then head up the ramp. As you near the top, you’ll hear someone or something readying weapons.

Head into the next room — don’t worry no enemies... yet — and up the ramps. As you get closer, you will hear two Prison Guards talking about something. One of them says that someone wanted to crash an asteroid into a Mass Relay . The other says that it doesn't matter as they stopped them. Head through the door. Doesn't that rainy, fresh air feel good?

Keep in cover. To your left are the two guards, talking about how interrogating a human is a waste of time and that it would be easier just to kill her. The two guards have their backs to you, so don’t fire at them. Make your way around to the small passageway behind the truck, and disable the security beams in the gap leading to the platform above.

Once the beams are down, climb onto the truck, then onto the platform, and make your way into the structure. Inside you will find a locker (+400 credits). Don’t open the door at the bottom of the stairs. Stay on the second floor and head to your right. When you reach a T-Junction, make a left to pick up some iridium (+400 iridium). Don’t open the door in that structure either, as it will attract the guards attention. Once you have the iridium, go back the way you came and head down the other path, and move down and then back up the stairs. There is a credit drop that you'll have to miss because you can’t get to it without firing on the guards or attracting their attention.

Inside the next structure you will hear a guard talking about how relays can’t be destroyed. Another guard will say that humans will do anything to them, and the first replies that they need to make an example of one (Kenson). Keep to the walls for cover, and on the backside of one of the walls, an open door, but do not go into the room because if you set a foot over the threshold, then you will attract the attention of the guards. Head carefully down the catwalk and into the hangar.

When you enter the hangar, there's an announcement that a shuttle is incoming and to clear the hangar. The people in the shuttle can’t see you, but don’t cross in front of the large windows as you will attract the attention of the guards in the previous room. Head through the door on the left and into a storage bay. Inside you will hear a guard talking about how he heard there was an artifact in the asteroid belt and asks another guard if he thinks the humans found it. The other guard replies that if they did, then they probably swarmed in and planted flags all around it.

Inside the next room, activate the crane controls to clear your path, but don't go down yet. Move over to the crane controls and activate the center button and then the left one to bring the crane over a crate. Activate the right switch to lower the crane. Reactivate the right switch again to lift up the container. Head down to where the container was and you'll get some iridium (+1,200 iridium) and the Medi-Gel Capacity upgrade hidden behind the container. Now activate the vehicle lift to continue. Raise the lift when you get to the bottom as underneath it there will be a med-kit and a PDA (+1,000 credits).

Head to the door. Inside is another locker (+400 credits), a security log, and another power relay. Remember not to cross the beams. Cut the power, listen to the log, and grab the credits before moving on.

In the next area there is an open door to the left with two guards inside the room. As long as you don’t open the other door in the hallway or fire at them, you will successfully get past them with no trouble. Once you are past them, head down the hallway and into the interrogation room to rescue Dr. Amanda Kenson.

Guns Blazing [ ]

As you continue, you will see dead varren all over, but keep pressing on, into the side room and up the ramps. When you reach the top, there is another power relay, and another War Beast. Take the latter down before dealing with the former. Cutting the power here will disable some of the security lasers, but not all of them.

Shepard will comment about the place being run down, even for a prison, but that’s only a bonus. Head down the hallway to your left, and as you round the corner you will see a door close and Kenson being lead into an interrogation chamber, while telling the guards to get their hand off her. It is also in your best interest to be stealthy as you will encounter less varren and unaware guards.

So don’t cross the beams and head down the hallway opposite of them. Eventually you will reach a dead end, but turn right and shoot the thing hanging under the pipe. This will cause a small explosion, and gas to ignite. Note: The Geth Plasma Shotgun will not damage the explosive—you'll have to switch to a different weapon.

Needless to say don’t run straight into the fire, but rather turn the valve to divert the gas so you can continue. Head through the now open section and you will have two options, heading straight, and heading left, just deal with the War Beast before you make your decision.

Don’t go left first however as going straight has a few things that are hard to pass up. Doing this requires that you activate both gas valves to redirect the flow, you can’t just do one, and while this blocks your access left, you can just redirect it again after you investigate the room. Inside is a personal log (see below), a locker (+400 credits), and a Heavy Weapon Ammo upgrade. Head back out, redirect the gas again, by turning both valves, and head up the ramp. As you near the top, you’ll hear someone or something reading weapons.

Head into the next room, don’t worry no enemies, yet, and up the ramps. As you get closer, you will hear two Prison Guards talking about something. One of them says that someone wanted to crash an asteroid into a Mass Relay , however the other says that it doesn’t matter as they stopped them. Head through the door and doesn’t that rainy, fresh air feel good.

Keep in cover and to your left are the two guards, still talking and apparently interrogating a human is a waste of time and that it's just easier to kill her. You can either shoot them, or just bypass them, however it is better to just deal with them now. Taking them out isn’t a hard fight as they are unaware of you, allowing for a few key first shots. They either have light shields and health, or just the latter depending on difficulty level.

When they are down, remember those security beams you saw on the way down the stairs, there is a power relay that will disable them nearby, just remember that crossing them leads to problems. Don’t forget to loot the area as you will find two different credit drops, one in one of the buildings in a locker (+400 credits), the other just past the guards inside a junk pile (+400 credits). Check the other building as well for some iridium (+400 iridium). When you are done, move on by heading to the back of the area, dropping down and heading up the steps into the next building.

Inside you will hear two more guards talking about how relays can’t be destroyed, the other saying that the humans will do anything to them, and the first then saying they need to make an example of this one, Kenson. Well we can’t let that happen so more around, keeping to the walls for cover, and on the back side of one of the walls, an open door. Take cover and then proceed to take out the two guards inside. There is however a third that you can’t see on the left, so keep an eye on him and take him down as well when you get the chance. You can also swing around the door, as the guards have their backs to you and take out the third guard, then deal with the other two. Either way take them down, listen to the personal log, grab the credits (+400 credits), and keep moving.

When you enter the hangar, there’s a shuttle incoming and the announcement asks that the hangar be cleared. Don’t worry they can’t see you, so head through the door on your left. Inside the next room, activate the crane controls to clear your path but don't go down yet.

Activate the left switch to move the crane to the left. Then activate the right switch to lower the crane. Reactivate the right switch again to lift up the container. Then, head down to where the container was and you'll get the Medi-Gel Capacity upgrade and some iridium (+1,200 iridium) hidden behind the other container. Now activate the vehicle lift to continue.

When you reach the bottom, raise the lift and under it you will find a med-kit and a PDA (+1,000 credits). When you have them, head to the door and inside is another locker (+400 credits), a security log, and finally another power relay. Remember to not cross the beams, so cut the power, listen to the log, and grab the credits before moving on.

As you proceed down the hall, there is an open door on your left with two guards inside. There is a closed door a little further down, but take advantage of the open one to get a few shots in. They will try to run out the open door, so be ready for that. Inside is another security log, and you have a chance to listen to the interrogation. Kenson says that they are just wasting time and that the Reapers are coming, while the interrogator isn’t convinced and while torturing Kenson won’t change that, it will amuse him. Time to put a stop to this, so head around the corner and put an end to it.

