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Admiral Hackett ordered the Normandy to Mars to locate new Prothean data that could help defeat the Reapers, but the archives on Mars are not responding. Investigate the dig site and find the Prothean data.

Acquisition[]

Prerequisite: Prologue: Earth

This mission is automatically acquired and started after the prologue mission's completion.

Preparation[]

Turns out Protheans aren't the only ones with secrets on Mars. There's one right under our noses at the very beginning of the mission.

Upon starting this mission, Shepard will automatically be equipped with a new weapon, based on class: The M-4 Shuriken for Adepts and Engineers; the M-23 Katana for Soldiers, Vanguards, and Sentinels; or the M-92 Mantis for Infiltrators. Note: Whichever weapon you're given will not appear later during the mission as a pickup. Your first chance to customize your weapons loadout occurs the first time you find a weapon pickup, but mods cannot be attached until you reach a weapon bench.

James Vega will only be your squadmate for the first enemy encounters, so use up his grenade supply freely.

This mission features the first appearances of a major enemy faction's units and you'll be seeing them again in various places throughout the rest of the game. Counters and tactics you learn beating them here will be largely applicable on future encounters.

Walkthrough[]

The outpost entrance

Start by leveling up your squad as prompted. The first few scenes out of the shuttle have some optional View prompts that can help focus on what your squadmates are talking about. If you wish to see the Easter egg in this area follow the developer directions below. This is the only opportunity to do so as the gap in the fence ahead is a one-way drop.

After going through the gap you'll see a trio of corpses on the ground. James notices them and Kaidan/Ashley activates their omni-tool near one. 150 XP is awarded regardless of whether you examine the body, though if you do you'll learn his name was Reeves, and that he was apparently taken unawares. There's also an M-92 Mantis here for pickup: if you don't take it here, you will still have a chance to get it later.

Doesn't look good for employment prospects when your former employer goes terrorist in six months

Up ahead you will hear some gunshots, then you'll see some Cerberus Assault Troopers ahead. The first group will be oblivious to your presence, and if you take a closer look they're executing civilians. You can take them by surprise, you have the higher ground, and they're all standing right next to each other. Make sure to position yourself and your squad in appropriate cover before engaging. Note: The View prompt that lets you see the executions up close may fail to appear in some cases such as rushing to the scene, which can even cost you the element of surprise as the Troopers detect your presence.

Another group of Troopers will be hiding behind the various vehicles parked further ahead, attempting to ambush you. Be wary as they will reveal themselves from multiple directions. Take them out accordingly, then move into the compound. Note: Tagging the elevator button inside the entrance of the compound will instantly trigger the progression cutscene, bypassing any remaining enemies.

Into the Facility[]

There's not much time for cheery reunions, Liara gets down to business and shows where you're headed next

As the elevator pressurizes and Shepard's squad enters the research facility, you talk with the Virmire survivor about your loyalties; Paragon and/or Renegade points are available here. Your conversation is interrupted by sounds of gunfire: an asari is being pursued through the ventilation system by more Cerberus troops, but after dropping down she soon turns the tables on them. Having dealt with the immediate threat, Dr. Liara T'Soni turns to greet Shepard and company.

After a reunion that can vary depending on your past history with her, talk will turn to why she is on Mars. She reveals that she may have discovered a way to defeat the Reapers: plans for "a device", buried in the Prothean archives. It's apparent that Cerberus is likely here for those plans, so it's imperative to beat them to the archives, which can only be reached via a tramway that Liara points out to you.

You are again interrupted by Cerberus visitors; much to James's chagrin, Shepard will send him back to the shuttle to safeguard the team's exit, and you will gain Liara as a squadmate for the rest of the mission. Note: If James's Incendiary Ammo was active on any of your squad's weapons, it will remain active unless overridden by another ammo power or you access a weapon bench.

Why waste heat sink capacity when you can simply bend the laws of physics

The cutscene will lead straight into a combat scenario, so be ready. You'll now have access to Liara's powers, and you may wish to pause a moment and allocate any unspent points into them before doing anything else. Kill off the troops that come through; spamming Liara's Singularity several times combined with your squad's fire is usually enough to eliminate all hostiles. Detonating her Singularities with follow-up biotic powers will expedite the process.

