Normandy Assignments

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Normandy Assignments

There are various assignments and side-quests that you are given through your Personal Terminal and from exploring the universe. Note that you should purchase the star charts available at Baria Frontiers on Illium to unlock all of the necessary star systems for some of these quests.

There are various assignments and side-quests that you are given through your Personal Terminal and from exploring the universe. Note that you should purchase the star charts available at Baria Frontiers on Illium to unlock all of the necessary star systems for some of these quests.

N7: Lost Operative

You receive this through your private terminal soon after getting your hands on the new Normandy.

Cerberus needs you to investigate the disappearance of one of their operatives. They believe he is being held by Eclipse mercenaries on the planet of Lorek. From Omega, travel to the Fathar system and scan the planet near the sun. This is Lorek. Fire a probe at the anomaly and land at that location.

Near the landing site, check behind some crates for some Platinum. In the building ahead take cover as soon as you enter. Defeat the enemies within, most of whom are Eclipse Troopers, some sporting Barriers. Hack the Holding Cell Access terminal and access the Security Logs inside the main room. From these you will learn that the operative was called Agent Rawlings. He didn't survive the Eclipse interrogation.

When you disengage from the terminal you will be attacked by more soldiers from the door across the room. One of the enemies is in charge of this facility, Morl. As such, he has a Barrier and Shield, so take him out quickly. Go through an open door in the main room to find some Medi-Gel and a Wall Safe. There is also another door leading outside to some Refined Platinum. The door you want to find Rawlings' last location is at the end of a short corridor. You need to hack the door to get in.

Once inside, access the Data Logs. These could harm Cerberus if they went public, so you have the choice to surrender them to the Alliance, Cerberus, or keep them yourself. Giving it to Cerberus will net you some extra cash.

Back on the Normandy, Cerberus will have contacted you in your Inbox regarding Rawlings and the events on Lorek.

N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot

Aria gives you the information for this assignment after you provide her with the datapad located on the dossier mission for Garrus. You can find the planet to scan on Daratar in the Faryar System or the Hourglass Nebula for an Eclipse Smuggling Depot.

You should take Miranda and Garrus with their Overload ability and plenty of heavy weaponry.

A smuggling base was once used on this planet but is in the process of being abandoned having seen that the Normandy had spotted it from orbit. Cerberus want the resources in the base, while the last occupants left three YMIR Mechs behind to destroy their cargo and prevent it from falling into anyone else's hands. There are 20 crates of cargo, and you get paid more depending on how many remain at the end.

Take out the three YMIR Mechs

You can gain the attention of the mechs from a vast distance by shooting them, interrupting their concentration on the crates. Use heavy weaponry to take them down. You can locate more heavy weaponry on a landing pad at the side of the base and to the edge of the main arena itself, as well as Refined Element Zero and a Med Kit. There is also the Maintenance System and Security Systems to access for more info on the smuggling operation.

Once all the Mechs are down, collect any supplies and return to the Normandy when ready (B on Xbox 360).

N7: Captured Mining Facility

Scan the planet Helyme in the Zelene System of the Crescent Nebula to find an anomaly. Locate it to discover that it is an Eclipse base, but in the place of what used to be a mining-facility. We must liberate it.

Land at the anomaly and proceed through the corridors. In the first large room is a Cargo Log to access. As you move through into the metallic corridor, Eclipse Vanguards and Troopers will attack. Turn left before bypassing the door to collect some Refined Palladium, you can then return to go through the door. Examine the PDA on the floor to read about the moment when it all went wrong for the miners.

Move up the slope into a large area. There are many enemies in here, so take cover and take it slow. Concentrate on Vanguards and Heavys with their rocket launchers, particularly those on gangways up high. The computer mainframe is in the centre of the room, so work your way around the side, clearing out the Eclipse Mercenaries as you go, until you have a clear path to the centre.

