Dossier: The Justicar

Samara is a justicar, a rare member of an asari monastic group trained in enhanced combat biotics alongside standard weapons. Samara was recently sighted on Illium, outside of normal asari space.

Acquisition
After completing the misson on Horizon, The Illusive Man will give Shepard a dossier on Samara.

Illium
An asari concierge named Careena, accompanied by two LOKI Mechs, greets Shepard upon arrival on Illium. She informs Shepard that Liara T'Soni has paid for the Normandy's docking and administrative fees. Careena also states that Liara would like to speak with Shepard. Liara can be found near the trading floor. EDI advises Shepard that Liara may have information on Samara's location. Liara tells Shepard that Samara arrived recently and registered with Tracking Officer Dara. Officer Dara can be found at the transportation hub. Officer Dara tells Shepard that Samara is at the commercial spaceport. Shepard can hail a cab to the spaceport by either a dialogue option with Officer Dara or by walking to a console at the center of the hub. Upon further inquiry, Officer Dara tells Shepard that justicars are like Spectres, but no government oversees them. Justicars are only bound by their code. Going to the spaceport is a one-way trip; once at the spaceport, Shepard cannot return to the rest of Illium without first completing the mission.

Spaceport
Once at the spaceport, there is a cutscene in which Detective Anaya is talking to the volus merchant Pitne For, discussing the recent murder of Pitne For's business partner, Dakni Kur. A justicar is also investigating the murder. Shepard can talk to several people in the area: Pitne For, a turian worker, and an asari spaceport official. Inside the police station, Shepard learns from Anaya that Samara is at the crime scene. Anaya is anxious to have Samara leave as soon as possible. Her superiors have ordered her to detain Samara, but doing so would probably result in the detective's death. Anaya gives Shepard permission to enter the crime scene, but warns that Eclipse mercenaries are probably involved in the murder and control the back alleys. There is a weapons locker in the police station in case anyone needs to change weapons and a medical station for some Medi-gel.

Soon after Shepard crosses the police tape, there is a console on the right with shipping details that will start the assignment Stolen Goods Found. Shepard can walk to the end of the corridor and down the stairs to find some circuit boards to salvage for 3000 credits. Shepard overhears Eclipse mercenaries deploying a squad to hunt down the justicar. Up the stairs and around the corner are an Eclipse Vanguard, three LOKI Mechs, and a Sisterhood Initiate. There is plenty of cover allowing one to move from cover to cover to pick them off one by one. It is also possible to snipe them before they notice your presence.

Shepard passes some more police tape and opens the door, which starts a cutscene. An Eclipse mercenary is seen flying. Samara is asking an Eclipse Lieutenant about the location of her quarry. The Eclipse Lieutenant refuses to answer, so Samara defenestrates the Lieutenant with her biotics. She biotically flies down to the Lieutenant and asks again, but is again refused. Samara then breaks her neck. She then turns around and talks to Shepard. The Commander asks Samara to join her in the mission against the Collectors. Samara declines because her own mission comes first. Detective Anaya arrives, wishing that Samara would join Shepard. Anaya has been ordered to detain Samara. Samara says the justicar code allows her to submit to detention for only one day, after which she must continue her investigation, implying that she will fight her way out of custody and killing anyone in her path, including Anaya. Shepard offers to find the name of the ship that has Samara's target, which would satisfy the justicar code, allowing Samara to join Shepard's mission. Samara suggests questioning Pitne For for more information. Up to 8 Paragon points or 2 Renegade points may be earned in this conversation. Ending the conversation returns Shepard to the spaceport.

Both Samara and Anaya are inside the police station. Samara is not handcuffed or in a cell, because the Code would require her to attack if restrained. Shepard questions Pitne For some more. An optional Renegade interrupt can be used for 5 Renegade points. Pitne For reveals that he was smuggling for Eclipse an illegal biotics-enhancing chemical named Minagen X3. However, Minagen X3 can also cause death, which is why Eclipse wants him dead. The volus gives Shepard a pass card allowing access to the Eclipse base. The pass card is used on the elevator next to the police station.

