Guides / Mass Effect 1 (Legendary Edition)
The Citadel: Expose Saren
Following the Eden Prime mission, Commander Shepard investigates the rogue Spectre Saren across the Citadel's Presidium and Wards to secure evidence for the Citadel Council and achieve Spectre status.
Getting there: Arrive aboard the SSV Normandy SR-1 immediately following the Prologue on Eden Prime.
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Before you leave
- •If Wrex is in your active squad, he executes Fist immediately once Fist yields.
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Items
0/4Route
6 steps- 1
Human Embassy and Citadel Tower. Present charges against Saren at Citadel Tower and start scanning Keepers.
⚠ Make sure to pick up the assignment from Chorban outside the chamber now, as certain Keepers become inaccessible if you advance progression too far or handle Citadel: Jahleed's Fears poorly.
- 2
The Branching Investigation. Investigate leads across the Presidium and Wards to recruit Garrus and Wrex.
⚠ If you choose to mainline the mission and recruit only one ally, the other party member will wait at the Presidium or C-Sec Academy until your eventual departure aboard the Normandy.
- 3
Chora's Den Assault. Talk to Jenna, then fight through Chora's Den toward Fist.
⚠ Once this assault begins, the venue becomes permanently hostile and normal patrons vanish, making it impossible to initiate Jenna's questline afterward.
- 4
Confronting Fist. Breach Fist's office, disable defense turrets, and defeat Fist.
Optical Storage Disc (OSD) / Fist’s Data PadWall Safes & Weapon LockersBoss Fight: Fist & Automated Defense Turrets⚠ If Wrex is in your active squad, he executes Fist immediately; to let Fist survive for an appearance in Mass Effect 2, leave Wrex off the squad and choose the Paragon option.
- 5
Upper Wards Ambush. Rescue Tali from assassins in the Upper Wards Back Alley.
- 6
The Second Hearing and Spectre Induction. Present Tali's evidence to Udina, Anderson, and the Council to become a Spectre.
Choices here
2| Choice | Options and what happens | Most players pick |
|---|---|---|
| Investigation Path and Squad RecruitmentDuring the investigation before attacking Chora's Den | Recruit both Garrus at the Med Clinic and Wrex at the C-Sec Academy: Both companions join your team before you infiltrate Chora's DenRecruit only one of them before heading to Chora's Den: You assault the club with only one recruited, while the other waits at the Presidium or C-Sec Academy until the Normandy departs | Recruit both Garrus at the Med Clinic and Wrex at the C-Sec Academy |
| Fate of FistRight after defeating Fist in his office | Bring Wrex in your active squad: Wrex immediately kills Fist to claim his bounty without Shepard being able to stop himLeave Wrex out of the squad and spare Fist (Paragon): Fist is allowed to flee the Citadel, surviving to show up later in Mass Effect 2 on Omega at the Afterlife ClubLeave Wrex out of the squad and execute Fist (Renegade): Shepard executes Fist on the spotPoint of no return: once Fist is defeated, bringing Wrex guarantees Fist's death immediately | Leave Wrex out of the squad and spare Fist |
Key fights
4| Fight | Watch for | Weaknesses and resistances | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Med Clinic Thugs3–4 Syndicate Thugs/Mercenaries | Kinetic weapons and light shields inside a tight officeTactics: Deploy biotic crowd control (Throw/Lift) or Sabotage to overheat their weapons immediately upon breach after Garrus snipes one through a window. | ||
| Chora's Den AssaultKrogan Bouncers, Human Criminals, Batarian and Salarian bodyguards | Krogan bouncers utilizing Shotguns, Immunity, and melee charges; Human and Batarian thugs throwing tech grenades and suppressing from coverTactics: Keep your squad in the entryway corridor to avoid crossfire from elevated bar areas. Strip defenses using Overload on tech shields and apply Warp or Carnage to shred Krogan health regeneration. | ||
| Boss Fight: Fist & Automated Defense TurretsFist and 2 Wall-Mounted Defense Turrets | Automated turrets flanking the office dealing heavy, rapid damage with high shield-bleed; Fist deploying Shield Boost, pistol fire, and Immunity on higher difficultiesTactics: Take immediate cover behind the central office partition. Target the automated turrets first using Damping or Sabotage to disable their fire, then focus fire on Fist until his health drops to near-zero or both turrets are destroyed. | ||
| Upper Wards Alley (Tali’s Ambush)2 Turian Assassins, 2 Salarian Snipers / Mercenaries | Snipers using high-caliber rail shots from the back of the alley; assassins tossing Damping tech mines that scramble abilitiesTactics: After Tali throws a tech mine, direct the squad into low cover along the corridor walls. Neutralize backline snipers with long-range precision shots before pushing forward assassins. | Heavy EXP (levels 3–7 scaled), credits, high-tier early weapon mods, Omni-gel, and the Spectre Inductee achievement/trophy upon the final hearing |
Shops and people
| Shops and people | Sells |
|---|---|
| Delan Not yet confirmed | Sells basic weapons, armor, weapon mods, and Hanar-made equipment in the Presidium Financial District |
| Morlan Not yet confirmed | Sells armor, omni-tools, biotic amps, and weapon licenses in the Lower Wards market |
| Expat Not yet confirmed | Sells miscellaneous gear, upgrades, and manufacturer licenses from a stall in the Upper Wards |
Enemies
| Enemies | Weak to | Steal / drop | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thug | Basic mercenary encountered inside Chora's Den during the investigation into Fist. | ||
| Krogan Bouncer | Tanky mercenary guarding the back exit of Chora's Den who uses Immunity and charge attacks. |
Tips
- •Utilize the rapid transit terminals scattered throughout the Citadel to instantly fast-travel between the Presidium, Wards, and Normandy Dock.
