In Mass Effect 2 during Thane's Loyalty Mission, Shepard helps Thane track down his son, Kolyat. Captain Bailey has some intel on a petty criminal that may be able to help them. As players will see, the story of the so called "duct rats" gets dark pretty quickly.
Apparently, bodies of children are being pulled out of the Citadel ventilation ducts all of the time. This is probably the last thing that Thane needs to hear as he searches for the whereabouts of his son. Players can follow the steps in this guide to follow the trail of clues and locate Thane's son in the Citadel.
A Mouse Too Big For His Cage
Mouse is the petty criminal that the Captain believes will have some information. Once the Captain is done explaining the socio-economic issues of the Citadel, Shepard and Thane can question Mouse. Gamers can find him outside of the Dark Star, on the upper level of the market, using a public comms terminal. Players should look out for the rotating neon martini, which is just across from where Mouse will be standing.
As it turns out, Mouse and other duct dwellers were contacts for Thane years ago. Mouse knows who the target is, and players can choose a few different options to extract the information. Renegades can use force to get him to fess up, but offering protection or bribing are viable as well. Mid-way through the conversation, the Renegade icon will pop up for those that wish to beat the information out of him. No matter what method is used, Mouse will reveal that Elias Kelham is the mastermind behind the hit. Gamers can then head back to Bailey to discuss.
Crooked Cop, Good Cop, Bad Cop
Captain Bailey will admit to taking bribes and ignoring Kelham's illegal practices. Still, he offers to bring Kelham in for questioning. The following events serve as an example of why Mass Effect dialogue is so well-renowned. Players can decide if they want to be the good cop or the bad cop while interrogating Kelham, and the developers did a great job recreating the classic police interrogation scene for this moment.
Kelham will try to bait Shepard into hitting him, and gamers can oblige if they want. There is a second opportunity to use force right before the lawyer arrives. However, it will not matter in the end. Shepard is a Spectre, and therefore outside of the confines of Citadel law. Eventually, Kelham reveals that the target is Joram Talid. Shepard will need to reach him before Kolyat has the chance to execute the hit.
The Racist Humanitarian
As if the mission did not have enough twists already, players will find out that Talid is an anti-human crime fighter. Thane will ask Shepard to track him while he speaks with voters. All that players have to do during this step is follow Talid on the upper level, where he will move from room to room across the mall.
At this point in the quest, gamers can fail the mission by losing track of Talid. However, it will thankfully be very difficult to lose him, as Talid moves at a snail's pace. The game will also give players a warning if Talid gets too far away. Make sure to be aware during this stage, or the story will change, as explained below.
Saved By The Assassin
After listening to Thane ask "What's he doing?" a hundred times, Talid will walk through the bar and Shepard will run into one of the duct rats. This will initiate the final cut scene of the mission. During the scene, Shepard will have a chance to gain Paragon rep by shooting the lamp near Kolyat and subduing him. Following a heartfelt reunion, Bailey, Shepard, and Thane will regroup at the precinct. Gamers will want to convince Bailey to keep the attempted murder off the books using the dialogue below:
- Let it go.
- Those guys were criminals.
What Happens If Shepard Fails The Mission
If players are negligent or fail to follow Talid on purpose, the ending of the mission will play out in a completely different way. Kolyat will gun down Talid and his bodyguard before Shepard and Thane can stop him. After brutally murdering two innocent people, Kolyat will flee the Citadel. In the words of Thane, "Entropy always wins."
Later in the game, Shepard can speak with Thane about his son. Thane will be visibly distraught during the conversation. The consequences of failure also include the fact that Thane will not be loyal to Shepard, and his special attack will not be available. While Thane is not crucial during the final missions in the main story, it is still nice to have him around. Failing the mission will also have implications in Mass Effect 3 when Thane is on his deathbed.