Eclipse Hideout
Immediately outside the elevator will be a single LOKI Mech. Past the door is an Eclipse Vanguard and two LOKI Mechs, who soon will be reinforced by two more Eclipse Vanguards and a Sisterhood Initiate. Throughout this level are toxic canisters containing Minagen X3. If destroyed, the toxic canisters will emit a red cloud that sometimes is opaque enough to obscure your line of sight to enemies. The cloud does not dissipate but can become more translucent. EDI tells Shepard that the toxic cloud will enhance one's biotic abilities but concentrated amounts are harmful. Being in the vicinity of the cloud will trigger a toxicity level meter. At full toxicity, Shepard will start taking damage to shields and eventually to health. Depending on how biotics are evolved, the Minagen exposure either increases the damage or range of effect of Shepard's biotics.

Using Reave on an enemy with a biotic barrier when dosed with Minagen causes them to explode.

In the next room is a weapons locker and the M-27 Scimitar Assault Shotgun. It is advisable to take the opportunity to switch heavy weapons to the Missile Launcher or the Particle Beam. Behind a door on the right is Elnora, a recently initiated Eclipse mercenary. Using the Renegade interrupt will kill Elnora and garner 5 Renegade points. Alternately, Shepard can question Elnora and learn about the Ardat-Yakshi, after which Shepard lets Elnora go and gains 5 Paragon points. If one skips past Elnora's room to come back later (once you find the evidence against her), she will be gone, depriving you of any Renegade or Paragon points. In the same room as Elnora are power cells and a Biotic Damage (Hyper-Amp) upgrade.

Shepard and the team go up the stairs to encounter more Eclipse Vanguards, Sisterhood Initiates, LOKI Mechs, and toxic canisters. Use cover and weapons to destroy the mechs and mercenaries and try to conserve ammo. The Vanguards are dangerous in close quarters with their shotguns. There is also a Medi-gel dispenser and a terminal to hack for 3,000 credits. After some more stairs are the usual assortment of enemies, but also an Eclipse Heavy. There will be another Medi-gel station and a terminal accessible for 6,000 credits.

Past more stairs, a door, and an auto-save point, is a docking bay with more Eclipse, including Heavies, and a gunship. The gunship does not need to be destroyed yet, as it will quickly withdraw. In an alcove on the left are 2,000 platinum. In the room beyond this fight are more power cells and Medi-gel. The Scimitar shotgun is available if you did not pick it up previously. There is an audio file by Elnora in which she admits to killing the volus, which can be later given to Detective Anaya.

After another auto-save point, Shepard's team comes out on another docking bay on which there are a trio of LOKI Mechs and power cells. Do not proceed across the bridge until you are prepared for the gunship. Being halfway across the bridge will trigger the gunship. The gunship behaves differently than Tarak's gunship in the Dossier: Archangel mission. It moves slowly and usually flies low allowing you to get off plenty of shots to whittle down its armor and destroy it. Sometimes, it flies away from the docking bay. Other times, it flies further into the docking bay, following you. Be careful about what you use for cover, since some of the crates are fragile and easily destroyed. Once it flies into the docking bay, it will start dropping FENRIS Mechs near the entrance, which will cross the bridge and try to attack you while you focus on the gunship. The M-920 Cain can take out the gunship in a single shot, but you will be exposed to the gunship's fire while charging it up. You can retreat back to the entrance, which will be out of reach of the gunship's weapons, if you need a moment for shields or powers to recharge. There is also Medi-gel on the other side of the bridge.

It is possible to take out the gunship from the corridor leading to the bridge. A well placed M-920 Cain shot can take it down by aiming high and to the left of the open space where it can first be targeted. Not a fun or challenging battle, but it will give just enough room for the auto-seek to take the gunship down without ever having to engage it.

After the battle with the gunship, Shepard then bypasses a door. Inside the room will be a shipping manifest that confirms that Pitne For was smuggling Minagen X3 and red sand for the Eclipse, which initiates the Smuggling Evidence assignment. There is also a terminal accessible for 6,000 credits. The next room has a drugged volus named Niftu Cal, who is a captured employee of Pitne For. The Eclipse apparently injected many drugs into him. He is amusingly delusional and believes he is a biotics god. Shepard can encourage him to charge Captain Wasea, the local Eclipse commander for Renegade points, or using a Paragon interrupt, Shepard can knock him out for Paragon points. Then there will be a weapons locker, a Medi-gel station, and the Scimitar shotgun if you still have not picked it up.