Also in this room is a Med Kit up above the mainframe and some Refined Palladium in a nook at the side of the room to the left of where you first entered.

When you're ready, hack the Mainframe.

Hack the facility's mainframe

As the system decrypts the last location of Ter Alan, Eclipse Mercenaries led by Captain Vorleon will slowly come to engage you. Try to pick them off as they come into view one at a time. Vorleon has shields, armour and health.

With the decrypting complete, return to the mainframe and download the data. You can then return to the Normandy when ready.

N7: Quarian Crash Site

Scanning the planet Gei Hinnom in the Sheol System of the Hades Nexus reveals a quarian ship crash. Land at the anomaly site having sent a probe, to begin the search for survivors.

You start at a campsite where there is some Refined Palladium to collect. EDI detects a single quarian lifesign, so we had better start looking for it. Over the other side of the camp is a Med Kit and Personal Logs. The ship had to crash-land on this hostile planet following an encounter with the Geth, and the surviving crew have been carried off by something over the time since the crash. One quarian remains.

Soon you come upon the area with the survivor in. She is Lt. Forzan vas Idenna, the creator of the logs, and has clearly been in a serious fight for life down here. Interact with her to stabilise her lifesigns. EDI states that we need to prepare the area for her extraction, but the Varren that have been terrorising the quarians have other ideas.

You need to keep the Varren from reducing Forzan's health too much, but with the likes of Concussive Shot, Shockwave and Biotic attacks few should get to the quarian. On higher difficulties, you may prefer heavy weaponry to deal with them.

Get on board once the shuttle arrives

After about fifteen or twenty Varren, the shuttle will arrive allowing you to sprint to it and confirm that you wish to get the heck out of there.

N7: Imminent Ship Crash

When you enter the Nariph system in the Pylso Nebula, it is clear that there is a ship dangerously close to impacting on the planet Jonus, carrying dangerous munitions cargo and heading directly for a massive human colony. You need to board the ship to attempt to avoid the disaster.

You must reactivate the engines to avoid the collision. Read the Captain's Logs in the first area. It documents the disastrous situation the ship MSV Broken Arrow found itself in against the Geth. Bypass the door ahead and straight in front of you will be some Geth. Once through the door, a timer starts. You have nearly six minutes to get to the engine room and activate the engines. This should be plenty of time on the regular difficulty.

Override the Engine Room Emergency Seal to allow access to the engines. You should also check the Ship Status console next to this, as it shows the condition of the Broken Arrow. Also in this room is some Refined Iridium and a Medical Station. With all that collected, head into the next corridor and turn right to enter the Engine Room. Once you get down the steps, Geth will attack from above. They spawn in up there in waves, first with Troopers, then a Rocket Trooper on the gangway overlooking the first Power Coupling. You need to take out everything up to the Rocket Trooper to buy yourself enough of a window so you can take the few seconds needed to activate the Power Coupling.

You need about three seconds to activate the Power Couplings, and a hit from a rocket or bullets will interrupt it

Collect the Refined Iridium behind the crates at the bottom of the ramp you entered the room on. You should then cross the floor via the hard-to-spot ramp made up of pipes. Once across the other side, attack the next wave of Geth, having reinforced the position their allies held before. There will be more Geth in this attack, but the same applies: once all the Geth are down, you have a respite to activate Power Coupling 2.

With this done, head up the ramp nearby to get to the Engine Control and restart the engines, ending the mission. Thankfully, this one does not take time, and you can do it while being attacked by the next wave of Geth which will have spawned in.

If you are struggling to do the mission in the allotted time, don't stop for the Datapad or to collect resources, just prioritise getting to the engine room, clearing the waves of Geth, and activating the consoles.

N7: Blood Pack Base

By scanning the planet Zada Ban in the Xe Cha system of The Shrike Abyssal, a Blood Pack Base is located that you are obligated to investigate. It appears to be a weapon manufacturing plant.