Rescuing Kenson [ ]

Once you enter the room, a cutscene shows the interrogator activating the device and start to put some type of device on Kenson’s head. Shepard knocks out the guard, and you humor Kenson's reactions at the turn of events.

Kenson heard that the Commander was alive and that Hackett must have received her message. You can choose how to respond to that, but Shepard will release the doctor and she will respond to your comment appropriately. Either way, diplomacy is the least you have to worry about. Kenson will then tell you that if you can find a security console, then she can hack it and find an escape route. During the conversation, Shepard hands Kenson an M-4 Shuriken submachine gun.

As the conversation ends, the alarms go off and a guard will be shown walking down the hallway. Shepard says they will find a console, and Kenson after bringing her boot down on the throat of the batarian interrogator, says she’s ready.

Breaking Out [ ]

Kenson is now a squad member, and she has access to the Shuriken for her weapon, and the powers Incinerate and Overload . Note: You will not be able to access the squad menu to inspect or change her powers—she is just what she is.

First take out the guard, check the locker in the interrogation room (+1,000 credits), then head down the stairs and on the landing, you will find a med-kit and some thermal clips, so grab them before moving on. Head down the stairs and through the door. Inside are more guards, so keep to cover, and since you have a squadmate, now make sure to use Kenson to your advantage.

When the first group of three is dealt with, move up, but keep to cover as a window will open ahead of you and show two more prison guards and an Elite Prison Guard . The elite is armed the same, but has stronger shields, and has access to Tech Armor , so keep your eye on him and remember to stay in cover. When all the guards are dealt with, head to the console they were guarding and Kenson will begin to override the system.

At this point Kenson will tell you to guard her while she hacks a way out. You will lose her as squadmate at this point, so plan your tactics accordingly. You will get a health bar in the lower right hand corner for her health, so make sure to not let that deplete.

Enemies consisting of three prison guards will come from the left. They will take a while to get there, so you have time to move out into the room with the table, but when the enemies arrive they will charge headlong for Kenson, and while they may shoot at you, they will not stick to cover but just go after the doctor, so kill them quickly to make sure they don’t get to her. Heavy weapons will discourage them from storming past you.

On higher difficulties, this section can be very challenging for players who are used to fighting from cover. This can be mitigated by retreating and taking cover in the hallway closest to the doctor. The enemies should stop charging and take cover behind a nearby table, where they can be safely taken out.

Once they are down, Kenson will say that the door needs to be closed, and at this point a second wave arrives of three guards arrives.

Combat Notes:

• Like the first set of guards, these will make a bee-line for Kenson and will not stop to take cover until they reach at least the area of the overturned table.
• From this point until you make it to the button by the door you originally came in, killing an enemy will soon cause a replacement to spawn behind that door.
• Once the door has been closed, all further enemies in this section will revert to a "normal" behavior of taking cover and engaging you.
• Warning: At least on console controllers, there are some UI issues when trying to close the door if any enemies have spawned beyond the door but haven't passed it yet. The UI will show that you can interact to close the door but attempting to interact will cause you to take cover instead. At present the only known workaround is to wait until all currently-spawned enemies have passed the doorway before attempting to close it.
• It may be tempting to use Dominate on the enemies, however, the enemies will keep targeting Kenson even if they are dominated, and you will be giving them a free barrier. This may have been a design oversight.
• One viable tactic is to remain by the doctor, allowing the enemies to take cover behind the table. Whittle the health and shields of the enemies down without killing them, thus preventing any replacements from appearing. Then, make a dash to the door and back, before they can deplete Kenson's health bar. This method prevents you from having to fight any replacement guards, but leaves three guards between you and Kenson once you've closed the door. If you have a crowd control power such as Pull , Shockwave , Singularity , Cryo Blast , Stasis , etc, then you can apply it to give you extra time to reach the door button.
• Another viable tactic is to take cover behind the table yourself. As the second wave starts to arrive, start to eliminate them to get the replacements spaced out from each other. Then you can slowly move forward toward the door. When you get close enough, you can activate your favorite power: Adrenaline Rush, Tactical Cloak, Stasis, etc., so that you can safely hit the button. The advantage of this technique is that there won't be a bunch of enemies between you and Kenson when the door shuts.
• If you have M-622 Avalanche or the Arc Projector , then there is yet another option. Switch to your heavy weapon first then hit the console. Rush to the door and start spamming the incoming wave with it. They run in close proximity so all of them will get hit and getting hit should stagger them long enough to keep you from taking too much fire. Two or three shots should be enough to ensure that all of the enemies are taken care of, and you should have ample time to kill them off and close the door before another wave arrives.

When the door is finally closed, Kenson will say they are now coming up from the other side, so move it. This group, consisting of an Elite and two ordinary prison guards, will come up via an elevator, but this group and all future groups will revert to the normal behavior of using cover, so that’s a bit of a relief. During the fight, keep an eye out as two more guards will show up. When this group finally falls, Kenson will say that she is taking down their orbital tracking network and say there are more guards coming from the other side up via more elevators, so get back and into cover.

Like the previous group, this group will stick to cover, so use it to your advantage. Again though remember you are alone, so shoot as needed. Also like the last group, another group consisting of an Elite and a Guard will come up after a period of time. Combat Tip: The fight with the enemies coming up the elevators can often be made much easier by standing at the edge of the large pit and hitting the tightly-grouped enemies with Overload or your Heavy Weapon as they appear on the elevator platforms, killing or disabling them before they even reach your level. If you disable their shields, you can use abilities like Throw to knock them to their deaths.

Near the end of the fight, Kenson will say that there’s an elevator that leads up to the hangar, and she’ll bring it down. However, since there are no enemies on it, don’t worry about it, just deal with the enemies that are in front of you. On the way up there will be a short cutscene where Kenson says that since the hangar doors are hard locked, they will need to get them open. Shepard promises to take care of that.

Be warned that as soon as the cutscene ends, you will engage in a fight, but you have Kenson back as a squadmate, so get into cover and fight your way through the hangar. To survive this fight, keep to cover, and deal with the enemies as they come. There will be three waves of enemies, the first two consisting of just Prison Guards, while the last one will have two Guards and one Elite Guard. Once they are all down, and before shooting the locks on the doors, the next area is the previous crane room with a case of iridium and a datapad with the Medi-Gel capacity research project, if you didn't get them earlier. Make sure to grab both before leaving.

You'll need to shoot the explosive door locks, one on each side of the shuttle, in order to be able to leave. Note that once again the Geth Plasma Shotgun will not do any damage to the explosives, but you can hit them with a melee attack if you don't want to switch weapons. When you are ready to leave, board the shuttle and enjoy the ending. Tip: It is possible to destroy both door locks without line of sight to them by using Shockwave which ignores intervening cover. In this way it's possible to board the shuttle sooner and without triggering the final wave of enemies with the Elite to spawn though you will still have to kill off any active guards in the area before you can board or Kenson will tell you that it's still too hot.

