Mass Effect 3 Kallini Monastery Guide (PS3, Xbox 360)

Mass Effect 3’s Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery is a story-unlocked side mission that takes Commander Shepard into a quiet, ominous monastery—only to turn it into a full-on combat gauntlet against Reaper-linked threats. Along the way, you’ll track down missing asari commandos, loot key items, and make several morality-heavy decisions that can change how the mission’s final moments play out.

Key takeaways

The mission rewards include 1,400 XP and 12,500 credits, plus the Disciple shotgun and Serrice Council Shoulder Guard.
Completing “Priority: The Citadel 2” automatically unlocks the trip to Nimbus Cluster’s Mesana system.
Enemies you’ll face include Cannibals, Banshees, Marauders, and Husks.
Liara’s Warp is recommended for stripping barriers, while Shepard can optionally use Warp Ammo for the same purpose.
The side mission includes multiple morality choice points tied to Falere, Rila, and Samara’s presence.

Task Search (overview and where to go)

This wiki guide page focuses specifically on the Kallini: Ardat-Yakshi Monastery side mission in Mass Effect 3, covering where to find important loot, how to handle each combat encounter, and which dialogue choices matter for your playthrough.

If you’re looking to jump straight to a section, the guide breaks the mission into these main parts: Mission Stats, Travel to Mesana, Find Asari Commandos, Reach the Great Hall, Defend Bomb, Find Detonator, and then Back on the Normandy.

Mission Stats

Video Guide

The page includes a dedicated “Video Guide” section placeholder, indicating a separate walkthrough resource is available for this mission.

Mission Rewards

Mission Experience: 1,400 XP
Mission Credits: 12,500 credits
Found Credits: 12,500 credits
Weapon: Disciple
Armor: Serrice Council Shoulder Guard
Mods:
- Assault Rifle Precision Scope
- Assault Rifle Stability Damper
- Pistol Melee Stunner
- Sniper Rifle Spare Ammo
War Assets:
- Asari Commandos (20 TMS)
- Tap to Reveal (25 TMS)

Mission Enemies

Cannibal
Banshee
Marauder
Husk

Travel to Mesana

Prerequisite: Complete “Priority: The Citadel 2”
Location: Nimbus Cluster – Mesana – Lesuss

This side mission is unlocked automatically as part of the story. After you finish “Priority: The Citadel 2,” Liara pulls you aside in the War Room at Asari High Command. She’s passing along information that multiple asari commando squads have gone missing while investigating a distress signal in Mesana.

Liara’s expectation is that this news is meant to nudge Shepard into handling the investigation personally—something the guide frames as a repeat of the kind of prompting Kirrahe would give.

Mesana is described as the “northwestern” system within the Nimbus Cluster, and Lesuss is the first planet orbiting its star. While you’re in the area, the guide suggests keeping an eye out for additional Search and Rescue finds during the trip.

Recommended Loadout

Squad Tactics:
- Liara is recommended because her Warp can strip barriers from a new enemy type encountered in this mission, and she also provides Morality Points through dialogue and interactions.
- James pairs well with Liara thanks to Carnage and Incendiary Ammo, which help set up fire-and-explosion combos that Warp can then detonate.
- Garrus is noted as an alternate option due to his sniper focus and the mission’s open spaces.
Unique Dialogue:
- Liara and Garrus are highlighted for having the most distinct dialogue moments.
- If you don’t have Garrus available, the guide lists a fallback order for replacements: Javik → Virmire Survivor → EDI.
Shepard’s Loadout:
- If you don’t mind adjusting Shepard’s build in the Med Bay, Warp Ammo is recommended as a useful Bonus Power because it can also strip biotic barriers.

Find Asari Commandos

The mission begins with a briefing aboard the Kodiak shuttle. The guide notes that this is where you learn why Asari High Command’s earlier message was so vague: you’re entering an Ardat-Yakshi Monastery—credits roll for the location reveal—where those with the condition live in isolation.

The monastery also offers opportunities to earn Morality Points through specific Paragon/Renegade choices.

Choosing “Bombs are a last resort” / “We don’t know that” grants +2 Paragon Points.
Choosing “Then neither do we” grants +2 Renegade Points.

After that, the shuttle drops you onto the monastery’s landing platform.

Shuttle – If you played Mass Effect 2 or the Genesis 2 DLC comic, you may spot a red shuttle to the right. The guide adds that it’s still warm, implying someone arrived recently.
Assault Rifle Stability Damper – Located to the left of the entry door, placed on top of crates.

Once inside, the monastery has “gone dark” for a reason you’ll uncover as you explore. The guide directs you to climb down the elevator shaft to reach a darkened mess hall. Using only a flashlight, search the initial area for items and intel, including an asari corpse that points you toward the Great Hall.