Pick up the med kit on the right (100XP) after finishing the battle. When you try to take the elevator up, you will discover that it has been sabotaged, so raise the vehicle lift, climb up the ramp to the left of the ET3 and jump across.

Head around to the right and open the door, then learn how to grab-kill a trooper from behind cover. Beware of the other enemies in the room afterwards, and expect an immediate close-quarters encounter and at least one grenade coming your way. Tip: It may be safer to clear this room without entering it, or by retreating back outside after performing the grab-kill. Liara's Singularities can easily flush out any trooper that stubbornly remains in cover.

Ariake Tech gauntlets + the Shuriken by the sitting dead soldier at the far back

Enter the next room and examine the datapad on the last row of chairs (75 XP). From here, enter the control room and examine the locker to pick up Ariake Technologies Gauntlets. Continue in a bit to pick up the M-4 Shuriken, and then another med kit (100 XP).

Cafeteria[]

Now, use the security console to unlock one of the two doors. Head to the exposed Martian environment outside and down the ladder into a walkway. At the end of it, right before the ladder up is the Kassa Fabrication Chestplate. After descending the ladder you can use a View prompt to zoom in on a running battle between Cerberus and the remaining Alliance forces on the tramway. Proceed and you'll receive a staticky transmission from James that gets more and more garbled until the storm's interference finally cuts him off completely.

Up the next ladder and after jumping across a gap at the top is a suspiciously open airlock. It's the maintenance entrance to a cafeteria, where a bunch of people died when someone vented the air from it. The lights are out, and you'll switch to flashlights so your vision will be reduced for a while. There's a datapad (75 XP) in the floor just before you descend the steps.

Today's Sunday Surprise is a fistful of omni-blade or biotic punch, courtesy of our new arrivals

The environmental controls highlighted by the HUD are in the room next to the cafeteria. As you descend the steps though, the shutters open to reveal several Assault Troopers, but they cannot see you as your team will switch off your flashlights. While they're discussing whether to check the cafeteria or not if your team is in it, you have the opportunity to grab-kill the closest enemy by leaning below the window. Otherwise, once they're done talking, the two guys closest to the window will move out of a locked door nearby, and you'll be forced to shoot through the glass to get at them instead.

In the cafeteria is an SMG Scope upgrade. Hop over the wall and use the medical station on the right (150 XP). Access the environmental controls to open the locked door and learn that the new researcher Dr. Eva Coré was the one who killed everyone off. A short conversation with Liara ensues where she expresses her doubts about winning a war with the Reapers. Respond how you choose and continue through the door.

Fighting Through the Corridors[]

Always get the drop on your enemies, not the other way around

Pick up the SMG Ultralight Materials and the datapad (75 XP) at the bottom of the stairs. You can then use the weapon bench on the right to change your loadout and apply the upgrades to Liara's weapons, and your own if you carry an SMG. If this is a repeat playthrough (New Game Plus) with the same character, you can equip any weapon or mod you had unlocked in your previous playthrough at the weapon bench. It may be a good idea to equip weapons and mods that can penetrate cover for additional effectiveness against Guardians with their shields up.

Note: If you are not playing Legendary Edition, the final moments of this mission can be impossible to complete if you are carrying the M-77 Paladin, Scorpion, Acolyte, or Executioner Pistol. It is recommended that you switch them out or ensure that you have at least one faster-firing weapon at this time.

Mere headshots don't scare these other mooks

If you used the weapon bench, any ammo powers you had on your weapons will be reset, so take some time to reactivate them as you want before proceeding. Head up the stairs and through the door for another Cerberus wave. You'll now be facing Centurions and Guardians in addition to the normal Troopers. An Adept or Vanguard can use Pull to reliably remove the shields from the Guardians. Kaidan can use Reave which will go through their shields, or Liara's Singularity can also lift them shields and all, but they must be standing still before she uses it or it may only stagger them. Her Stasis power with the rank 6 Bubble evolution will reliably freeze Guardians and remove their shields, dropping them to the ground after wearing off. Otherwise, just aim at their feet or through the slot in their shields with an accurate weapon; grenades thrown behind them can also be effective. The enemies may not all come charging at you in which case you will have to move forward. Pick up the datapad (75 XP) on the right halfway up the corridor, then go around to the left into a long three-section hallway.

