You’ll reach the Rift Station on Noveria after escaping from Port Hanshan, after which youll need to make your way to - and through - the Peak 15 facility.

Noveria: Rift Station Main Level¶

After riding the tram from Peak 15 to the Rift Station, make your way forward (north) and turn left (west) through a doorway to find two doors to the south, one of which is sealed, the other is not. Makes things simple, no? Go through the door to the right and ride up the elevator beyond to reach the main floor level of Rift Station, then press on to the north to find some survivors.

Fortunately these survivors - armed survivors - realize you’ve got the appropriate number of limbs and stand down. Talk to their leader, Captain Ventralis, and exhaust his dialog options to get some details on the situation and area. During the first several responses (before “Investigate” pops up) stick to the Paragon or Renegade options to score Paragon +2 or Renegade +2, respectively.

Otherwise, the only noteworthy dialog option here is a Charm/Intimidate choice that’ll pop up after you pick “Investigate”, “This facility” and “How secure are you?”. Selecting either the Charm or Intimidate (requires Charm 3 or Intimidate 3) option will get you information on the security hub, which may prove useful later.

After you’re done talking with Captain Ventralis, you’ll be ambushed by two Rachni Soldiers. Put them down and after the fight respond to Captain Ventralis with “No problem.” for Paragon +2. The Renegade response doesn’t reward you with any points here.

Noveria: Rift Station - Survivor’s Holdout¶

Press on through several doors past the security checkpoint to reach a large room where the rest of the survivors are gathered. Discussed below are the noteworthy loot and characters in this area:

• In the Guard Barracks to the right (east) you can find a Weapon Locker [Easy] and a Storage Locker [Easy].

• Petozi, an elcor, will serve as a merchant. Talking to him can score you a Codex Entry.

• Dr. Palon will refer you to Han Olar. You can loot a Medical Kit on the table nearby.

There are three doors to the left (western end of the room), the northern-most of which leads to the security hub you may have learned about while talking to Captain Ventralis. Alas, it’s sealed off, and while the door is a mere [Easy] Decryption, hacking it will turn all the ERCS guards in the facility hostile. Good for squeezing out some extra XP, but if your goal is to progress, it’s probably more trouble than it’s worth.

Noveria: Rift Station - Medical Bay¶

Fortunately, there’s another way to get into the Secure Labs. Head down the middle door to the west to reach the Medical Bay and talk to Zev Cohen. Respond however you wish during the first dialog option (which is inconsequential) after which pick “Are these people sick?” followed by “I could help.”, then breeze through a response regarding Mira (also inconsequential) and you’ll reach a Charm / Intimidate option. Picking either one (requires Charm 7 or Intimidate 7) will get you information on the toxin that has afflicted Zev’s charges, but gaining this info doesn’t seem to affect matters much.

Return to Captain Ventralis and tell him “I want to help Dr. Cohen.” and he’ll capitulate without much fuss, albeit perhaps with an unwelcome condition. With that step out of the way, return to the survivor’s holdout and go through the southernmost door to the west to reach the Scientist Barracks / Quarantine Lab.

Noveria: Rift Station - Scientist Barracks / Quarantine Lab¶

In the Scientist Barracks you’ll find Han Olar, a volus who is only too ready to talk about what he survived… much to the chagrin of the other scientists in the area. Exhaust his dialog options if you wish, when loot a Storage Locker [Easy] and an Aid Station before heading upstairs to find a turian ERCS Guard near the door to the Quarantine Lab. Talk to him to gain access, then head inside.

Search the side rooms to find a Medical Kit and a Secure Storage Locker [Average], then loot a Locked Crate [Easy] in the main room before turning your attention to a desk. Examine some Research Notes to learn that you’ll have to “mix four chemicals in precise order” to make the toxin cure. Use the nearby Make Cure machine and you’ll find that this scientific process takes the form of a mini game where you have to press the correct button when a progress bar fills to an area between two arrows. You’ve got an unlimited number of tries, so it should just be a matter of time until you concoct the cure… although the minigame’s not all that difficult.

Once you’re done dabbling in the pharmaceutical trade, Alestia - an asari scientist from the survivor holdout - will show up, flanked by geth. She’s not here to make nice. Hit her and her Asari Commando companion with Damping to hinder their biotics, then gun down the two asari and the geth. Leave the Quarantine Lab - the asari traitors took care of the door guard for you - and Han Olar will tell you the asari emerged from the maintenance area through the door to the west. If an Asari Commando and some geth can get through there, so can you, and it’ll lead you to the Secure Lab. The volus will also tell you that team leads - like Cohen - should have a pass that opens the door.

Good to know.

Speaking of Zev Cohen, return to the Medical Bay and talk to him. He’ll hand over his maintenance pass if you merely ask for it and he’ll reward you for bringing him a cure. If the mission XP and Paragon +24 isn’t enough, however, you can try to score a larger reward out of him with a Charm (4) or Intimidate (7) check, both of which score some extra Medi-Gel for what that’s worth.

Return to the Scientist Barracks / Quarantine Lab area and go through the door to the west, then press on north to reach the Maintenance Area.

