Citadel Wards: Ambush

An unknown mercenary group is attacking. Escape their ambush and get to safety.

Acquisition
Complete Citadel: Shore Leave.

Preparation
If you don't have Overload natively, consider equipping Energy Drain as your bonus power for the duration of the DLC content: almost everyone you fight has shields. For this very difficult first mission in particular, Dominate is an extremely powerful alternative - making your enemies fight each other significantly improves your chances when you have little armor and few weapons. If you can arrange to be able to self-detonate tech bursts (e.g. Disruptor Ammo plus Overload or Energy Drain) that will help a lot throughout the DLC.

Due to the limited ammunition and armament during this mission (Shepard will be wearing nothing but casual-wear and carrying nothing but an unmodded pistol), weapons-based classes such as Soldiers and Infiltrators will be at a sometimes severe disadvantage. An Infiltrator should fully upgrade the duration of Tactical Cloak, and plan to use it to "infiltrate past" large groups of enemies, particularly on higher difficulty levels, because activating Tactical Cloak during "stealth sections" counterintuitively seems to alert the mercs to your presence (so sneaking up on them one by one doesn't turn out to work so well).

Sushi Bar
After leaving Shepard’s new apartment, a taxi will be shown flying through the Citadel and into the wards. Once Shepard arrives, there is a queue, but the host notices Shepard, and lets the Commander bypass the line, saying that the table is waiting. Joker and Shepard wave to each other. Head into the back corner of the restaurant and talk to Joker. There are no other interactions in the restaurant save for a brief chat with the host and the bartender each.

Joker comments about the ambiance and the long line outside, nodding to where an Alliance soldier in dress uniform is trying to get Shepard's attention. Shepard then changes the subject to the dry docking of the Normandy. Joker expresses reluctance in letting "shifty aerospace engineers" have their hands on the ship. Shepard can then agree or disagree. After the small talk, Joker asks why Shepard invited him here, but Shepard replies that Joker sent the invitation. Their confusion is interrupted by the soldier outside, who has finally broken through the host's defensive line.

Once she reaches the table, she introduces herself as Staff Analyst Maya Brooks of Alliance intelligence, and proclaims that someone is trying to kill Shepard. Joker makes note of the fact that Shepard is already being targeted by multiple organizations, and that it isn't news. Brooks restates that the group she is referring to are new people and that they are hacking Shepard’s account, communications and are targeting Shepard personally. Shepard then tells Brooks to calm down after she tells a story about the last time she guessed at intel and tells her to start from the beginning.

Ambush
At that point, several mercenaries in armor stroll into the bar, and one knocks the host unconscious. They proceed to fire their weapons at the ceiling, causing the restaurant patrons to panic and scatter. Shepard grabs Joker, pulls him down and flips the table over for cover.

Brooks hides behind another table but one of the mercenaries finds and drags her away. Shepard orders Joker to get the crew while the Commander goes after Brooks. When Joker starts moving away, one of the mercenaries notices him and moves closer to the overturned table. Shepard grabs the enemy and uses a heavy melee to kill him. (Joker complains about being used as bait but makes an escape.) Shepard recovers the mercenary's pistol, a M-11 Suppressor, and tells Brooks to hold on; now the fight begins.

Because you are outnumbered and without armor or squadmates, use cover as much as possible. The mercenaries will deploy Disruption Drones, which will charge at you and then self destruct, overloading your shields; take them down before they can do that. The mercenaries and drones also all have shields. Fortunately, if you took the advice at the top of the article, you can strip their shields easily with Overload, and/or replenish your own with Energy Drain. Furthermore, the M-11 Suppressor does superb damage and features the highest headshot modifier in the game. Its major downside is its lack of ammo, but on Insanity difficulty it can kill an unshielded enemy in three or four shots (one or two for headshots). Since the goal here is to revive Brooks and not to survive the infinitely spawning enemies, it's recommended that you make a beeline for her once the area is considerably cleared. Infiltrators can cloak and run straight around the bar and to tag Brooks right away at the beginning of the fight.