With the exception of Guardians, the Cerberus troops throughout this hallway fight tend to be beating a retreat, so moving up when you can will assist them in deciding to back up even further. Eventually they will retreat out of the section and seal the door behind them, so you don't necessarily have to kill every single enemy. In other words this is a good section to play relatively conservatively. When you turn left around the corner, you will be at a wide hatchway opening, and will need to pass through two additional similar hatchways before the remaining enemies will shout "fall back to the tram station" and retreat through the fourth such hatchway.

Would hate to be that guy who got turned into long pork

Next up you will find clean room sterilization controls. Look through the windows to see an orange barrier. Activate the console to move the barrier around the room. Wait until the barriers are maximally open before you deactivate the console. Enter the room to get a Sniper Rifle Extended Barrel, a Shotgun High Caliber Barrel, a med kit (100 XP), and a datapad (75 XP). Continue through the room and out the door on the far right side.

Autoturret and Tram[]

Liara sprinting toward cover while the turret is distracted gunning after Shepard

If you do not already have one, around the corner to the right, you will find the M-23 Katana. Open the door to the next area, and come face-to-face with a huge ceiling-mounted turret. Time to learn how to use extensive cover to avoid fire.

The turret targets you exclusively, so you don't have to worry about your squadmates getting ripped apart. Your squadmates move once you move, and once you move the turret takes a split-second to fire at you. Don't try skipping cover placements as you will not be fast enough to evade the turret's sight, and don't even try cloaking your way out as the turret can detect you. Just follow the on-screen prompts, you'll reach the other side eventually. At that point the turret deactivates permanently.

Tip: The Cerberus soldiers in the control room will not come out. They are also passive prior to Shepard getting behind it. Any time before the last piece of cover, an Engineer can spawn a Combat Drone inside the control room and none of the soldiers will react. Wait long enough and the one Drone will kill all the Cerberus soldiers.

They're not guarding the station against threats, they're boxed in the station and there's no way out

Once you've dodged and rolled your way past the turret, open the door and kill off the Cerberus operatives: 4 Troopers and a Centurion. Pick up the med kit (100 XP) on the right, the datapad further up the room (75 XP), and the Sniper Rifle Concentration Mod. Be sure to fill up on ammo.

When you're done looting go and use the auto-turret controls. A short cutscene will have the turret officially deactivated, and Virmire survivor hatching a plan to lure a tram to the station by fooling troops at the archives into thinking that their enemies have been neutralized. Taking a transmitter from a dead Trooper's helmet will reveal that Cerberus has implanted its people with Reaper technology. Shepard then poses as Delta Team waiting for extraction, and Cerberus at the other end sends Echo Team over to help secure the station. More morality points are available in the ensuing conversation with Kaidan or Ashley as they continue to question Shepard's authenticity.

More meat for the Shepard meat grinder

You will get a brief tutorial on squad control in the next area. You can't move and the mission won't progress until you order at least 1 squadmate to move (You can actually order them to move anywhere, not just to the designated position). You can anticipate the arrival of the reinforcements through the long giant screen on top of the gateway: they're on Tram A.

Use superior tactics (or superior firepower if that's not your thing) to your advantage and kill Echo Team exiting the cable car: 5 Troopers, 1 Centurion, 2 Guardians. Tip: Before you activate the cable car, return to the control room and refill your ammo from the cartridges there, which will have respawned. There is also a resupply cache of grenades on the right side of the upper balcony overlooking the tram car. This will be your last easy opportunity to pick up ammo before the hardest and longest fight of the mission.

If you didn't take the Mantis near Sgt. Reeves at the beginning of the mission, you can pick up another Mantis by the cable car entrance.

A bunch of guys in a dogpile is usually more NSFW..

Get on the cable car and turn it on. Near the other end there will be an explosion: your car will get stuck and a Cerberus one will start moving toward you. Liara's Singularity can pull operatives out of the car and suspend them in the air, dooming them to eventually fall to their deaths. Jump across to the other car once they are dead—or even before, if you like to fight at close quarters.

Tram Fight[]

Activate the other car and prepare for a fight as you arrive in the station: Troopers and Centurions en masse against you and your team.

