The Council has received reports of geth interest in the corporate research colony of Noveria. The Council needs to know why.
Acquisition
This mission is acquired after Shepard is given Spectre status and reports to Dock 422. Udina will say that Anderson is stepping down as the commanding officer of the SSV Normandy and that the ship is now commanded by Shepard. If you ask, Anderson will say that Noveria is trouble and always has been. Anderson warns that Spectres are the only Council agents Noveria will respect; he tells Shepard to take care when going there.
Go to Noveria in the Pax system, of the Horse Head Nebula cluster. Noveria is a private world outside of Citadel Space. Only Spectre authority allows your visit, and even then it will not be well tolerated by the businesses and other "interests".
Preparation
For the early parts of Noveria covered by this article, any balanced squad should work fine. There may be some guards and even krogan to fight, and then the ride to Peak 15 involves dealing with quite a few geth, though in an outdoor setting where you have the option to use the Mako.
However, before you head out in the Mako for the second part of the mission, you may wish to prepare carefully, particularly if you're playing on a high difficulty level, because the upcoming Peak 15 Mission contains some of the most difficult combat encounters in the game.
Walkthrough
Noveria Approach
When approaching Noveria, apparently you are not on the scheduled arrival list. Noveria's traffic controller warns that the ship is being tracked by defense systems. Only after Joker invokes Citadel business, saying that he has a Council Spectre aboard is the Normandy allowed to land, and even then the controller threatens to impound the Normandy if her identity is not confirmed upon arrival.
Port Hanshan
When you leave the Normandy head around the hangar, where you will run into Captain Maeko Matsuo, Sergeant Kaira Stirling, and a turian who will block access into Port Hanshan. They will react with suspicion upon hearing that Shepard is a Spectre, and Matsuo will move to hold your weapons, citing a strict policy against carrying firearms in Port Hanshan. Depending on how forcefully Shepard reacts, the two sides will prepare for a shootout. Even if you agree to co-operate and hand over your weapons, Gianna Parasini will interrupt via intercom and tells Matsuo to stand down. Apparently, Shepard’s identity has been confirmed, and Matsuo is compelled to allow the commander to enter the port.
When you reach the second landing and pass through some scanners and an alarm goes off. Parasini tells you not to worry, since they are only weapons detectors. She finally introduces herself as the administrative assistant to Administrator Anoleis, the chief of the port. Parasini can offer basic information about the facility, but explains that Anoleis must approve any request to leave Port Hanshan. If you ask about any unusual visitors, she will admit that Matriarch Benezia arrived recently. Shepard can have a short conversation with Liara if she is part of the landing party, before stepping into the elevator and going to the plaza.
Once you are inside the main plaza, you can either head to the left and down to the stairs to Anoleis’ office, or visit Opold, a hanar merchant. You can help him with his problem in the assignment Noveria: Smuggling or browse his catalog of merchandise. He has some good equipment, so it is worth hearing him out.
Once you reach the Administrator’s office, talk to Gianna again to get access to Anoleis. Anoleis, who is exasperated by Shepard's presence on Noveria, speaks harshly as the commander enters. Anoleis explains how Saren and Benezia are involved with Noveria affairs, and warns that Shepard will not be allowed to leave the port, citing poor weather. As you leave the office, Gianna will tell you to talk to Lorik Qui'in to leave the port. She can’t say much more within earshot of Anoleis. Lorik Qui’in can be found in the Hotel Lounge.
Getting a Garage Pass
On the far side of the main area you'll find the Garage entrance, but you'll need a garage pass to leave the port and progress the mission; if you attempt to leave without one, you will be stopped by an ERCS guard. Lilihierax, the turian near the garage entrance, can provide information about Noveria but will not give up his garage pass.
You have two main options for getting the garage pass, each with variations. One path involves using the upgrade from Opold's smuggling assignment to convince Anoleis. The other involves talking to Lorik Qui'in, whom you'll find upstairs in the Hotel Lounge. Note: Lorik's assignment involves considerable fighting, whereas Opold's may not depending on how you handle things. Obviously fighting brings additional XP, so make your choice.
When you enter the lounge, an asari beckons to you from your left. Talking to her will give the optional assignment Noveria: Espionage. You can complete that, or not. Then find Lorik, who is sitting at one of the tables on the main level.
