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Starfield’smain factions each have a full-fledged questline for players to experience. The Freestar Collective gives players the chance to become their latest Ranger, a galactic peacekeeper of sorts. This questline quickly unravels into a major conspiracy, culminating in “The Hammer Falls.”
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While simple, this quest requires you to make a critical decision with HopeTech’s CEO, Ron Hope. How you handle this situation will determine some of the rewards you’ll receive at the end of the quest and how your companions will react in a follow-up conversation. This guide will showcase how to complete this quest, explain the outcomes of every decision, and cover any noteworthy consequences.
Go To HopeTown
Paxton Hull has revealed that it was none other than Ron Hope, CEO of HopeTech, who coordinated the farmer attacks. He gives you a slate titled “Details of the Arrangement” that shows irrefutable proof that Hope was involved.You’ll need to visit HopeTown on the planet Polvo and confront him.The planet Polvo is found in the Valo system. You should be able to fast travel directly to HopeTown since you’ve visited the location in an earlier quest.
Once you arrive in HopeTown,head to the storage area in the back of the HopeTech facility to find Ron Hope.He’ll be in the middle of a conversation with Brigit McDougall, a HopeTech employee you spoke with during an earlier quest. Confront Ron Hope about the farmers and his involvement.
Should You Take Ron Hope’s Bribe?
Ron Hope will originally offer you 20,000 credits to give him the evidence and keep this entire ordeal a secret.If you don’t immediately take the bribe, siding with Ron later in this conversation will not award any credits.This is your only chance to take the bribe, although you’ll have another opportunity to side with Ron later in the conversation.
This conversation has five outcomes, as shown below:
[Negotiation] Accept Ron Hope’s Bribe
You will receive 50,000 credits. HopeTech security will remain friendly, and Ron Hope will remain CEO. You must lie to Marshal Blake.
All Constellation companions respond negatively to this action.
Accept Ron Hope’s Bribe
You will receive 20,000 credits. HopeTech security will remain friendly, and Ron Hope will remain CEO. You must lie to Marshal Blake.
Keep Ron Hope’s Secret
HopeTech security will remain friendly, and Ron Hope will remain CEO. You must lie to Marshal Blake.
Refuse Ron Hope’s Bribe
HopeTech security and Ron Hope become hostile. Elana Nwanko becomes HopeTech’s new CEO. Marshal Blake learns the truth.
Most Constellation companions respond positively to this action.
Attack Ron Hope
Those who are looking to side with Ron Hope should accept his bribe money, assiding with him later in the conversation results in the same consequences but with no additional pay.If you refuse his bribe or attack him outright, you will have to fight Ron Hope and his bodyguards. The rest of the HopeTech facility willnotbecome hostile.
The real consequences of this quest lie in your companion’s reactions to the situation, as this choice doesnotimpact your ability to become a Freestar Ranger.If you want to stay on your companion’s good graces, do not side with Ron Hope.Alternatively, if you don’t plan on using any Constellation companions in your current playthrough, there aren’t any meaningful consequences for accepting Ron’s bribe, so you might as well take the credits.
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Return To The Marshal
Regardless of how you deal with Ron Hope, return to Akila City and speak with Marshal Blake. He will ask for a debriefing on the situation with Paxton.If you sided with Ron Hope, you must lie to the Marshal.He’ll be dissatisfied with the results of the investigation but won’t put any blame on you. Alternatively, if you killed Ron Hope, the Marshal will mention his concern about killing a member of the Council, but no actual consequences occur from this; it’s more of a side comment than any meaningful critique.
Whichever way you handled HopeTech,you will be given the title of Freestar Ranger, complete with a new weapon, armor set, and the Star Eagle ship. you may access your new ship by speaking to a ship mechanic at the docking bay of any major city.Additional bounty missions will also become availablein Freestar Space. Receiving your new gear will conclude the Freestar Rangers questline and the plot arc with HopeTech.
Quest Consequences
Strangely,there are no major consequences tied to this quest.Some HopeTech employees will have unique dialogue if you decided to kill Ron Hope, but the state of the galaxy remains identical to where it was before “The Hammer Falls.” Killing Ron Hope has no impact on your ability to become a Freestar Ranger, nor does it make a meaningful impact on the lives of HopeTech employees or farmers in Freestar space.
The only meaningful consequences tied to this quest relate to companion relationships.All Constellation companions will have a conversation about the investigation shortly after you become a Freestar Ranger. If you let Ron Hope walk freely, you will be chastised by Sarah.You must agree with her critiques or else you’ll receive a massive affinity penalty with her. The rest of Constellation is indifferent to how you handled Ron Hope. Killing him is seen as favorable by all Constellation companions.
