Noveria

1 - Confrontation in the Docking Bay

Head to Noveria and land at Port Hanshan. Before you can leave the docking bay, you are confronted by a group of armed guards led by Maeko Matsuo, who identifies herself as an employee of Elanus Risk Control Services (ERCS) and the head of security at Port Hanshan. They try to confiscate your weapons, but a voice on the intercom interrupts, telling Captain Matsuo to stand down and let you pass.

+2 Paragon - "We'll cooperate."
+2 Renegade - "I'm keeping my gun."

2 - Entering the Port

Continue through security. Your weapons will set off an alarm, but it's nothing to worry about according to Gianna Parasini, the assistant to Administrator Anoleis. She informs you that Matriarch Benezia passed through the port a few days ago on her way to the Peak 15 research facility. In order to follow her you will need to procure a garage pass, for which you must see the administrator. If Liara is in your squad she will ask if you still want her to join you. If she is not currently with you, a squad member will suggest that you return to the ship to get her.

New Mission: "Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan"
"Noveria: Geth Interest" -> "Noveria: Matriarch Benezia"

3 - Port Security (Optional)

After speaking with Parasini, you can head back to speak with Captain Matsuo for a chance to improve (or worsen) your relationship with the local security forces. While you can win Captain Matsuo over, Sergeant Kaira Stirling isn't so easy.

+2 Paragon - "Forget about it."
+2 Renegade - "Humiliating, wasn't it?"

4 - The Administrator

Anoleis' office is in the southeast corner of the port. Head through the doors and speak to Miss Parasini, who will let you in to see the administrator. Anoleis is a very impatient salarian, who will inform you that Saren is a major investor in Binary Helix, and that Benezia is here to address an issue at their research facility. The only way he will provide
you a pass to leave the port is if you inform him about Opold's request as part of the "Noveria: Smuggling" assignment. Doing this provides you the quickest way out of the port but misses out on a fair amount of content and a hefty sum of Paragon and Renegade points.

5 - "You Can't Bludgeon Through Bureaucracy" (Optional)

Back outside Anoleis' office you must talk to Gianna again to learn that there are other ways of securing a garage pass. She advises you to speak with Lorik Qui'in, who can be found at the nearby hotel. Head to the northwest side of the port and take the elevator up to the hotel lobby. Lorik Qui'in is seated at a table on the left as you enter. Qui'in tells you that Anoleis has closed his office because Qui'in has evidence of the administrator's corruption. At this very moment, Anoleis' goons are ransacking the Synthetic Insights offices looking for the evidence. Qui'in offers you a deal: Recover the evidence against Anoleis from his office, and he will provide you with the garage pass you need to leave the port.

New Mission: "Noveria: Lorik Qui'in"

6 - Retrieving the Evidence (Optional)

Agree to Qui'in's deal to receive his elevator pass, allowing you to enter the Synthetic Insights offices. Before you leave the hotel, you can head upstairs to the office in the southwest corner and access the terminal to get the assignment "Doctor at Risk." You can also deactivate the Synthetic Insights security system from here by decrypting the security control unit. The offices can be accessed by an elevator located in the southwest corner of the port. When you arrive, you will find ERCS guards scouring the place. It is possible to persuade the first group you encounter to leave peacefully, but you will have to fight the rest in order to get to the evidence, which is located in the top floor office at the end of the walkway.

+8 Paragon - "You're here illegally." [6 Charm]
+9 Renegade - "You can't take us." [8 Intimidate]

7 - The Crooked Cop (Optional)

On your way out after retrieving the evidence you will be stopped by a group of guards led by Kaira Stirling, who you first met when you entered the port. She plans on taking revenge for the ERCS guards you killed to get Qui'in's evidence. Watch out for Kaira's biotic abilities, as well as the snipers she has with her. When all the guards are defeated, descend the elevator to leave the offices.

+2 Paragon - "They didn't give me a choice."
+2 Renegade - "Bring it on."

8 - Gianna's Proposal (Optional)

At the bottom of the elevator you encounter Gianna Parasini again, who asks that you meet her at the hotel before you talk to Lorik Qui'in about the evidence. Go there and speak with her to learn that she is actually an undercover internal affairs agent investigating Anoleis. It seems the executive board for Noveria is well aware of Anoleis' corruption, and has
been trying to get enough evidence to prosecute him. Now that you have that evidence, she wants you to convince Qui'in to testify against Anoleis. Combined with the evidence from his office, Lorik's testimony should be sufficient enough to warrant Anoleis' arrest. She promises to get you the garage pass you need if you agree to help her out. If prompted, she can also give you some information on what has been going on at the Peak 15 facility.

