Mass Effect Galaxy Assignments

As you roam the galaxy, you'll pick up distress calls, hack terminals with odd information, and otherwise stumble across side missions. Feel free to explore if you like; most quests will have a starter assignment ("go to this system and check out this planet!"), but if you simply stumble across the quest destinations, you'll still be capable of completing them, even if they won't have much context. For instance, if a quest assigns you to travel to planet Urkel to kill a bounty hunter, you can travel to planet Urkel and kill the bounty hunter even without obtaining the starter quest; you'll complete the quest when you kill the bounty hunter, even though you were basically just fooling around.

We're aware that this isn't a complete list; some of the quests that we picked up wound up being incompletable after you head to Ilos. If you want to get all the side quests done, explore the galaxy thoroughly before completing the fourth of the main missions in the game. We'll update the guide in the future with more of the side quests, but for the most part they're simple to complete…with one exception.

Prothean Mysteries

The Prothean Artifact

On the planet of Eletania, in the Hercules system of the Attican Beta cluster, there lies a mysterious Prothean artifact in the southwestern corner of the map. It's very difficult to get to with the Mako, as it lies nestled in a valley that's hard to climb to. If you reach it, it'll activate, and say that there's some kind of keyhole in it. But where's the key?

So what the heck does this thing do?

The key to the Artifact is in a strange place. Remember Shi'ara, the Asari consort back on Citadel? Apparently you can obtain a Prothean trinket from her if you complete both of the quests that revolve around her on the Citadel; one involves General Septimius and the other revolves around the Elcor diplomat. Complete both and return to her, and she'll give you the trinket if you respond correctly to her questions. This is only true if you're a paragon, by the way; if you have more renegade points, you'll get a more personal thanks.

UNC Quests

UNC: Missing Survey Team

You can "find" this quest by riding the elevators on Citadel Station; we obtained it just as we were heading up to see Udina and Anderson before obtaining the Normandy for our own. It indicates that a survey team in the Hades Gamma cluster has dropped out of contact. Head to the Antaeus system and land on Trebin to track them down.

When you land, check out the prefabricated pods at the survey team's site; one of the computer consoles there indicates that the team unearthed alien technology. If you head into the digsite, you'll find that they've all been turned into Husks. Whoops! Kill them all to end the mission.

UNC: Major Kyle

If you head to the Hawking Eta cluster, you'll pick up this quest. A man named Major Kyle has set up a messianic cult. It's up to you to investigate and see if you can get Kyle to return for treatment. Head to the system in the Hawking Eta cluster and land on the small moon Presrop there.

You can take these cultists down ATF style if you like.

When you reach the compound, you'll need to talk your way inside the building. You can try and talk your way inside, if you like, or simply storm the place. If you do manage to convince Kyle to see you, you can find him in the science station, a bit away from the main building here. If you have enough Charm or Intimidate, you can convince him that either he surrenders himself, or the entire base will be held responsible for the deaths of the investigators. He'll offer to surrender, but will need you to leave him behind while he explains his surrender to his followers. If you return to your ship, you can click on the map to conclude the mission.

On the other hand, if you decide to fight your way through the compound, you can then clear out the science station and still talk Kyle into coming with you, or simply shooting him and finishing off his followers. You gain a lot of paragon points for talking down Kyle, but you don't necessarily gain renegade points for killing him, if you say that he's leaving you no other option. Killing everyone also nets you a lot more experience and cash than the peaceful method.

UNC: Missing Marines

If you speak to Admiral Kahoku in the Council Tower after becoming a Spectre (you can also follow the Banes trail from Michel's blackmailing mission to Anderson to him), he'll ask you find out what happened to a team of marines that have gone missing in the Sparta System. Obviously enough, they were kicked down a well after their diplomatic overtures were rebuffed.

Head to the Artemis Tau cluster, Sparta system, then land on planet Edolus. You'll have to fight off a Thresher Maw to find the marines, but when you do, it'll appear that a distress beacon was used to lure them into the Maw's area of influence and kill them. Return to Kahoku to turn in the quest.

UNC: Cerberus

After handing in the Missing Marines quest, this assignment will probably appear as you travel around the galaxy. It involves a Cerberus outpost on the planet Binthu, in the Yangtze system in the Voyager cluster. Go there and investigate all three of the Cerberus bases; one of them will have Kohaku's body in it. Find it and return to the Normandy to start...

UNC: Hades' Dogs

When you return to the Normandy, you'll be able to track down the main Cerberus base. It's on Nepheron in the Columbia System, Voyager Cluster. Head there and kill everything you see! You'll find a terminal in the rear of the facility; grab the data on it to end the mission. When you return to the ship, you'll be contacted by an agent of the Shadow Broker; you can choose whether or not to sell him the data, but doing so is a renegade move.