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So much for stress-free shore leaves

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

Acquisition[]

Prerequisite: Citadel: Shore Leave

Your conversation with Joker immediately devolves into a shootout upon arrival of uninvited armored guests at Ryuusei's Sushi Bar.

Preparation[]

As you cannot change anything about Shepard upon receiving this mission, see the preparation notes for the previous mission in terms of loadout customization.

There are limited ammo pickups in this mission, though there are a fair amount of grenade refills. Make every shot count, and rely on your powers as much as you can to conserve ammunition for when you really need it. However, be prepared to have to deal with slower power recharge times than you may be used to during this mission (see below).

Caution: If you are playing as an Infiltrator, Tactical Cloak can get a lot of mileage in this mission, but as you have no squad during the first half, cloaking will NOT completely shield you from detection by enemies.

Walkthrough[]

There's a mercenary in my soup

Shepard's inquiry about the situation is interrupted when several armed mercenaries 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 then complains about being used as bait but makes an escape. Shepard recovers the mercenary's pistol, an M-11 Suppressor, and tells Brooks to hold on; now the fun begins.

Weight penalty: If you are playing a New Game+ and previously acquired the M-11 Suppressor, you may notice the pistol appears to have reset to Level I for this mission. That's actually because the Suppressor Shepard carries in this mission is a unique model of the weapon that exists in this mission only. This unique model Suppressor has another "hidden" feature: it has a very large weight penalty, much larger than most normal weapons. This essentially works as a handicap during this mission, slowing down Shepard's power recharge times. The only real way to mitigate this is to customize Shepard's class power for maximum possible weight capacity prior to this mission. Classes with a weight capacity value of 50 will have a Power Recharge Bonus from weapon loadout of only +80%.

Find Brooks[]

Because you are outnumbered and without armor or squadmates, use cover as much as possible. The pair coming around from your left is the greatest initial danger, as the ones in the bar will tend to hit obstructions if they try to throw grenades at you. Their grenades can scatter shrapnel in a wide area, so be cautious. Feel free to respond with your own grenades if you have them.

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. This initial wave of enemies will test your shield-stripping capabilities.

Tip: The drones will be a constant nuisance in this mission, but there are some tricks for dealing with them. They don't track you once they stop and beep right before their suicide attack, so simply sidestepping or rolling out of the way will avoid damage. If you don't have room to do this safely, the drones don't damage health, only your shields, so if your shields are down simply take the hit if you have to rather than letting them flush you out of cover to get shot.

Unless you're an Infiltrator, sneaking past these mercs is a pointless exercise despite the game telling you to do so

Fortunately, the M-11 Suppressor in your hands does superb damage and features the highest headshot modifier in the game. Its major downside in this mission is just lack of ammo, but even on Insanity difficulty it can kill an unshielded enemy with one headshot.

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 mostly cleared OR during the few seconds you'll have before the enemy forces are even aware of your existence. If you approach by climbing over the bar counters in succession, you will always have cover from any new mercenaries who spawn on the staircase. Infiltrators can cloak and run straight around the bar to tag Brooks right away at the beginning of the fight. Vanguards may also want to Charge at the enemy that is nearest to Brooks, and then rush to her for an equally quick solution. Having Defense Matrix as a bonus power can pay huge dividends here as you can restore your shield instantly if it does go down while running the gauntlet. It's also possible to execute a grab kill on one of the CAT6 Specialists on the other side of the counter before he's aware of you, and the temporary invulnerability this affords you can also give you enough breathing room to recharge your shields and reach Brooks.

Find an Exit[]

Watch your step

A short cutscene plays out 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's bullets end 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 recovers the M-11 Suppressor and manages to get up. Brooks contacts the Commander, saying she has found a secure terminal. Shepard asks how Brooks is okay, and Brooks says she used all the medi-gel and now everything is a little bit bouncy. 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.

A skycar dealership soon to go up in flames

Warning: Shepard has only one health bar segment thanks to that drop through the floor, and remains that way throughout most of the rest of the mission. If you die, you will restart with an extra segment.

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 fish storage area on your right.

He's on his break, and there's nothing of value whatsoever in the area

The room doesn't contain much except frozen fish, crates of "authentic European sushi", and a salarian fish worker on a smoking break. Ignore him and head up the ladder if you're in a hurry, otherwise if you keep returning to his location, he'll be slightly creeped out by your actions.

Get to Skycar Lot[]

Above the ladder, you get a new NavPoint. 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 and a grenade resupply).

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 until you get discovered, then shoot the rest as quickly as possible. Keeping them off balance with grenades or stun effects from other powers will minimize the number of drones and grenades you will face. Make sure to take them all out before you move up—fortunately, they will not receive reinforcements until you advance down the market.

