Guides / Mass Effect 1 (Legendary Edition)
Noveria: Port Hanshan & Peak 15
Shepard travels through the frozen corporate port of Port Hanshan and the isolated research complex Peak 15 on Noveria to pursue Matriarch Benezia, uncover secrets behind the Rachni, and secure the…
Getting there: From the Horse Head Nebula, travel to the Pax system and land on Noveria.
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Before you leave
- •8 missables here: what locks each one out is under it. See the checklist · All missables in Mass Effect 1
- •Boarding the passenger tram after finishing Benezia and the Hot Labs purge permanently locks out Peak 15 and Rift Station.
- •Hacking the security door near the assault drones turns Captain Ventralis, his guards, and Petozi permanently hostile.
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Items
0/10Route
7 steps- 1
Docking at Port Hanshan. Pass the Port Hanshan checkpoint and choose how to secure a garage pass from Anoleis or Parasini.
⚠ Agreeing to smuggle Opold's mod package directly to Anoleis immediately locks out Lorik Qui'in's quest line.
- 2
Synthetic Insights and the Garage Ambush. Retrieve Lorik's OSD at Synthetic Insights and defeat the geth and ERCS ambush inside the garage.
- 3
Aleutsk Valley Crossing. Drive the Mako through Aleutsk Valley, loot two upgrade lockers by the wreckage, and reach Peak 15.
⚠ Opening the pair of Upgrade Lockers requires Easy/Average Decryption and becomes permanently impossible once you take the passenger tram after clearing both Benezia and the Hot Labs.
- 4
Enter the Peak 15 Main Garage, loot the security office on your right for an Upg. Equip Inferno Rounds against Rachni and loot the security office containers inside the Peak 15 Garage.
⚠ Do not neglect the Peak 15 Garage security office containers, as boarding the tram after completing the Hot Labs Purge and defeating Benezia locks the area permanently.
- 5
The Hot Labs Purge. Ride the tram to the Hot Labs, get the purge codes from Tartakovsky, and escape the Rachni swarm.
⚠ Clearing the Hot Labs before finishing your objectives in Rift Station turns Captain Ventralis and all station personnel hostile immediately upon your return.
- 6
Infiltrating Rift Station. Synthesize a cure in the Quarantine Lab, get Cohen's passcard, and loot the maintenance catwalk.
⚠ Bypassing the locked security door near the assault drones on the Main Deck turns Ventralis, his guards, and vendor Petozi hostile, forfeiting Cohen's quest.
- 7
The Secure Lab and the Queen's Fate. Infiltrate the Secure Lab, defeat Matriarch Benezia, and decide the fate of the captive Rachni Queen.
⚠ Boarding the passenger tram after finishing Benezia and the Hot Labs purge irrevocably locks out all remaining missable containers in Rift Station and Peak 15.
Choices here
3| Choice | Options and what happens | Most players pick |
|---|---|---|
| Securing the Garage PassAfter Administrator Anoleis declines to issue a pass in Port Hanshan | Persuade Lorik Qui'in with Charm and hand over the OSD to Gianna Parasini: Parasini arrests Anoleis and gives you the pass (+24 Paragon)Persuade Lorik with Intimidate or sell the OSD directly to Anoleis: You secure the pass via blackmail (+24 Renegade)Reveal Parasini's investigation to Anoleis: Parasini and Anoleis shoot and kill each other, letting you take the pass from the deskBring Opold's smuggled cargo straight to Anoleis: Anoleis gives you the pass, but this locks you out of Lorik Qui'in's missionRequires 5 Charm or 5 Intimidate to convince Lorik to testify | Persuade Lorik Qui'in with Charm and hand over the OSD to Gianna Parasini |
| Entering the Secure LabWhen attempting to reach Matriarch Benezia inside Rift Station | Assist Dr. Zev Cohen by making the quarantine cure and defeating Alestia Iallis: Cohen rewards you with a maintenance passcard, letting you sneak into the lab without fighting the station staffForce open the secured door beside the assault drones: Captain Ventralis, his guards, and facility staff immediately turn hostile and must be eliminated, which locks out Dr. Cohen's mission and the merchant PetoziComplete the Hot Labs Neutron Purge before entering the Secure Lab: Ventralis and his security team turn hostile and ambush your squad the moment you return to Rift Station | Assist Dr. Zev Cohen by making the quarantine cure and defeating Alestia Iallis |
| The Rachni Queen's FateAfter overcoming Matriarch Benezia in the Secure Lab | Release the Rachni Queen: The acid release system is dismantled, freeing the Queen to flee into peaceful hiding (+24 Paragon), allowing her to reappear in Mass Effect 2 and 3 and supply workers to build the CrucibleExecute the Rachni Queen: The acid tanks are activated, dissolving the Queen and driving her kind extinct (+24 Renegade), causing an artificial "Breeder" queen to replace her in Mass Effect 3 | Release the Rachni Queen |
Key fights
6| Fight | Watch for | Weaknesses and resistances | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Synthetic Insights / GarageERCS Guards, Security Drones, Geth Troopers, Destroyers | Guards have Immunity; Destroyers charge for melee damage.Tactics: Use Overload on shields and Lift/Singularity to disable Charging Destroyers. | ||