New Mission: "Noveria: Peak 15"

THE EVIDENCE

You now must decide what to do with the evidence against Anoleis. If you deliver the evidence to Qui'in, he will give you the garage pass along with a small reward. You can convince him to testify against Anoleis, in which case you keep the evidence but receive neither the credits nor the garage pass.

+500 Credits - "Agreed." / "If that's all you have."
+750 Credits - "Anoleis would pay more." [7 Intimidate]
+750 Credits - "You owe me." [8 Charm]
+24 Paragon - "You'd be a hero." [5 Charm]
+25 Renegade - "Damn right I will." [5 Intimidate]

You can also take the evidence to Anoleis, who will offer you a garage pass and a large sum of credits in exchange. However, with a sufficient Charm or Intimidate skill you can blackmail Anoleis, receiving the garage pass but keeping the evidence. If you alert Anoleis that Gianna is an undercover agent, then he will call her into his office and they will both be killed in
the ensuing shootout. You can then grab the garage pass from Anoleis' corpse.

+9 Renegade - "I accept."
+0 Paragon - "I'm not here to arrest you." [4 Charm]
+0 Renegade - "You'll do what I say." [8 Intimidate]
+25 Renegade - "Gianna is investigating you."

Gianna will only be able to use the evidence if you first convinced Qui'in to testify. If you did, then she will give you the garage pass in exchange and make the arrest.

+8 Paragon - "I convinced Qui'in."
Mission Complete: "Noveria: Leave Port Hanshan"
Mission Complete: "Noveria: Lorik Qui'in"

In the scenario where both Anoleis and Gianna are dead, Qui'in will pay you half the promised amount, but only with some persuasion.

+250 Credits - "We made a deal." [6 Charm]
+250 Credits - "That's where you're wrong." [4 Intimidate]

9 - Change of Administration (Optional)

If you had Anoleis arrested, you can return to the docking bay and discuss the matter with Captain Matsuo.

+2 Paragon - "He was a criminal."
+2 Renegade - "Your opinion doesn't matter."

10 - Accessing the Garage

Take your garage pass and access the garage in the southwest area of the port. You won't get far however, as a group of geth led by a pair of destroyers ambush you before you can reach the Mako. You can make this fight easier by decrypting the lock on the nearby crawler and turning its guns against the geth. Once the fight is over, Matsuo shows up to investigate the commotion. The geth were clearly smuggled though security in the cargo crates, meaning there could be dozens of geth on the road to Peak 15.

ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS

Most combat armor is not designed for the harsh conditions on Noveria's surface: If you leave the safety of the Mako, you will freeze to death very quickly.

However, armor manufactured by Devlon Industries (namely the Survivor, Explorer, Liberator, and Thermal Armor types) will provide complete protection from level 1 environmental hazards like those on Noveria. They will also give you limited protection on worlds with level 2 hazards.

11 - Hit the Road

Grab the nearby upgrade kit and then hop in the Mako. Keep an eye out for crates and kits along the route to Peak 15, especially near abandoned vehicles. The path is crawling with rocket troopers, along with some heavy turrets and armatures. Be especially wary of the tunnels, which act as choke points, making it harder to dodge incoming rockets. Keep your distance from enemies and back off if you start taking too much fire.

12 - Peak 15

When you reach the facility, hop out and head inside, where a number of geth are waiting for you. The biggest danger is a geth juggernaut, who will charge you when you open the door. Hang back to avoid being flanked by the krogan on the balcony to the left, and concentrate on taking down the juggernaut first. There are also a few krogan at the far end of the room. When all the enemies are defeated, head up the ramp to the nearby security office, which has an upgrade kit and storage locker. Opposite the security office is the elevator up to the administration level.

13 - Cafeteria Surprise

Cautiously enter the cafeteria. As soon as you eliminate the geth guards, a swarm of rachni will appear. Previously thought to be extinct, it seems the Peak 15 researchers have found a way bring back the rachni, though it is apparent that things have gone horribly wrong. There are two types of rachni to worry about in the facility: The workers are small, and their only attack it to rush at you and explode when they get close enough. Soldiers, on the other hand, can spit acid from afar, but also have a deadly melee attack. Both enemy types cause toxic damage, so upgrades that mitigate this effect will help you progress through the facility. You should also remain alert while exploring, as the soldiers often spring out of vents in the floor. When all the rachni in this area are dead, take the elevator to the Mira Core.