The cutscene shows Kenson and Shepard first accessing the shuttle, then Shepard turning around and looking behind them. The scene flashes to three guards waiting to ambush the two. Shepard then nods to Kenson and they quickly board the shuttle, incinerating the guards with its thruster exhaust.

Onboard the Shuttle [ ]

Onboard the stolen Kodiak, Kenson will engage the autopilot so they can talk and mentions it will be a while before the batarians get their systems unscrambled. Shepard asks if they will come after her, and Kenson says she’s not taking any chances. Apparently batarians don’t like people who plan to destroy their mass relays. Shepard then says that the charges were true, but Kenson says that's only half the story.

She says that she and her people were investigating rumors of Reaper artifacts on the fringes of the system. Kenson claims they found proof that the Reapers will arrive in the system and when they get here, they’ll use the mass relay to travel throughout the galaxy. Her team calls it the Alpha Relay and from there the Reapers can invade anywhere in the galaxy.

Shepard then deduces that, given the story, Kenson chose to destroy it. She confirms that. It would stop the Reapers' invasion as it would take months or even years at standard FTL speeds to reach another relay. Kenson continues by describing what she and her team call "the Project." The Project is a plan to crash a nearby asteroid into the Relay, thereby destroying it before the Reapers arrive. She finishes by saying that the resulting explosion could destroy the system. As the two take a seat, you can get some questions answered.

• When you ask about the logistics of the project, i.e. crashing an asteroid into a Mass Relay, Kenson will say that it isn’t that hard as the parts are already available in Omega ’s salvage yards. All it needs is thrust and guidance and if you get the right amount of power, and a decent VI to drive it, then all you really have to do is point and shoot.
• Since Mass Relays are rumored to be indestructible, it is a good topic. Kenson says that she’s also heard that rumor, but she thinks that it’s more likely that no one bothered to find out what would happen if one is destroyed. They also planned to slam a small planet into it at very high speeds and by their calculations, that would be more than enough.
• The Project is still in operation as it was one button press away from launch when the batarians arrested Kenson.
• If Shepard asks how she was arrested, Kenson will say that they have been smuggling starship parts from Omega. Apparently guidance systems, thrusters, and an aftermarket Eezo core are labeled by the batarians as suspicious. Kenson will finish by saying that a few days ago, she took a few of the men on a scouting mission, and the batarians then pounced on them, but they didn’t find the actual base.
• If asked why destroying a Mass Relay would destroy the system, Kenson will say that they are the most powerful mass-effect engines in the galaxy and the energy released from destroying one would probably resemble a supernova. There are three hundred thousand people on the colony in the system, and the resulting explosion would probably kill them all.

After the questions, Shepard will say that they are still curious how Kenson learned about the invasion. She will reply by saying it was from a device called Object Rho, which is a Reaper artifact they discovered among the asteroids around the relay itself. When they get back to Arcturus Station , she will explain everything and give Shepard all the notes they have on the artifact. You can then ask some more questions.

• Shepard can ask why there is a Reaper artifact in an asteroid, and Kenson will say that she doesn’t know. Some things are just too hard or too old to understand. She continues by saying that even a Reaper that has been dead for thousands of years still contains power and artifacts of the Reapers are worth studying, regardless of their purpose.
• When asking about the artifact and how it proves an incoming Reaper invasion, Kenson will say that the artifact gave her visions of the Reaper’s arrival and she compares it to Shepard’s vision from the Prothean Beacons two years ago on Virmire and Eden Prime . She says that she knows the Reapers are coming and that she is certain of it.
• Shepard can then ask how they avoided becoming indoctrinated by the artifact, and Kenson says they’ve been very careful as they know what they are dealing with.

Regardless, Shepard says that if she was willing to destroy a whole system over this, then the Commander must see the proof. Kenson says she can’t argue with that and opens communications with the base. The base replies by saying that it is good to hear her voice and asks if she is coming home. She says yes and continues by saying that she has Commander Shepard with her. The base seems shocked by that and Kenson says to tidy up the lab and that Shepard needs to see the proof. The base replies by saying that they will work on it, and signs out. Kenson tells Shepard to relax and they will be there in no time.

Project Base [ ]

Arrival at project base [ ].

The shuttle approaches a very large asteroid and then enters a hangar inside of a large complex on the surface of it. As Kenson and Shepard exit the shuttle, Kenson welcomes the Commander to Project Base . Shepard then asks about the clock over the door, and Kenson says that is their countdown to the Arrival. When it reaches zero, the Reapers will arrive. You can ask if that is certain, and Kenson will explain that there have been pulses coming from the artifact since they found it, and that their intervals have been decreasing at a steady rate. The artifact is reacting to the Reapers' proximity and when the clock reaches zero in just over 48 hours, the pulses will become constant as the Reapers will have arrived.

Finishing the conversation has Shepard saying that they could be at Earth in a little over two days, then there is no time to waste. Kenson then takes the Commander to the proof. She points to the door and says that it exits the hangar and that the artifact is in the central lab area.

Before you leave the hangar however, there is a weapons locker, a terminal (+1,050 credits), some refined palladium (+450 palladium), and some power cells about, so be sure to use or grab them as appropriate. Then follow Kenson through the complex, and save your game at some point.

While walking through the complex, Shepard asks what it will take to get the project back up and running. Kenson says that everything is ready to go and it isn’t a question of "can we," but rather "should we." Shepard asks if there are any alternatives, and Kenson says that the Reapers will get here regardless, but the relay is their shortcut to the rest of the galaxy. If Shepard wants to slow down the Reapers, then the relay must be destroyed. Be sure to grab the refined palladium along the way as well (+525 palladium), it is before the elevator ride and is tucked away next to a staircase.

When you have proceeded down the elevator, before opening the door save your game. Upon accessing the door a cutscene will play where Shepard proclaims that restarting the project is a priority and that it maybe their only chance. Kenson opens the door and inside is Object Rho, which looks like several other Reaper artifacts. Shepard is shocked that they have it just sitting out in the open, but Kenson claims it showed her a vision of the Reapers' arrival when they found it. Shepard is apprehensive, but Kenson tells the Commander to give it a moment to show all the proof the they need.

A short vision emerges of the Reaper Fleet approaching the relay, and then Shepard collapsed onto the floor. As the Commander is getting up, Kenson pulls out her Shuriken, points it at Shepard, and says that she can’t let the Commander stop the Arrival. Despite her assertions, Kenson and her team are clearly indoctrinated. As Shepard tries to stand up, some Project Guards come around, weapons drawn, but then Shepard springs up, disarms Kenson by breaking her wrist, and takes cover while Kenson orders the men to take the Commander down while she limps out. Prepare to fight for your life.

Fight for your Life [ ]

Note: Surviving the five waves here by killing every last enemy unlocks the Last Stand Achievement ( LE : not in Legendary Edition). This is technically optional and you don't have to "survive" this battle to continue so don't rage quit if you lose all your health, as there will be no Critical Mission Failure screen and you will eventually regain consciousness. If you do survive to the end, Object Rho will unleash a pulse that knocks you out.

