In the midst of saving the entire universe, Shepard will often be asked to save individuals in Mass Effect Legendary Edition. After all, what's a universe if all of the amazing people in it are gone? Then again, some of the people Shepard saves aren't exactly the kind of individuals that make the galaxy a better place. Is this because Shepard believes in second chances? Or because Shepard is willing to do make any deal that takes down the reapers?
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This all comes down to player choice, of course. Many of these galactic citizens can be disposed of or ignored at the expense of plot points and war assets. With up to hundreds of hours in gameplay and plenty of war assets on the table, that's not even such a bad thing. And this is where Patriarch comes in; one of those characters that stands firmly in this grey area, both morally and strategically.
Players will have the option of meeting Patriarch well before any mission given around him. He's hanging out in a room adjacent to Lower Afterlife on the east side. There's actually an interaction with him before a mission sends Shepard his way, so feel free to introduce the commander. This dialogue may very well influence whether players even want to save Patriarch (he's giving advice about killing families).
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After this, go back to Afterlife and speak to Grizz (one of Aria's two named bodyguards). He'll tell Shepard that Aria wants Patriarch kept alive. If probed about why using the paragon or renegade options, he'll confirm what Shepard already knows if the player has spoken to Patriarch. He's a trophy to be kept around and Aria doesn't want to lose him for her own personal status.
After this go back to Patriarch. It's time to have a rather difficult conversation about end-of-life activities.
Before electing to save Patriarch, the player needs to choose whether they want Patriarch to live. Getting him killed will make Aria angry, but it will make Patriarch go out on a high note. Choose the renegade option to have Patriarch go down swinging.
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To save Patriarch, use the paragon option and Shepard will offer to be his krantt. Patriarch will be persuaded that, as a krogan, this will bring him glory and honor. He's not entirely wrong. While Aria will be thankful for Shepard saving him, she'll be slightly irritated about his newfound glory.
Now the task is to find the assassins, which are not labeled on the map, but they are close by. Exit the door, go left (south on the map), and exit the doors. A brief cutscene will trigger as soon as the door is interacted with.
It's tragically impossible to talk the assassins down, it's purely a matter of who strikes first. Take them out using any dialogue option, then return to Patriarch. Lastly, close the mission by speaking with Aria, who will be reluctantly grateful.
Congratulations on saving the galaxy, one krogan at a time!