You're standing on the Citadel, the neon-soaked heart of the galaxy, and there’s this weird, four-armed green bug-thing just clicking away at a terminal. It’s a Keeper. You’ve probably tried to talk to one only to get that generic "Please do not disturb the Keepers" message. But then you meet Chorban. That frantic Salarian changes everything. He wants you to scan keepers Mass Effect style—covertly, illegally, and right under the noses of C-Sec. It seems like a simple fetch quest, right? Wrong.
It’s actually one of the most mechanically and narratively significant side missions in the entire trilogy.
Most people treat the Keeper scan like a chore. They run around the Presidium, getting lost near the Embassies, trying to find that one elusive bug hiding in the back of the wards. But if you're just clicking buttons to clear your quest log, you're missing the point. This mission is a massive lore dump hiding in plain sight. It sets the stage for the biggest plot twist in the franchise. Honestly, if you don't do this right, you're leaving Paragon or Renegade points—and some seriously cool world-building—on the table.
The Secret Stakes of Scanning Keepers
The mission "Citadel: Scan the Keepers" isn't just about credits. It’s about the fundamental mystery of the Citadel itself. These creatures have been there for cycles. Nobody knows where they come from. The Council just accepts them because they keep the life support running and the lights on. By agreeing to help Chorban, you’re basically committing a misdemeanor to solve a prehistoric cold case.
There are 21 Keepers in total.
Wait.
Before you start sweating about finding 21 specific NPCs in a massive space station, you should know that you don't actually need all of them to "pass" the quest, but you do need them all if you want the maximum reward and the full data set. Each scan gives you a small chunk of XP and credits. It scales with your level, too. If you wait until later in the game to finish the circuit, the payout is actually decent. But most players do it early because, well, you need those early-game credits for Spectre gear.
Where Everyone Gets Stuck
The Presidium is easy. You’ve got the one by the elevator to the Wards, the ones in the Embassies, and the guy chilling by the bridge. But the Wards? That’s where the frustration sets in.
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There’s a Keeper tucked away in the Flux casino, right in the back corner behind the Quasar machines. People miss that one constantly. Then there’s the one in the Med Clinic. And the one in the Upper Wards market. If you’re at 20/21 and you're ready to throw your controller, check the docking bay. You have to take the elevator up from the C-Sec Academy. It’s isolated, easy to forget, and usually the culprit behind a ruined 100% completion run.
Why the Reward is Better Than You Think
Is it just XP? No.
If you complete the quest, you get a follow-up in Mass Effect 2. You’ll receive an email from Chorban (or his assistant, depending on your choices) that explains what they found. It turns out the Keepers are bio-engineered "organic machines." They are designed to react to a specific signal from the Citadel's core.
This ties directly into the Prothean's last-stand efforts on Ilos. The scientists there, led by Vigil, figured out that the Keepers were the Reapers' "remote control" for the Citadel relay. By scanning them for Chorban, you are technically helping verify the very research that explains how the Reapers have successfully harvested the galaxy for millions of years. It makes the ending of the first game—where the Sovereign-controlled Saren tries to manually trigger the Citadel—make way more sense. The Keepers didn't respond to the signal because the Protheans broke their "receivers."
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Basically, you aren't just a space-errand boy. You're a data-gathering pioneer.
The Paragon vs. Renegade Dilemma
You’ll eventually be confronted by Jahleed, Chorban’s former partner. He claims Chorban is trying to kill him. It’s a classic "he-said, she-said" scenario.
- The Paragon Route: You can convince them to work together or turn them in to C-Sec. If you turn them in, you lose the chance to finish the scanning, but you stay on the right side of the law.
- The Renegade Route: You can basically bully them into continuing the research or just take the scanner and go.
Choosing to help Chorban is technically illegal, but in the grand scheme of "saving the galaxy from giant sentient spaceships," a little illegal scanning is a drop in the bucket. Most veteran players recommend keeping the scanner. The lore payoff in the sequel is worth the minor frown from Commander Bailey later on.
Finding the Final Few: A Checklist That Actually Works
Don't just run around aimlessly. Hit the locations in circles. Start at the Embassies. There’s one in the lounge, one in the back office, and one near the diplomat's stands. Then move to the Tower. There are several here, including one tucked way back in a corner near the council chamber entrance.
Next, hit the Presidium proper. Check the area near the Hanar shop and the Preaching Hanar.
Then, the Wards. This is the meat of the mission.
- Lower Wards: Near the C-Sec Academy entrance.
- Flux: The casino floor.
- Med Clinic: Right next to Dr. Michel.
- Alleyways: Down where you find the body in the "Citadel: Jahleed’s Fears" quest.
- C-Sec Academy: In the traffic control room and the requisition office.
The absolute "hidden" ones are the Docking Bay (as mentioned) and the one at the very top of the Citadel Tower, near where you talk to the Council. You have to go up the stairs and look behind the structures. It's easy to miss when you're focused on the main plot.
The Long-Term Impact
Mass Effect is a game of consequences. While scanning the Keepers feels like a minor "collect-a-thon" from 2007, it represents the DNA of the series. BioWare used these small tasks to flavor the world. If you skip this, the Citadel feels like a static backdrop. If you do it, the Citadel feels like a mystery waiting to be unraveled.
In the Legendary Edition, they actually fixed some of the tracking issues. It’s smoother now. The scans register faster. But the locations remain the same. It’s a test of patience that rewards the lore-hungry.
Actionable Next Steps for Your Playthrough
To make the most of this quest, follow these specific steps:
- Pick up the quest early: Grab it from Chorban immediately after your first Council meeting. This lets you scan Keepers as you do other Citadel side quests, saving you hours of backtracking.
- Don't kill Chorban: Even if you're playing a full Renegade, let him live. His research is more valuable to your character's understanding of the Reapers than a few points of "badass" credit.
- Check your journal after every scan: The game keeps a counter. If it doesn't click up, you didn't get the scan. Sometimes the prompt is finicky; make sure Shepard actually does the "scanning" animation.
- Look Up: A few Keepers are on platforms that aren't immediately at eye level. If you're in a room and the map says you're on top of one but you can't see it, look for a raised balcony or a recessed alcove.
- Finish before Virmire: Once the endgame kicks off, the Citadel changes, and your access to certain areas becomes restricted or completely cut off. Complete the circuit before you head off to the final acts of the game.
By the time you reach the end of the trilogy, you'll realize that those little green bugs were the most important things in the room. You'll be glad you took the time to point a scanner at them.