Landing on Kadara¶

When you’re ready to move on with the story, fast travel to the Govorkam system, where you’ll find the planet of Kadara. Land on the planet, and during landing operations Evfra will kindly inform you that there’s been some developments concerning the Resistance traitor, and that you’re to meet an agent named Shena at Kralla’s Song. When you land, you’ll admire the exile’s flair for decoration before Drack and Vetra leave to tend to their own business. Best not to ask.

There are, of course, new quests to pick up (or at least, there will be shortly), and generally there’s much to see and do in Kadara Port and the badlands outside of the limits of what passes for civilization on Kadara. Standard operating procedures apply for this area, though; first let’s tend to story, stopping to only point out basic features of the area(s) you’re traveling through, and after your business on Kadara is done you can come back and finish up outstanding quests at your leisure.

When you’re back in control of Ryder, turn east and go through a door, then turn south and go down some stairs and scan a unit of Adapted Initiative Core Tech (worth 100 Milky Way Research Data points) below the stairs. To the west you can find Liam and a Transit Console, the later of which can be used to return to the Tempest. You shouldn’t have any need to leave Kadara just yet, however, so instead go through a door to the north, turn west and scan another Adapted Initiative Core Tech device under some stairs.

Turn east from these stairs to find a group of Outcast Guards - Sloane’s goons - assaulting some Kadaran citizens. Talk to one of the guards to learn a bit about the power structure of Kadara port, which on the surface seems like nothing more than a haven for smugglers and a venue for Sloane’s protection racket. Milky Way species are new to Andromeda, and one of their first, dubious “achievements” is organized crime.

Krallas Song¶

Go through the door to the east to reach Kralla’s Song, then turn north to find some stairs. Ignore them momentarily and talk to a Collective Recruiter to learn that Sloane’s Outcasts aren’t the only active, armed faction on Kadara. Despite the “professional mercenary of dubious morality” vibe the Salarian lends to the group, however, ambient chatter suggests this Charlatan might not be the lesser of two evils.

Head down the stairs and make your way to the bar, where you’ll get the “Wait for Contact” prompt. Shortly a man named Reyes Vidal will show up and offer you a drink, after which he’ll tell you the score about Vehn Terev, the precarious situation he’s in, and Sloane Kelly’s plans for him. He seems to have an anti-Sloane attitude, and suggests working another angle should Sloane not hand over the treacherous Angaran. He also sticks you with the bill. Rude!

However you respond to him, it’s currently inconsequential, as you’ll end up having to meet face-to-face with Sloane Kelly either way. Talk to the bartender, Umi Henon, to learn about the conflict between the Outcasts and the Collective, or rather, between Sloane Kelly and the Charlatan. Seems Kadara’s fate is to be controlled by an murderous warlord, it’s just a matter of flavor. Certainly this struggle will involve you if you plan to stay on Kadara for any length of time… perhaps even set up an outpost?

Kadara Market¶

That’s all in the future, though. For now leave the bar and return to the Kadara Market. To the north you’ll find the actual merchants that make this place… well, a market. There’s a Mods Merchant you can buy a staggering variety of mods from, and and Armor Merchant and Arms dealer, both with much less impressive stocks. Peruse their wares if you wish, then head to the northern end of the market to find the entrance to the Outcast Headquarters. Turn west down an alley and scan a third Adapted Initiative Core Tech device, then return to - and enter - the Outcast Headquarters complex.

Outcast Headquarters¶

Make your way northeast, the north down some stairs and go through another door to get your audience with Sloane Kelly, which she starts out by pretending to maneuver units on a hologram. Because she’s supposed to be a military leader, see. When she asks you why you’re interested in Vehn Terev, and your response actually matters… at least in the short term.

If you pick the option “None of your business” you’ll be threatened by a Turian goon with a gun, who doesn’t seem to realize it’s a ranged weapon. You’ll get a chance to perform an [R2]/[RT] interrupt, which will allow you to leave with a little more dignity, but either way, you end outside, dependent upon Reyes Vidal to complete your mission.