Land with your squad once the anomaly has been pinpointed. Read the Datapad near the shuttle once you land to read a message from a Salamul to Kalusk. Salamul is evidently struggling with the conditions in getting enough Vorcha to complete the operation. There is another Datatpad across the stone bridge, as well as some Refined Palladium.

Take the metal slope down and engage the Vorcha inside the cave. Watch out for Blood Pack Boom Squads and armoured Troopers. Down the next slope, double back on yourself to locate some Refined Palladium and another Datapad. Pick up the Med Kit on your way across the gangway into the next section of the base. Take out the Blood Pack Troopers that engage you, watching in particular for Boom Squad who spawn above and to the right, and Blood Pack Pyros who will try to flank you and get close.

Turn right once across the gangway and enter through the door. In this room you will have to fight some Blood Pack Troopers, but most notably the Krogan Kalusk. Take down his shields and armour, before finishing him off. You can then shoot the two explosive containers by the main gas tanks of the base to set off a chain reaction destroying the facility.

Shoot the Containment Cells by the gas tanks to blow up the facility

Note that you should search the area for ammo and Refined Palladium. Run back out the way you came to evacuate back to the Normandy.

N7: Blood Pack Communications Relay

Having done the Blood Pack Base N7 mission, you are given the location of a Blood Pack Communications Relay on the planet Tarith in the Lusarn system in the Crescent Nebula.

There is heavy fog on the planet, meaning you need to use relay beacons to work your way through. Upon activating one, a blue light will shine towards the next one, showing you the way to go.

Make your way along the path to the first Beacon as well as a Datapad. It is from Salamul, the leader of the Blood Pack mining operation at the previous base. The next beacon is just down the hill. When you move across the expanse to the next one, a Klixen will attack, but can be easily dispatched. Activate the next beacon. You can mine some Raw Material nearby to collect some Platinum by diverging slightly from the beacon path to the left.

Kill the Klixen on the way to the next beacon. Climb up the hill to access it, along with another Datapad.

Follow the beacons through the thick fog

Go downhill in the direction of the next beacon, heading left at the fork to mine some more Platinum. Return to the proper route and you will soon engage more Klixen. Activate the beacon and read the Datapad before continuing. Mine the Platinum to the right when the area widens. The next beacon is uphill on the floor, and is easy to miss. Turn it on and continue. Soon more Klixen will attack. Take the left-hand path and you will find another Datapad. Head towards the next beacon from here. Activate it when ready, and proceed to do the same to the next one.

Around the next corner you will see a dropship taking off. There will also be a heavily shielded and armoured krogan hiding to await your arrival: the infamous Salamul. Use heavy weaponry to take his defences down and allow your biotics to do their thing. Try to stay behind the rocks rather than going out into the open area to avoid the rocket attacks from Salamul's reinforcing Boom Squad units. Take out any other enemies once their leader is down, before bypassing the Terminal to shut down Blood Pack communications.

N7: Archaeological Dig Site

Having completed Jacob's loyalty quest, you gain access to the Rosetta Nebula. By scanning the planet Joab in the Enoch system of the nebula, you find an archaeological site that appears to have been taken over by Blue Suns mercenaries. Land at the anomaly site.

Retrieve Artefact:

The Blue Suns see you land, and you can only get to about the second row of cover before their mercenaries emerge from the door ahead and engage you. Pick off the swarms that come out, focusing on the Legionnaire. More mercenaries will continue to flood out for some time. Use wide area biotic attacks like Throw Field or Shockwave to thin out the field. With the area clear, locate the two chests of Refined Element Zero, one by some crates to the left of the shuttle and the other even further left in a clearing in the rocks occupied by mining vehicles.

Once this has been done, head inside the facility. Enemies will be to your right as you go in. Take out the initial three and then be aware of the door to the left where more will pile out. When the door shuts, mercenaries will appear on the balcony above you in the room. Pick them off and then open the two Personal Lockers and Med Kit in the main room. Head through the left-hand door where the first mercenaries came from and follow the corridor to find another locker.