Through the floor
A short cutscene will play where another mercenary targets Shepard with a Mattock, but Brooks notices, shoves the Commander out of the way, and takes the bullet herself. Shepard tries to get to her, but the mercenary shoots at the Commander but that only ends up shattering the restaurant's glass floor. Shepard is sent on a wild ride down into the lower Ward. After several repeated attempts to stop, the Commander finally manages to fall onto a platform and stops. Clearly injured, Shepard manages to get up, recovers the M-11 Suppressor, and Brooks manages to contact the Commander. Shepard asks how Brooks is okay and Brooks says she used medi-gel, and a lot of it, as she is clearly a little bit tipsy. Shepard makes the comment that she probably used too much. Brooks asks if she can be of assistance, and Shepard tells her to alert C-Sec while the Commander looks for a way out.

Proceed out the door and jump across to the next platform, down the ladder to your left, and then across to the next platform. There you will find a datapad about new temperature units. Head down the next ladder and Shepard will notice a landing pad. Brooks checks the area and notices it is a pad for Cision Motors. Shepard orders Brooks to get a shuttle there, but Brooks says that C-Sec had the entire area locked down and it will be difficult. Shepard orders her to keep trying. Brooks tells the Commander to stay off the comm as it is probably hacked, which she notes is probably how they found Shepard in the first place. Shepard asks who they are, Brooks replies that she doesn't know, but they clearly don’t like Shepard. Head down the next ladder and into the building on your right.

Get to a Shuttle
Head across the room, up the ladder, turn left, then across the gaps. Once you reach the end, there is a group of three enemies down on the lower level. Head down the ladder and hide behind the market stall counter before they spot you (fortunately this stall appears to sell ammo). Shooting is not advised. At this point, your best idea is to use stealth as you will quickly find yourself in a whole world of enemies if you don’t. Use tactics to pick them off one by one, and if you get discovered, then shoot them before they can call for reinforcements. Make sure to take them all out before you move up. An Infiltrator at this point can cloak and dash the full length of the market to the point where it turns a sharp left and nears the bridge described below.

Finally, be extra-cautious: in many video games, an injured hero can still fight at full HP, but Shepard has only one Health Bar segment thanks to that drop through the floor, and remains that way throughout the rest of the mission. One workaround is that if you die, Shepard starts with an extra segment. It is unknown if this can be exploited to "cheat" Shepard back to full health.

As you progress, someone from the crew (either Liara or Shepard's love interest) will contact the Commander and ask if Shepard is okay, explaining that they are on foot but not far and that Joker filled them in.

(If you were expecting your love interest and it is Liara who contacts you, it may be that your LI is not "locked in" yet in the main game.)

Brooks then cuts in and asks who they are as it is an unsecured channel and they are putting Shepard at risk. The crew member (hence forward referred to as "Crewmate 1") is confused until Shepard says that it is Brooks and orders everyone to play nice. Once you are clear, continue down the marketplace and you will find another datapad from EZ meat, and some thermal clips. Grab as many as you can. There is no autosave at this point so it is recommended that you use the quick save or a hard save.

When you finally get to the end of the marketplace, you will encounter more enemies. Cover in this area is quite bad, so keep moving and avoid the cluster grenades that they are so fond of using. Also watch yourself as a sniper will show up. Use the available cover, dodge the drones, and take out all of the mercs. Once you are done, another crew member ("Crewmate 2") will contact you saying they just heard, and that everyone is on the way. Behind the cover at the end is a Pistol Power magnifier and a terminal with 2,250 credits.

Bridge and Alarm
Head back out and around to the left. At the end is another stack of credits (1,500) and another datapad from a stall with less than acceptable sanitation standards. At the end is a bridge, locked down of course, but you can bypass it. Before doing so, there is a room to your left with a terminal with more credits (2,250). Once you start the bypass, asking for a C-Sec code, but Shepard's Spectre authorization overrides it. However, this also sets off an alarm which alerts everyone to you. Move fast, stay in cover. Crewmate 1 and 2 will both contact Shepard claiming to hear the alarm.