You will be facing five waves of Project Guards , Project Pyros , Project Engineers , Project Elites , and one YMIR Mech that will come from the door opposite the entrance as well as the opening above that door.

The first wave will already be in the room when you gain control of Shepard. Each consecutive wave begins when there are only two or fewer enemies from the previous wave in the room. Each new wave will bring the total in the room to five, so if you leave two from a previous wave barely alive for a short time after the new wave enters, you will only have to face three new enemies. In the lower right hand corner of your screen you will notice a bar displaying Object Rho’s power, which indicates how far you are into the fight. During the battle both Object Rho (which sounds a lot like Harbinger ), and Kenson will try to dissuade you from fighting. There are thermal clips around, but no med-kits or power cells, so keep an eye on your medi-gel and your ammo and replenish your ammo when necessary.

One strategy is to keep on the move to avoid being cornered and use powers, weapons, heavy weapons, and just about anything you can to stay alive. Save your heavy weapons for when you are being overwhelmed, although if you're toting the Arc Projector take opportunities to weaken and stun the guards when they are clumped. The guards themselves will try to flank you, get around you, and generally do just about anything to kill you, so make sure they don’t get close.

Pop out only as necessary to return fire and stave off enemies. This will cut down on the amount of damage you take and the amount enemies that come into the room. Deal with any ones that aren’t part of the main group first, then focus back on the main group. Conserve your ammo as you may be pinned down for long periods of time.

When the YMIR mech appears, there is nowhere it can’t follow you, so try to keep away from it. Take down the other enemies first, then focus on it. A good strategy here is to get something between it and yourself, then move from side to side, as it will adjust to that and give you some free moments to fire on it. This works best in the wings or in the middle. Keep to cover, prioritize targets, and you will make it.

Another safer but lengthy strategy is to turn to your left and find some cover behind the L-shaped couches on the lower level which will protect you against the enemies from the various angles they will come from. If you stay behind the couches, all Project personnel, except for pyros and a couple of guards from the first wave, will usually not rush or attempt to flank you, and can be easily picked off one at a time. Make sure to take out pyros quickly as they can knock you out of cover. Aiming for their tanks as you hose them down (or sniping their tanks) will increase the likelihood they will conveniently explode. Resort to your handy Arc Projector whenever too many are getting too close.

Before activating the final wave, duck behind the glass on the upper level that stretches between two pillars right next to the far left wall. Once the YMIR mech approaches your position, move side to side as needed so the mech will follow your movement on the other side of the glass instead of coming around the pillars. When you move behind the glass, which is centered along the wall, enemies usually begin to attempt to flank from either side and will have a direct line of fire if they come around the pillar. Be sure to wear down the fresh guards in the fifth wave before they can get to you is a priority. The final wave normally includes three guards, an engineer, and the mech. If an almost dead engineer from a previous wave is carried over into the final wave, a new engineer will not enter with the final wave, making it much easier.

Caution: If you are an Engineer , be aware that just like in many other fights, using Combat Drone here can trigger enemies to flank your position unexpectedly when normally they would not do so. Some players have reported that it can interfere with the spawning and composition of some of the enemy waves in this battle, which is also a fairly well-documented interaction of the power in other encounters (see the Combat Drone page notes for more information).

Either way, when you fall, from either dying or from an energy wave from the artifact, Kenson and some personnel will come over to your downed body with glowing eyes. Kenson tells the guards to take you to the med lab and patch you up as they need Shepard alive.

Escape from Med Lab in Progress [ ]

When Shepard comes to, it resembles what happened the first time Shepard woke up aboard the Lazarus Research Station . A Scientist is saying that it looked like the Commander was waking up a minute ago, but it might have been a glitch in the system. Apparently they drugged Shepard and the sedatives are no longer working. The Scientist runs out while calling for security. Shepard jumps off the table, and proceeds to knock out the two guards before being trapped by a barrier.

From here there is a research log you can listen to, but the bigger interest is the console. Activate it to take control of one of the deactivated LOKI Mechs and use it for your own purposes. Using the mech, take out the Scientist and the other LOKI Mechs that come to challenge you. Don’t worry about dying here, as you can just activate another mech. When you are clear, head over to the barrier's power source and blow it up.

When it goes up, you lose control of the mech, and regain control of Shepard as alarms activate and apparently now the entire complex knows you are awake. Head out of the med bay, there is a datapad with another research log on the floor, this one covers the moments when Shepard woke up and just before. In the room where the deactivated LOKIs are, there is a third Research log and some Mech Parts to salvage (+1,320 credits). If you head back into the Med Bay you can now salvage the medical station for 100 credits. Head back out into the corridor to the Weapons Locker, grab your stuff, note how much time is left, less than two hours, and get moving.

Warning: At this point, the countdown clock is a very real concern. You have roughly 1 1/2 hours to complete this mission, which should be more than enough time. If you allow the countdown clock to reach zero, however, the Reapers will arrive. A cutscene will be triggered which shows flashes of the Reapers' destruction of the galaxy, followed by the Critical Mission Failure screen.

Get to the Project Control Room [ ]

Heading right leads to a room with some element zero (+250 eezo) and another research log that shows the first effects of indoctrination on the staff. When you are done in there, head back out and bypass the door ahead to continue.

Remember you’re on a clock. Two guards, Tomas and Maxwell come to intercept you, but they aren’t much of a challenge. Take them out and one of the other guards comes over the radio asking for them. Kenson however says that you are already past them and for all personnel to get in there now. Well it had to get challenging sometime. Proceed down the hall and Kenson tells the personnel to secure the project control room and to not let you in there. That’s not very nice, so invite yourself in anyway.

You’ve entered the living quarters of the project, and if Kenson is any indication, then you will have more guards to deal with. Four, actually, so move into cover and take them down. When they fall, salvage the mech parts (+1,320 credits), and proceed through the door that they came through. As you proceed down the next hallway, the guards come over the radio saying you are tearing them apart. Kenson’s response, “regroup”. Like that’s going to work.

Into the mess hall and take cover. There will be two guards entering, one regular guard, and a Pyro so focus on the one with the flamethrower first. When they are both down, head up the stairs to the right and again take cover as two more guards will ambush you. When you have finally cleared the mess, there is a wall safe (+1,360 credits) and a research log to pursue with this one detailing odd behavior by Kenson, as if that wasn’t obvious enough already. Head through the doors to the next area.

Upon opening the second door, there is a brief moment where you can take down a guard before he retreats. Otherwise he will join the Engineer in the next room. Keep in the cover by the door, and you should be able to handle this no problem. Don’t move out of cover too fast or go too far however as more enemies, two Guards and an Elite come charging in. Again stick to cover, and you should be just fine for this fight, just watch out for flanking attacks. When they fall proceed into the next room and grab the eezo (+250 eezo) and listen to another research log, apparently Kenson is really indoctrinated at this point. Head through the door and keep up the pressure.