If you pick the option “I’ll be honest with you” she’ll make an offer that’ll get you the intel you want, and allow her to use the Angaran traitor for her own… public relations, as well. Obviously the Resistance might not be too happy that they won’t get their hands on him, but if you argue the point, you’ll get kicked out and have to deal with Reyes. On the other hand, if you agree to Sloane’s terms you’ll be able to go see Vehn Terev and get the intel you need. Just head south through the door you find yourself near, then turn west down a hallway to reach a room just outside of the prison cells. Go through a door to the east to find a Kett Fighter Model on a crate, then go through a door to the west to reach the prison.

If you were kicked out of your meeting with Sloane - however you managed it - return to Kadara Market to find Reyes near the Arms Dealer. He’s been busy, and unlike you, his efforts have borne fruit. He’ll give you directions - and a device - after which you’ll need to head west around the Arms Dealer and Armor Merchant’s stall, then turn north and interact with a console to reveal a maintenance shaft, Reyes’ workaround. Head down some stairs, interact with another console, go up some more stairs, then continue through a door to the north to find Vehn Terev in his cell.

However you managed to get here, talk to Vehn Terev and he’ll tell you that he can’t tell you what you want to know, but he’ll tell you where to find a Transponder from which you can glean the information you need. Afterwards, leave him to his fate, whatever it may be, after which he’ll try to assuage his guilty conscience by telling you why he betrayed the Moshae. Listen to his excuses or not, either way, your business lies in the badlands now.

To the Badlands¶

Make your way back out to Kadara Market to find that the place is somewhat more busy now than it was before. There are two new quests you can pick up, in fact, you can’t avoid one of them. As you head south through the market you’ll find a murdered Angara, which SAM will suggest scanning. This starts the quest “Murder in Kadara Port”. Ignore this quest for now and continue through a door to the south, then turn west to find a Transit Console, which will now also take you down to the Slum - your gateway to the Badlands.

Ride down to the Slums (adjusting your loadout along the way, as necessary), then continue north through the slums. Yes, there are more quests you can pick up here, and another, seedier, watering hole you can check out, but there’s no need to bother with that, yet. Instead head into the Warden’s office to the north and talk to the Warden, who will give you some info on the badlands. Once done, exit the office and head north to reach a Forward Station - your first on Kadara. Call in the Nomad and SAM will give you more in-depth information on Kadara; dangerous exiles and toxic water being the highlights.

Digging for Answers¶

Finally, after all that subterfuge and diplomacy you’re back where you belong - in your hardsuit, weapons handy, a hostile world waiting to be explored and tamed! Of course, the goal of this trek is to simply reach the navpoint you got from Vehn Terev, and that’s going to require a bit of driving. Along the way you may encounter the odd Raider (Outcast or Collective) you’ll have to fight and Mining Zones you can exploit.

Let’s get on with it, then. Drive west from the Forward Station to find a road, then follow it downhill to the north to find a fork, at which turn west and follow the road a short distance to encounter your first Mining Zone. On Kadara you’ll find Beryllium, Aluminum, Copper and Titanium, of which only the last one is particularly valuable.

Continue following the road as it turns uphill to the north, northwest, then west and eventually it’ll lead you past a Raider camp. Either drive past (quick-like) or dismount and put them down. Like on Voeld, these enemies will respawn given time and distance, so you really shouldn’t worry about messing anything up by killing them. Also like on Voeld at these unmarked camps you’ll randomly find quest-related items like Weapons Caches and Datapads, which you’ll have to find a number of to complete quests like “Task: Cold Hard Cache” and “Task: Kadara’s Ransom”.

Keep driving northwest until you spot another Raider camp (where you’ll likely find your first Datapad), then keep driving until you find a fork in the road near (south of) a Remnant structure. Stick to the western path and follow it as it turns south and note another Raider camp west of the road. This one is complicated a bit by the wildlife that may pester you along the road to the north, but of the three camps you’ve dealt with so far, this is the easiest to just drive past.

Drive south from this third camp and make your way uphill, where you’ll find another fork as you crest the hill. Turn down the southwestern branch and as you pass through some toxic springs you’ll be threatened by somebody named Kalja. Park the Nomad and head into a shelter east of the road to find this Kalja - an Angaran who is helping native Angarans weather both the Kett and the outcasts on Kadara. Exhaust her dialogue options, if you wish, then loot some containers nearby. This entire encounter is worth some XP, but is otherwise inconsequential.