| Aleutsk ValleyGeth Armature, Rocket Troopers, Snipers, Heavy Turrets | Rocket Troopers deal high burst damage; Armatures can disable the Mako with charged siege rounds.Tactics: Utilize the Mako's 155mm cannon and machine gun at long range. Use the Mako's jump jets to dodge incoming plasma orbs. | ||
| Peak 15 Central & RoofRachni Workers, Rachni Soldiers, Geth Stalkers | Rachni Workers suicide-explode dealing toxic splash damage; Soldiers spit acidic projectiles through cover.Tactics: Bring incendiary ammunition (Inferno Rounds). Pull or Throw Stalkers off walls. | ||
| Quarantine LabAlestia Iallis (Asari Commando), 1 Commando, 2 Geth Troopers | Biotic Warp and Throw can knock Shepard out of cover.Tactics: Target Alestia immediately with Damping or biotic CC (Singularity/Stasis) before she casts barriers. | ||
| The Hot LabsEndless Rachni Swarm, Rachni Brood Warriors | Tight corridors, high spawn density, overwhelming melee rush.Tactics: Do not linger after arming the purge. Throw grenades/crowd-control biotics to slow the swarm and sprint directly to the elevator. | ||
| Secure Lab (Matriarch Benezia)Matriarch Benezia, Asari Commandos, Geth Snipers & Troopers | Benezia unleashes unavoidable room-wide biotic shockwaves that knock Shepard down; Commandos flank aggressively; Benezia is immune while channeling between phases.Tactics: Take high cover behind pillars. Eliminate incoming waves of Asari Commandos first. Focus fire on Benezia when her barriers drop. |
Shops and people
| Shops and people | Sells |
|---|---|
| Petozi Not yet confirmed | Hanar merchant in Port Hanshan selling general gear, weapon upgrades, armor, and omni-tools. |
| Opold Not yet confirmed | Hanar merchant in Port Hanshan who sells equipment and offers an illicit smuggling assignment for an illegal weapon mod. |
Peak 15
- Peak 15 is an isolated corporate research facility on Noveria where Binary Helix conducted unauthorized biological experiments. Shepard must explore the freezing complex to restore main power, thaw the primary core, and reboot the virtual intelligence Mira. Completing these tasks unlocks access to the tram car leading to the Rift Station laboratories.
Hot Labs
- The Hot Labs are an isolated sublevel within Peak 15 where dangerous Rachni containment and research occurred. Commander Shepard visits this area to eradicate the facility's runaway Rachni infestation by initiating the station's neutron purge. To complete the area, you must talk to Yaroslav Tartakovsky for the purge code, activate the terminal, and escape back to the elevator before the countdown timer expires.
Enemies
| Enemies | Weak to | Steal / drop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geth Trooper | Common synthetic infantry deployed throughout the garage and Peak 15. | ||
| Geth Armature | Armored synthetic platform encountered in the garage and along the mountain pass. | ||
| Geth Rocket Trooper | Infantry capable of dealing massive burst damage from long range with rocket launchers. | ||
| Rachni Worker | Small, suicidal insects that sprint toward the squad and explode, dealing toxic damage. | ||
| Rachni Soldier | Heavy ranged attackers that spit highly corrosive acid and possess strong shields. | ||
| Matriarch Benezia | Asari boss who casts powerful biotic attacks and summons multiple waves of Geth and Asari Commandos. | ||
| Asari Commando | Elite biotic shock troops fighting alongside Matriarch Benezia. | ||
| Geth Juggernaut | Heavily armored synthetic unit guarding access routes to the Mira Core. | ||
| Rachni Brood Warrior | Extremely resilient variant capable of heavy acid bombardment and knocking down squadmates. | ||
| ERCS Guard | Facility security guards that turn hostile if you access the restricted hot labs without permission or enter the secure maintenance shaft. |
Tips
- •Bring Liara T'Soni in your squad for unique and emotionally resonant dialogue during the confrontation with Matriarch Benezia.
- •In the Peak 15 Mira Core puzzle, you must transfer data blocks between three pillars; the classic Tower of Hanoi solution requires moving the blocks one at a time so that a larger block is never placed on top of a smaller one.
- •Using Incendiary Ammo against Rachni prevents them from regenerating health and quickly dispatches their armor.
- •Do not exit the Mako during the exterior bridge drive up to Peak 15, as extreme cold hazards will rapidly deplete Shepard's hazard meter and health.
- •As soon as you key in the neutron purge codes at the terminal, sprint directly to the elevator while ignoring or disabling enemies to safely beat the countdown timer.
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The full walkthrough text
Shepard travels through the frozen corporate port of Port Hanshan and the isolated research complex Peak 15 on Noveria to pursue Matriarch Benezia, uncover secrets behind the Rachni, and secure the coordinates to the Mu Relay.
