Priority: Mars

Admiral Hackett orders 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 digsite and find the Prothean data.

Acquisition
The mission is acquired automatically after the completion of Prologue: Earth.

Walkthrough
Start by leveling up your squad, as prompted, head down and jump through the gap in the fence.

Pick up the M-92 Mantis and examine the body for some XP, and then continue on to the Cerberus Assault Troopers. Head up the hill and take out the Cerberus ambush. Watch your shields and ammo. Turn right, go up the ramp and activate the controls to enter the Prothean Archives. Handle the long cutscene discussing with either Kaidan or Ashley above and then Liara below. Note that some paragon points are available here. Kill off the additional guards that come through, and head out of the room. Pick up the med-kit on the right on the way out. 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 vehicle and jump across. Head around to the right and open the door. Beware the second operative who will come up behind you when you do this.

Enter the next room and examine the data-pad on the last row of chairs. From here, enter the control room and examine the monitor to pick up Ariake Technologies Gauntlets. Continue in a bit to pick up the M-4 Shuriken, and then another med-kit. Finally, use the security console to unlock one of the two doors. Head outside and down the ladder. At the end of the walkway, right before the ladder up is the Kassa Fabrication Chestplate. Continue around inside and read the data-pad. In the cafeteria down the stairs to the right is a SMG Scope upgrade. Hop over the wall and use the med station on the right, and then the environmental controls to open the next door and learn that the new doctor was the one who killed everyone off.

Continue through the door and pick up the SMG Ultralight materials and the data-pad 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. Up and through the door for another Cerberus wave, including some guardians. They may not all come charging at you in which case you will have to move forward, pick up the data-pad on the right halfway up the corridor, then go around to the left. Next up you will find clean room sterilization controls. Wait until the walls are maximally open and deactivate sterilization. Enter the room to get a data-pad, a sniper rifle extended barrel, a shotgun high-caliber barrel, and a med-kit. Continue through the room and out the door on the far right side.

Around the corner to the right, you will find the M-23 Katana. Open the door and time to learn how to use cover to avoid the turret. Open the door and kill off the Cerberus operatives. Pick up the med-kit on the right, the data-pad further up the room, and the sniper rifle concentration module. Finally go and use the auto-turret controls. Time to learn that Cerberus has implanted its people with Reaper technology, and then to be taught squad control while killing a wave of enemies.

Get on the cable car and turn it on. When you get near the end, there will be an explosion, your car will get stuck and a Cerberus one will start moving toward you. Liara's singularity is awesome here as it can pull operatives out of the car and hang them over the air to fall to their death. Jump across to the other car once they are dead. Activate the other trolley and prepare for another fight. Beware of grenades in this fight, your companions will not always move out of the way.

After the fight, pick up the M-15 Vindicator on the far left, the med-station in the center of the room, and the shotgun shredder mod on the far right. Then open the door at the end of the room. A discussion with the Illusive Man occurs during which you can apply a charm or intimidate dialogue option depending on the amount of paragon/renegade points the player has. At the end of the discussion Ashley/Kaidan discovers Dr. Eva Coré and a chase begins. If she gets more than 40m away, then you will fail the mission, so stay close. At the end of the chase Dr. Eva Coré jumps into the shuttle and is about to escape when James Vega crashes his shuttle straight into hers. Your squad mates will pick each other after the crash after which Dr. Eva Coré jumps out of her burning shuttle and severely injures Ashley/Kaidan. After this Dr. Eva Coré will begin running at the player and the player must shoot her down.

It is advised that, if an ME3 file has been imported, Shepard's pistol is not changed to a Scorpion or Paladin. The damage output and/or fire rate of these weapons is not high enough to kill her before she reaches Shepard, and the sequence becomes impossible to complete. After Dr. Eva Coré has been shot down Shepard will choose to take the body of Dr.Eva (now known to be an infiltration unit) and bring it on board the Normandy. After this the Normandy will head straight to the Citadel for your next mission, Priority: The Citadel I.

Rewards
Armor: Ariake Technologies Gauntlets, Kassa Fabrication Chestplate

Weapons: M-15 Vindicator Assault Rifle, M-92 Mantis Sniper Rifle, M-4 Shuriken SMG, M-23 Katana Shotgun

Shotgun Mods: Shotgun High-Caliber Barrel, Shotgun Shredder Mod

SMG Mods: SMG Scope, SMG Ultralight Materials

Sniper Rifle Mods: Sniper Rifle Concentration, Sniper Rifle Extended Barrel

Trivia As the Normandy is about to leave Mars, in the top right of the screen is a Reaper landing on Mars in the distance.