The Journey to Meridian

The Archon's map shows the way to Meridian. However, this issue affects the entire Andromeda Initiative, and leadership should be consulted before proceeding further.

Acquisition
This mission is acquired immediately after completing Hunting the Archon.

Speak To The Leaders On The Nexus
Return to the Nexus and head to Tann's office/Pathfinder HQ. A cutscene begins as Ryder enters a meeting with the Nexus leadership. Ryder tells them that they wish to go immediately after the Meridian, but the leaders are skeptical, not wishing to provoke open war with the kett. The other Pathfinders enter the meeting and support Ryder, but Tann vetoes the plan anyway.

This is an example of the dangerous hesitation among leadership Ryder was warned for during Task: The Witnesses.

Following the meeting, the other Pathfinders tell Ryder that they have an alternative, but the conversation is interrupted by an urgent call. Ryder's sibling has suddenly awakened. The Pathfinders will meet Ryder later in the tech lab, and Ryder is immediately transported to the Hyperion's cryo bay.

Meet Ryder's Sibling
The conversation is a bit different depending on what Ryder told her sibling during their earlier conversation, but the upshot is the same. Ryder's sibling still needs to rest and isn't cleared to leave the medical facility yet. An optional conversation with the sibling is now available, and Ryder can meet with the other Pathfinders at their discretion. Ryder Family Secrets may now be completed if all memory triggers have already been found.

Meet The Pathfinders
Head for the tech labs, on the upper level of the Docking Bay. The other Pathfinders and Dr. Aridana have a plan. A new technology called Ghost Storm will confuse kett sensors with multiple fake targets, allowing the Tempest to approach Meridian and land. Once the Tempest is upgraded, the mission can proceed.

Integrate Ghost Storm With The Tempest
Return to the Tempest. The Ghost Storm upgrade doesn't use the standard R&D console. Instead, look for a console on the side of the console room near the tech lab entrance. Once this is activated, the Tempest is ready for the mission.

Call A Meeting
Use the vidcon in the meeting room and inform the crew of the upcoming mission. The Civki system now becomes available on the Galaxy Map. Fly there and approach Khi Tasira, as the kett call Meridian. Scans reveal that Meridian is a large Remnant space station.

Land On Meridian
Manual saving will be disabled for the duration of this mission.

It proves impossible to actually land the Tempest on Meridian, so Ryder and squadmates are simply dropped onto the station, which has artificial gravity, atmosphere, and even, for some reason, rain. On the platform there is an Adaptive Remnant Core Device that can be scanned for 100.

The only way forward ends at a chasm, but scanning the floor will reveal a power conduit leading to a nearby console. The console creates a bridge across the chasm and permits SAM to detect a central command hub for the station, which is currently inactive. Proceed across the bridge, through the door and to the console in the next room.

Activating the console opens a window ahead with a view of the central command hub and secondary towers to the north and south. SAM informs Ryder that the two secondary towers will need to be activated before activating the hub, similar to how Vault activation has worked. Use the nearby gravity well and head down to "ground level."

At the bottom of the well, the player will overhear kett transmissions and see enemies on Ryder's radar. A Remnant device on the ledge behind Ryder can be scanned for 10. Proceed forward towards the hub, and into a kett force of a few Wraiths and Chosen, plus one Anointed. Be careful of enemies on platforms above Ryder who can shoot over the player's cover. A shuttle with more kett will arrive as Ryder advances. Further forward the path splits, with ramps leading up to the north and south. The player will need to hit both towers eventually. Either route works, although the tactical challenges differ somewhat. For this walkthrough, we'll go north first.

To The North Tower -- Sector 17: Exploration
A power conduit under the floor marks Ryder's path. Be careful not to walk into Scourge Energy Pockets along the way. The player will see dead kett further along. Near an area with missing floor plates; don't fall through. Just past this Ryder will encounter more kett, fighting Remnant defenses. Let them fight -- the player will receive combat XP whoever makes the kill -- and finish off the survivors. A console here will spawn a friendly Observer; unfortunately, it won't follow Ryder out of this area.

Further along Ryder will find a wrecked console and a torn-up area of floor, with Scourge pockets about. There's nothing for it but to jump down. Try not to land in the electrical fluid or the Scourge tendrils, since both will wipe out Ryder's life support and then health. At the bottom, SAM tells Ryder that he believes the Scourge spread from here to the rest of Heleus. Either the Remnant builders did it, or someone did it to them. The raised platform on the right offers a way around the Scourge tendrils and electrical fluid. From the western portion of the platform the player may see another kett-Remnant fight, including a Behemoth and a turret. Don't get involved; anyone the player kills now will simply respawn and have to be killed again later. Proceed to the east. A console here extends a bridge which will take Ryder to the south tower later. For now, head north to a console and door, with a turret and a couple of Observers and Assemblers standing in Ryder'ss way. Defeat them and use the console to open the door.