Tip: A nice way to deal with the opening portion of this encounter is to stay on the roof and use the Suppressor pistol to gun down just one of the CAT6 Specialists and then retreat back well out of sight. You'll eventually hear the other mercs in the area get alerted to the fact that something is wrong, and several may wonder aloud if someone might be back on the rooftops. If you wait, 1-3 of them will then climb up the ladder one by one to check things out. While it might not be entirely fair to ambush someone on a ladder, it's probably not going to come back to bite you anytime soon...

The two lanes leading forward are alternately patrolled

Class Specific: 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. Sentinels and Engineers should make full use of chain Overload to destroy Disruption Drones while simultaneously popping stunned mercenaries out of cover. The Vanguard can cover great distances with Charge and the stunning effects of the power especially if evolved for area damage can create enough space to get around the above mentioned corner to safety. Nova on the other hand is extremely risky to use due to your low health, even though it suffers no recharge penalty and can be effective against shielded targets.

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 romance is not yet locked in in the main game, or the love interest is not a squad member.

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 (henceforth 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 forward 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.

The sniper camps out in the back beside the weapon mod

As you head past the large U-Forge-it stall beyond the meat kiosk, get ready to take cover, because you will encounter more enemies and this time they brought a nasty sniper. There are multiple decent cover locations on either side of U-Forge-it. Just be ready to move quickly if they throw their Multi-frag Grenades: one evasive plan is to retreat back around to the other side passage. 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 about your predicament, and that everyone is on the way. In the shop called Ryuusei at the very end of the market, you will find a Pistol Power Magnifier and a terminal with 2,250 credits. Here you will also find a second grenade resupply.

Note: Crewmate 2 will be the squad member who has accompanied Shepard on the most missions up to that point (unless that person is Crewmate 1, in which case Crewmate 2 will be the second most-picked squad member).

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, the stall to your left labeled "Value Added" (and just adjacent to Fishdog Food Shack) has a terminal with more credits (2,250). Also be sure to refill your ammo fully at this point, returning to the market if needed, as you won't be able to return here once you open the door.

Once you start the bypass, the door asks 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. Make sure to clean out the area before stepping beyond the door, as it seals behind you when you do.

Get to Car Lot[]

Looks like someone's copying Cerberus tactics

Upon reaching the next area, you receive a slightly shorter NavPoint description. The area layout has bottomless voids for throwing enemies in, but it might be tricky to pull off attacks to exploit this, as there are few clear lines of sight for doing so and you will be doing so under heavy fire. Nevertheless, try when opportunity arises.

Get in cover because you are heavily outnumbered and outgunned. There are both troopers and snipers, appearing in waves as you try and make it to Cision Motors' back door. Initially, they come from an overhead platform as soon as your Spectre clearance overrides the lockdown.

Note: Infiltrators and Vanguards can simply use their respective abilities to safely traverse the area, although in the Vanguard's case, clear line of sight to an enemy is required for a biotic Charge.

Tackling this conventionally, it might be best to stay near the door that you enter from and pick them off as they try and come around. Keep them in front of you, prevent flanks, and you should be fine. Just remember that headshots are always nice.

Don't forget to check out the three open shops

Once you have cleared the way, advance. As you round the corner, another wave will appear with another sniper. Further forward, be warned there are more enemies coming, this time troopers only, so just keep an eye on the drones and your ammo.

Along the right side is a series of explorable stores: Cepheid Variable, Van Allen Belts, and Kon Junction. They have useful loot in them: 1 datapad and 1 terminal worth 1,500 credits each store. Cepheid Variable has an Assault Rifle Ultralight Materials mod, and the final grenade resupply of the mission is in Van Allen Belts. It is advisable to check them out only after killing all mercs in your way, but if you're comfortable with multitasking, then by all means do so.

Once all enemies are finally down, Brooks will inform you about a C-Sec shuttle on the way to the skycar lot, and that you need to get there. On the service area of Cision Motors, 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.

Locate Gate Controls[]

The weapon mod is near where the two mercs went down

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 (it's the door to your next destination).

As you approach the door to open it, it suddenly locks. You prepare to shoot the lock, but your companion puts their hand on the gun and pushes it down; they calmly knock on the window and politely ask a volus manager you didn't notice to open the door, which he does. The squadmate thanks him, and the frightened volus asks you to leave.

Get to Extraction Zone[]

Hey, hey, we're the mercenaries

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 the shuttle and cleans out the ambushers. Alternatively, if Wrex is dead or you sabotaged the genophage cure, James Vega shows up with a Cobra Missile 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.

