1 - Shakedown

Our story begins as Commander Shepard heads to the front of the Normandy, where Joker--the ship's helmsman--has just finished a mass relay jump. The mass relays are thought to be relics of an ancient civilization known as the Protheans, and facilitate rapid travel throughout the galaxy. He relays his success to Nihlus Kryik, who is overseeing the operation. Nihlus is a turian Spectre, an elite operative charged with maintaining galactic stability at any cost. When Nihlus leaves, Joker tells Lieutenant Alenko about his distrust for Spectres, at which point you have an opportunity to voice an opinion. Your dialogue choices can net you Paragon or Renegade points. Choices in the upper part of the dialogue wheel usually correspond with the Paragon alignment, while choices on the bottom of the wheel usually correspond to the Renegade alignment. Captain Anderson--the commanding officer on the Normandy--comes on the comm and asks you to report to the briefing room.

+2 Paragon - "I agree."
+2 Renegade - "Cut the chatter!"
New Mission: "Prologue: On the Normandy"

2 - Pressly (Optional)

On your way back towards the briefing room you can overhear Navigator Pressly having a conversation with Chief Engineer Adams. Speaking with Pressly reveals his concerns about the mission: He is worried that Nihlus and Anderson are concealing something important from the crew. Pressly can also fill you in on the Normandy's unique stealth systems, which allow it to avoid detection by other ships.

3 - Jenkins and Chakwas (Optional)

Outside of the briefing room, Corporal Jenkins is having a conversation with Dr. Chakwas. You can speak with them to learn more about the Spectres, as well as Eden Prime--your destination for this mission.

+2 Paragon - "Relax, Jenkins."
+2 Renegade - "Part of the job, Doc."

4 - Spectre Training

Enter the briefing room and speak with Nihlus. He talks briefly about Eden Prime before Captain Anderson enters and reveals the true nature of the operation: A Prothean beacon was recently unearthed on Eden Prime and the Normandy is being sent in to recover it. The beacon likely contains a wealth of information on the Protheans--information that could lead to the development of new technologies. It is vital that the Normandy get the beacon back to the Citadel--the seat of galactic government--so that it can't fall into the wrong hands. As it turns out, Nihlus will also be using this mission as an opportunity to evaluate you as a possible candidate for the Spectres. Before you reach Eden Prime however, Joker patches through a distress signal from the planet's surface, showing an attack by a massive spaceship of unknown origin. Needless to say, this adds urgency to the assignment, as you must now find and secure the beacon while helping any survivors you find.

"Prologue: On the Normandy" -> "Prologue: Find the Beacon"