Omega: Patriarch Walkthrough — Key Choices and Combat in Mass Effect 2

If you’re working through Mass Effect 2 on Omega, the “Omega: Patriarch” side assignment is a key stop tied to Aria’s favor requests. This walkthrough-style breakdown covers what to do step by step, where to go inside Afterlife and the underbelly of Lower Afterlife, which conversations matter, what combat you’ll run into, and which choice paths affect Paragon/Renegade outcomes.

Release & platform snapshot

This guide content applies to Mass Effect 2 overall and is commonly referenced by players across the game’s standard releases, including the Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The assignment itself is an in-game Omega side quest with the same objective flow regardless of platform.

Assignment rewards and the “lockout” warning

• Experience: 40 XP
• Mission Credits: 3,000 credits

Completing “Omega: Patriarch” is one of the Aria favors you need in order to unlock the bonus assignment “N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot.” The important caveat: there’s a scenario that can prevent you from receiving that bonus N7 assignment.

If you’ve already turned in “Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered,” then completing “Omega: Patriarch” exactly the way Aria requests will prevent you from claiming the bonus N7 assignment. Because of that risk, it’s strongly recommended that you delay handing in “Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered” until after you’ve finished “Omega: Patriarch.”

Travel to Sahrabarik

• Prerequisite: Complete either “Dossier: Archangel” or “Dossier: The Professor”
• Location: Omega Nebula – Sahrabarik – Omega – Afterlife

“Omega: Patriarch” doesn’t appear right away. It only unlocks after you complete one of the two Omega dossier-style missions: “Dossier: Archangel” or “Dossier: The Professor.” Once you’ve done either one, you can pick up the assignment on Omega.

If you haven’t spent time mining in the Sahrabarik system, you may want to check your setup before moving on.

Recommended loadout

• Unique dialogue: Even though this assignment has no combat encounters tied directly to it, playing as a krogan named Grunt provides some distinctive dialogue during this segment.

Talk to Grizz

To begin the job, go into Afterlife and head to the stairs on the left side of Aria’s balcony. One of her personal bodyguards—an under-the-radar Turian named Grizz—will stop you and hand over work from Aria.

Grizz explains that Patriarch, the krogan who formerly ran Omega, is in serious trouble. Assassins are hunting him, and Aria wants you to protect Patriarch.

There are no Morality Points tied to this specific conversation, but if you ask “Why me?” you’ll need to spend a Persuasion option to get the extra context you’re looking for. Once you agree to help, you’ll receive the assignment.

Find the Patriarch

Your next objective is to speak directly with Patriarch. This massive, older krogan can be found in the underbelly of Lower Afterlife.

Pathing inside Afterlife: take the stairs down from under Aria’s balcony, go right down the stairs, and go through the door on the right. Move down the left side of the bar, then watch for stairs on your left that lead to Patriarch’s small room.

Handle Patriarch

You can talk with Patriarch about multiple topics, but to advance the assignment you must choose “You have to get out of here.” Doing so also grants +2 Paragon Points.

Patriarch’s reaction is blunt: he’s done worrying about Aria’s standing, which opens up three decision options.

• Option: “Time to go, Patriarch” (right side). This is meant to convince Patriarch to leave for safety as Aria requested, earning +2 Paragon Points.
  • WARNING!! If you already turned in “Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered,” choosing this will LOCK YOU OUT of the “N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot” assignment.
• Option: “What kind of krogan are you?” This leads to Patriarch being killed, awarding +5 Renegade Points.
• Option: “Let us be your ‘muscle’.” You offer to fight off the thugs on Patriarch’s behalf for +2 Paragon Points.
  • If you choose this and then change your mind, you can speak to Patriarch again and select either to get him to safety or to let the thugs kill him, receiving the same rewards listed above.

WARNING!! If you already turned in “Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered,” then taking the “Time to go, Patriarch” route will LOCK YOU OUT of “N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot.”

If you picked “Let us be your ‘muscle’,” you’ll now need to deal with Patriarch’s assassins. If you’re not sure where to go next, you don’t have to travel far: exit up the stairs, then head through the door on your right—you’ll run into them immediately.

No matter how you respond in the moment, Patriarch’s krantt (you and your squad) will beat back the attackers until they’re gone.

Once the assassins are dead, you can return to Patriarch and report what happened, earning Morality Points:

• Pick: “Goodbye” for +2 Paragon Points.
• Pick: “Don’t waste this” for +2 Renegade Points.

After the report, Patriarch adds a warning. He appreciates what you did and acknowledges that it made him look good, but he cautions you not to meddle with how Omega runs. If you try to change things, he fears you’ll draw Aria’s anger.

Report to Grizz

Next, you’ll need to report back to Grizz about how everything turned out. He’ll be in the same spot where he first approached you to start this side quest.

If you did what Aria asked and successfully moved Patriarch to safety, Grizz thanks you and completes the assignment, granting its rewards. This also prevents you from accessing the very last portion of the assignment described further below the next image.

If you used one of the Persuasion choices during your conversation with Patriarch, Grizz will tell you that Aria wants to talk to you instead. If Patriarch was killed by the assassins through the Intimidate path, you can select “He didn’t live like a krogan” to gain +2 Paragon Points.

In any case, Aria’s conclusion is that you got the job done, so she won’t be particularly upset with you.

Now, if you also completed “Omega: Archangel: Datapad Recovered,” you receive an additional benefit: coordinates for the “N7: Eclipse Smuggling Depot” assignment. After that, you can earn more Morality Points by choosing:

• Pick: “No thanks” for +2 Paragon Points (you still get the assignment regardless).
• Pick: “Much appreciated” or “Just like that?” for +2 Renegade Points.

If you want more assistance with Mass Effect 2, you can also look into other topic pages such as “Legendary Edition Changes,” “How-To Guides,” “Key Choices and Consequences,” “Romance Options,” “Walkthrough,” and “Side Quests.”

Up next: Omega – Archangel: Datapad Recovered

Top guide sections

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

Was this guide helpful?

In this guide