Noveria

Noveria

Noveria is a snowy world located in the Pax system of the Horse Head Nebula cluster. As with the other storyline worlds, there is a multitude of optional assignments to be completed on Noveria. Refer to the 'Noveria Assignments' section for details on the optional assignments that can be triggered on Noveria.

Noveria: Geth Interest

Your primary mission is to find out why there is geth interest in the corporate research colony on Noveria.

Objective: Go To Noveria
Travel to the Pax system of the Horse Head Nebula cluster and land on Noveria. Select two allies to accompany you and exit to the Port Hanshan Docking Bay. Move down the walkway until you are confronted by Captain Maeko Matsuo and Kaira Stirling of Elanus Risk Control. Captain Matsuo informs you that weapons are not allowed in the Plaza. However as a Spectre on official Citadel business you are permitted to carry a weapon wherever you go, so Matsuo and the others have no choice but to let you pass.

Captain Matsuo

Proceed through the door at the end of the walkway to enter Customs. Head to the front desk with speak with a woman named Gianna Parasini. Inquire about the geth to learn that Matriarch Benezia, the asari recognized as the second voice in the recording with Saren, recently passed through customs. Benezia is now at a remote complex called Peak 15. You must pursue her, but you'll first need permission to leave Port Hanshan. One of your squad members will suggest bringing Liara T'Soni along, as she is Benezia's daughter. Bringing Liara along is in no way necessary and discouraged if you are working to unlock 'Ally' achievements that are not Asari Ally.

Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan

In order to pursue Matriarch Benezia you must first acquire a garage pass to gain access the Mako. (Refer to the 'Noveria: Smuggling' walkthrough under 'Noveria Assignments' for an alternative way to acquire the pass.)

Objective: Administrator Anoleis
Use the Elevator beyond the customs desk to reach Port Hanshan Plaza. Make your way to the Administration Office in the southeastern corner of the Plaza. Speak to Gianna Parasini at the front desk and ask about Anoleis. Afterwards, step into Anoleis' office and initiate a conversation with him. He denies your request for a garage pass, but if you have Opold's package from the 'Noveria: Smuggling' optional assignment, the option to tell Anoleis that Opold asked you to smuggle is available on the conversation wheel.

Gianna Parasini

Anoleis

Objective: A Stumbling Block
If you don't have Opold's package or are working towards unlocking any of the 'Ally' achievements, leave Anoleis' office and speak to Gianna Parasini. Gianna tells you to see a turian named Lorik Qui'in at the hotel bar about acquiring a garage pass.

Noveria: Lorik Qui'in

Objective: Speak to Lorik Qui'in
Take the elevator marked 'to Hotel' from the Plaza to reach Port Hanshan Mezzanine. Lorik Qui'in is seated alone at a table directly across from the elevator door.

Objective: Lorik's Dilemma
Lorik claims to have evidence of Administrator Anoleis' corruption. The evidence is on his computer, but unfortunately Lorik has been locked out of his office by Anoleis. Lorik's office is in Synthetic Insights, and the entire floor is now being patrolled by Anoleis' hired guards. Lorik asks you to break into his office and recover the evidence of from his computer. Security drones on the Synthetic Insights floor can be shut down by decrypting the Security Control Unit in the room at the end of the Mezzanine upper walkway.

Lorik Qui'in

Security Control Unit

Objective: Break-In
Return to Port Hanshan Plaza and locate the elevator to Synthetic Insights; it's just before the stairs that lead up to the garage. Two ERCS guards attempt to prevent you from exploring the floor. If you've invested enough talent points in Charm or Intimidate, the two guards can be persuaded to leave using the blue Charm or red Intimidate option. You'll earn Paragon or Renegade points for persuading them to leave, however the other guards in Synthetic Insights still attack on sight. Kill the hostile guards and make your way to Lorik's Office at the south end of the upper walkway. Access Lorik's computer to retrieve the evidence.

ERCS Guards

Lorik's Computer

Objective: Evidence in Hand
Leave Lorik's office once you have files. Kaira Stirling and a few ERCS guards stand at the end of the upper walkway. Kaira has some powerful biotic abilities, so immediately take cover behind the planter on the left to avoid getting caught by one. Eliminate Kaira and the ERCS guards, and then take the elevator back down to the Mezzanine. Gianna Parasini is waiting for you near the elevator.

Kaira Stirling

Objective: Gianna
Gianna asks that you speak to her before returning to Lorik. She can be found in the Mezzanine at the end of the room opposite Lorik's table. Gianna reveals that she is not really Anoleis' secretary, but only posing as one to expose his corruption. Gianna wants you to ask Lorik to testify against Anoleis. She can't give you credits, but she can get you a garage pass.