Come out of this corridor and you will end up on the balcony. Follow the path down the slope and through the door. Troopers will attack with a shielded and armoured Commander. Use Overload if available to take down his shields and then concentrate on ripping through his armour with bullets, finishing him off with biotics.

Kill the Blue Suns Commander

On the other side of the room are more Troopers, supported by the operation's Lieutenant Locke. He only has shields so should be easy compared to the Commander. With the area clear, collect the Refined Element Zero, read the PDA and move out through the next door. Scan the Prothean Video Log in this room to get an Eden Prime-esque sequence and end the mission.

N7: MSV Strontium Mule

The PDA we recovered from the archaeological dig named the MSV Strontium Mule as the location of the artefact, unlocking this mission as a result. You can find the ship in the Arinlarkan System of the Omega Nebula and board it using the Normandy. We want to retake the ship.

Once again, the Blue Suns are waiting for you when the gameplay begins. Take cover and pick them off as they come out of the door. There are Heavy troopers with them, sporting rockets, so watch out for those, as well as a shielded Legionnaire. Read the Transmitter on the floor by the door and then go through. Check the Airlock Security Console at the back of the first flight of stairs, before heading up the second one. Blue Suns Troopers will engage you at the top. Clear the floor and read the next Merc Transmitter.

Bypass the Hub Security Console in this room. This opens the three doors at the other end. Explore the one on the right, turning left in the corridor to find a Medical Station and then return to the main room (do not go up the stairs in these corridors yet). The same area through the door to the left contains some Maintenance Records to read.

Proceed through the central door. In the large room at the end of this corridor, a Senior Engineer with armour and shields attacks. Use the stairs for cover against him, while trying to get off Overload attacks. He is not alone, and has Troopers accompanying him who can flank you while you are looking up at the Engineer.

Death from above – look out for the Senior Engineer

With the area clear you can head upstairs to pick up some Power Cells and read the Engine Room Main Console and Merc Transmitter. Following this, you need to go back to the central room with the three doors we were in earlier. You now want to take the side-doors and go up the stairs at the back. Once you come out at the top you need to defeat the few Blue Suns Troopers that attack. You can then go through the next corridor and clear the room on the right of the Blue Suns.

Back in the main room, the other corridor has a passage on the right with a Bridge Security Console for us to unlock the Bridge Door, while the one to the left has a redundant Transmission Relay Console. With the Bridge unlocked, go inside.

Inside is a Command Bodyguard, with shields and armour, Captain Vorhess with shields, and plenty of Troopers. Use Overload on the two bosses, and whittle away at their health without entering the room fully. Once you have cleared the room, enter and take cover, watching the door you just came in through. Some FENRIS Mechs will come galloping towards you (avoid using Miranda to Slam them, as this can glitch the rest of the level!), followed by some Blue Suns mercenaries. They have to go through a bottleneck to get to you, however, and it should be an easy fight. The mercenaries have Sergeant Boortis with them, supported by shields and armour, but he poses no real threat as long as you stay in the room and target him from there.

Enter the bridge

With the danger avoided, read the Ship's Main Log on the bridge, to get the codes for the cargo. You can also read the next Merc Transmitter, before going back to the main room. Go all the way through and in the door to the left at the end. Read the final Merc Transmitter on the desk to the right, collect the Refined Iridium and access the Payload to complete the mission, retrieving the Prothean artefact that the Blue Suns stole from the archaeological site on the previous assignment.

N7: Blue Suns Base

Having completed the two previous Blue Suns missions, involving the archaeological dig and the MSV Strontium Mule, you can head for the planet Sanctum in the Decoris system of Sigurd's Cradle. The Blue Suns have a base here that has been luring merchant ships to their doom with a distress signal. We need to go and shut it down.

