Does turning on the shields in the quest with Anno inside the deck 13 (with Gray Prime in it) do anything?
If you blow up Tarkus by fucking up the Stellar Tether, then Novahome will survive the experience much more intact if the shields were on. In particular Aurora won't get sucked out the giant hole in the side of her room and die horribly in the vacuum of space.
I recalled that was the reason anyway, could be wrong.
No, you're right.
If the shields are up, Tarkus is completely intact and Aurora doesn't die.