1. Docking at Port Hanshan
When you arrive at the Port Hanshan Docking Bay in the Pax system, pass through the security checkpoint standoff with ERCS guards to reach the Plaza and Mezzanine. Administrator Anoleis will refuse to grant you a garage pass, requiring you to speak with Gianna Parasini and choose between pursuing Lorik Qui'in's evidence, running contraband for Opold, or exposing Parasini. Speak to mechanic Lilihierax on your way around the hub to gather crucial intelligence regarding Peak 15 before you depart.
Tip: Talk to Gianna Parasini after speaking with Lorik Qui'in to pursue the Paragon route for maximum morality rewards.
2. Synthetic Insights and the Garage Ambush
Ascend to the Synthetic Insights Office to retrieve Lorik's OSD, battling corrupt ERCS guards who pop Immunity along the way. After handing over the evidence or resolving the pass with Anoleis, proceed to the Port Hanshan Garage to present your credentials. Clear the ambush of Geth Troopers, Destroyers, and ERCS personnel inside the staging area, using biotics to disable charging melee units before boarding the Mako.
Tip: Strip defensive barriers on the guards with Overload, and immediately cast Lift or Singularity on charging Geth Destroyers.
3. Aleutsk Valley Crossing
Drive the Mako through the mountain passes of Aleutsk Valley while engaging Geth Armatures, Rocket Troopers, Snipers, and Heavy Turrets at long distance. Pull over along the road near the burning Grizzly transport to decrypt two Upgrade Lockers sitting near the wreckage. Continue following the mountain route until you arrive at the fortified entrance of Peak 15.
Tip: Fire the Mako's 155mm cannon and machine gun from extreme range, and tap your jump jets to leap over incoming Armature siege blasts.
4. Enter the Peak 15 Main Garage, loot the security office on your right for an Upg
tip: Equip Inferno Rounds on your squad's weapons, as Rachni suffer massive bonus damage from heat effects.
Tip: Equip Inferno Rounds on your squad's weapons, as Rachni suffer massive bonus damage from heat effects.
5. The Hot Labs Purge
Cleanse the contamination locks in the upper floor Decontamination Chamber, head to the Tram Terminal, and ride the tram down to the Hot Labs. Speak with Yaroslev Tartakovsky to obtain the purge authorization codes, but be ready when he is killed by Rachni immediately before you input them at the terminal. Initiate the Neutron Purge via Mira, then sprint past the endless Rachni swarm toward the elevator before the countdown expires.
Tip: Deploy crowd-control biotics or toss grenades into choke points to stagger the rushing brood while you sprint for the elevator without stopping to fight.
6. Infiltrating Rift Station
Ride the tram to Rift Station and meet Captain Ventralis on the Main Deck, browse gear from the merchant Petozi, and consult Dr. Zev Cohen in the Med Bay regarding poisoned personnel. Gain access to the Quarantine Lab to synthesize a cure, take down Alestia Iallis and her synthetic escorts, and access the back terminal to download the Species Codex: Thresher Maws. Hand the synthesized medicine to Cohen to receive a maintenance passcard, then proceed past Han Olar down the catwalk to grab a Hidden Upgrade Kit and Storage Crate.
Tip: Cast Damping, Singularity, or Stasis immediately on Alestia Iallis to prevent her from throwing biotics or establishing barriers.
7. The Secure Lab and the Queen's Fate
Use the maintenance tunnel passcard to bypass Ventralis's perimeter peacefully and infiltrate the Secure Lab to confront Matriarch Benezia. Take high cover behind the structural pillars, eliminate incoming waves of Asari Commandos and Geth, and focus your squad's heavy firepower on Benezia whenever her defensive warding drops. Once Benezia falls, address the captured Rachni Queen speaking through a commando and decide whether to melt her with the acid controls or set her free.
Tip: Remain tucked behind reinforced pillars to avoid Benezia's room-wide biotic shockwaves, and wipe out flanking commandos before targeting the boss.
The short version
What matters
- Manually solving the Tower of Hanoi puzzle at the Mira Core grants bonus experience without consuming 100 Omni-Gel.
- Synthesizing the quarantine cure for Dr. Zev Cohen rewards a maintenance passcard that lets you flank peacefully into the Secure Lab without alerting ERCS security.
- Sparing the Rachni Queen awards +24 Paragon points and secures future engineering support, while killing her yields +24 Renegade points.
Common mistakes
- Triggering the Hot Labs Neutron Purge before visiting the Secure Lab; this sequence break immediately turns Captain Ventralis, his guards, and Petozi permanently hostile.
- Giving Opold's smuggled parcel directly to Administrator Anoleis; this circumvents the investigation and locks you out of Lorik Qui'in's entire questline.
- Boarding the return tram after finishing both Benezia and the Hot Labs purge; doing so locks Peak 15 and Rift Station, permanently cutting off all uncollected upgrade crates and the Thresher Maws codex.
What you can skip
- You can bypass manually fighting the entire Rift Station security force by getting Cohen's passcard instead of hacking the Main Deck drone security door.
- Spending 100 Omni-Gel at the Mira Core can be skipped entirely by manually entering the column transfer sequence.
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