Return to the Nomad and continue driving southwest then west until you reach a fork in the road, where you’ll be able to deploy another Forward Station. There’s also a second Mining Zone whose on-map icon is centered just to the east of the second Forward Station, should you wish to exploit the minerals in the area. Mine, rest up, resupply, then drive through some toxic springs to the northwest. When you reach a fork, turn northeast, then east and pass through a potential outpost site. Continue east and head up a hill to reach some structures, near which you should dismount and head to the northwestern-most of the structures to find the Kett Transponder under some stairs.

Pick up the device to learn that it’s going to need some attention from Gil to get it up and running though. Good thing the Tempest has some USB Micro cords you can use to charge the thing back up! Simply hold down the [Triangle]/[Y] button to get an extraction (or fast travel to the first Forward Station and walk through Kadara Port, if you must).

Tempest After Kadara¶

When you arrive back on the Tempest you’ll find yourself in a meeting, apparently called by Drack. Seems there some tension in the Krogan colony on Elaaden, which, well… Krogan are just one of those things that you’d best keep an eye on, and if Drack knows one thing well, it’s Krogan. This starts the quest “Elaaden: A New World”. That’s not all, however, as both Peebee and Vetra will express interest in the Remav System, the site of the supposed Turian golden world. Given past experience with “golden worlds”, one has to doubt you’ll find anything promising there, and Jaal’s knowledge of the system doesn’t leave much room for optimism. In any event, this starts the quest “H-04c: A New World”.

In addition to all that, you can check your Email Terminal to pick up even more quests. The message “Sid” will start “Vetra Nyx: Means and Ends”, while the message “Something Suspicious” will start the quest “Life on the Frontier”. That family is nothing but bother. The message “[Error 982: Carrier Signal Interrupted!] - Invitation” is the response you were waiting for from the mysterious “Knight” character, which will resume the quest “The Firefighters”. The message “Please See Me” will start the quest “Contagion”, while the message “Aya Diplomatic Efforts” will start “Task: The Angaran Initiative”. Finally, if you’ve been keeping up with Keri T’Vessa she’ll send you the message “Another Interview?”, restarting the quest “Task: Path of a Hero”.

And now, before you bother Gil with the difficult task of charging a tablet’s battery, best see to your crew. You know how this goes - another leg of the main story completed, more drama aboard the Tempest. If it hasn’t happened already, a confrontation between Gil and Kallo will probably ensue, and/or perhaps the follow up, where Kallo asks for research room access and your help in a matter, which helps smooth over his quarrel with Gil.

Other significant encounters include Jaal, who is in a fit of nervous gift-preparation and suffering a bit of a crisis of confidence. If you talk to Vetra in the Armory you’ll simply advance the quest “Vetra Nyx: Means and Ends”, whether you’ve read the aforementioned email or not. Talk to Vetra again and you’ll start a new leg of the quest “Movie Night”, specifically “Movie Night: Better Snacks”. Finally, talking to Drack will start the quest “The Visitor”.

You’ll get around to dealing with those light Nexus quests in a bit, but first, go talk to Gil in Engineering. He’ll get it up and running, and after a bit of a scare, SAM will point you towards the Tafeno system. That done, you’re ready to confront the Archon on his own ship… but before that, the entire planet of Kadara can be quested, explored and terraformed, if you’re not tired from similar diversions on Eos, Voeld and Havarl. If that’s your intent, check out the chapter dedicated to Kadara. Otherwise, there are two quick Tempest quests you can knock out, along with more busy-work on the Nexus, which will be covered on the next few pages. If you can’t be bothered, skip ahead to “Hunting the Archon - The Archon’s Flagship”.

It’s also worth noting that your visit to Kadara will have opened up several new systems for exploration, including the Remav system (where H-047c can be found), the Hefena system, the Vaalon system, the Solminae system, the Anasa system, the Zaubray system (where you’ll find Elaaden), the Tecunis system and, of course, the Tefeno system (where the quest “Hunting the Archon” takes place). If you want to stock up on minerals, salvage and a bit of XP… well, check out what you can find in these areas in the “Space Exploration” section of the guide.