With the galaxy in peril, the Mass Effect franchise upped the stakes immensely in the third game. Not only was Commander Shepard forced to find a way to stop the Reapers, but they also had to foster alliances between aliens who had been battling each other for over a thousand years. Throw a Cerberus threat into the mix, and it’s a small wonder Shepard even had time to save the Milky Way from the real threat promising to wipe them all out.
When approaching to dock at the Citadel after securing an alliance between the Turians and Krogan, the Normandy was met with silence. It wasn’t long before Thane Krios/Captain Kirrihe came over the comm to inform Shepard of a Cerberus coup to seize power on the Citadel by eliminating the Council. From there, Shepard and crew drop down just outside C-Sec in the middle of the attack to restore order and reach the Council before it’s too late.
Mission: Get to Bailey
Dropped outside of C-Sec Headquarters, Shepard and their squad must fight through numerous Cerberus enemies, including Troopers, Centurions and Combat Engineers setting up turrets to create more chaos. Head straight down the main path, and take out the turret before picking off Cerberus agents and advancing toward the platform outside C-Sec. Approach Commander Bailey, who is on the ground near the door, wounded. Prepare to eliminate the Troopers that drop down to stop Shepard from saving him. Once they’ve been dispatched, grab the medi-gel from the medical station and talk to Bailey.
Bailey fills Shepard in, then they go inside Headquarters so he can reroute communications to his surviving men and try to get the station under control. Bailey discovers the Salarian Councilor on the monitors. He’s hiding in the executor’s office, and both Thane/Kirrihe and Shepard agree to get to the councilor as quickly as possible. Bailey will be on the comm along the way, keeping Shepard up to date as they battle through C-Sec to get to the councilor.
Mission: Get to the Salarian Councilor
On the other side of the doors outside Bailey’s office, there are two Cerberus Troopers. Take them out before they know what hit them, then advance into the area as two Guardians and an Engineer rush down the stairs. Eliminate them and go up the stairs to find an Assault Rifle Piercing mod, a med-kit and a terminal. Two rounds of Troopers drop down from above, and after wiping them out, examine the dead C-Sec officer to discover it was an inside job. Bypass the door and take out the Guardian, then move forward to pick off the Centurions just out of view on the left and an Engineer on the right platform. Grab the Recon Hood, then head into the bathroom to pick up M-76 Revenant and a locker worth 6,250 credits. Hit the medical station on the wall before exiting.
Head down the hallway and take out the Cerberus Engineer hacking the elevator on the other side of the glass. Hop over to pick up the Sniper Rifle Extended Barrel, then activate the elevator control if it wasn’t damaged in the fight. Take the elevator and move through the offices, picking up Pistol Piercing Mod and a terminal with Bailey’s personal log. In the center hall, pick up the M-25 Hornet and enter the small room next to the malfunctioning door to grab a Securitel Helmet and Pistol High-Caliber Barrel. Then, access the terminal for the door control and open the malfunctioning door. Inside, there’s a datapad about a weapons smuggler and the weapon in question — the M358 Talon. Go back to the door control and access the terminal there for 6,250 credits.
Go into the café area and take out the waves of Cerberus agents before picking up the Sniper Rifle Piercing Mod and two med-kits from the kitchen and 6,250 credits along the back wall. Head up the stairs on the left to enter the Executor’s office. This triggers a cutscene that shows the Salarian councilor in hiding, but Cerberus assassin Kai Leng is already there. Shepard warns Leng, but battle ensues. Thane will join the fray if he is there, but if not, Captain Kirrihe will battle Leng. If neither Thane or Kirrihe is there, the Councilor will die at Leng’s hand.
Thane/Kirrihe is injured in the fight, and Leng escapes without injuring the Councilor. Shepard must pursue him to reach the rest of the Council after learning that Udina is a traitor. He’s planning to sell the Council out to Cerberus, and he’s currently leading the rest of them to their death. Bailey sends a car so Shepard can stop the attack, but the following ride is perilous.
Mission: Save the Council
Pursuing Kai Leng through the Presidium Commons results in Shepard’s C-Sec car crashing on the Presidium. They will have to take the journey to the elevators on foot, battling through Cerberus Troopers, Nemeses and Phantoms. Phantoms are incredibly dangerous, as they move quickly and protect themselves with biotic barriers. Head up the stairs and attack Cerberus from behind to gain the upper hand, battling through until leaping across into a new area.
Use the back alleys to reach Shalmar Plaza, where an ATLAS mech is terrorizing people. Take out the mech, then run up the stairs toward the elevator. A short cutscene shows Kai Leng and his thugs disappearing into an elevator before Shepard can stop them. A squadmate will pry the doors open, and Bailey sends a car the squad will have to ride atop to try and take out Leng’s car before reaching the roof.
There are conduits on the bottom of the elevator cars that can be taken out to slow Leng and Cerberus down, and Shepard will need to fight through Phantoms and Troopers. Arriving on the roof, Udina and the Council will be protected by Shepard’s former Alliance squadmate, Kaidan or Ashley. There is a Paragon interrupt that can help calm emotions and stabilize the situation, but whether or not that works is dependent on Shepard’s interactions with Kaidan/Ashley leading up to this event.
If Shepard took time to reestablish trust and friendship with them, Humanity’s second Spectre will be more willing to listen; if they were confrontational, aloof and uncaring after the squadmate was injured facing Dr. Eva Core on Mars, things can quickly get out of hand, resulting in Shepard (or Garrus if he’s in the party) having to shoot their former squadmate to get to Udina.
Bailey and C-Sec arrive via the elevator after Udina has been dealt with, confirming Shepard’s claims about Udina’s activity and ties to Cerberus. This helps bring the Council around to finally lending their race’s support for Earth and building the Crucible. Kaidan/Ashley (if they survived the encounter) will be waiting in the Docking Bay outside the Normandy to discuss what happened and potentially rejoining the Normandy’s crew to fight the Reapers.
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