Having barriers is good, having peripheral vision for those cover-mongering troopers is even better

This is the last big fight of the mission, and it's also very much the toughest you'll have faced so far in the game. Feel free to unleash everything you've got, even grenades. Beware of grenades thrown at you, and be wary of rushing into the smoke thrown down by the Centurions. It's usually safest to stay in the car during most of this fight because the cover offered outside of it is easily flanked, and if you have a reasonably long-ranged weapon the pillar at the rear of the car provides good visibility and is seldom reached by the constant stream of grenades. When the first wave starts to die down, a second one will stream in from the back, this time including some Guardians.

After the fight, pick up the M-15 Vindicator on the far left, investigate the medical station in the center of the room (150 XP), and the Shotgun Shredder Mod on the far right. Warning: Taking the Vindicator is the absolute last chance to reconfigure your weapon loadout. If you still have a slow-firing pistol, switch it out now.

Once you've finalized your loadout to your satisfaction, open the door at the end of the room.

Prothean Archives Chase[]

The Prothean Archives inside the facility

You find yourself at a large circular chamber. While the Virmire survivor inspects the far side of the room, you and Liara will come closer to the Prothean artifacts at the chamber's center. A hologram terminal will activate nearby, and the Illusive Man appears. A discussion with him occurs during which you can apply a Charm or Intimidate dialogue option depending on your Paragon/Renegade score. At the end of the conversation Ashley/Kaidan discovers the Cerberus mole Dr. Eva Coré stealing the Prothean data, and a chase begins.

If she gets more than 40m away you will fail the mission, so stay close. She will regularly fire Incinerate bolts at you that will stun you and slow you down if they land, so dodge them by performing a combat roll when needed. It's also not worth trying to attack her, as she has an exceptionally high shield recharge rate, and even if you do somehow bring down her shields she will merely recharge them back to full strength instantly.

Given the urgency of the chase it's easy to overlook how the doctor can outrun your entire team without breathing in Martian air

Further along the chase Cerberus Troopers on a shuttle will arrive on the scene and attempt to harass you. Given the urgency of the situation, ignore them as they won't damage you significantly; if you can't resist, a Singularity from Liara can take care of them.

Warning: There is a moment right before the upcoming cutscene where you climb up a ladder after Eva, and at the top you can fire or launch powers at her one last time. If you are not playing Legendary Edition and have your pistol out at that time, DON'T FIRE, as you will have fewer shots to work with during the final confrontation with her.

At the end of the chase Eva jumps into the shuttle and is about to escape when James crashes his shuttle straight into hers. Your squadmates will pick each other up after the crash, but Eva jumps out of her burning shuttle, her organic disguise destroyed, and severely injures Ashley/Kaidan after the Illusive Man orders her to "dispose" of them.

Turns out she doesn't even need to breathe and she's on to you next after disposing of your Virmire survivor friend

After this, Eva will begin running at Shepard in slow motion, and you must shoot her. Shepard wields the currently equipped pistol during this sequence (or the M-3 Predator if no pistol was equipped), and certain pistols with a small magazine or unique mechanics (i.e., the M-77 Paladin, Scorpion, Acolyte, or Executioner Pistol) can make this sequence difficult, if not impossible to complete.

Legendary Edition: The Predator pistol is always automatically equipped and fully loaded for the confrontation with Eva, with no other weapons available to switch to.

Tip: The key in this sequence is not to fire immediately once you're in control of Shepard again—WAIT a few seconds. Once time really slows down, THEN take your shots. Doing this, it's actually possible to down Eva in as few as two hits anywhere (headshots aren't required). If you start the sequence without a full clip, it is possible to reload in time to shoot Eva down provided you hit reload the instant you're able to. It is also possible to switch weapons if you need to, but again, do so immediately.

Aftermath[]

After Eva has been shot down, Shepard orders James to bring the body, now known to be a mech infiltration unit, back to the Normandy with them. The ship leaves orbit of Mars just as the Reapers arrive. On board, Shepard carries an unconscious Kaidan or Ashley to the medical bay. Liara tells a visibly distraught Shepard that they have to leave the Sol system; the Commander orders Joker to take the ship to the Citadel.

We've learned that Admiral Hackett himself will be overseeing the construction of this weapon. Many Martians died to bring us this information.