Lorik explains that Anoleis is proving to be a corrupt administrator. As the administrator of one of the port's tenants, Lorik does have a garage pass to offer you, but in return he needs access to the evidence against Anoleis that Lorik has hidden at the Synthetic Insights office. You can consider this offer, or obtain a pass from the smuggling quest from Opold.
If you want Lorik's pass and agree to help him, he will give you access to the Synthetic Insights office, which is being guarded by some of the ERCS contingent. As you leave, Lorik asks you to keep blood stains off the carpets.
Before you leave the lounge, head to the office-like space on the upper level and hack the terminal for the assignment Doctor at Risk. You can then disable the security to the SI office from the same room. This will give you a slight advantage in the upcoming fight, i.e. you can persuade a few guards to leave and until you start shooting, the guards ransacking the office won’t know you are there.
Raiding Synthetic Insights
Head back down the elevator and to the route that leads to the garage. There is an elevator just before the stairs to the Garage; step inside to reach Synthetic Insights office. This is a good save point. When you get close to the door you can either talk to the two guards or just shoot them. Talking to them earns morality points, while attacking them yields experience points. Once the first two guards are disposed of, one way or the other, run across, dispose of the guards there, and take cover.
The guards on the lower level will be easier to deal with, but there will be a few guards on the upper level, including a sniper who doesn’t like to come down. Once you manage to take down all the guards go back to the bottom level, if you aren’t there already, and in the two alcoves you will find a crate and a weapons locker. Outside the area with the weapons locker are a few crates: grab them all then head to the upper level.
On the upper level, opposite the three doors is another crate along the wall overlooking the lower level. Once you have its contents, turn around. The door to the left, furthest from the stairs, is locked, but more loot is available inside. Decrypt the door and reap your rewards, including a med kit and a safe. Once done with that, head across the catwalk and into Lorik Qui’in’s office. Before you go for his computer grab the med kit, hack the wall safe, and grab the upgrade kit in his office. When you are ready insert the OSD Lorik provided and leave.
On your way out, you will bump into Kaira Stirling, accompanied by more ERCS Guards. Stirling is a cop on the take, and the evidence Lorik is after will implicate her should it be revealed. Stirling will also refer to Shepard as a cop-killer, but you will have to neutralize her all the same.
The people Kaira brought with her are an immediate threat in the melee. Stirling herself will also be dangerous, since she practices biotics. Her favorite power is barrier; another member of her squad is also a biotic who prefers throw. As already stated, get rid of Stirling first because she is the hardest fight, but don’t neglect the others because they will take you and your squadmates quickly as well -- the humans with sniper rifles and turians with shotguns are both quite dangerous. If available, use Neural Shock or Throw against Kaira as soon as the fight starts. This will immobilize Kaira before she can get off a single attack, making the fight considerably easier. As you can see there isn’t a lot of cover so use the little you have to your advantage. Once the guards on the top are eliminated, take care of the two on the lower level. They can be taken out from the upper level, or they will soon come upstairs on their own.
Once all the guards are eliminated, do a quick sweep of the complex for any crates you may have missed and head out of the office.
Make Your Choice
When you reach the main level again, you run into Gianna, who is curious about the ruckus in the Synthetic Insights offices. Gianna will ask to speak to you at the hotel bar, but before you try to talk to Qui’in. Shepard need not speak to Parasini again, but the commander will gain more experience, and you can unlock the infinite morality points glitch if you do. You can also give Anoleis the evidence immediately in exchange for the pass, but you gain fewer experience points that way.
If you choose to speak with Parasini again at the hotel bar, she will reintroduce herself as an Internal Affairs agent. You can ask questions about what has been going on: apparently, Anoleis has been driving business away by increasing rent prices on Noveria facilities. He is breaking the golden rule of the planet, which is “don’t rock the boat.” She will ask you to convince Qui’in to testify before the Executive Board that governs the planet, then return to Anoleis’ office to continue work as his secretary. Shepard can now give Anoleis the evidence, give Qui’in the evidence, or convince Qui’in to testify.
You can also gain more experience points by playing the Noveria game yourself. You can convince Qui'in to testify, then blackmail Anoleis by telling him about the evidence in your possession (provided Shepard is sufficiently charismatic or intimidating). Once you've taken advantage of the administrator's weakened position, you can speak to Parasini and give her the evidence. Parasini will arrest Anoleis, promising Shepard a beer the next time they cross paths. You are able to use the infinite morality points glitch until you leave Port Hanshan.