Noveria: Rift Station Lower Level - Maintenance Area¶

The doors open up into a natural cavern, surprisingly guarded by only one Rachni Soldier. Kill it, then go through a door to reach the “Ventilation Room”, where you’ll find a Secure Storage Locker [Average]. Pass through a door to the south and when you reach a fork, continue east into a small room housing a Technician Kit and an Upgrade Kit. If you enter the elevator to the north you’ll appear past (north of) the security hub on the main level, which will turn all the ERCS Guards hostile to you.

It’s much easier to take out the ERCS Guards from this direction (mostly because you’re not stuck between two Assault Drones at the start of the fight), but unless you’re just itching for XP and loot, it’s hard to recommend bothering.

Instead, after you loot the aforementioned room, backtrack and go through the door to the south to reach the Secure Labs.

Boss: Benezia¶

When you enter the Secure Labs, you’ll meet Benezia, who wastes a bit of time talking about motherhood (or at least, her twisted vision of it) before finally engaging in violence.

The first phase of the fight has Benezia involved as mostly a passive participant; she’ll start out by using her biotics to put the party in stasis while her troops enter, after which she’ll be safe behind a shield as long as her “Power Level” meter is filled. In the meantime you’ll have to dispatch the goons she sics on you, which include:

• Asasri Commandos
• Asari Commandos, Geth Troopers, Geth Snipers
• Geth Destroyer, Geth Shock Troopers, Geth Snipers

You’ll get a scene every time a new wave is summoned (which occurs when you reduce the previous wave sufficiently) at which point Benezia’s “Power Level” will decrease.

Hit the Asari Commandos with Damping and Sabotage to prevent them from using biotics and reduce their damage output, respectively. If they start getting too aggressive or flanking, use biotics like Throw, Lift and Singularity to debilitate them. Bonus points if the biotics knock them off a walkway, which will instantly kill them.

When the geth start appearing, focus on the Snipers preferentially if you have any means of getting to them. Sabotage will keep them from sniping you long enough to pick them off, while Overload and biotics can be used to dish out damage keep them off-balance, respectively. The Geth Destroyer will likely need special attention from your biotics to keep him off of you.

Dispatch all three waves and Benezia will come to her senses long enough to drop some intel, after which she’ll lose control and attack. Benezia is a dangerous combatant, and you’re better off focusing all your firepower on her. When the fight starts, command all your companions to attack and hit her with Damping, Sabotage and Lift to quickly take her down. If she’s able to know down Shepard with her own biotics and go to work with her pistol, there’s a good chance you’re not getting up. Turnabout is fair play.

Choice: The Rachni Queen¶

Now for one of the important choices in the game: Approach the tank with the large rachni inside and it’ll take control of a dead asari and use it to speak through. What is it with aliens using asari as their mouthpieces? Not a good look.

Advance the dialog and the Rachni Queen will make excuses for the actions of her children, even going so far as to ask you to kill them. Before you can get to that, however, you need to make a decision on the Rachni Queen herself. Respond with “I won’t kill you.” or “I’ll free you.” to spare the Rachni Queen (Paragon +24) or say “You die here, by my hand.” for Renegade +25. The long-term ramifications are covered in more detail on the page {Kill or Spare the Rachni Queen](https://www.gamerguides.com/mass-effect-1-legendary-edition/guide/choices/noveria/kill-or-spare-the-rachni-queen).

Make what choice you will, then exit through several doors to the south to return to the tram platform. Before you leave, however, there’s one thing left to do. Turn right (west) through a doorway, then south to note that the left (eastern) elevator is now active. Save your game, then ride it up to the Hot Labs.

Noveria: Rift Station - Hot Labs¶

This elevator became active earlier, sometime when you were exploring the upper labs, but there wasn’t a good reason to double back before. Now, however, you might as well finish it off before you leave. When the elevator arrives, exit and talk to Yaroslev Tartakovsky, who will tell you about the neutron purge and the need to activate it to kill the mindless rachni still lurking around the station.

Exhaust his dialog options and when it gets down to brass tacks, pick the option “Just tell me how.”. Taroslev won’t be able to finish his instructions, but he does make it perfectly clear why these rachni have got to go. Put down the Rachni Soldier that attacks, then loot Yaroslev’s body for the Purge Codes. With these in hand, head into the room to the north, interact with a Mira Terminal, and pick the options “Initiate the neutron purge.” followed by “I have the code.”. Nice Army of Darkness reference if you pick [Mumble something], though.

You now have two minutes to get back to the elevator, a task complicated by a small horde of rachni that now infest the room where you talked to Yaroslev. No time to waste, especially on higher difficulties; we suggest using biotics like Lift or Singularity to clear the door, followed by Immunity to protect yourself as much as possible (if you have it), then making a run for the elevator. Grenades might also work to clear the way, especially if they’re equipped with High Explosive mods.

Once you’re riding the elevator down, you’re safe… and better yet, done with Noveria. All you have to do now is ride the tram out and you’ll be back on the Normandy.

For completing the mission on Noveria you’ll earn the Honorarium of Corporate Service achievement.