Gianna

Objective: Gianna's Proposal
Talk to Lorik and select the 'Testify against Anoleis' option on the left side of the conversation wheel. Lorik gives you credits if you hand over the evidence without asking him to testify against Anoleis, however you can earn a large amount of Paragon or Renegade points by persuading him to testify using Charm or Intimidate. The maximum amount of credits that Lorik will give is 750, so it would definitely be best to ask him to testify.

Objective: Lorik Agrees
Once you've convinced Lorik to testify against Anoleis, make your way to the Administration Office in Port Hanshan Plaza. Speak to Gianna if you're following the Paragon path. With sufficient evidence, the corrupt administrator can be brought to justice. You receive XP, Paragon points and a garage pass for completing the mission. Alternatively, you can speak to Anoleis instead and inform him that he is under investigation. Anoleis will then call Gianna into his office where things quickly turn violent. Enter the office afterwards and remove the garage pass from Anoleis' corpse to complete the mission and gain a large amount of Renegade points.

Anoleis Arrested

Anoleis Killed

Noveria: Matriarch Benezia (Part 1)

With a garage pass in hand, make your way to the garage entrance in the southwest corner of Port Hanshan Plaza. Flash your garage pass to the ERCS guard by the door and enter the garage. In the garage, geth emerge from the shipping containers that Benezia brought to Noveria. There are two geth stalkers and two destroyers, so immediately take cover behind one of the containers in the garage.

Concentrate on destroying the stalkers first, because with their ability to climb on the walls and ceilings they can still line-up a shot while you're behind cover. Geth destroyers tend to rush and their melee attacks are quite brutal, so gun them down, use disabling abilities or sprint away before they can get too close. When the last geth falls, brief with Captain Matsuo, then move to the far end of the garage and board the Mako.

Geth Stalker

Mako

Objective: To Peak 15
Drive the Mako out of the garage to enter Aleutsk Valley. Peak 15 is located at the other end of the valley. Due to the bad weather, this area's environment is currently a Level 1 Hazard. If you must leave the Mako for any reason, reenter the vehicle before the bar in the bottom-right corner of the screen fills up or Shepard will start taking damage.

A geth heavy turret and some shock troopers are positioned at the mouth of the first tunnel you come to. Use the Mako's cannon to destroy the heavy turret, then barrel through the kinetic shields and blast the geth troopers up ahead as you move through the tunnel. A short cutscene is triggered when you reach the end of the tunnel. The armature and troopers are positioned on a small hill just before the bend. Use the Mako's cannon to destroy the armature from a safe distance and then the geth troopers.

Tunnel

Geth Armature

Follow the winding trail to reach another tunnel. Geth rocket troopers stand at the mouth of this tunnel; a well-placed cannon blast can take them all out at once. Once you're out of the second tunnel, the only resistance you'll encounter the rest of the way are geth heavy turrets. Keep an eye out for their slow-moving missles and swerve to the side to avoid taking damage. Follow the trail until you reach the Peak 15 entrance. Exit the Mako and step inside. It would be a good idea to save your game now if it has been awhile, as the last auto-save occurred just before you entered the garage back at Port Hanshan.

Geth Heavy Turret

Peak 15

Peak 15's garage is occupied by krogan and a geth juggernaut. Sprint ahead and take cover behind one of the containers in the area. First, take out the repair drone that follows the juggernaut, as it periodically repairs the geth when it takes damage. Once the krogan and juggernaut have been dealt with, head up the steps in the southeastern corner of the garage to reach the walkway and move to its end. Move through the proceeding corridors and you'll come to an elevator. Ride the elevator to reach the Peak 15 Administration section.

Noveria: Peak 15

Objective: Gianna's Warning
The cafeteria is initially occupied by geth. Destroy the geth in the cafeteria to trigger a cutscene. Gianna Parasini had warned you about an accident on Peak 15, though the true nature of the accident was unknown because all contact with the facility was lost for some time. The hallway on the west end of the cafeteria soon fills up with a strange, insect-like species called rachni.

The rachni soldiers can dish out some serious melee damage, so do not let one get too close. Aside from their melee attacks, you'll also have to watch out for their toxic projectile, as getting hit by one causes prolonged toxic damage. The workers are small, quick and will explode when close. As with the rachni soldier's spit, a rachni worker's blast causes toxic damage. Kill the rachni, sweep the side rooms for items, and then ride the elevator at the end of the hall to reach the Peak 15 Mira Core.

Rachni Soldier

The proceeding room is full of rachni workers which quickly make a beeline for Shepard and allies. Shoot the workers or use abilities to detonate them prematurely. After the onslaught, examine the Power Junction on the left side of the room.