Shepard then speaks with Hackett via QEC. The Admiral confirms Anderson's original order to ask the Council for assistance in fighting the Reapers, emphasizing the need to secure their aid by any means necessary. Liara and Shepard tell him about the plans for the massive Prothean weapon they found in the Mars archives; he requests the plans so the Alliance can perform its own analysis of them. Shepard also informs him of Cerberus's involvement and that Kaidan/Ashley was seriously injured; if their relationship had been close in the past, Shepard refers to the former crewmate in a more familiar manner.

Following the call with Hackett, Liara tells Shepard that she's done what she could for Kaidan/Ashley, but they need to get to a proper medical facility soon. The conversation turns to the Prothean weapon and the war with the Reapers. Noticing Shepard's troubled expression, Liara probes into the reason behind the Commander's doubt; respond however you choose. Liara remains hopeful that the Council will be willing to help, and she prepares to present her findings to them, setting the stage for your next mission.

Enemies[]

Datapads[]

From: Cameron Harrison

To: ExoGeni Corporation

Miss Mika,

Thank you for your kind offer of "new" and "cutting-edge" technology. As with every other offer you've made, we're going to have to decline. Our proprietary rights experts have gone over your contracts (again) and found them lacking (again) and, in short, we're not interested.

Please don't contact us anymore with your "generous" offers.

Best,
C. Harrison


From: Sho D'hen

To: Cameron Harrison

CAM!

Who the hell is that woman messing in my files? GET HER OUT OF HERE! I won't have my system messed up by some wannabe "expert" who'll be gone next week! Damn strangers who think they know it all but don't care about what we're really trying to achieve here. Dr. Eva. Seriously? Don't you remember what happened LAST TIME?

S.


From: Amelia Hatterson

To: Mike O'Sullivan

Hey stupidhead!

I won't ask how you're doing, since I hear you guys are propagating germs in the shape of a cold down there in storage. Look, I know your prothean doodads are fascinating and all, but you guys have got to stop burning the midnight oil and keep regular sleeping hours, honestly! Anyway, I forwarded your latest findings to HQ on Earth and SOMEONE IS DEPRESSURIZING THE AREA WARN SECURI


From: Faiza Haikal Tkele

To: Sandoval Fletcher

Yeah, I know. Two external specialists in the same week is a bit insane. But Hudson, I've heard about the asari before! She's really well known, and she's done some amazing research on the Protheans. I don't know zip about that Dr. Eva chick, but Liara T'Soni? She's the real thing. I'm attaching some of her advanced papers on Prothean culture. Read 'em. You'll be a believer too when you're done.

I can't wait until they introduce her to people. This is so exciting!

Faiza


Personal Notes: S. Esparza


We haven't been able to decipher much--if any--of the language yet, but the visual documentation gives us some idea as to what they were studying. Namely, us. They seemed particularly interested in early humanity's evolutionary process, judging by the way they organized their files and highlighted specific occasions. It seems a bit fantastic to write this, but everything indicates that they seemed to be trying to chart the curve of humanity's intellectual progression.


Research Notes: J. Tasmen


The last location seems to have run dry, but judging from the communications system layout and the backup power supplies equipped by the first Prothean research base we discovered, we think a secondary base may be located deeper underground. We're going to need permission from the Powers That Be to excavate further, but considering the recent renewal in enthusiasm for the work we're doing here, I don't think clearance will be an issue.

Bugs[]

In an imported game where the Collector Base was irradiated in Mass Effect 2, during the confrontation between Shepard and the Illusive Man the latter's cigarette arm may jerk in unnatural positions after Shepard tells him they gave him the base to find out how to defeat the Reapers.

Trivia[]

  • Boisvert's sketch on how to access the Easter egg
    Former BioWare Cinematic Designer Richard Boisvert revealed on Reddit[1] that he placed an Easter egg at the start of this mission. A small robotic rover is parked near the structure beyond the solar panels in the landing area. Moving around the solar panels in a certain pattern will cause the rover to roll up towards your position and unlocks a "View" prompt. Selecting it will redirect the camera to the rover. The vehicle is similar in design to several actual rovers[2] used to explore the surface of Mars.

References[]

Mass Effect 3 Navigation
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Prologue: Earth Missions Priority: The Citadel I
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