Dossier: Tali

Remember Tali? The Illusive Man recommends her to be a part of your team now, and that makes sense since she was on the original Normandy. Tali is said to be found on the planet Haestrom, so plot a course for the Far Rim and land on this once-quarian-colony-now-turned-geth-outpost. As the shuttle touches down on this arid planet, EDI warns you about the environmental hazard the sun presents. Stay away from direct sunlight or your shields will overload. Some parts like the bottom of the ramp ahead lack shade. In these situations, you want to sprint to the next patch of shade and generally minimize the amount of time spent under the solar rays.

Dart down the ramp to the bottom of the gate; the gate doesn't budge, but the control panel to the small room on the right will fix the situation. Loot the body for credits too. Within moments of the gate opening, a geth dropship dumps a few geth enemies in the area. Unlike yourself, the geth are unaffected by the intense solar rays, making it even more important for you to stay under cover of shadows. Geth troopers also possess the ability to go "berserk"--as indicated by their a sudden surge of blue--whenever a geth comrade nearby collapses. These berserked troopers need to be dealt with first. The right half of this area is completely bathed in sunlight. Following the shadows eventually sticks you in an area to the right with a Titan Pulsar upgrade and ramp leading up.

Geth enemies line the upper floor, but you can't really get a clear shot of them until you trek up the top of the ramp, where there is also a Medi-Gel. Clear out the geth choking off the narrow pathway and proceed to the end of the path. Look down to find geth heavies busting out the rockets. Dispose of the pesky rocket launchers and slide down thin shadow cast by the towering pillar on the ramp. If you're daring, run past the pillar to the next shady area to find some Iridium. Well-worth the risk if you ask us.

Follow the shady area to the far right, through some well-covered passage, and cut down the geth found here. You will find a M-9 Tempest submachine gun, a respectable upgrade, and a radio with a live person on the other end. The other end turns out to be Kal'Reeger, the quarian leader, who tells you that Tali is with some of his men in the area ahead and require assistance. Unfortunately, the geth love making your job harder by immediately barricading the door that leads to Tali. This minor problem can be addressed--merely a nuisance. You must now find two sets of demolition charges. The geth further rain on your parade and introduce the Hunter and Destroyer. Hunters have cloaking devices that make them invisible and sometimes un-targetable. The scary thing about Destroyers is that they have a large blast radius upon death, causing significant splash damage. Remember to kill these particular enemies at a distance.

One of the charges is inside the building to the left. It's riddled with geth inside and out. Clear them out to find the charges on the desk and Tali's audio journal. As you turn to leave, the exit is blocked by an approaching Prime and a couple of smaller lackeys flanking the sides. The Prime is more heavily protected and packs a mean arsenal of deadly attacks. Bring this thing down quickly with your hardest-hitting weapons. Thankfully, there are a couple of Medi-Gels within to help resuscitate fallen comrades. The other set of charges brings you lower into the ruins and through a Destroyer. Charge through them and navigate through to the control room above to operate the shutter controls. This opens up the door below, making way to the second set of charges, Medi-Gel and power cells. Remember to scavenge the area for Iridium outside--there should be two caches.

The geth have amassed in numbers and are waiting for you back outside. You can flank them at the top, but you play a dangerous game that way since the top level catwalk is baked entirely in sunlight. If you press up against the wall with the shutter controls, you dodge the sun's glare and the powerful rays altogether, setting you up the perfect vantage point from which to pick off the opposition. This, at the very least, takes care of the Heavies present. Once calm has swept over the area, plant the charges on the blockade and get out of the way.

The door leads to a slew of goodies: tons of credits to be had and a Kinetic Pulsar upgrade. The real goal here is to communicate directly with Tali via the communications console. Tali unlocks the previously secured door, allowing you to proceed on with the geth annihilation. The door slides open, and at first, you see a Medi-Gel station, but a little further down you encounter some recon drones with built-in camouflage features. Hopefully, your other squad members can zero in on these little buggers while you concentrate on the fast-approaching Primes. Fight your way to the other side and step through the door. There's a hack-able wall safe on the wall behind you.

When you examine the controls, the shutters open and reveal a very deadly foe: the geth Colossus. It is as self-imposing as it seems. Kal'reegar is here and is also pinned down by the massive threat looming overhead. Speak to him to learn the lay of the land and discuss the angle of attack. You can score a ton of Paragon or Renegade points by having Kal'reegar stay put or participate in the battle, respectively. We chose the latter option, which meant supplemental firepower from Kal'reegar's rockets in exchange for a huge dip in the Renegade end of the morality pendulum.

There is a large middle area that separates you from the Colossus. While the Colossus has the luxury of following your every move and shooting fiery projectiles in your direction, you will have to work to get close to the giant. In the meantime, geth enemies in all shapes and sizes inundate the battlefield. The sunlight is also still an obstacle. We found it relatively easy going up the left side in the safety of shade and slowly advanced on the Colossus. The geth were annoying to deal with, but as long as you duck behind cover they do go down without too much of a problem. Your teammates should also be close behind, and they will help you finish off some of the stragglers. Unload your best weapon on the Colossus. You need only blow through the self-regenerating shield. The rest is history. Tali unlocks the massive door behind it.

Don't forget to raid the various Iridium deposits located around the battlefield before meeting with Tali. Enter the room to pick up some extra credits from the damaged geth and speak to Tali.