Rachni Workers

Objective: Computers Damaged
Mira, Peak 15's VI, has failed and requires a manual reboot. Head through the door at the room's west end. Once in the Mira Core area, move to the opposite end of the room and take the lift down to the core. Access the Memory Core once the lift reaches the bottom. The VI core can be repaired using100 Omni-gel, or it can be reactivated manually. If you don't have 100 Omni-gel on hand, unneeded equipment and upgrades can be converted into Omni-gel via the Equipment menu. However if you are unwilling to part with sellable items, you'll just have to manually reactivate the VI core.

Mira Core

Manual Reactivation

Manually reactivating the VI core requires completing a small puzzle. You must move the module stack from column X to either column Y or B. Sounds easy enough, but the challenge lies in the fact that the stack must be transferred from largest block to smallest block. Additionally, a blue block can only be placed in a column if there is a blue block somewhere below its slot and cannot be placed if there is one above it. Pressing the X, Y, or B button selects the highest blue block in that column to be moved to another. One solution to this puzzle is as follows:

Step 01 -- X to B
Step 02 -- X to Y
Step 03 -- B to Y
Step 04 -- X to B
Step 05 -- Y to X
Step 06 -- Y to B
Step 07 -- X to B
Step 08 -- X to Y
Step 09 -- B to X
Step 10 -- B to Y
Step 11 -- X to B
Step 12 -- Y to X
Step 13 -- B to X
Step 14 -- B to Y
Step 15 -- X to B
Step 16 -- X to Y
Step 17 -- B to Y

Once the VI core has been restored, interact with Mira, inquire about Benezia and ask for a damage report. Before Matriarch Benezia can be pursued, repairs must be done to Peak 15 for the tram to be functional.

Noveria: Reconnect Landlines

Objective: Reconnect Landlines
Ride the elevator beyond the Mira Core to reach the Roof. You'll meet a pack of rachni up top. Use all of your abilities and weaponry to kill the rachni before they get too close. Open the landline using the terminal on the west side of the roof and then take the elevator back down to the Mira Core.

Landline

Noveria: Reactor Repair

Objective: Reconnect Fuel Lines
Proceed through the northern door in the room outside of the Mira Core and head down the corridor. Ride the elevator at the corridor's end to reach the Reactor Core. There are geth destroyers and stalkers along the walkway that leads to the fuel line repair console. The destroyers will more than likely rush you, so gun them down or use a disabling ability to avoid taking melee damage. Use an open doorway as cover to protect yourself from the stalkers while trying to pick them off. Once the walkway is clear, move to the far end and use the console to repair the fuel lines.

Geth	Fuel Line Repair

Noveria: Contamination

Objective: Clear the Chamber
Move down the southern corridor to reach the Tram elevator. A message over the incomes describes 'loose contaminants' in the decontamination chamber. You must pass through the decontamination chamber to reach the Rift Station, but two rachni soldiers currently occupy the chamber, causing it to be locked to ensure everyone's safety.

The easiest way to kill the rachni requires a high Electronics skill. If Shepard or an ally has an adequate amount of talent points invested in Electronics, simply repair the Plasma Purge console next to the Mira terminal to clear the decontamination chamber. Another method involves decrypting the decontamination chamber's locked door and clearing out the rachni soldiers yourself, though an average Decryption skill is required. If your party lacks Decryption and Electronic skills high enough for either method, you can instead interact with the Mira terminal and override the lock to open the door.

Plasma Purge

Chamber Door Decryption

Noveria: Matriarch Benezia (Part 2)

Objective: To Rift Station
Enter the decontamination chamber and step into the proceeding corridor. A small group of rachni workers appear, so take them out before they get too close. Make your way to the tram, step inside and activate it to travel to the Rift Station in pursuit of Benezia. Once at the Rift Station, ride the only accessible elevator to reach the Science Station and talk to Captain Ventralis when it reaches its destination. When the conversation ends, a couple of rachni soldiers attack. Help Captain Ventralis and the ERCS guards take them out. Afterwards, make your way to the mess hall.

Tram	Captain Ventralis

Noveria: Rift Station (Part 1)

Objective: The Sealed Labs
To reach the Rift Station's Medical Bay, head through the door marked 'To Medical Bay' and climb down the stairs to find Dr. Zev Cohen. Cohen tells you that several scientists at the Rift Station became sick due to a failed experiment. He explains that Captain Ventralis won't permit anyone to go into the labs to create a cure for them, as he is afraid that more people will become sick.

Medical Bay

Dr. Cohen

Noveria: Quarantine

Objective: Talk to Ventralis
Return to Captain's Ventralis' location at the Science Station's entrance and initiate a conversation with him. Tell him that you want to help Dr. Cohen. Ventralis doesn't like the idea, but he eventually gives you permission to enter the sealed lab.

Objective: Make a Cure
In the mess hall, head down the corridor marked 'To Quarantine and Barracks.' Ride the elevator at the corridor's end to reach the Rift Station's lower level. Talk to Han Olar upon your arrival to learn more about the rachni. Afterwards, talk to the ERCS guard posted in front of the Quarantine Lab door and inform him that you're going in to make a cure.