- •Visit the Med Clinic early to recruit Dr. Liara T'Soni's potential ally Dr. Michel into offering a permanent store discount if you resolve her blackmailer quest peacefully or via persuasion.
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The full walkthrough text
Following the Eden Prime mission, Commander Shepard investigates the rogue Spectre Saren across the Citadel's Presidium and Wards to secure evidence for the Citadel Council and achieve Spectre status.
1. Human Embassy and Citadel Tower
When you arrive at the Human Embassy on the Presidium following Eden Prime, speak with Ambassador Donnel Udina, who directs you to Citadel Tower. Head there to witness Garrus Vakarian arguing with Executor Pallin, then climb the stairs to join Captain David Anderson and present your charges against Saren Arterius before the Citadel Council. Before leaving the area, speak to Chorban directly outside the Council Chamber to start your keeper scanning assignment, talk to embassy receptionist Saphyria for the Asari codex, inspect the Krogan Monument for Krogan history, and interact with Avina VIs to collect lore on the Presidium and Relays.
Tip: You can acquire codex entries easily by checking the monument and speaking with Avina and Saphyria right away.
2. The Branching Investigation
To gather proof on Saren, pursue your leads through Path A, Path B, or both to secure squadmates before striking at the syndicate. For Path A, visit Chora's Den to question Harkin, then proceed to the Upper Wards Med Clinic where you must eliminate thugs to rescue Dr. Chloe Michel and recruit Garrus. For Path B, visit Barla Von in the Financial District to learn about Fist, then head to the C-Sec Academy to recruit Urdnot Wrex.
Tip: You can recruit both Garrus and Wrex before proceeding, giving you a full squad to choose from.
3. Chora's Den Assault
Before entering the fray, speak to the waitress Jenna at the bar of Chora's Den to avoid locking yourself out of Citadel: Rita's Sister. Once you launch your assault on the crime boss, fight through Krogan bouncers, Batarian bodyguards, and human criminals across the club floor and rear storerooms. Keep your team stationed in the entrance corridor to avoid crossfire from the upper level, stripping shields with Overload and shutting down Krogan regeneration with Carnage or Warp.
Tip: Funneling charging Krogan into the narrow entranceway prevents your team from being flanked by elevated enemies.
4. Confronting Fist
Breach Fist's private office and immediately drop behind the central partition for cover against heavy crossfire. Disable the two flanking wall-mounted defense turrets using Sabotage or Damping before concentrating your fire on Fist to break through his Shield Boost and Immunity. Once he yields, pick up the Optical Storage Disc from the floor and loot the wall safes and weapon lockers in the office and back rooms using Decryption or Omni-gel.
Tip: Sabotaging the automated turrets first eliminates their dangerous shield-bleed damage so you can safely handle Fist.
5. Upper Wards Ambush
Race to the fake meeting spot in the Upper Wards Back Alley to prevent Saren's hit squad from murdering the Quarian informant. After Tali'Zorah nar Rayya hurls a tech mine into the enemy ranks, take cover along the alley walls and use long-range precision fire to eliminate the backline Salarian snipers before mopping up the Turian assassins. Once the firefight ends, speak with Tali to secure her audio evidence and guide her safely back toward diplomatic territory.
Tip: Taking out the backline snipers first stops their high-caliber rail shots from chewing through your shields while you push the alley.
6. The Second Hearing and Spectre Induction
Bring Tali to the Human Embassy to present her recovered audio recording to Ambassador Udina and Captain Anderson. Once the evidence is reviewed, reconvene before the Citadel Council in Citadel Tower to unveil Saren's betrayal, which revokes his elite standing and leads to Shepard being sworn in as the first human Spectre.
Tip: Tali joins your squad following the embassy briefing regardless of the dialogue tones you choose in the alley.
The short version
What matters
- Investigating both Path A and Path B lets you recruit both Garrus and Wrex before hitting Chora's Den.
- Disabling the automated turrets with Sabotage during the office boss fight keeps your shields intact.
- Grabbing the Optical Storage Disc from the office floor immediately after Fist goes down.
Common mistakes
- Initiating the combat assault on Chora's Den before talking to Jenna at the bar, which locks you out of Citadel: Rita's Sister.
- Delaying Chorban's assignment outside the Council Chamber, which risks permanently missing Keepers if progression advances too far.
What you can skip
- Sparing Fist (with Wrex not in the squad) grants Paragon points and lets him survive, while killing him grants Renegade points; bringing Wrex results in Fist's death regardless.
- Neutralize backline snipers with long-range precision shots from cover before pushing forward against the assassins.
38 facts on this page · 0 checked · 38 still being checked · from fextralife.com, ign.com, trueachievements.com
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