In the next room is the Project Control room, so Kenson will send in a lot of guards to stop you. Specifically five Guards, three Engineers, two Pyros, and two Elites. Not all of them will be in the room to begin with, so keep an eye on your ammo, those Pyros, and where everyone is. The Pyros are the most dangerous, so remember your Pyro hunting techniques: shooting their tanks (or hitting them with Incinerate or Overload) when their shields are down will make them explode messily. Take them down as you can, stay near the door for great cover since they can’t flank you there, then move into the room as needed to take out enemies that might linger out of your line of sight, weapon range, or that just stay behind cover. The M-920 Cain will allow you to clear the entire room quickly with a well-placed shot.

Inside there is a medical station and the engine controls. Note the time remaining--yes, that clock continues. Activate the engines and you will get a warning about the casualties. You are now presented with a choice, either call the Normandy for a pickup, or warn the colonists. Either course of action is futile as you'll get cut off by Kenson anyway, the only difference is in the morality points you'll receive.

Kenson says that you don’t know what you’ve done and that you leave her no choice. If she can't stop the asteroid, then she’ll destroy it. Shepard asks the Project VI where Kenson can be found, and it replies that she is heading for the Reactor Core Module. Kenson will say that eezo core meltdown will do the trick, and because of Shepard, everyone on the rock will be obliterated. However, her plan will only work if you don’t get to her first.

When the conversation concludes, take cover as two Guards will rush into the room. Taking them down isn’t a problem, and when they are down, head through the door.

Stop Kenson [ ]

You will get a load screen, and after it's over Shepard walks through the reactor control room, where the Commander encounters Kenson. She tells you not to stop her as she has to do this, and you can respond in any way you like to that. Kenson then says that she will die never knowing the Reapers “blessing” while Shepard will just die. She then walks away, leaving Shepard taking cover from two guards who seal the door leading to Kenson.

Deal with the guards, they may try to get out of their little alcove, and then shoot the tank. (The Geth Plasma Shotgun won't damage the tank, so use something else or just melee it). This will allow you to override the door, despite the fact Kenson says she has you trapped in there. Although her guards can try to keep you there, they will ultimately fail in the end.

Before heading through the door, there is a small hallway behind you that holds some eezo (+200 eezo). Head through the door, up the elevator, grab the eezo (+200 eezo), and take cover as two Guards and an Engineer are next on the list to try and stop you. Keep near the door and use it for cover until you manage to take them out. Don’t take too long however, you still need to stop Kenson. When this group is down, head over to the windows and activate the Cooling Controls.

Shepard will then ask the VI how to stabilize the core, and it will reply that all automatic safety protocols have been overridden and to stabilize the core, you need to insert Cooling Rod A from this station and Cooling Rod B from its control station. That will stabilize the core. Shepard pushes the rod in, and when you regain control, head over to the previously locked door and take cover.

Two Guards will come down the hallway, so stay in cover and take them out. When they fall, head down the hallway, and take the elevator. When you reach the bottom, the door in front of you is locked. Enter the room to the right and abort the plasma venting to unlock it. While you’re there, pick up the medi-gel and PDA (+1,000 credits). Head across the room, be quick about it, and when you are clear, take cover as enemies, three Guards and a Pyro, are coming from the left. Take them out, but don’t forget about that room to your left. Inside is some eezo (+200 eezo), so if you have to come back, come back, but worry about your health first. After some fall, another Pyro and an Elite enter the hallway from the other end, so make sure to shift your focus as necessary.

Since the door ahead of you is locked, shoot the explosive crate to your right and jump up. Apparently, a guard named Williams thinks he has you trapped in the maintenance area and is requesting backup, show him that you aren’t so trapped.

When he is down, override the lockdown and continue on. However, don’t go too far down the hallway as the backup Williams requested comes down in the elevator, a Guard and a Pyro. They'll shout the name of their fallen comrade you just capped. Take them out as you please, then head up the elevator. If you are low on ammo, there are some thermal clips nearby. When you get to the top, before heading to the other elevator, grab ammo, if you didn't on the floor below, and the eezo on this landing (+200 eezo), then take the second elevator.

When you reach the top, before going through the door, grab the PDA (+1000 credits), then open the door. Inside are six Guards, so stay near the door so they can’t flank you. While this also limits your field of fire, it does the same thing for them as well, forcing them to move into your kill zone.

Head through the area, but when you reach a small alcove, take cover as there is a final line of defense, one of everything. Taking out the Pyro first here could do a lot of damage to the rest, so focus on that, then switch to the others. The opportunities for flanking are fewer here, but that doesn’t mean they won’t try. The corners in this area are dangerous enough that you should strongly consider pulling out the big guns . When they are all down, head down the hallway, bypass the door, and enter the room.

Warning: The last Pyro can sometimes get stuck in this room, so if you haven't already killed him, be prepared to find him waiting in here.

Inside, before activating the Cooling Rod, grab the eezo (+200 eezo) and wall safe (+3,000 credits). Press in the Cooling Rod, and the VI will say that a core meltdown has been averted and that the temperature is returning to normal. Kenson however, won’t quit and says she can still override power to the engines, and challenges you to stop her. Well, she did issue you a challenge.

Head down the elevator, through the door, and you are now treated to a cutscene. Shepard runs into the room, gun drawn. The Commander points it at Kenson at the main control panel, and tells her to step away from the console. Kenson is furious at Shepard's failure to die, additionally hysterical at the loss of the "whispers" receding from her senses and being denied the opportunity to witness the Reapers' Arrival.

Kenson won't go down easily, pulling out a detonator. A Renegade interrupt to stop her from priming it is available here, though whether you take it or not ultimately makes little difference: she blows herself up and the resulting explosion knocks Shepard out.

Escape With Your Life [ ]

Shepard awakens later to the Project VI saying that a collision is imminent. As Shepard gets up, the Commander eyes the main console and races to it. Shepard radios Joker for a pickup, but VI reports the comm system as damaged and for all personnel to head to the escape shuttles. Shepard asks the VI where that is, and the VI explains that to get to them, head through the lift in the room, and towards the communication tower. The remaining escape shuttles will be there. However, you now have little time to escape. There is nothing for you in the core, so head out.

Warning: Because Shepard was knocked unconscious by the explosion, the countdown clock has advanced to 30 minutes remaining. If the countdown clock was already under 30 minutes by the time you reached Kenson, then Shepard wakes up instantly and no time is lost ( LE : Shepard wakes up almost instantly in either case). Strangely, even though you have ignited the engines and the asteroid will crash into relay, thereby preventing the Reapers from spreading to the rest of the galaxy, if time runs out before you are past the airlock, the cutscene of the Reapers' destruction of the civilized universe will play, followed by the Critical Mission Failure screen.

Keep moving down the hall, although take a quick pit stop through a door on your left to grab a Heavy Skin Weave research project, some refined palladium (+525 palladium), and some credits (+1,400 credits). Head back out and keep moving. Head down the stairs in the next room, and grab the credits from the datapad that’s there before leaving (+2,100 credits). In the next hallway, which is actually an airlock, are some power cells, so grab them and save your game before heading out into space.