Pendejos will burn if Wrex ain't around

You start in cover and now have a full squad, and even better you'll find you've gained a segment or two of extra health. Don’t forget to assign points to Wrex's powers if he's in the party. In true krogan fashion, he's quite resilient and prefers getting up close and personal with his enemies if he's allowed, and a fully leveled-up Wrex easily tips the balance of power in your favor. He'll only have basic weapons for now, so letting him seek melee combat lets him do a bit more damage, though keep in mind that if he goes down in an exposed location the only safe way to revive him will be with First Aid; luckily, you begin this fight with 2 medi-gel and a full health bar.

You are not a krogan, and neither is your other companion, so remaining in cover near where you start is generally the wisest course. Here, you will have room to maneuver away from enemy drones and grenades. The enemies will pour in non-stop from the ceiling in two locations, so if you're feeling bold you can actually move inside the showroom and set up position in between the two spawn points and slaughter them as they come.

Actually, they'll suffer worse fates if Wrex IS around

The Spitfire has 1,000 rounds available, so feel free to be liberal with your firepower. The weapon needs time to spin up to full power, so it's not a bad idea to just hold the trigger down. While the fight rages, Joker and Brooks can be heard bickering over the comm: 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 behind the engines of the destroyed shuttle. The mission ends soon after you enter the highlighted extraction zone. Once the squad is on board, Joker pulls away.

Enemies[]

Datapads[]

Guys!


I don't care if the current temperature units still work. Put the new ones in all along this section! The customer has permits and wants work to start immediately. Even paid up front with a crazy bonus.

Get it done.

Bak Fraex
CitadelAir


From: EZ Meat


We do not make anything that tastes like krogan and certainly not "BBQ asari." That is not the sort of business we do. Please restrict your orders to what's in the official catalog.

Sincerely,
Grett Bast
Shipping Director, EZ Meat Inc.


Festuz,


I know you're licking the fruit when I'm not around. Stop that. Seriously.

-B


Sshastah, darling...


Look, here's the deal: you just can't say stuff like that to Jiala.

She. Will. Freak. Out.

I swear to you her blue head will pop right off! I doubt her dad was a vorcha. Sort of doubt it...

-V


All Staff


I am aware some of you are considering leaving my employ and working for those hussies over at Micah. They don't care about you like I care. I super-care about you. And the good kind of caring! Not the creepy kind.

Salocious Vess
Manager, Van Allen Belts


VARIABLEZ!


I think I tore my ACL doing something EXXXTREME! Starting to BLACK OUT from the PAIN! YEAAAHHHH!

-Gibba 'The Gibster' Gublanski

PS- okay guys really im blacking o

Cars[]

The Cision Dauntless


Looking for something unique? Something that will turn even your asari neighbors green with envy?

Look no further than the Cision Dauntless. This rugged beauty doesn't just get from one glamorous vid premier to the next... it ushers you on a cloud of smiles.

"The Best Deal In the Known Universe or My Name Isn't Snacol Vennher!" -Manager Snacol Vennher, Cision Motors


The Cision Stalwart


Assembled by hand in fabrication tanks that are filled with filtered spring water shipped from the pure ice mountains of Imaneya. The Cision Stalwart isn't just a car. It's a life choice.

"That's the Cision Motors Guarantee!" -Manager Snacol Vennher, Cision Motors


The Cision Gallant


Ever want to experience danger from the safety of your own skycar? Ever need to explore the vast reaches of the unknown and be home in time for dinner? The Cision Gallant can take you there. Strong, silent, and willing to charge into battle along the most exclusive boulevards.

"You Can Breath [sic] Easy With Cision Motors." -Manager Snacol Vennher, Cision Motors

Trivia[]

  • One of the fish worker's lines is "Look, I only do eyes." This may be a reference to a scene in Blade Runner where a character interrogates an eye designer in a similar frozen storage setting.
  • A Cepheid variable is a type of pulsating star.
  • Van Allen Belts specifically refers to Earth's radiation belts that shield the atmosphere from solar winds and cosmic rays.
  • At the Value Added store next to the Fishdog Food Shack (near the triangular doorway where Shepard must use Spectre authorization) some giftwrapped presents and bundles of fireworks can be seen. These appear in a later mission as Easter Eggs.
  • The Fishdog Food Shack restaurant (near the triangular doorway) can be heard mentioned in an advertisement on Illium in Mass Effect 2.
  • Despite his obvious earlier trepidation, for some reason the Volus sales manager doesn't leave the area during the final fight in the Cision Motors showroom and remains behind the window where you met him. He will vocally express his displeasure as the fighting destroys his skycar inventory.
Mass Effect 3: Citadel Navigation
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