Marathon: Return on Investment 3 Guide – Intercept UESC Comms

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Okay, so in Marathon, the Return on Investment 3 contract is a bit of a challenge. Basically, you have to grab a security code from Quarantine, then take down a UESC Commander in Maintenance, all in one go. And to make things even more interesting, the Traxus contract is super competitive right now – everyone’s trying to snag it! It sounds like a lot, but trust me, it’s doable. I’m going to walk you through exactly how to complete the Return on Investment 3 contract in this guide.

How to Complete Return on Investment 3 in Marathon

Return on Investment 3 is a mission within the Traxus contract series, played on the Dire Marsh map. To finish it, you need to complete all three objectives in one continuous attempt.

  1. Download a UESC Comms Security Code in Quarantine
  2. Defeat and take the credentials from the UESC Commander in Maintenance
  3. Intercept UESC Comms at AI Uplink or Bio-Research

1) Download the UESC Comms Security Code

Okay, so when you drop into Dire Marsh, head straight for the west side of Quarantine. The best way in is to stick to the outside and find a hidden entrance on the west side. Once you’re inside, you’ll immediately see a grate you can break and a small crawl space – that’s your way to the security terminal you need. If you’re coming from the center of Quarantine, just look for the big room with the blue walls on the first floor – it’s hard to miss!

Return on Investment 3 is a special contract where only one team can finish it during each attempt. If you can’t use the computer terminal, it probably means another player has already completed it.

Go into the room and use the terminal to get the UESC Comms Security Code. Then, proceed southeast towards the Maintenance area to continue.

Okay, so when you’re messing around in the terminal, your character gets stuck doing an animation for a bit. It’s super important to deal with any UESC enemies nearby first – either take them out or make sure you’re far enough away that they won’t see what you’re up to!

2) Defeat the UESC Commander

Now that you have the security code, you’ll need Commander access to intercept the signal. Head to the southeastern corner of the first floor of the Maintenance facility. As you approach, a group of UESC robots will appear, and one of them – the UESC Commander, marked with a red icon on your HUD – is who you’re looking for.

As the Commander throws grenades at you, waves of UESC robots will also appear. Stay far enough away to avoid damage and carefully eliminate the robots one by one. After you defeat the Commander, approach its remains to find the UESC Credentials. Grab them, and get ready for the last part of the mission.

3) Intercept the UESC Comms

The final step requires you to intercept the UESC signal at either the AI Uplink or Bio-Research facility. Since you’re currently at Maintenance, heading to AI Uplink is easier – you can stay around the edge of the map and avoid detection.

The UESC Comms device is located on the south side of AI Uplink, near the thick black wires that hang over the walkway. To reach it, you can either climb onto the buildings beside the wires and carefully walk across, or use a special ability like the Thief’s grapple to swing over.

You’ll find a capsule on one of the platforms. Use it to intercept UESC communications and finish the mission. Good news: you don’t have to leave the area to complete the contract, so feel free to keep searching the map for more loot if you have room. Check out our interactive Dire Marsh map to find the best places to gather supplies.

All Rewards for Completing Return on Investment 3

Because this is a high-priority contract, completing Return on Investment 3 will give you significant rewards. You’ll earn 630 Traxus reputation points, plus the following benefits:

  • Deluxe Repeated HPR
  • Heavy Ammo
  • Enhanced Chip Mods
  • Enhanced Random Salvage
  • Enhanced Valuable
  • 2,000 Credits

Looking for ways to win against other players in Marathon? Here are our top tips and tricks for Player vs. Player (PVP) combat.

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2026-03-28 01:15