Pistol Melee Stunner – From the elevator shaft exit, go fully left into a doorway leading to a messy room; the mod sits on the floor in that doorway.
Gallae’s Electronic Signature – In the back of the same messy room, you’ll find a laptop on which examining yields intel.
PDA – 20 XP. Exit the messy room, then check the left side for tables packed with chairs. On a table corner, you’ll find a PDA with an audio recording.
Console – A tall terminal in the center area of the mess hall, positioned near the PDA.
Wall Safe – 7,500 credits. Go back to the elevator exit directly across from the PDA’s room, turn left, and enter another bunk room at the corner. The safe is on the back wall.
Sniper Rifle Spare Ammo – On a shelf to the right of the Wall Safe.
Computer – Located on a bedside table in the left portion of the bunk room with the Wall Safe; it contains lore.

With the area looted, leave the bedroom where you found the Wall Safe and go straight ahead. You’ll find an asari corpse and, nearby, the body of a Cannibal. Examining the asari corpse triggers a cutscene and another set of morality options.

“It seems drastic” awards +2 Paragon Points.
“I can’t blame them” awards +2 Renegade Points.

Reach the Great Hall

When the cutscene ends, head through the nearby doorway. Vault over the planter to your left, then go through the next door. In the large window area, move right and bypass the door at the far end to continue onward.

The guide also calls out a key story-dependent moment: if Samara survived Mass Effect 2, she will appear throughout the mission and will be present in an exclusive cutscene here. If your save imported a Mass Effect 2 profile, you can earn more Morality Points via additional dialogue choices.

“We’ll help search” gives +2 Paragon Points.
“I’m blowing this place up” gives +2 Renegade Points.

Even if you didn’t get the extra cutscene, check the upper balcony for a quest-related item:

PDA – 20 XP. After leaving the darkened mess hall and stepping onto the balcony, turn right and find an asari commando body. Next to it is a Datapad—inspect it to start the “Citadel: Asari Widow” Side Mission.

Now exit through the left-hand door to reach an outdoor plaza. Prepare your weapons: this is an arena fight with lots of cover, and you’re about to face one of the Reapers’ deadliest threats in this mission—Banshees.

Banshees are described as extremely bullet-resistant and able to teleport around while using their own biotic abilities against targets.
The guide recommends dispelling their Barrier using Liara’s Warp, then rapidly reducing their Armor with fire-based powers.
Maintain distance to avoid their sync kill mechanic, which can instantly kill Shepard in nearly any circumstance.
If you played Mass Effect 2, Banshees may feel similar to Harbinger-influenced Collectors: their biotic strikes can knock you out of cover, so keep ducking back to maintain protection.

Shortly after you destroy the Banshee, Cannibals enter the fight from the forward doorway. Compared to Banshees, the guide says they fall after only a few bullets.

Bypass the door and keep moving until you find an asari survivor named Falare. Shepard will save her, or Samara will if she’s present (the guide notes that whether the name begins with “S,” it comes down to Samara’s presence). Falare explains that her sister Rila has been taken to the Great Hall. You can gain Morality Points here, but the exact options depend on whether Samara is present.

“We won’t” / “We can try” / “We’ll help find her” grants +2 Paragon Points.
- The guide adds a strange conditional: if Samara is present and you choose “The Ardat-Yakshi are innocent?”, then the “I believe you” option will not award Paragon Points.
“It’s not a rescue mission” / “I don’t have time” / “It’s not a rescue mission” grants +2 Renegade Points.

The same conditional warning is repeated: if Samara is present and you pick “The Ardat-Yakshi are innocent?”, then “I believe you” won’t provide Paragon Points.

After your choice, Falare runs off once you reveal the existence of the bomb and your plan to detonate it, with Samara following if she’s in the party.

Damaged Elevator – After the Falare scene, go left to the far balcony end to find a door riddled with bullet holes.
Computer – 20 XP. Walk to the opposite end of the balcony (past the exit door) to find a laptop on a coffee table, including an audio log.

Chase Falare by using the standard door-opening approach—specifically, the exit door to the right of where the cutscene with her occurred. Just beyond the door, you’ll encounter two Cannibals supported by a Marauder. A side room to the right contains another pair of Cannibals and a Barrier Engine. Take them out, then enter the side room.

Serrice Council Shoulder Guard – Found in the side room on a table beneath the Barrier Engine, mounted on the upper wall.
Disciple – On the ground in the same side room, very close to the shoulder guard.
Medical Station – 75 XP. Located on the far wall in the side room with the Barrier Engine.

Disciple

The guide describes the Disciple as an asari shotgun that behaves like a pistol: it’s lightweight and far more accurate than typical shotguns. With the Smart Choke mod equipped, you can even land headshots. It also has a strong chance to stagger normal-sized enemies even when they’re protected by Shields, Barriers, and/or Armor.

Leave the room and travel counterclockwise around the upper level. Ignore the stairs going down on the left and instead look for a doorway just beyond them that leads to another side room.

Computer x2 – 50 XP. Found in the small side room right past the stairs to the lower area.
Wall Safe – 5,000 credits. Found in the same side room as the two computers, and there’s also a Weapon Bench to the right.

Now go down to the lower floor. Here you’ll run into another Banshee along with a group of Cannibals. The guide notes that they attack during your Banshee fight rather than waiting their turn, and that more enemies appear this time from protected positions at the back and sides—so stay alert.

Once the enemies fall, bypass the next door to enter another dim area where Falare previously descended. In this room there are two major things to find. In the center is the remains of an asari commando.