As before, on landing, the Blue Suns see the Normandy shuttle and prepare a reception. Take cover and blast all those emerging from the building, paying particular attention to a rocket-toting Heavy. A smaller, second wave will follow the first. With these down, collect the Refined Iridium and read the Datapad on your way through the door to the base.

Greeting you inside will be a Blue Suns Commander with shields and armour. Take him down using our usual techniques. You will then need to move around to the side to deal with his cronies. At the bottom of the stairs, turn right to enter a room with a Wall Safe and Datapad humorously noting the decision of a mercenary to go and take down Archangel/Garrus on Omega.

Head back into the main room and through the opposite door near a Closure Notice. In the mess-hall you will encounter mercenaries as soon as you get about half-way across the room. Use the tables for cover until the Troopers stop coming.

Clear the mess-hall

Collect the Refined Iridium in the tunnel to the left, and pick up the Power Cells and two crates of Refined Iridium, and listen to the Datapad in the next section. Proceed through the door when ready. Following a cut-scene, you will have two YMIR Mechs to deal with. There is no cover near the doorway from where you can still get shots on the Mechs, so move into the room and take position behind a pillar (be sure to blow up any explosive crates first). Use Overload, Disruptor Ammo, heavy weaponry or just plenty of bullets to take down the shields and armour of both targets.

Once you have defeated them, Blue Suns mercenaries will come through doors to the left and right. You may want to retreat back to the crates by the door at this stage, as the armoured and shielded Captain Narom and his men will not hesitate to run at you or attempt a flanking manoeuvre. Wait for him to come into view before taking him out.

Deal with the Mechs and Captain Narom

Following this tough fight, scavenge a Med Kit and use the Wall Safe in this main room and proceed into the room to the right at the back. Access the Computer for some Interrogation Logs, detailing the shifty dealings of the Blue Suns. You can now Bypass the door in the centre and overload the Distress Beacon Control.

N7: Stop Missile Attack

This is marked on your galaxy map after completing the Blue Suns assignments, or can be found by merely scanning the planet. Either way, you will need to travel to the planet Franklin in the Skepsis System of Sigurd's Cradle and scan for the anomaly. Land once you have located it.

Inside the facility, turn left in the first corridor to immediately encounter some Batarians. You only have five minutes for this mission, which should be enough time, but make haste all the same. Quickly bypass the door to the main room of this assignment. Get behind the scant cover, using a crate as best you can, and pick off all those in view. You may have to move up the ramp to the right to get a flanking angle on some otherwise out of sight towards the end of this gun battle.

Take out all the Batarians to gain access to the missile controls

The Batarian Commander will offer the most resistance, but even he only has a shield, while more Troopers will spawn in the room behind him. With the area finally clear, however, collect the Power Cells on the upper level if you have time (the next section takes about a minute at the most) and head down to the next floor.

Take the Refined Palladium and go down the stairs to bypass the control room door. Inside is a solitary Batarian Commander, so take out his shield and throw him into oblivion. Run across the bridge, use the Wall Safe to the right and hack the Kill Switch Console. Two Javelin missiles have already been launched, but there is only one Kill Switch code. You must choose between an industrial Spaceport, helping Alliance tactical interests, or a Residential District, opting to save hundreds of lives. The Paragon and Renegade options are clear, but you get no morality points for either decision (the mission appears to be somewhat glitched). Make your choice to end the mission, but be careful: on the Xbox 360 it appears as though you should select your choice and push A, but the developers have in fact mapped the spaceport decision to A, and the residential area to B, so pushing A even while selecting the residential option will save the spaceport instead. So, push A for the spaceport, and B for the residential district!

N7: Wrecked Merchant Freighter

Scan the planet Neith in the Amun system of the Eagle Nebula to locate an anomaly. There is a distress call on the planet, but scans show movement at the crash site, though not biological life.