Note: Because you are in a vacuum, sound effects are muffled in this area. This can make it easier for enemies to sneak up, and possibly flank you if you are not attentive of where they are. So keep an eye on where enemies are at all times.

The Alpha Relay provides a nice backdrop to this battle with about eight Project Guards. The mass relay will grow larger across your field of view as the asteroid approaches it. If that wasn't enough of a hint, in the bottom right corner is the Alpha Relay proximity meter, so fight fast and hard. You will have about six and a half minutes, regardless of how much or how little time was left on the Reaper countdown clock, to reach the comm relay. Otherwise, the asteroid, with you on it, will smash into the mass relay, resulting in a Critical Mission Failure.

During the fight you will see the last evacuation shuttle take off and the Guard will say that their fellows left them there - at this point the guards stop spawning. Also a final YMIR Mech will activate, so deal with the infantry quickly. Keep an eye on that meter and keep moving to destroy the YMIR Mech as quickly as possible. Once the YMIR is down, get over to the Comm Relay as quickly as possible and activate it. The VI will tell you that an external comm line is now open.

If the extremely aggressive flanking behavior of these guards is giving you problems, a good thorough hosing down with the Arc Projector will quickly run through the 10-ish guards and leave you with only the YMIR. This level is doable without heavy weapons, but it can be a tough fight. The guards have their sneakiness turned up to 11 and will use their flashbangs to knock you out of cover in addition to flanking and charging you. Slam and Pull are also extremely effective here as the guards are instantly thrown upward and sucked into the "air" passing overhead.

Note: Attempting to make a dash for the Comm Relay before all the guards are down is ill-advised, as they will pursue you aggressively even if you are using Tactical Cloak . However once you're down to the YMIR this tactic is quite viable, although unlike "usual YMIR behavior" it will continue marching toward you with disconcerting accuracy even when you are cloaked, so you will likely need to keep moving from cover to cover.

Warning: If you attempt to run to the Comm Relay with enemies still on the map, you will have to complete a bypass game under fire before the cut scene will start, and as during any bypass, taking damage will prevent you from completing it. On higher difficulties this makes a bypass near impossible to complete. An infiltrator with a fully upgraded Tactical Cloak might be able to accomplish it however.

Note: If you haven't completed the suicide mission yet, then the Collector General will be the hologram. If you have completed the suicide mission, you will talk to Harbinger directly. Either way, you are still talking to Harbinger.

As Shepard tries to contact the Normandy, a hologram appears and Harbinger talks to you. First it says that you have become an annoyance, that you fight against inevitability, and that you are like dust struggling against the cosmic winds. While it may seem like a victory to delay the Reaper invasion at the cost of a star system, Harbinger assures you that the galaxy’s greatest civilizations are nonetheless doomed. Shepard can retort, but all responses basically boil down to a defiant promise to fight the Reapers to the end, whatever end that may be. With the conversation getting nowhere, Harbinger reasserts the futility of Shepard's efforts and warns of the inescapable fate that awaits the Commander, the human race, and all other galactic civilizations. It closes with: “Prepare yourselves for the Arrival”.

Then the Normandy comes swinging in and Shepard jumps into the airlock. Joker then pilots the ship through the Alpha Relay moments before the asteroid hits it, completely destroying the relay. It appears that Kenson was right about one thing: while the resulting explosion destroys the entire Bahak system, the Reapers have been delayed.

Back on the Normandy [ ]

In the crew quarters, Shepard sits on a bed in the Med lab while Chakwas talks with Hackett. As Chakwas leaves and EDI 's hologram disappears, Hackett approaches Shepard. He says that it sounds like Shepard went through hell on the asteroid and asks how the Commander is feeling. Shepard replies that they are fine, no more visions if that is what Hackett was asking. They didn't expect to see Hackett on the Normandy, so Hackett replies he decided to debrief the Commander in person since Shepard did the assignment as a favor to him.

Of course that was before the Alpha Relay exploded and took out an entire batarian system. You can ask if Hackett heard anything, to which he replies that all he knows is that he sent Shepard out on a personal mission, and at the end an entire system is destroyed. He hopes you can fill in the gaps. Your response can affect what Hackett says as he examines the datapad that Shepard hands him.

Note: If Doctor Chakwas is either missing (from the attack on the Normandy) or dead (from the suicide mission) it will instead be Joker talking to Admiral Hackett and leaving the med bay.

• If you pick the Paragon option, Shepard explains that they confirmed Kenson's proof that the Reapers were coming and destroying that relay was the only way to stop them. Shepard continues by saying that Kenson sedated them for two days and that they restarted the engines with just over an hour left. If you tried to contact the colony, Shepard says that but time ran out. Even though there were no survivors, Hackett appreciates that Shepard at least tried to do so.
• If you pick the neutral option, Shepard just hands Hackett the datapad saying it's all there. Hackett says he was hoping to hear it from Shepard though.
• If you pick the Renegade option, Shepard will tell Hackett of what happened to Kenson in that she said that the Reapers were the galaxy’s salvation. She then proceeded to capture, sedate, and hold the Commander against their will. Shepard says that since Kenson wasn’t willing to stop the invasion, they did what needed to be done. Hackett says that it sounded like Amanda was indoctrinated, and well that “it’s a damn shame”.

He then asks if Shepard truly believed the Reaper invasion was a threat, to which Shepard replies that they are beyond a doubt and that they only had minutes to spare. Hackett says that he is sure all the details are in Shepard’s report.

Hackett continues by saying that the batarians will be out for blood, no doubt about that, and that there is just enough evidence for a witch-hunt. However, they don’t want a war with the batarians with the Reapers at the galaxy’s edge. Shepard asks what Hackett means, and Hackett continues. He knows what Shepard did was for the best of reasons, but that doesn’t change the fact that three hundred thousand batarians are dead. You can respond to that any way you wish.

If you chose the Paragon option, then Shepard will say that their deaths saved the countless trillions that would have perished had the Reapers got into the galaxy, and that given the chance, they would have tried to save those colonists. Hackett says that if it were up to him, he’d give the Commander a medal. If you choose the Renegade option, Hackett agrees with Shepard's decision. He is sorry that those batarians lost their lives but someone has to make the decisions that get people killed. Regardless of the option chosen, Hackett will remind Shepard that not everyone will see it that way.

Shepard asks for some advice, and Hackett replies that while the evidence against Shepard is shoddy at best, Shepard will eventually have to go to Earth and face the music. Hackett can’t stop it, but he can make them fight for it. Now you can ask Hackett a few questions and the answers will vary based on actions taken and the point in the game this DLC is completed.