If you inform Anoleis that his secretary is an internal affairs agent he will bring her in to fire her. Their resulting argument ends in Anoleis and Parasini killing each other and gaining some Renegade points for yourself.
Or, if you accept the hanar's smuggling job, and turn him in to Anoleis, he will give you 300 credits and a Garage Pass. However, this precludes getting the infinite morality glitch from Qui'in.
If you haven't already, hack the wall safe in Anoleis' office. Once you are done, head to the garage.
Garage
The ERCS guard at the garage entrance will allow you through once you explain you have authorization. Save before proceeding, because as you might have guessed, there are geth in the garage. Two Geth Destroyers, a Geth Ghost, a Geth Stalker, a Geth Rocket Trooper, and a Geth Shock Trooper will attack you. Initially the geth will not have detected you, so you can quickly position your squad behind cover and prepare for the Shock Trooper rush. Use the piece of cover near the door to your advantage, along the explosive crates laying around, to take down the attacking geth. Once they all fall, Matsuo will enter with a few guards and question Shepard about the incident. Once the conversation is finished, Matsuo will leave and you are free to take the Mako at the end of the garage to Peak 15. There is an upgrade kit near the M29 vehicle.
Note: if you want to make this fight easier, you can unlock the M29 Grizzly’s cannon and use it to your advantage. However, this will result in fewer experience points. You could defeat most of the geth first, unlock the Grizzly for experience points, then exit it and finish off the geth. You cannot access the Grizzly after the fight.
Note: before heading out to Peak 15, you may want to prepare your squad for the dangers ahead.
Aleutsk Valley
Once you leave a notification will come up that you have entered a Level 1 Cold Hazard; the landing party will need to limit their exposure outside the vehicle during the drive to Peak 15. This ride will not be uneventful, but is relatively easy. Just don’t fall off the edge! Head out of the garage and down the path. Eventually you will run across a wrecked Grizzly with a crate beside it. Continue along the path and you will approach the first tunnel. The geth have placed a turret here, which is reinforced with Shock Troopers, Rocket Troopers, and Troopers. In addition, the geth have deployed personal shields near their positions. There is another wrecked Grizzly here, with a crate and a medical kit beside it.
About halfway down the tunnel are four Geth Rocket Troopers. They all typically shoot at the same time so it makes their shots easy to dodge. Once the four Rocket Troopers are permanently deactivated, get out, if you aren’t already, then grab the two upgrade kits that are on the ground; one rests on either side of the tunnel. When you head down the tunnel, a cutscene will play, showing a Geth Armature on the road to your destination. It also has some Rocket Trooper friends. Take out the Rocket Troopers then focus on the Armature. There are two crates requiring Easy Decryption beside the burning Grizzly.
Move on until you reach the next tunnel, which is defended by more geth. About halfway down the tunnel there is another upgrade kit. Outside the tunnel exit is a med kit, which will prove useful.
Tip: While you are at the end of the earlier tunnel, some of the geth at the second tunnel might notice you and start firing at the Mako. If you wait on your side of the chasm, they will walk directly at you and end up falling into the chasm.
The only enemies from here to the Peak 15 research facility are three Geth Turrets. The first one is around the corner and at the next U-turn. The second is about halfway down the path from the first to the final turn. The third is above and to the left, on the mountain, of the Peak 15 garage door. Once you are done, save, and enter Peak 15.
Note: There is a possibility that you can’t save the game. Move around until you do because the garage has some enemies in it.
Maximum Experience Scenario
To get every last drop of experience out of Port Hanshan, follow this sequence:
- Retrieve Opold's package for him, but tell him "I'm keeping it", triggering a fight with Inamorda.
- Break into Synthetic Insights for Lorik Qui'in.
- Do not convince the two extra Synthetic Insights guards to stand down.
- During the drive to Peak 15, kill the enemies on foot. Wear them down in the Mako if necessary, but then jump out and fire the last shot on foot.
Enemies
- ERCS Guard (Optional)
- Geth Armature
- Geth Destroyer
- Geth Ghost
- Geth Rocket Trooper
- Geth Shock Trooper
- Geth Stalker
- Geth Trooper
- Geth Turret
- Kaira Stirling (Optional)
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|---|---|---|
| Missions | Noveria: Peak 15 |