14 - Restoring the VI

To get to the next area of the facility you need to take the tram, but first you have to restore a number of critical systems that have gone offline because of the rachni outbreak. You must first reactivate Peak 15's VI to assist you in the restoration of each system. Activate the power junction in the main room and then head to the center of the round room ahead. Enter the elevator in the middle to descend into the core. Here, to restore the VI you can either spend 100 omni-gel, or solve the classic Tower of Hanoi puzzle.
When you finish, the VI system is restored and you can now begin restoring the other systems.

Mission Complete: "Noveria: Peak 15"
New Mission: "Noveria: Reconnect Landlines"
New Mission: "Noveria: Reactor Repair"

MIRA CORE PUZZLE

To restore the VI manually, you need to move each of the four blocks in the first column (labeled X on the Xbox 360) to another column (either Y or B), with the provision that only the top block in each column can be moved. Press the button corresponding with the column you want to move a block from, and then the button corresponding to the column you want to move that block to in order to rearrange the puzzle pieces.

There are multiple ways to solve this puzzle, but here is a common solution: Begin by moving the top three blocks to the middle column. This frees up the bottom block to be moved to the right column, where the top three blocks can then be stacked on top of it. Follow these instructions to achieve this result:



X -> Y    1 -> 2

X -> B    1 -> 3 

Y -> B    2 -> 3 

X -> Y    1 -> 2

B -> X    3 -> 1

B -> Y    3 -> 2

X -> Y    1 -> 2

X -> B    1 -> 3

Y -> B    2 -> 3

Y -> X    2 -> 1

B -> X    3 -> 1

Y -> B    2 -> 3

X -> Y    1 -> 2

X -> B    1 -> 3

Y -> B    2 -> 3

15 - Reconnect the Landlines

The Mira VI appears and informs you that a number of critical systems are offline and need to be repaired before you can proceed. First up are the landlines on the roof, which need to be reconnected. Head west and take the elevator to the roof, where you must fight through a horde of rachni. When all the creatures are dead, simply reconnect the landlines and head back down to the Mira Core.

Mission Complete: "Noveria: Reconnect Landlines"

16 - Repair the Fuel Lines

Go east, and then north along the corridor to the elevator that leads to the reactor. Here you must face a variety of geth soldiers. Take the passage on the left side, and follow it around to the ramp. You will want to clear out the top floor and balcony first to make getting to the fuel lines safer. Though there are destroyers and stalkers on the lower walkways, there is a juggernaut in the balcony you need to be aware of. Once all the geth are eliminated, follow the lower walkways around to the middle of the reactor and activate the fuel line controls. When you are finished, head back to the Mira Core.

Mission Complete: "Noveria: Reactor Repair"
New Mission: "Noveria: Contamination"

17 - Taking the Tram

With the landlines and fuel lines fixed, the way south is now open, taking you to the tram platform. To get there you first need to clear out the decontamination chamber, which has some rachni soldiers trapped in it. With a high enough electronics skill you can repair the decon system and torch the rachni remotely. Otherwise, decrypt the lock or have Mira open the door for you and eliminate the rachni yourself. The way is now clear to the tram platform. Hop on the tram and take it to Rift Station.

Mission Complete: "Noveria: Contamination"

18 - Rift Station

Exit the tram and head north. The northern door is locked, and the path to the east leads to a pair of elevators, only one of which you can access. Take the elevator up to the main level and speak with Captain Ventralis, who is leading the defense against the rachni. With sufficient Charm or Intimidate you can get him to reveal more about the station's defenses. As soon as your conversation ends, a group of rachni soldiers attack the barricade. You can help fight them off, or run away. Afterwards, Ventralis will tell you that Benezia is down in the hot labs and give you a pass card for the elevator.

+2 Paragon - "I'll see what I can do."
+2 Renegade - "I'm not here to help."
+2 Paragon - "No problem."
+2 Renegade - "You're welcome." / "You couldn't handle it?"
New Mission: "Noveria: The Hot Labs"

RIFT STATION

Captain Ventralis wants you to go down to the hot labs, and while you can do so now, you can also save this task for later. The primary objective is to reach Benezia, who--contrary to Ventralis's information--is actually in the
secure labs in the center of the lower level. There are several ways to get there.

The first choice is to simply blast your way through the security on the main level and then take the elevator down to the lower level. To do this you would have to decrypt the door lock and breach the defenses that have been set up to stop the rachni. Taking this route turns all the soldiers in the complex against you.

The alternative is to sneak in through the maintenance tunnels by way of the scientist barracks on the lower level. To do this, you will need help from Dr. Cohen, as detailed below.

