-Fusion Torch 1-

If you need a point of reference Fusion Torch #1 is located very close to X57 Radio and, besides, they aren’t all that hard to find. Outside the building you’ll find six heavy turrets grouped close together out there. The approach to the Torch’s control room is narrow so you’re probably better off trying to pick them off one by one then leaping in there and mixing it up EXTREME style. Be careful, though, if you move far enough back a seemingly impenetrable box like shield will rise up and prevent you from shooting at them from a safe distance. Damn upgrades. It takes about two to three shots per turret so don’t take chances, make your shots count, use the low surface area and maneuverability of the Mako to your advantage and they should be quieted it no time. Once that’s done, park the Mako and head into the facility proper.

If you’ve knocked around the Mass Effect universe you should be all too familiar with this style of structure as it’s seen on colony worlds all over the place. Don’t get too excited at all the storage lockers as you go in, however, as they can’t be opened. Draw your weapons and open the door to get your first view of the beings that have been causing all this calamity: Batarian soldiers along with four Batarian War Beasts. You can choose your own way of dealing with these baddies but, in a pinch, shooting a round into the large fuel tank at the back of the room will make a big bang that can be a big help in this fight. Once they’ve all been dealt with you’ll be able to freely explore the building along with receiving a new Secondary Codex located in the technology file and titled Translation. Where you learned that blowing all those suckers to their version of hell I have no idea but, time’s a wasting, so let’s press on. There’s a room on the first floor that contains a Grenade Upgrade Kit on the left shelf and a storage locker at the back of the room.

Once you’re done there head upstairs and enter the room at the end of the hall. To the left of the entrance is a secure crate you can open and, at the other side of the room, the controls for this torch. Deactivating the fusion torch will not only mean you’re 1/3 of the way to your goal but will also cause you to get another message from your as yet unnamed contact, Kate Bowman, who is one of the engineers on Asteroid X57. It turns out there are some survivors after all and Kate has been hiding since the Batarains arrived. She thinks that they’ve noticed the 1st torch being turned off(how could anyone not notice?) so you’d better be on your way to your next objective.

Before you leave, though, you’ll find a man nervously pointing his gun at the walls near the exit door. He’ll take a scared shot at you, but once he realizes you’re human, he’ll introduce himself as Simon Atwell: Chief Engineer of Asteroid X57. Amdist all the other conversation choices you have with Simon he’ll tell you that the ground outside one of the torches, Number 2 to be exact, has been seeded with blasting caps topped with proximity fuses. This means you’re going to have to get into the building on foot but time enough for that later. Let’s head to Torch #3 which can be found roughly NW of the transmission tower.

-Fusion Torch 3-

Like Torch #1 there are six heavy turrets placed outside this facility but, unlike the last Torch, there is more room to move the Mako around so you should be able to take the turrets down easy as long as you keep the Mako moving. The turrets fire at a far slower rate then the Mako moves so as long as you aren’t right in front of the turret when it fires you shouldn’t have any problem. Keep an eye out for that turret on the cliff, though. Once all the targets have had their warranties expired park and make your way into #3’s control facility. This building is protected by a more divergent number of troops which include six rocket drones, a Batarian Engineer(try to dispose of him first as he can overload your weapons in addition to other annoyances) and six Batarian Troopers. During this play through it was quite easy to clear the whole room with just the Soldier type Shepard but play it however you like. I’ll be here when you’re done.

All ready then? Okay, good. Investigate the room on the ground floor for any goodies before heading upstairs to switch off this Torch after which Kate will get in touch with you again. It seems the Batarian commander -has- noticed your activities, fancy that, and is getting quite angry about it. Kate will tell you he’s setting charges before the man himself bursts into the room and finds Kate and the man with her who is shot by the Batarian leader after Kate refuses to squeal on you. Also the Batarian sends his No. 2 after you to stop you in your tracks. Good luck to you there, pal.

Note: The disposition of troops and the layout of the room may be different depending on the order you do them in but you will run into the same types of troops at one of the Torch facilities even if it’s not the one described above.

-Fusion Torch 2-

I’ve asked you to save the most difficult for last and, believe me, this -is- the most difficult of the three. Not only is it protected with rocket turrets, although far fewer then the other two, but beyond the string of lights are a massive amount of blasting caps that are so thick that you won’t be able to drive the Mak past the perimeter without getting blown clear into outer space. Consequently you’ll have to take out the turrets as best you can without crossing the line but this is nothing compared to navigating through the field itself.

As you say from the mini map the field is densely packed with blasting caps and, in addition, proximity sensors have been set up to make it nigh impossible to stroll past them as they’re set up so that if you try to evade one you’ll be detected by the other. It seems impossible but there is actually a way through the field. The thing to do is to drive the Mako up the path to the right before coming to a slope leading down. It looks like there is a large gap in the field here but this is a deceiving as I could not move down the slope without being picked up the proximity sensors. It is best to move a little way down it, however, as this will cause two Batarian Shock Troopers and two Batarian Troopers to exit the building and take pot shots at you. Snipe them from a distance and make your way back up the slope/

The best way to get through this field is to move to the cliff to the left of the slope and simply drop to the bottom. Start moving your way forward, careful of the proximity warning, until you can turn and make your way toward the base of one of the destroyed turrets without being blown up. Keep to the right of the turret, as there is a proximity sensor on the other side, and move around the base before coming around to stand beside the destroyed turret. Slowly move forward and, if picked up by the sensor, quickly back up and move to the right. Keep repeating this as needed until the sensor no longer detects you. If you keep on this path you should be able to make it to the door and deactivate the proximity sensors. When you’re all ready enter the final Torch building.

This interior, too, is different, as the room has been divided into two sections due to a wall that runs the length of most of the room. A shotgun equipped with Shredder Rounds is best for dealing with the close quarters combat you’ll encounter here: often one shot was all that was needed to fell the enemy I was shooting at. The most dangerous foe in here is the Batarian Shock Trooper who is backed up by four Batarian War Beasts and five Batarian Troopers. Once you’ve cleared them all out, though, you can search the room on the ground level along with grabbing the contents of the crate near the wall that divides the room. Head upstairs to deactivate the torch without incident but, coming back down, you’ll find the Batarian Balak sent after you waiting for you.

His name is Charn and, unlike his boss, has misgivings about this whole thing. This was to be a smash and grab job for him, none of this asteroid crashing business, and he doesn’t seem that found Balak either. You can just fight him anyway, of course, but with a little back and forth negotiation you can either convince him to leave this rock with your Charm skill(Charm Charn, get it?) or Intimidate him into leaving. Either way, he’s gone, the last Torch is offline, you didn’t have to fight, and you get some Paragon or Renegade points depending on the choice you made. Yup, all in a day’s work.