Asari Corpse – In the middle of the room, slumped against a bomb and some crates.
Assault Rifle Precision Scope – From the asari corpse, head left up some steps and beneath the upper balcony; it’s on the ground to your left.

Proceed through the open doorway into the elevator and activate it to reach the Great Hall. The bomb is still intact, and both Ardat-Yakshi sisters appear to be present. Before you talk to them, the guide recommends grabbing additional supplies and locations:

Medical Station – 75 XP. On the left-hand column when you enter the Great Hall.
Medical Station – 75 XP. On the right-hand column when you enter the Great Hall.
Med Kit – 50 XP. At the base of the stairs leading up to Falare, next to two dead Asari.

If you’re playing the Wii U Special Edition, the guide adds a platform-specific pickup: there’s an M-597 Ladon on top of the bomb at the back of the room, on the right side of the large window. Be sure to pick it up before examining the bomb to start the next cutscene.

Examine the bomb where Falare and Rila are to begin the mission finale.

Defend Bomb

When you try to activate the bomb, a pair of Banshees plus an accompanying group of Husks crash the encounter. The guide advises eliminating the Husks first, because they can clutter the fight and drain resources. While the two Banshees are the main threat, the recommendation is to focus fire on one at a time.

There are multiple Medical Stations around the room that you can use to keep yourself and the squad alive, assuming you didn’t already grab them earlier. If you need to create space, run laps around the big room to avoid getting surrounded by these dangerous enemies.

For Wii U players who grabbed the Ladon, this is the moment to use it. Even on Narrative difficulty, the guide warns that the Ladon seldom kills both Banshees and every Husks at once. Instead, use the TouchPad controls to ensure only the Banshees (marked by red diamonds on the map) are selected.

Find Detonator

Once the enemies are down, return to Falare and Rila to find the detonator. The cutscene reveals the twist: Rila had it. In true asari commando fashion, she stays behind to ensure the monastery and all Banshees inside it are destroyed.

When you come back to the landing pad, you’ll need to decide what happens to Falare—the last Ardat-Yakshi left in the monastery. The guide says how things unfold, along with which Morality Points you can earn, depends on whether Samara is present.

Falere breaks down and asks why Shepard didn’t bring Rila along and help her:
- “She chose to save you” awards +2 Paragon Points.
- “She was beyond help” awards +2 Renegade Points.

“She chose to save you” awards +2 Paragon Points.
“She was beyond help” awards +2 Renegade Points.

If Samara is present, she explains that the Justicar Code requires her to kill any Ardat-Yakshi who isn’t living in a monastery. Unable to bring herself to kill her remaining daughter, she turns her gun on herself:
- Use the Paragon Interrupt to stop her from taking her own life for +15 Paragon Points, which allows her to become a War Asset valued at 25 TMS. After accepting Falere’s “loophole,” Samara promises to visit:
  - “You could stay, Samara” awards +2 Paragon Points.
  - “It’s time to fight, Samara” awards +2 Renegade Points.
- If you ignore the Paragon Interrupt, Samara kills herself, leaving Falere’s fate in Shepard’s hands.

The guide repeats the same Samara sequence: use the Paragon Interrupt for +15 Paragon Points and allow her to become a War Asset worth 25 TMS, then choose whether Samara stays or it’s time to fight. If you skip the interrupt, she takes her own life and Falere’s outcome becomes Shepard’s decision.

“You could stay, Samara” awards +2 Paragon Points.
“It’s time to fight, Samara” awards +2 Renegade Points.

If Samara has died—either because she died earlier in Mass Effect 2 or because you let her take her own life during this mission—Shepard then has to decide what to do with Falere.

If Samara died in Mass Effect 2, you can choose “Are you sure?” for +15 Paragon Points.
Or choose “I can’t let you live” for +5 Renegade Points.

Use the Renegade interrupt to shoot Falere down for +10 Renegade Points.

Use the Renegade interrupt to shoot Falere down for +10 Renegade Points.

Back on the Normandy

After you finish the debrief with the asari councilor, you’ll be able to do another sweep of the Normandy.

CIC – Talk to Traynor, Joker, and EDI. Also check your email for Citadel meetups involving Jacob and Samara, if those are available in your campaign.
Crew Deck – Talk to Garrus and Javik in Port Observation, including a brief parting conversation, plus talk to your Virmire Survivor and Liara.
- Don’t forget to use Gallae’s Electronic Signature at the Intel Terminal to activate the Store Discount Bonus.
Engineering – Talk to Allers.
Shuttle Bay – Talk to Cortez. The guide also mentions that if you completed either the Firewalker or Overlord DLCs in Mass Effect 2, there will be a humorous exchange between him and James when you walk in.

Again, the guide reminds you to use Gallae’s Electronic Signature at the Intel Terminal for the Store Discount Bonus.

If you want more Mass Effect 3 help, the guide lists additional pages to consult:

Legendary Edition Changes
How-To Guides
Key Choices and Consequences
Romance Guide
Walkthrough
Side Missions

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Top Guide Sections

Legendary Edition Changes
Game Basics
Tips and Tricks
How-To Guides

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