Land at the anomaly site and collect the Refined Iridium behind the shuttle. You can also salvage some damaged mech parts on the left hand side of the opening area, and some more Platinum as you move through the wreckage on the left. There is a Navigator's Log, showing the malfunctioning of helm control and the ship's VI struggling to cope. Once you pass out of the corridor of wreckage you will find the Evacuation Order, reporting the moment the ship lost all control.

Pick up the Med Kit and then the Shipping Manifest just beyond it. The cargo was made up of 180 LOKI Mechs and one YMIR Mech. At the back of the area up the rocks is a Security Report describing the mechs breaking loose and going haywire. Pick up the Power Cells nearby, as you'll need them. You can also explore the rest of the area for various resources and mech parts to salvage, as well as many more datapads on the other side of the level to our route to the transmitter. When ready, deactivate the Signal Transmitter. All the LOKI Mechs and the single YMIR Mech are now converging on your position.

Use biotics or sniper rifles to pick off the initial wave of LOKI Mechs as you rush back to the shuttle. Before long the YMIR Mech will come into view. Use your heavy weaponry and Overload to take it out and continue back to the shuttle. To make matters worse, visibility is being hindered by an incoming sandstorm!

Take out the YMIR Mech blocking your route back to the shuttle

Eventually you should be back at the shuttle and can jump on board as soon as you arrive.

N7: Abandoned Research Station

This mission follows on from the last, with the data recovered pinpointing the last contact the wrecked freighter had with anyone else, at the Jarrahe Station. We must go and investigate if something there caused the MSV Corsica to crash.

The Jarrahe Station is in the Strabo system of the Eagle Nebula. Upon docking, it is clear something went very wrong on board.

Welcome!

Through the first set of doors is a PDA. It reveals that the station's VI has gone crazy and that the crew were trying to deny it access to the resources it requires to operate. In the next room are two crates of Refined Iridium. Collect these and then access the terminal nearby to restore access to the Docking area and open the door ahead.

Read the PDA on the dead crewmember to the right. You cannot access the central mainframe yet, and we must restore power to the controls first. Head through the door to the left, leading to the Research Lab. Take the two crates of Iridium from the desks and use the terminal in here to restore power to the research area. You can now use the computers overlooking the research area to divert the power supply into the main computer at the back to destroy it. Turn each one until you have a supply of power running across to the left and back to the main computer.

Get the panels into these positions to destroy the computer at the back in the centre

This unlocks the testing area. Head back to the main room and enter Engineering. Once you enter Engineering, you will see plumes of steam blocking the way. This can kill you and your squad, dealing high damage with each encounter, but you should be able to sprint past them as they turn off sequentially. Your squad may be too slow, so feel free to direct them to a safe position while you complete this section, as there are no enemies to contend with. Run to the end, ignoring the path to the right for now. You may have to wait for the steam to turn off before ascending the final slope. At the top, use the terminal to restore power to the maintenance area. This also shuts off the steam, so head back down the slopes and into the passage by the dead body that you ignored earlier to take advantage of another PDA and access two Personal Lockers.

Head back to the main room and enter the Living Quarters. There is a PDA to read in here next to a bloody crewmember. This pad plans for the moment the MSV Corsica will dock. Move through into the room behind the Living Quarters. Take the Med Kit in here and reactivate power to the Living Quarters. This allows access to the computers in the centre. Use them to enable 'five doors'.

You can now go back across the corridor through the previously locked-door. Open the three lockers in here for heaps of credits. Head back to the main room, and then access the previously-restricted terminal to restore power to the Hub Area. Move inside and shut down the VI using the Mainframe.

Shut down the VI that has been causing all these problems

With that, the mission ends.

N7: Hahne-Kedar Facility

This assignment is activated because of information on the abandoned research station. The virus that caused its VI to go crazy was created at the Hahne-Kedar Facility. You can find it by scanning the planet Capek in the Haskins System of the Titan Nebula.