Note that you can also reach Benezia by investigating the hot labs first. Doing so opens up both the security entrance and the maintenance passage once you return from the hot labs.

19 - Direct Assault (Optional)

To get to Benezia as fast as possible, simply breach the security door on the north side of the mess hall on the main level. The two nearby sentry drones will attack you, as will the guards beyond the door.

20 - Dr. Cohen (Optional)

Alternatively--if you want to avoid a fight--you will need to gain access to the maintenance tunnels. Doing so will allow you to sneak into the secure labs without alerting the guards. On the main level, go down the winding stairs to the west to find Dr. Cohen. He needs your help making a cure for his fellow researchers who have been exposed to a toxin they were developing. You can use Charm or Intimidate for more information on what has been going on at Peak 15.

New Mission: "Noveria: Quarantine"

21 - Getting the Cure (Optional)

Go back to Captain Ventralis and get his permission to enter the quarantined lab. You can find the lab on the lower level to the south guarded by an ERCS guard. Go inside and make the cure by pressing the appropriate buttons so that the meter falls between the first indicator and the second. When the cure is complete you are interrupted by Alestia Iallis, a servant of Matriarch Benezia who has decided this is the perfect time to ambush you. She has a couple geth troopers with her, so take cover and try to avoid her biotics. Because of the close quarters, powers like Singularity work especially well here. When the battle is finished, return to Cohen and give him the cure, receiving the maintenance tunnel pass in return. You can also use Charm or Intimidate to get some extra supplies from him. Access the maintenance tunnel on the lower level to reach the secure labs. Note that from here you can take the elevator up to the secured area on the main level, but if you step off the elevator everyone will become hostile as if you had breached the security via the direct assault described previously.

+24 Paragon - Give Dr. Cohen the cure
Mission Complete: "Noveria: Quarantine"
New Mission: "Noveria: Rift Station"

22 - The Matriarch

Enter the secure labs to begin your confrontation with Benezia. During the first part of the battle she will call in geth and asari reinforcements periodically, so your best bet is to avoid her entirely and concentrate on her servants. To do this, follow the lower path towards the west side of the lab. Find some cover and fight off the asari commandos and geth snipers she calls in. When you defeat the last of her guards she will be out of energy and you can confront her. After a revealing conversation she loses control once more and you must fight her face to face. This time the best strategy is to attack her with everything your squad has. The faster you can eliminate her, the better, as you still have to worry about the asari commandos she brings in to flank you. Disabling powers like Lift can help keep her from using her powers against you. If you fail to act quickly you can easily be overwhelmed. Once she is defeated, mop up her remaining servants to conclude the battle.

"Noveria: Matriarch Benezia" -> "Noveria: Death of a Matriarch"

23 - The Rachni Queen

There is still the matter of the queen that was being used to repopulate the rachni species. Speaking through a dying asari commando, the queen tells you that her children in the hot labs have gone mad because they cannot hear their mother. They cannot be saved, and she asks that you destroy them, if you have not already. Now you must decide whether or not to kill the queen and exterminate the rachni for good.

+24 Paragon - Spare the rachni queen
+25 Renegade - Exterminate the rachni queen
Mission Complete: "Noveria: Rift Station"

24 - The Hot Labs (Optional)

You are now free to fulfill the queen's request and eliminate the rachni in the facility--if you have not done so already. You can also ignore the request and simply leave via the tram car. This will lead Noveria's executive board to bomb the Peak 15 site to contain the rachni threat. Head down to the hot labs via the elevator from the lower level and speak with Yaroslev Tartakovsy. He wants you to set off the neutron purge to cleanse the station of the rachni. Before he can give you the code he is slain by a rachni soldier. Slay the creature and then collect the code from Tartakovsy's body. Head to the back of the lab and access the Mira terminal. Give her the code to begin the countdown. Several rachni will appear in the main room. If you have trouble defeating them, your best bet is simply to make a run for the elevator and escape before time runs out. Biotic powers will help you clear a path.

Mission Complete: "Noveria: The Hot Labs"

25 - Return to the Normandy

Take the tram car to leave Noveria. You have a brief meeting in the comm room with your crew to discuss Benezia's information. Once again you can talk to the Council if you wish.

+2 Paragon - "They won't." / "It was the only way."
+2 Renegade - "Should I guess?" / "Sometimes."
+2 Paragon - "Not these ones."
Mission Complete: "Noveria: Death of a Matriarch"

STYX THETA

Completing Noveria unlocks the nearby Styx Theta Cluster which contains two systems you can visit and continues the story of the rachni.

Mass Effect