Part 3: Azure Hotel
Tracking Vasir
[001]
[002]
[003]
Remove medi-gel from the skycab and prepare to battle the Shadow Broker forces that Vasir requested.
There are six separate waves of agents and engineers, and they appear in a group, but from different directions, one at a time.
The first wave drops in on a cargo vehicle in front of you [001] , at the far end of the upper walkway with the planters.
The subsequent waves land off to one of the sides of the upper landing [002] , or they can drop in on the parking lot where you started. Defeat one wave, and the next appears, but not before.
Although well-armed, and featuring engineers [003] that can cause havoc with a combat drone, the Shadow Broker forces have one important weakness to exploit; they are bunched together on the troop transports that deliver them to your location.
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Med Kit > +1 Medi-gel > 100 Credits |
[004]
[005]
These Shadow Broker mercenaries are reasonably adept fighters, but it’s the engineers you need to target immediately.
Seek cover, and usually the higher ground by the planters, but always be aware that a wave may land behind you.
Methodically target the foes [004] , spreading your squad length-wise along a planter; don’t spread yourself too thin by splitting your team up or they may be stranded and outgunned.
Combine your favored weapons and ammo and deal with each wave until the battle is over. Then check the door where the first wave landed; near there is a bank terminal to access.
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Spoils of War > Bank Terminal > Access > 3,000 Credits |
Following Liara
[006]
[007]
Gather thermal clips before following Liara onto the balcony to the left of the planters, to a penthouse suite, and work your way around to Vasir’s crashed vehicle [006] .
Search the vehicle for power cells and some research data that upgrades your damage protection. Head into the suite, then bypass and remove the credits from the wall safe in the kitchen, before taking medi-gel from the med kit on the cabinet.
You can then optionally interrupt a patron watching a rather lustful video in the bedroom [007] , where Liara explains the slang term for “Azure.”
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Ammunition > Power Cells > 2 Heavy Weapon Ammo |
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Upgrade > Vasir’s Car > Open Panel > Damage Protection |
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Spoils of War > Wall Safe > Bypass > 6,000 Credits |
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Med Kit > +1 Medi-gel > 100 Credits |
[008]
Back at the vehicle, Liara notices a trail of dark, congealing liquid leading away from the vehicle, indicating Vasir has lost a lot of blood. Work your way around the exterior balcony.
You hear faint screams as you enter the next penthouse suite [008] . There are bodies strewn everywhere.
Before you investigate, make a quick reconnoiter of the room, locating the medical station on the fridge and accessing the credit-filled datapad on the table. Then exit via the door opposite.
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Medical Station > Open > Med Kit > 100 Credits |
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Spoils of War > Personal Datapad > Access > 2,500 Credits |
Defeating Tela Vasir
[009]
[010]
The bloody puddles and footprints lead to Vasir, who quickly grabs a hostage [009] , named Marianna, as Shepard and Liara arrive to apprehend her.
Pushing her pistol up against the innocent woman’s face, who weeps about her family, Vasir appears to be about to pull the trigger while the rest of the hotel patrons flee to the interior of the building.
You can choose Paragon or Renegade conversation choices as the standoff continues. You can drop your thermal clips or wound the hostage.
However, if you have a full bar of Paragon or Renegade points, you have an additional conversation choice that enables you to begin combat with a full complement of clips or the wounded Marianna playing on your conscience.
Whatever your decision, Vasir knocks Liara’s pistol from her, leaves the hostage, and dashes to the balcony, launching a biotic dash that is both impressive and dangerous [010] . Combat begins.
[011]
[012]
Despite her wounds, Vasir is an incredible hardy foe, thanks to her barrier, armor, and health bars.
She is incredibly fast, using her biotic dash [011] to flitter around the long combat area (an extended and curved balcony area with steps on one side), which makes aiming at her very difficult.
As she uses the dash constantly, you must swing round to target her, off-load your shots [012] , and ideally keep moving in a large, distant circle around her so you’re not struck by any of her attacks.
[013]
[014]
Patience and staying active are the keys to surviving this protracted fight. Vasir attacks with a biotic Shockwave [013] that is highly damaging and cuts through cover. Sidestep this attack or face serious damage.
Drop down behind cover when Vasir uses her weapon, which is easily dodged.
Catch her with the majority of your damage [014] when she’s between maneuvers—either before or after a dash, after you’ve dodged a Shockwave, or when she’s turned her attention to attacking one of your squad members.
Usually, there is no quick method to end this battle; you must simply employ damaging attacks from weapons or powers at the correct time.
Also remember to sprint, use the pillars by the steps periodically, and race around the entire balcony to minimize the chances of Vasir focusing entirely on you.
Her dash makes her difficult to predict, which is why shooting her at midrange is advantageous; there’s no need to get close.
[015]
When you’ve whittled Vasir’s barrier down and are beginning to remove her armor, she dashes up to an inaccessible upper balcony for a moment, and calls down rocket drones and some salarian Shadow Broker engineers to thwart you [015] .
Move to one end of the balcony (ideally opposite of where the rocket drones descend to), or watch the cargo vehicle land and zap the engineers with an area-of-effect weapon as they disembark.
Then duck behind cover and select the target closest to you—usually the engineers. Beware of the combat drones the engineers release, and the damaging rockets.
[016]
[017]
When the reinforce-ments are defeated, Vasir returns to the fight. If she still has her barrier, expect another wave of Shadow Broker forces to appear once you remove the barrier.
However, without her barrier, this fight is almost over, although Vasir still has a full complement of biotic techniques [016] .
Shoot her with constant assault rifle fire (which is the most plentiful, and easiest to hit with, as shotgun ammo doesn’t have the range, and sniper rifles are too unwieldy for such a lithe foe), but don’t become impatient and overconfident!
Scan the ground for thermal clips and return to cover, and gradually remove Vasir’s armor, and finally her health [017] , until she succumbs.
[018]
[019]
[020]
A badly wounded Vasir drops to her knees, while Liara picks up the information disk the team needs.
Vasir slumps against a wall, telling Liara that she’s dead [018] ; the Shadow Broker has been in power for decades, and is stronger than anything Shepard has ever faced.
Vasir tells Shepard she worked for the Shadow Broker because of the intel he provided, which saved many lives over the years.
After a heated conversation [019] about conscience (during which time she tells Shepard—if he’s a sole survivor—that Cerberus was responsible for the thresher maw bloodshed on Akuze), Vasir expires.
Liara inputs the location of the base into the Normandy ’s computers. Employ a Paragon interrupt to ensure Liara knows that the team will arrive in time to save her friend Feron.
The conversation continues as Liara and Shepard return to the flaming wreckage of Vasir’s vehicle [020] , and you have a second Paragon interrupt, where you can interrupt Liara and tell her there’s time to talk—mainly about how different she is, and about Feron being captured.
If Liara was a romantic partner in
Mass Effect
, you have a third Paragon interrupt, after which a more personal discussion occurs, including the emotional pain Liara suffered over the past two years.