Zaeed Massani is, without a doubt, the most feared mercenary and bounty hunter in the galaxy. His services have been retained by Cerberus at extremely high cost. He is currently awaiting pickup on Omega.
Acquisition[]
This mission is acquired automatically after adventuring through Freedom's Progress, provided you have the relevant DLC installed. In Mass Effect Legendary Edition it is included in the base game as with most of the trilogy's DLCs.
Walkthrough[]
Similar to Kasumi Goto's recruitment mission, this is a simple and effortless way to increase the number of your henchmen early. After some conversation you will gain Zaeed as a squad member regardless of your responses.
Upon docking on Omega, there is a yellow-armored guy standing in the alley a few meters from you, near the door that opens up to the plaza outside of Afterlife Club. That's Zaeed, who is brutalizing a batarian prisoner. Simply approaching them triggers a conversation, and there are morality points available at certain junctures. He has an unresolved mission the Illusive Man neglected to put on your dossier: Vido Santiago, the head of the Blue Suns, captured an Eldfell-Ashland Energy facility on Zorya. EAE hired Zaeed to deal with it, and Zaeed in turn would like your assistance on the matter.
At the end of the conversation, the prisoner tries to escape, though Zaeed shoots him in the leg. He will excuse himself to turn in this bounty, though he is already available as a squadmate and can be selected via squad member request.
Zaeed will be in the previously inaccessible Starboard Cargo Hold on the Engineering Deck of the Normandy SR-2. The mission Zaeed: The Price of Revenge, along with the Faia system of the Ismar Frontier cluster (and the Aquila system as well, if Firewalker Pack is not installed) will be unlocked after the completion of this mission.
Cut Content[]
An unused journal entry points to Zaeed being originally recruited on Korlus.[1] A leftover development note describes the mission in some detail: Shepard would have met Zaeed in a bar, and he would have asked for a million credits to hire him. He would suggest attacking the local mafia in the process of acquiring that money. After some heavy fighting and a city chase with the M35 Mako, Shepard would finally have reached the criminal hideout and threatened, bribed or kill the leader to open the payroll containers. Zaeed would have then agreed to join the crew.[2]