Exploration Systems
Ryder's target is the console on the far side of this room. Make sure to scan the Adaptive Remnant Core Device (100 ) under the console behind a support pillar. There is a data pattern just east of the central cube.

Activate the console. Turns out it isn't quite working yet; Ryder needs to reconnect power to restore full functionality. The console helpfully projects a wiring diagram for Ryder. Activate the four consoles on the east and west balconies in the order shown to restore the power. (Activating consoles in the wrong order will spawn hostile Remnant.) Return to the north balcony and activate the main console.

Flight Controls are now online, and a bunch of Remnant exploratory vessels power up. Unfortunately, kett immediately show up and start boarding the ships. The console informs Ryder that it can't receive commands from the Meridian Engine. What that actually means will have to wait, because Remnant defenses are now activated. Specifically, several Assemblers and a Destroyer. Defeat them and head south.

To The South Tower
As Ryder exits Explorations Systems, Observers fly in to attack. The turret in this area has also been rebuilt. Fortunately, it now fights on Ryder's side, apparently believing that Ryder is the new Administrator. Proceed south over the bridge, which turns out to be damaged and pointing downward into electrical fluid. Jump up to the platform the bridge should have connected with. The southern half of the bridge is shot too, so the player will have no choice but to head west.

Here Ryder will find a kett-Remnant fight in progress, with a Behemoth and several lesser kett fighting a turret and some Observers and Assemblers. The Behemoth is the biggest threat here, so let the Remnant help Ryder with it. After defeating everyone, jump down to a platform on the west side to scan an Adaptive Remnant Core Device (100 ) and loot a couple of containers, if the player wishes, and then head south.

Extend a bridge to reach Core 17: Central. Ryder's final destination is to the east, but until the player activates both towers it's blocked off by an energy barrier. Before heading south, Ryder can go west to scan a Remnant data pattern which explains the rain.

A kett shuttle drops some enemies in front of Ryder as Ryder enter the south tower.

The South Tower: Sector 17 - Research
The south tower is full of trees and other plants; some can be scanned for. Also, keep an eye out for mineral deposits such as Uranium and Vanadium.

Dispatch the few kett in front of Ryder and enter the courtyard. The layout of the catwalks here is a bit confusing, if not downright irrational. The western route gets the player into a rather pointless fight with a Fiend and assorted other kett, and the southern route is a little more difficult to navigate. The simplest route is to head east, and then up the catwalks, staying on the east side. After possibly fighting off a kett ambush, Ryder will be looking down on a kett camp. A console here will activate a nearby turret and help Ryder dispatch the kett.

Just north of the kett camp Ryder's scanner will ping for a nearby target, Over the east edge of the catwalk the player will see a doorway and a broken bridge. Jump down to this and then jump over where the bridge used to be. This brings Ryder to a locked door, opened by a decryption puzzle which is not only difficult, but also won't respond to a Remnant Decryption Key. (Opening this door counts towards the Cryptographer achievement.) After solving this, enter to find two loot containers and a pod containing an unknown creature which can be scanned for 10. (This is a Dragon Age Easter egg; the unknown creature is a nug). Return by climbing to the top of the doorway for extra height and jumping the gaps.

Proceed west from the kett camp and through two sets of doors. The next area will greet Ryder with a heavy kett assault; multiple Destined, Anointed, and Wraiths, with a second wave including a Behemoth. SAM tells Ryder that Remnant defenses in the area can be activated to repel the kett. Up on the left-hand catwalk(north) a console will activate a turret, and a console on the other catwalk will activate shield generators on the south side of the room. Defeat the kett and use the console on the southern end to open the door to the Archives.

The Archives
Scan the Monstrous Fungi as Ryder enters for 10. The room beyond contains two alcoves blocked with energy barriers, a locked door, many storage pods, and a console. Activating the console powers up the Archives, and reveals exactly what is being archived. It turns out to be prototypes of the angara, who are a synthetic race created by the builders of Meridian.

With the Archives activated the energy barriers go down and some Observers activate nearby; they're currently not hostile and will remain so if Ryder avoids them. Scan the nearby Angara prototypes for 10.