• If you ask Hackett about why he is aboard a Cerberus vessel, he will say that he doesn’t like Cerberus or the way they do things, but they did bring Shepard back and are actually doing something about the state of the Galaxy. If you destroyed the Collector Base, Hackett questions whether or not it is a Cerberus Vessel anymore. If this assignment is completed before the Suicide Mission or you preserved the Collector Base, Hackett says he can be friendly, for now.
• If you ask about the Alliance’s concerns about war with the batarians, Hackett says they are very concerned as the batarians have been looking for an excuse to go to war ever since humanity showed up in the galaxy. That can’t happen with the Reapers invading the galaxy as they need to work together. If they are at war with the batarians, the other races will be hesitant to give aid to either side.
• If you ask if the Alliance is prepared for a Reaper invasion, Hackett says that he doesn’t know. He continues by saying it took multiple fleets and the Destiny Ascension to bring down Sovereign, who was just one Reaper. If the Reapers come in force, the Alliance just isn’t ready. If you've yet to complete the Suicide Mission, this option is replaced with Shepard asking about the Collectors, to which he says that the Alliance has stationed fleets around the larger colonies and evacuated several smaller ones and hopes that you and Cerberus have an "ace up your sleeve".

When you are done, you can choose how to respond.

• If you choose to turn yourself in, Hackett will be pleased that working with Cerberus hasn’t stripped away Shepard’s sense of honor.
• If you choose to appreciate the delay, then Hackett just turns to leave.
• If you choose to say that Hackett should be thanking you, Hackett says that it isn't a matter of preference, and Shepard would make a convenient scapegoat to avoid open war.

No matter what option you choose however, Hackett says to Shepard to do whatever they need to out here, but when Earth calls, be there, in full dress blues, ready to take the hit. In the meantime, Hackett says keep the report as he doesn’t need to see it to know what actually happened to know that Shepard did the right thing. Shepard just responds with “Yes sir”. Hackett leaves by saying "you did a hell of a thing Commander".

Note: In some cases the autosave function does not work and will cause you to repeat the final battle and conversation with Hackett. This can also lead to alternate dialogue in Mass Effect 3 which implies you never played Arrival.

Mass Effect 3 Consequences [ ]

If importing a Mass Effect 2 save in which Arrival was not completed, the Alpha Relay will still be destroyed. However, responsibility will shift from Commander Shepard to the Alliance's 103rd Marine Division. In the process, the 103rd will suffer casualties, lowering their corresponding war asset by 50 points. This will also alter dialogue in several places, such as with Balak during Citadel: Batarian Codes (provided he survived Bring Down the Sky ), with Ghorek during Citadel: Wounded Batarian , and with Admiral Anderson in the game's opening cinematic.

“Personal log: I hear humans are scurrying like varren out in the asteroid belt. Is anywhere safe from them? We should arm a mission to flush them all out.”

“Personal log: I’ve worked for forty-seven days straight without time off, and now there’s humans in the prison below. I can’t get a break. There’s three hundred thousand people in this colony. You’d think that someone could cover for me one night.”

“Security log: Our comm buoy intercepts paid off. We picked up a message to the Alliance coming from somewhere in the asteroid belt. We listened to the feed until we discovered an operation run by a human named Kenson -- smuggling engine parts and guidance systems into the system from Omega. We intercepted Kenson’s vessel and took her and her people into custody. Interrogation has produced nothing but frenzied rambling so far.”

“Security Log: The humans still won’t tell us where their base is. No way we’ll find it even if we have to scan every asteroid out there. I wonder if those humans actually found something. No torture is too great if it gets that information out of them.”

“Dr. Kenson: The Project is almost complete. I thought I’d feel a sense of accomplishment but instead… I feel dread. I can’t help but think we are doing something terrible.”

“Research Log: Shepard has been sedated constantly for two days now. We’ve had to increase each dosage. It seemed like Shepard was waking up a moment ago. But that could be a glitch in the system. No glitch. The sedatives aren’t working!”

“Scientist: I woke up this morning in a cold sweat. The nightmare was back, the one with the enormous starship crawling through the Citadel and all my friends turning to dust. Even now I can see it in my mind. Why won’t this stop?”

“Guard: When it’s silent, when there’s no one else around, I can hear it. Whispers in the back of my mind, I can’t tell what they’re saying. I spoke to Doctor Kenson about it and she seemed to understand. What the hell is going on?”

“Guard: Kenson’s acting strange lately. Like she doesn’t care about the Project anymore. And I know I’m not the only one having those dreams. The Reapers are coming she says. But I’m not sure if I’m hearing fear or hope in her voice.”

“Dr. Kenson: The longer we’re here, the more I’m convinced the Project must be stopped. We simply don’t know enough about what the Reapers want. It’s foolish to assume that the Reapers mean doom for the galaxy. Legends say they’ve come through before, and yet life continues doesn’t it?”

Enemies [ ]

• Batarian War Beast
• Elite Prison Guard
• Project Elite
• Project Engineer
• Project Guard
• Project Pyro
• Prison Guard

Mission Summary [ ]

Dr. Amanda Kenson was rescued from a batarian prison on the planet Aratoht, and Shepard confirmed her proof of a Reaper invasion. Shepard was captured by Kenson, who had been indoctrinated by a Reaper artifact.

Shepard escaped and activated the Project, destroying the Alpha Relay and ending the Reaper invasion.

Dr. Kenson did not survive.

The Bahak System and all its inhabitants were destroyed.

• Experience: 1000 (1250)
• Heavy Weapon Ammo
• Medi-Gel Capacity
• Heavy Skin Weave
• Cerberus Funding: 3,500
• Credits Found: 17,550
• Element Zero: 1,500
• Palladium: 1,500
• Iridium: 2,000
• The "muffling" from being outside the asteroid base during your task to repair the comm tower may stay in effect long after the assignment, so background noise on the Normandy and some other things (like mass relays) can't be heard. This appears to be fixed if the game is restarted.
• Arrival was originally set in an underwater base built by humans. Shepard was supposed to land on an ocean planet and take a submarine down to the main level. The idea was to give it a feel like the movie The Abyss , with separate containers for each section of the base. The idea was scrapped and the base was moved to an asteroid. [1]

References [ ]

• ↑ The Art of the Mass Effect Universe
• Mass Effect
• 3 Romance (Mass Effect: Andromeda)

Details revealed: Red Sox make center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s eight-year, $50 million contract official

The Red Sox made Ceddanne Rafaela’s eight-year, $50 million deal official Wednesday ahead of the team’s 7-5 loss to the Orioles at Fenway Park.

The contract will take effect immediately, overriding his previous one-year agreement and running through 2031, with a team option for 2032.

With a $2 million signing bonus, Rafaela will make $1 million in 2024 and 2025, $2 million in 2026, $3.5 million in 2027, $5.5 million in 2028, $7.5 million in 2029, $10.5 million in 2030, $13 million in 2031, and either $16 million or a $4 million buyout in the 2032 option year.

The deal, which began to come to fruition at the start of the season, includes potential escalators for 2030-32 based on MVP votes and/or All-Star selections.

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In 40 big league games, Rafaela is hitting .227/.269/.370 with two homers while flashing potentially elite defensive ability in center, and the ability to shift to shortstop or second base.