Get in cover because you are heavily outnumbered and outgunned. There are both troopers and snipers, so keep to cover if you can. It might be best to stay near the door that you enter from and pick them off as they try and come around. Remember that you have limited ammo and that pickups are few and far in between. Use powers as much as possible here. Keep them in front of you, prevent flanks and you should be fine. Just remember that headshots are always nice. An infiltrator missing a sniper rifle can again simply cloak and dash down the passage - keep going past the narrowing where another group of troopers emerges, and look for the spot where you can turn right and head through a classic "green button" doorway to relative safety. From that point it's even easy to turn around and "kill your way back" to any items and credits you'd like to pick up - plenty of cover and ammo supplies.

Once you have cleared the way, advance, and along the right side will be a series of stores with terminals, datapads and an Assault Rifle Ultralight Materials mod. Grab them all, there will be three sets (each is 1 datapad + 1,500 credits), and then continue. When the path narrows, be warned there are more enemies coming. This time troopers only, so just keep an eye on the drones, and your ammo. Again using powers can really help you here. Especially if they are the throw-the-enemy-off-the-walkway type.

Once you have finished, Brooks will contact you saying there is a C-Sec shuttle on the way to the lot, and that you need to get there. Head down and to the right, another terminal (2,250 credits) and some much needed ammo await. Head inside the door, and you will find Crewmate 1 holding off two mercenaries, which are quickly dispatched.

Escape from the Wards
Once you have completed a conversation with Crewmate 1, they will join you as a squadmate and you can now search the car lot to find the control panel to unlock the landing pad door. The cars all have information on them, which you can ignore or investigate. There is a Sniper Rifle Ultralight Materials near the door which you entered from, so don’t miss it. There is a terminal with credits (2,250) near a door at the back of the showroom.

As you approach the door to open it, it suddenly locks. Shepard prepares to shoot the lock a gun but your squadmate puts their hand on the gun and pushes it down; the squamate calmly knocks on the window and politely asks the volus employee to open the door, which he does. The squadmate thanks him and the frightened volus tells them to leave.

Head out the doors and the C-Sec shuttle arrives, but it is yet another ambush by the mercenaries who open fire with normal weapons as well as a Geth Spitfire. Shepard and the squadmate duck behind cover. Fortunately, help arrives. Urdnot Wrex smashes through a window, slams into the shuttle and crashes it onto the platform; Wrex then heads inside shuttle and cleans out the ambushers. (Alternatively, if Wrex is dead or you sabotaged the genophage cure, James Vega shows up with a rocket launcher and shoots the shuttle down.) When Shepard asks what Wrex is doing there, he claims to have been butting heads with the Council over krogan expansion. Wrex tosses Shepard the Spitfire (if James is present, Shepard will pick it up) just as another group of mercs pour in.

Because you start in cover and have a full squad, don’t forget to level Wrex up - Wrex prefers getting close to the action and takes down enemies with melee, and a fully leveled-up Wrex easily tips the balance towards your side. Obviously, he likes to roam around, and that's an example you should feel free to follow: it's an open area, conducive to rerouting and flank attacks. The enemies will pour in non-stop from the ceiling in two locations, so you can actually move inside the showroom and set up position in between the two LZ and slaughter them as they come. The Spitfire has 1,000 rounds available, so feel free to be liberal with your firepower. A good spot to hide is behind the engine pylon of the destroyed shuttle, as this will channel the enemy reinforcements in on you. Be advised that the cars in the lot *can* explode, the spitfire sending them up into fireballs pretty neatly.

Joker and Brooks are on the comm the entire time; Joker has obtained a shuttle, picked up Brooks, and is on his way to you. Once you hear Joker tell you to get to the shuttle, fall back to the extraction zone. Once the squad is on board, Joker pulls away.

Enemies

 * Merc Trooper
 * Merc Sniper