There is a console visible on a platform over the western alcove. By jumping onto the tree at the back of the alcove, Ryder can reach the side platforms and then the console itself. Activate the console to open the door on the east side to find a Remnant Data Core and a Data Pattern:

The southern alcove contains a gnarled tree which can be scanned for 10, and a squadmate conversation.

When Ryder is done, return the way the player came from. Activating the Archives has changed something in the room with the turret and shield generators. The central pool of electrical fluid has drained, revealing Remnant equipment. Jump in and scan the data pattern and a storage pod. The pod gives 10 ; SAM says it contains a plant, but the scanner text says it's an egg. The data pattern reveals something about experiments on, presumably, the angara.

Proceed south into the kett camp, and a battle featuring an Ascendant and a shuttle full of arriving Chosen and Anointed. The shuttle group arrives together, making a convenient target for AoE abilities. Defeat them and head for the bridge to Area 17: Central; go north and west until the path ends, and jump to the upper catwalk to proceed.

As Ryder approaches the bridge, the player will see a kett assault force consisting of a Fiend and several Chosen and Anointed racing for the tower, where they're confronted by Remnant defenses including a Destroyer. Best to let the big boys tear each other up before getting involved; finish off any survivors.

Further along, Ryder will find several Nullifiers and Assemblers. The first group is best taken from the catwalk above. The two Nullifiers near the door are probably best taken out from below, where there's more cover. Assemblers will continually spawn in until the Nullifiers are destroyed. Destroy the Remnant and go through the doors, where Ryder will discover a gravity well leading to Meridian's central command. Before heading up, Ryder can scan a Remnant data pattern on the platform behind and above the well. SAM reveals that the Remnant language is similar to angaran.

The Command Hub
As Ryder enters the space, an Adaptive Remnant Core device below the right side of the ramp up can be scanned for 100 ; the device on the left side is damaged and useless. Go up the left ramp and underneath the south ramp to the console next to the beam housing is an Adaptive Remnant Core to be scanned for 100. Take time to survey the room before activating the main console and note the positions of health, ammo, and explosive objects, since there's going to be a fight here in a few minutes.

Activating the central console is somewhat anticlimactic; the console does nothing because the "Meridian Engine" is no longer present. SAM discovers a log revealing that the creators of Meridian, who the player discovers are named the Jardaan, sent the functional part of Meridian far away from the command center to hide it from the Opposition, in hopes of returning one day to continue the "work of renewal."

At this point the kett have had enough of Ryder's interference and launch a major assault, both on the ground and from space. SAM and Ryder order Meridian's defenses to attack the kett fleet, leaving Ryder to fight off the ground assault.

Defeat The Archon's Sword
The Archon's Sword enters with a wave of Anointed and Chosen. Archon's Sword is heavily shielded, has lots of health, and will cloak and evade when it takes too much damage; fortunately, it won't use cover much and isn't very mobile. When it cloaks, another wave of kett will spawn in to cover it. The second wave is Wraiths and Destined, the third wave is a Fiend and more Chosen. Kill the Archon's Sword to end the battle

With the Archon's Sword dead and their ships taking heavy damage, the kett retreat. Thanks to the Scourge disrupting flight paths, there's no easy way to determine exactly where Meridian itself is now located. There's nothing left to do at the command center, so Ryder and party return to the Tempest.

Director Tann contacts Ryder over the vidcon. He's surprisingly apologetic, admitting that Ryder and the Pathfinders were right, and he and the Nexus leadership were wrong. Tann offers Ryder whatever support he can. After the call ends, Suvi calls Ryder over the comm, saying that she's got an idea. This concludes the mission, and begins Meridian: The Way Home.

Aftermath
The kett have taken losses and been driven away from the Meridian command center. Meridian itself is still missing. Ryder must now search for it.

If Ryder has engaged in a serious romance with a crew member, most of these will culminate during side quests unlocked by completing this story mission (however, advancing the romance with Suvi requires triggering the start of Meridian: The Way Home first).

Mission Rewards
+1000 AVP

Trivia

 * Since recovering arks is part of the focus of optional side-missions, it's possible to launch the mission without the entire cohort of pathfinders, which impacts the dialogue heard.
 * After recovering the third and final Pathfinder in the above-mentioned side-missions, Ryder will be invited by email to a get-together of the Pathfinders at HQ. If "The Journey to Meridian" awaits triggering by entering the HQ, this reunion party does not occur until Ryder re-enters Pathfinder HQ after meeting with the others in the science lab.