Captain Wasea
The next area is a boss fight. Captain Wasea is protected by both barrier and armor. Whittle down her barrier and be sure to get at her armor before she has a chance to raise it again. The Armor Piercing Ammo power helps. She will also have several Eclipse Heavies and Sisterhood Initiates with her. It is easier if you take them down before going after Wasea. Throughout the battle, Captain Wasea will throw toxic canisters at you, exploding where you are, requiring you to move. She also uses many biotic attacks. Eventually, she will lift the heavy cargo containers behind her and retreat up to a new area, where there are even more toxic containers to throw around (if she is killed quickly, the heavy containers don't get moved, and the area will remain closed to the player). After the battle is over, go back to the desk where she was originally at. Nearby is a terminal that can be hacked for 3,000 credits. On a desk is a datapad with the information Samara was looking for.

After picking up the datapad, Shepard can choose to stay or return to the spaceport.

Spaceport
Pitne For is standing outside the police station. If Shepard talks to him, he will ask if Shepard found a shipping manifest. You can choose to give it to Pitne For to finish the Smuggling Evidence assignment for 9,000 credits and 5 Renegade points, or hold on to it. If you saved Niftu Cal earlier in the mission, then he will be present as well and you can talk with him.

Shepard goes inside the police station and tells Samara that the person she is hunting for left on the AML Demeter. Samara then agrees to join Shepard. She swears service to Shepard for the length of the mission, overriding whatever the Code may dictate. If you do not choose to return to ship as the last conversation option with Samara, Shepard can talk to Detective Anaya and tell her that Elnora killed the volus, though doing so nets no experience, credits, or morality points. Anaya will say the evidence is inadmissible, but Samara will vouch for Shepard.

If you still has the datapad copy related to Pitne For's Smuggling Evidence, it can be given to Anaya for 4,200 credits and 5 Paragon points, which also finishes the assignment. Shepard talks to either Anaya or Samara to leave the area and return to the Normandy. Shepard is unable to return to the spaceport afterwards.

Normandy
When you return to the Normandy, Jacob welcomes Samara to the crew. Shepard can make some comments about her abilities and that they need them for some Renegade points. After that Samara requests a room with a view of space. Shepard tells Jacob to put her in the Starboard Observation Deck on the Crew Quarters Deck.

Email
After the mission, Detective Anaya from the Spaceport sends Shepard this email, entitled "Still Alive":

Enemies

 * A-61 Mantis Gunship
 * Captain Wasea
 * Eclipse Heavy
 * Eclipse Vanguard
 * FENRIS Mech
 * LOKI Mech
 * Sisterhood Initiate

Mission Summary
Recruited Samara for the team.


 * Experience reward: 1,000 (1,250)
 * Credits: 55,200 or 60,000
 * Cerberus Funding 30,000
 * Credits Found: 25,200 (if datapad given to Detective Anaya) or 30,000 (if datapad given to Pitne For)
 * Minerals:
 * Platinum: 2,000
 * Weapons:
 * M-27 Scimitar Assault Shotgun
 * Research:
 * Biotic Damage (Hyper-Amp)

Trivia

 * After completion of the mission, a news report can be overheard on Illium about Detective Anaya, Pitne For, and the Eclipse mercenaries.
 * After completion of the mission, whenever you visit Illium and talked to Officer Dara, she'd tell you how envious she is that you have a justicar in your crew. If you brought Samara along, Officer Dara would note the justicar's presence, which Samara would reply in a very business-like manner.
 * Shepard can advise Anaya that her superiors are sending her on a suicidal task by detaining the justicar. If Shepard does so, both squad members will comment that Shepard always sends them on deadly missions nearly twice a day, to which Shepard replies that at least she/he is smart about it. If Legion is in your party he will say the "the current trend averages at 2.73 instances per day."
 * In the boss fight, it is possible to kill the Captain before she can move the large cargo containers. As a result, you will be unable to enter that area (but it does not hold any unique items or upgrades anyway).
 * If you do not pick up the M-27 Scimitar at any of the three points, then you will be given an M-15 Vindicator after talking with Samara in the Police Station. An M-27 Scimitar will still be given as a reward but the M-15 Vindicator will not be noted in the mission summary.
 * The terminal that is used to start the quests to acquire Thane and Samara if Liara has already left her desk (due to informing her of the information received on the Shadow Broker from the DLC) is bugged. If the Thane quest is completed first, there is no way to acquire Samara. The only current solution to this bug is to start the quests from Liara before she leaves her desk, or do Samara's mission from the terminal before Thane's.