Once you land, as you move through the flowery field some FENRIS Mechs will attack, backed up by the LOKI variety. Enter the facility with these enemies destroyed. Straight ahead is a small room with a Wall Safe, Med Kit and Computer (containing logs describing the virus spreading inside the facility). Watch out through the window to the left as a malfunctioning LOKI patrols down there, before exploding.

Go back down the corridor and through the door. Access the Datapad for the evidently vain attempts of a security officer to sort the problem out, before moving up. Some FENRIS Mechs will attack. Take care of them and collect the Refined Element Zero to the right. LOKI Mechs will engage you from the level below next. We need to head through the maze of cargo containers to get to the control room. There are tons of Mechs in there, but if you push up slowly with Cryo ammo or heavy weaponry, falling back on biotics and Concussive Shot if you get overrun, you should be fine. Use the D-Pad (Xbox 360) to force your squad mates to move up and spread the mechs' attacks out, otherwise they just hang back and let you do all the work. You must push up, or the Mechs keep churning off the production line.

Use an assault rifle and Cryo ammo on the mechs, if available

Push through the maze and go through the door at the back. Pick up the Element Zero and go into the control room. Shutdown the facility using the panel, as Shepard makes his escape and the mechs all self-destruct, completing the mission.

N7: Anomalous Weather Detected

Scan the planet Canalus in the Dirada System of the Pylos Nebula (you need to purchase star charts from Baria Frontiers on Illium to unlock this, and it can also be obscured by the name-tag of the Omega Nebula even if you have).

Locate the anomaly and land at the source by launching a probe. If you liked the Blood Pack fog level (unlikely), then you'll love this one, as it's more of the same, but with more fog! The brown fog is extremely thick, and the geth we have to fight are much more lethal from range than the bumbling Klixen of Tarith. The best idea is just to push towards the blue beacon in the distance, following any red flares you can see. There are resources to collect, if you want to explore the side-areas, however.

As you begin to move uphill, the first Geth will attack. You may only be able to see their blue lights, and it is extremely difficult to hit them at the distance that they can accurately hit you. Biotic attacks can cut through the smog, while it is also a good idea to use homing heavy weaponry, or move your squadmates up close. They are better in close-quarters than most human players. Most of the enemies are Geth Troopers, but there is a shielded Geth Hunter in there as well.

You'll be seeing a lot of this!

Once past this first wave and at the top of the hill, you should be able to collect three crates of Refined Palladium with no Geth interference. After the third, vault over the rocks behind it and some will be up the hill from you. Push on using our previous tactics, engaging the Geth Destroyer and its flamethrower as a priority (the beacon lights this area a little better than during the earlier encounter).

Once past this set of enemies, you can get to the Geth Device and deactivate it, returning the weather of Canalus to normal.

N7: Endangered Research Station

You must have completed the Horizon mission to be able to access this quest. This is the quickest assignment in Mass Effect 2, by some distance. Scan the planet Sinmara in the Solveig system of the Caleston Rift to discover a human colony struggling in the deadly heat of a sun's solar flares with its environmental shields down. We must reactivate them.

Follow the path on landing and salvage the broken generator on the left. Bypass the Station Central Control Terminal when you get to it to make the way ahead accessible. Past the barriers there is a Control Switch. This changes which of the Cooling Unit, Shield Control and Shield Generator has power. Without the Cooling Unit, the Shield Generator will overheat. First, press the switch until the left-hand Cooling Unit wires light up orange. You can then approach the Cooling Unit and turn it on.

Send power to the Cooling Unit and then switch it on

With this done, switch the power to the Shield Generator on the right, again lighting the wires up orange and approaching it to activate. Finally, send the power straight down the middle, to the Shield Control. Bypass the lockouts to complete the mission.

N7: Mining the Canyon

To get this mission, scan the planet Taitus, in the Talava System of the Caleston Rift. A YMIR Mech has been detected on the planet, and seems to have a pirate registration, while producing an odd message. We need to land and investigate.