“He’s not the final product,” said manager Alex Cora before the game. “But we take this and we know he’s a good one. There are a few things that we have to help him to be better at and he understands that. But there are other things that we’re just going to maintain. Very happy for the organization and very happy for him. Let’s see what the future holds.”

For Rafaela, the deal represents financial security for a player who signed for $10,000 out of Curaçao in 2017.

Yet the 23-year-old isn’t satisfied.

“When you say security it feels like it’s enough but it’s not,” said Rafaela. “There’s a lot more to do. A lot more to achieve. [But] It’s good to help your family. I think that’s what every son wants to do. I’m pretty happy I can do that.”

For the Sox, it affords cost certainty for a player with a game-changing glove and what the team sees as intriguing offensive potential based — albeit with the need to develop his plan of attack and selectivity at the plate.

“We talked pretty frequently about his swing decisions,” said chief baseball officer Craig Breslow . “I don’t think that that’s any surprise what we saw in spring training. With some focus and some deliberate training, he was able to impact [the baseball]. That’s something that we need to remain focused on because when he makes great decisions at the plate, he hits the ball really hard. He hits the ball in the air. He obviously can run and the defense speaks for itself.”

Rafaela joins righthander Brayan Bello as the club’s two young players to receive new contracts this season. While the club has had discussions with other young players, including first baseman Triston Casas, it’s unlikely that any other extensions will be negotiated in the near future.

“It’s impossible to handicap perfectly what the chances are of getting another deal across the line,” added Breslow. “I would say I don’t see anything that’s particularly close right now. And I do think it makes sense at some point to focus on the season, give players some clarity around what we’re trying to accomplish every day, and give us a chance to assess more broadly what we’re trying to accomplish.”

Murphy has surgery

The Red Sox announced that lefthanded reliever Chris Murphy underwent successful Tommy John surgery on Wednesday. The procedure was performed by Dr. Keith Meister at Texas Metroplex Institute for Sports Medicine & Orthopedic Surgery in Arlington, Texas.

Murphy, who began feeling discomfort in the elbow during spring training , is on the 60-day injured list. He made 20 appearances out of the bullpen last season, compiling a 4.91 ERA, and was a possible depth option for the rotation this season.

Platoon plans

Cora reiterated that the team will use a platoon at shortstop. David Hamilton will play against righties while Romy Gonzalez will see much of the time against lefties. Gonzalez went 1 for 3 with a walk and a run on Wednesday. Cora remained adamant that Rafaela will be the team’s everyday center fielder and will only play shortstop occasionally … The goal is for Vaughn Grissom [hamstring] to begin a rehab assignment this weekend. He will primarily play second base, but the Sox will reintroduce him to shortstop as well. Outfielder Rob Refsnyder (toe) began a rehab assignment for Triple A Worcester at Syracuse Thursday, going 0 for 3 with three strikeouts as the designated hitter. “He needs at-bats in his role,” said Cora regarding Refsnyder, who can go days without playing if a lefty isn’t on the mound. “I’m not saying he’s going to get 50 at-bats during his rehab assignments. I know he had some live batting practices [in Fort Myers]. I think timing is very important. That’s something that we have to make sure when he gets here he’s ready to go.” ... Jackson Holliday , the top prospect in baseball, made his major league debut for the Orioles Wednesday, batting ninth and playing second base. He went 0 for 4 with an RBI and two strikeouts. In 10 games at Triple A Norfolk, Holliday hit .333/.482/.595 with a 1.077 OPS and two homers. “For baseball, it’s great,” Cora said of Holliday, who is the son of former big leaguer Matt Holliday . “But for the American League East, it sucks.”

Julian McWilliams can be reached at [email protected] . Follow him @byJulianMack .

Citadel Assignment Cleanup

This page of IGN's wiki guide concerns all the Assignments on the Citadel from when you first arrive on the station. In particular, it's designed to be done after you've finished the main Expose Saren Mission, having intentionally ignored everything else.

• Scan the Keepers
• Reporter's Request
• Rita's Sister
• Jahleed's Fears
• Schells the Gambler
• Signal Tracking
• Hostile Takeover
• Presidium Prophet

Xeltan's Complaint / Asari Consort

Following along on this page will have you do each Assignment one-by-one, rather than overlapping them like in the Efficient Expose Saren Guide. The ordering is designed to have you finish an Assignment in the vicinity of the next one, to minimize on backtracking while keeping things easy to follow.

Start with the Scan the Keepers Assignment up in the Citadel Tower. This Assignment will take you to every corner of the Citadel and ensure that you have all the Rapid Transit destinations, which you'll use in all the other Assignments on this page.

Next go to the Upper Markets Rapid Transit to start The Fan. This Assignment cannot be completed on this visit, but it's important to get the ball rolling on it now.

Now go to the nearby Upper Wards area and locate Emily Wong near the stairs to Flux to do Reporter's Request. If you weren't grabbing everything you could find there, this will take you back to Fist's Office in Chora's Den before returning here.

Rita's Sister is next, and is begun by talking to her at the lower bar in Flux, up the stairs close to where Emily Wong was. This Assignment will take you to Chora's Den, C-Sec, the Lower Markets, and back to C-Sec again.

After you finish Rita's Sister you'll be in C-Sec, which is where you begin Jahleed's Fears. This Assignment will take you to the Lower Markets before returning to C-Sec again. Talk to Jahleed the Volus in the seating area of the C-Sec Offices to start.

Located in Flux, this Assignment was unlocked by starting Rita's Sister earlier. This side quest takes place entirely within the Flux casino and bar, and starts when you approach the stairs leading up into the establishment. Paragons should accept this one, as there is in fact a righteous solution to it.

This long-distance Assignment is started at the Quasar machine area in the upper level of Flux, and will take you to the Wards Access corridor, the Presidium Bank, and the Emporium next-door to that. Examine the Suspicious Gambling Machine to start it.

Located just outside the Emporium, this Assignment is only started on the Citadel. It's continued and finished on three Uncharted Worlds, however the areas it takes place in on those worlds do not unlock until you talk to Helena Blake first outside the Emporium. So, it's important to pick it up now while you're here.

This Assignment is started in the area of the Presidium just outside the Wards Access. Talk to either the Hanar or the C-Sec Officer to start it.

This Assignment is begun in the reception area of the Presidium Embassies, taking you to the nearby Presidium Lounge and then back to the reception area. Talk to Samesh Bhatia to begin it.

This is actually a pair of Assignments, because the two are intertwined with one-another. Xeltan's Complaint is started by talking to Xeltan in the Volus and Elcor Embassies, while Asari Consort is started by talking to Nelyna in the Consort's Chambers. You'll be taken to Chora's Den before returning to the Embassies and then the Consort's Chambers.

The reason for the complicated nature here is because you get an extra reward if you complete Xeltan's Complaint before you finish Asari Consort. Pay attention so you don't miss out!

• Xeltan's Complaint
• Asari Consort

Up Next: Efficient Expose Saren Guide

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