Quarantine Lab

Move to the back of the lab and interact with the equipment on the table to begin mixing the cure. To create the cure, press the highlighted button once it reaches the first arrow, but before it reaches the second. Do so four times to acquire the cure. Once you have the cure, Alestia Iallis—the asari that was standing near the Medical Bay—appears, accompanied by two geth. Alestia is actually one of the asari commandos that accompanied Matriarch Benezia to Peak 15. Asari commandos are powerful biotic warriors, so take cover to avoid getting caught by Alestia's crippling Stasis ability.

Objective: Return to Cohen
Once Alestia and the geth have been dealt with, return to Cohen at the Medical Bay and hand over the antitoxin. You are rewarded with XP, credits and a large amount of Paragon points for providing a cure.

Noveria: Rift Station (Part 2)

Objective: Alestia's Attack
Han Olar told you that the geth came from the sealed maintenance area. That means Benezia must be somewhere within. Once you've given Dr. Cohen the cure, he hands over his pass, which will allow you to enter the maintenance area without any trouble.

Objective: The Back Door
The maintenance area door is located in the Rift Station's lower level. Move through the corridor until you reach the ventilation room. Kill the rachni soldier at the end and then proceed through the door.

Objective: Sneaking In
Open up your map and place a Destination flag near the 'Secure lab' text. Whatever you do, do not ride the elevator to the Restricted Area. Captain Ventralis and the guards will attack if you do so.

Noveria: Matriarch Benezia (Part 3)

Objective: To The Hot Labs
Matriarch Benezia stands on the central platform in the Secure Lab. She cannot be reasoned with. Benezia soon summons a pair of asari commandos. Benezia's biotic abilities are even more powerful than an asari commando's, so they must be avoided at all costs. As soon as you gain control of Shepard, turn right and sprint down the walkway towards the containers and take cover. Remain on the west side of the lab during the entire battle; the Matriarch can't attack while you're separated from her, leaving you to deal with only her minions. The bar in the bottom-right corner of the screen displays Benezia's power level; it diminishes as you defeat her minions. Remain behind cover in an effort to avoid the asari commando's biotic abilities. Their Stasis ability in particular can make a mess of things.

Matriarch Benezia

When the asari commando's have been dealt with, Benezia summons a group of geth troopers and snipers. Take out the geth you can see from your current position. Once the coast is clear, you'll have to move to the other end the walkway to destroy the geth there. Benezia then summons a second batch of geth snipers. Use cover to eliminate the snipers without taking damage. When the power level bar has been depleted, Shepard and crew approach the stunned Matriarch. You'll gain control of Shepard shortly after speaking to Benezia; quickly gun her down and then turn to the asari commandos that come to her aid.

After the cutscene, approach the rachni queen to trigger yet another cutscene. Using an asari commando's body as a medium, the queen is able to communicate with you. She asks for a chance to rebuild her species as a more peaceful race. You can either allow the rachni queen to live, or kill her here and now, effectively driving the rachni race to extinction. Showing mercy and setting the rachni queen free yields a large amount of Paragon points, while killing her yields Renegade points.

Rachni Queen

Objective: Deal with Hot Labs
The elevator to the Hot Labs is right next to the Science Station elevator. This objective is optional, as you can simply return to the Tram and take it back to Port Hanshan if you wish. However there is plenty of XP to be had in the Hot Labs, so clearing out the rachni there is highly recommended. It also counts as a mission if you are working to unlock any of the 'Ally' achievements.

Talk to Yaroslev Tartakovsky in the Hot Labs to learn about the rachni race's reemergence from its supposed extinction. Afterwards, enter the room at the back of the Hot Labs and interact with the Mira terminal.

Yaroslev

Mira Terminal

Noveria: The Hot Labs

Objective: Arm the Purge
Ask Mira about the 'neutron purge.' The VI tells you that the neutron purge cannot be armed without a key card. Only administrators carry such a key card; Yaroslev happens to be one, so head back outside and speak with him. Ask him how to activate the purge; unfortunately his explanation is cut short as a rachni soldier appears and tears into him. Kill the rachni and then retrieve the purge codes from Yaroslev's corpse.

Rachni

Purge Codes

Objective: Acquired Codes
Return to the Mira terminal and interact with it. Now that you have the code, select the top-right option on the conversation wheel to arm the purge.

Objective: Code Omega
The Hot Labs quickly fills with rachni soldiers and workers. The purge is set to go off in two minutes, so you must get back to the elevator and ride it up to the Rift Station before the timer reaches zero. Quickly clear the room of rachni and get in the elevator to complete the mission.

Rachni Swarm

Mission Complete

Board the tram in the Rift Station to return to the Normandy.