Once you arrive on the planet, collect the Power Cells at the landing site. EDI reports vast amounts of resources behind the rocks, and it soon becomes clear from the Datapad near the curled up YMIR Mech that destroying these rocks was its initial purpose. It is not very economical, however, and requires a large amount of Power Cells to keep going. The previous owner has laid a trail of Power Cells out. We need to activate the Mech and feed it these Power Cells to lead it to the resources we want, which in can then blast a route to.

Interact with the Mech to turn it on. It will stumble a few feet and then deactivate. Feed it some Power Cells by interacting with it to get it going again. It will then blast a hole in the rocks ahead. Proceed through the gap and collect the Power Cells in the area to the right. Feed it to the Mech when it stops. When the ground slopes down, you will be attacked by Varren to the left. There are only a few of them, so they shouldn't pose too much of a threat. Take the Power Cells they were guarding and return to your Mech to feed him when he runs out of power.

You may become quite attached to the comically-walking mech

The last set of Power Cells are further ahead to the right. Feed them to the mech when it runs out, and it will attempt to blast the rocks blocking your path. Once it succeeds, go inside the opening and interact with the rock inside to gain some resources (5,000 Platinum) and complete the mission. Sadly, the YMIR Mech was destroyed in the blast...

N7: MSV Estevanico

You acquire this mission by exploring the planet Zanethu in the Ploitari system. Scan the surface to reveal a distress call, sent by an unknown source. Alliance ships are also on the look-out for the missing freighter MSV Estevanico, so we need to land near the wreckage on the planet and discover if it is that freighter.

There are no enemies to shoot on this one, so Shepard does not need to take a team.

From where you begin, you need to dislodge the 'loose tiles' hanging off the platform to your right. You can shoot them or walk near them. They will then drop to create a bridge below.

Shoot the hanging section to create a bridge downstairs.

You can then locate the girder sloping down to the level below, and follow that over until you eventually come to cross the bridge the loose tiles created, to collect some Refined Iridium. Proceed along the trail of Iridium and you will soon need to cover and vault over an obstacle to continue. Move along the beams until you get to the red-glowing section, indicating where the mainframe is that we can access the ship's systems from. Once this is done, the Normandy shuttle will collect Shepard just in time as the freighter falls into the abyss.

N7: Abandoned Mine

Scan the planet Aequitas in the Forits System of the Minos Wasteland, which contains an anomaly. It appears to be an abandoned mine with some odd alien lifesigns, so we must investigate what is going on down there.

This level is crawling with Husks, so take a squad well-suited to dealing with them, particularly characters with Concussive Shot, Shockwave and Incendiary Ammo. As soon as you move through the first shaft of the mine, Husks will attack. Clear them out and read the somewhat humorous (or terrifying) datapad and collect the Refined Iridium before moving on.

The Husks are the new residents of the facility.

Continue deeper into the mine towards the next stash of Refined Iridium. As you get near, Husks will drop down from the roof. Collect the Iridium and focus on the Abomination in the next group of Husks. Use the explosive containers to assist. The next room has another Abomination and more Husks guarding the Iridium crate. Clear the way and bypass the Locker up the slope. Move downwards, picking up the Refined Iridium on the left and clearing the next room of Husks.

Make use of the Medical Station and read the Mine Logs showing how some sort of machine gained control over the miners. Go up the slope into the next section, making sure to collect the Power Cells on entry. There is a device spawning Husks inside the structure below, and in this part of the level you must reach it as the Husks will never stop coming until you do. Clear the initial mass of Husks and sprint for the machine once there is a lull when only a few emerge at a time. There is a med-kit to the right, just before the machine-room if you are desperate.

Shoot the bombs on either side of the room with the Husk machine in to set it to explode and trigger the end of the mission.

Blow up the Husk machine