Mass Effect: How to Save Captain Kirrahe on Virmire

The Virmire: Assault mission in Mass Effect is one of the potentially deadliest in the game, putting it somewhat on par with the Mass Effect 2 endgame Suicide Mission. On Virmire, Shepard and their entire squad must help the salarian Special Tasks Group, led by Captain Kirrahe, and destroy Saren’s base. Just before the mission begins, Kirrahe gives the often-quoted Hold the Line speech. Despite not playing a major role in Mass Effect or the sequels, he seems to be a memorable and fan-favorite character. If players aren’t careful about their choices on Virmire in Mass Effect, they can lose up to two of their squadmates, some of Captain Kirrahe’s team, and even Kirrahe himself.

Shepard has a personal reason to want to help Kirrahe and his forces during the mission, as they will be required to send one of their own, either Ashley Williams or Kaidan Alenko, with the salarian team. Throughout the mission, Kirrahe and either Ashley or Kaidan will communicate specific instructions to Shepard, guiding them to help impede Geth defenses. Shepard will need to follow the instructions carefully and make sure not to miss the specific tasks required, as going back to do them later will not help the team and will result in losses. One specific action in this set determines Kirrahe’s fate, while the others determine how many of his teammates survive. Here’s how to save Captain Kirrahe during Virmire: Assault in Mass Effect.

How to Assist Kirrahe’s Team on Virmire in Mass Effect

The Virmire: Assist Kirrahe’s Team mission in Mass Effect automatically unlocks the first time Kirrahe checks in with Shepard and asks for help disrupting the Geth’s defenses. There are four specific tasks for players to complete after defeating all the Geth and krogan at each station:

• Disrupt Communications: At the first Geth station Shepard comes across, they will need to find and activate a control panel on top of a platform.
• Destroy the Satellite Uplink: At the second Geth station, Shepard will need to shoot or use a biotic power detonation like Lift or Singularity on a satellite dish at the top of the station.
• Destroy Geth Flyers: Near the base, Shepard will need to turn right to find a refueling platform. They can use Overload or shoot at the fuel tanks to destroy the Geth Flyers. Failure to complete this action will always result in Kirrahe’s death.
• Disable Alarms: At the base, Shepard can use the console to disable or trigger the alarms. The Paragon action, disabling the alarms, saves most of Kirrahe’s men but diverts more Geth to Shepard and their squad. The Renegade action leads to a less difficult fight but more losses on Kirrahe’s team.

At the end of the mission, Shepard will find the salarian team on the lower level of the Normandy, near Wrex if he was saved on Virmire. If the Geth Flyers were destroyed and Kirrahe survived, he will be with them, and Shepard may speak with him briefly. Shepard should make a point to visit with him immediately following the Virmire: Assault mission, as he and his team will be gone the next time the Normandy lands.

If Kirrahe survives Virmire in Mass Effect, he may make cameos in the sequels. In Mass Effect 2, Mordin’s dialogue about Kirrahe is slightly different depending on whether he lived or died. In Mass Effect 3, if Thane Krios did not survive the events of Mass Effect 2 or if Shepard did not visit him in the hospital on the Citadel, Kirrahe will be the one to face Kai Leng in Priority: Citadel II. He may also appear in London with his STG in place of Wrex or Wreav and the krogan forces, depending on Shepard’s choices regarding the krogan genophage cure.

Mass Effect: Legendary Edition launches May 14, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One, with forward compatibility for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

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