Jia Jem Wearing Costume From Mass Effect 2

The Illusive Man initially provides Shepard with dossiers regarding potential recruits: a salarian scientist, a mysterious vigilante named Archangel, a krogan warlord, and a powerful but unstable biotic. The salarian, Dr. Mordin Solus, is found on Omega, working to stop a plague engineered by the Collectors and spread by gangs of Vorcha. Archangel is also found on Omega, and is discovered to be Garrus Vakarian, one of Shepard's previous squad members. The krogan warlord, Okeer, is found attempting to create the perfect krogan through unethical genetic research. Okeer is killed by attacking Blue Suns mercenaries, but he leaves his creation, Grunt, in Shepard's care. The biotic, Jack, is revealed to be a woman also known as "Subject Zero." Cerberus arranges for her to be purchased from the prison holding her; Shepard travels to the prison ship, but is betrayed by the warden, who attempts to capture Shepard for a bounty. Shepard escapes and rescues Jack, who joins the team. If the player has purchased the relevant downloadable content, The Illusive Man will also have dossiers on Zaeed Massani, a veteran mercenary, and Kasumi Goto, a master thief, which Shepard picks up on Omega and the Citadel respectively.
The Illusive Man reveals that a human colony known as Horizon, is under Collector attack, and dispatches the team to save the colony. He notes that one of Shepard's surviving crew members, either Kaidan Alenko or Ashley Williams depending on who the player sacrificed on Virmire in the first game, is stationed at the colony. Shepard arrives and battles the Collectors in an attempt to save the colony. The Commander stops the Collector attack by re-activating the colony's defense batteries forcing the Collectors to flee on their ship. Shepard saves only half of the colonists, the Collectors abduct the rest. Shepard then reunites with a former team member, who leaves feeling betrayed by Shepard working for Cerberus.
It is later revealed on the Normandy that the Illusive Man leaked a tip about Shepard being alive to the Alliance and that the Collectors intercepted this message indicating that the Collectors have a personal interest in Shepard. Shepard is also provided with additional dossiers on more potential recruits: an asari Justicar, a drell assassin, and Tali. The Justicar, Samara, joins the team after Shepard investigates the Eclipse mercenary group and its involvement in a murder. The drell assassin, Thane Krios is in the midst of an assassination mission. Learning of Thane's next target, Shepard finds Thane, who dispatches his target and joins the team. Tali is found in the outer rim of the galaxy, running a scientific survey that comes under geth attack. After she is rescued from an immense geth force, Tali joins Shepard.