Lieutenant Cora Harper

Species: Human

Origin: Spaceborn

Height: 172cm

Weight: 61kg

Known Affiliations: Systems Alliance, Talein’s Daughters, Andromeda Initiative

Nicknames: None

Combat Roles/Strengths: Biotic commando, operations specialist

Favorite Weapon: Shotgun

Favorite Biotic/Tech/Other Ability: Biotic Charge

Famous Quote(s): “When your biotics are honed into huntress-grade weapons… people can be weird about it.”

Brief Biography: Cora joined the Systems Alliance to train her powerful biotic talents, eventually transferring to an asari commando unit before joining the Andromeda Initiative as Alec Ryder’s second-in-command. Professional and loyal, Cora knows the rules well enough to bend them if necessary, lending huntress tactics and her biotic strength to the Pathfinder’s mission.

Role on the Tempest

Second-in-Command

Cora is responsible for day-to-day operations and ground mission organization. She also serves as a contact with the Initiative Director back on the Nexus.

Personality Traits

• Professional and disciplined, though always a ground soldier at heart
• Combines both human and asari tactics
• Fiercely loyal to the Pathfinder, the team, and their mission

Personal Background

Cora’s powerful biotics manifested at a young age while she was growing up on her parents’ cargo freighter. Unable to afford biotic tuition and struggling to control her talents, Cora quickly learned that personal discipline was the best way to keep people from getting hurt. She joined the Systems Alliance military at 18 to get the implants and training she needed. Soon after Cora enlisted, her parents’ freighter disappeared, likely falling prey to the many dangers of the hardscrabble Attican Traverse.

Throwing herself into her military career, Cora’s biotics made her a candidate for a Council initiative to train with alien soldiers—specifically for the Valkyrie Program to train with asari commandos. Cora went to Thessia and joined the commando unit “Talein’s Daughters,” fighting alongside centuries-old asari huntresses like her commanding officer, Nisira T’Kosh. Cora’s years with the asari gave her a unique perspective, both on the battlefield and on her place in the world.

When Nisira encouraged her to join the Andromeda Initiative, Cora was initially skeptical but changed her mind after meeting Alec Ryder. His vision for Andromeda—a new civilization, and the next great leap for humanity—inspired her to make the Initiative’s mission a success. Cora soon earned a place as Alec’s trusted second-in-command, trained to handle ground operations and, if necessary, succeed Alec as Pathfinder.

Recruitment Details

When: Mission 1: Planetside

Where: Habitat 7

Details: Cora joins Ryder’s active squadron after a successful defense of her shuttle and crew from kett dropships.

Fighting Style and Combat Tips

Summary: Cora is a hybrid soldier and biotic, supporting the team with both her asari huntress training and her natural ability to manipulate mass effect fields. As a “biotic paladin,” she dives into the fray with Charge, commanding the attention of nearby foes on the battlefield and giving her allies room to fire freely on their enemies. She further protects her allies by regenerating their shields with the Shield Boost tech power, which is unlocked once she has at least 18 skill points invested in other powers and passives.

Synergies: When she gains access to Shield Boost, Cora pairs extremely well with other close-range combatants. Shield Boost grants her and teammates around her bonuses to shields and shield regeneration. If Ryder is built more as a sniper or a mid-range skirmisher, you can complement Cora’s aggression by using debilitating powers like Concussive Shot and Cryo Beam on her targets, indirectly affording her extra survivability.

Notable Power Spikes: Cryo Ammo (Asari Commando, Rank 6) grants Cora a permanent passive buff that allows her to prime enemies with her basic shotgun attacks. Cora can then perform solo cryo combos if she has Power Synergy (Charge, Rank 5) unlocked.

When Bastion (Charge, Rank 6) is unlocked, Cora evolves into a nigh invincible charging bull, allowing her to aggressively dash from enemy to enemy while replenishing her shields as she absorbs attacks.

Weaknesses: Since Cora’s primary attacks involve rushing enemies down with Charge and blasting them at close range with a shotgun, she can be a liability in encounters out in the open against a crowd of enemies (especially if you’re playing on higher difficulty settings). If she’s knocked unconscious away from the team, reviving her may prove difficult without putting yourself at risk, so consider micromanaging her by giving her explicit orders: Have her fall back to regroup with the team or order her to attack specific isolated enemies to prevent her from becoming overwhelmed.