Deep Cover Walkthrough - Starfield Guide - IGN (2024)

Deep Cover is the starting Mission for the Crimson Fleet Faction in Starfield. This quest can be undertaken in several different ways, either immediately after completing the first main quest and arriving in New Atlantis, or by progressing with the UC Vanguard faction.

This mission is your way in to a life of crime and piracy -- or a way to help the UC SysDef in exposing crooks and thieves by gathering evidence on their illicit operations, and you'll have a pretty important choice to make once you've made contact. This mission focuses on your first meeting with UC SysDef, and finding a way to get noticed by the Crimson Fleet's operatives.

• Rewards: 250 XP, 7,300 Credits

How to Join the Crimson Fleet

As stated previously, this quest can be undertaken in several different ways, depending on your playstyle and which quests you've already undertaken -- and the choices you make afterwards.

• The most straightforward way is to simply commit a crime and get thrown in jail. By committing any petty theft in a UC-owned territory like Jemison or Mars, getting scanned with contraband, or even assaulting someone (and holstering your weapon so the guards don't gun you down), you'll be told you're being taken directly to the UC Vigilance Ship for interrogation, skipping your usual stay in a local jail cell.

• If you've decided to join the UC Vanguard, and have completed the opening mission, Supra Et Ulra, as well as the probationary mission, Grunt Work, Commander Tuala will note that you've been called to report to the UC Vigilance Ship orbiting Mars' moon of Deimos. It may sound like a continuation of more UC Vanguard missions, but it's actually a way to join in on the SysDev vs. Crimson Fleet war without having to commit a crime first. In fact, committing a crime after you've been given the invitation will eliminate the first option, as getting arrested will not longer dump you on the UC Vigilance ship.

If you were arrested and awaken in an interrogation room, you'll meet Commander Kibwe Ikabe of the United Colonies System Defense (UC SysDef), who will go down your rap sheet and comment on your background and crimes before giving you an ultimatum: Help UC SysDef by going undercover with the Crimson Fleet, or enjoy some extended time in a jail cell.

Meet with Commander Ikabe

Whether invited or arrested, your next objective is to speak with Command Ikabe further at the operations center of the Vilgilance. If you came by way of interrogation room, you'll be slowly escorted through the brig and down a series of corridors.

If you were requested through the UC Vanguard questline, you can simply travel to the Sol System and click on the small icon orbiting Mars to travel to the UC Vigilance. Select the massive level 100 ship and get within 500 meters for the "Dock" option to appear. An ensign will be waiting to escort you to the bridge under much lighter circ*mstance.

Take the elevator up and through the door, and you'll find the massive operations center for UC SysDef. Commander Ikabe himself is waiting for you at the other end of the large room. Ask as many questions as you like to learn more about how SysDef is waging their war on the Crimson Fleet, and where you come into all of this.

Your task will be to find a way to infiltrate the group by impressing them enough that they'll let you into their headquarters. It's an impressive captured star station in the Kryx System, and its fleet of pirate ships will tear you to pieces if you try to go without being formally invited.

Instead, Commander Ikabe wants you to walk the dangerous line of a deep cover informant, getting in good with the Crimson Fleet and passing along any incriminating evidence you can find. To get in, he will point you towards a member of the Trade Authority on Cydonia who has a connection to the Crimson Fleet, but impressing them enough to get in will be on you. To help, he will put a shipment of the contraband drug Aurora on your ship to sell (don't worry, you won't be arrested for carrying it).

You can also ask the Commander about what ethics you need to follow while going undercover. The short answer is - do what you need to in order to keep your cover, but try not to get corrupted along the way. This means while he'd rather you avoid taking a life while on the job, you should use your best judgement to make sure your cover isn't blown.

Once he's done briefing you, speak to Lieutenant Toft nearby who will formally instruct you to pass along any evidence you find once you're among the Crimson Fleet, and you'll be well compensated for each item you turn in (which is good, because UC SysDef themselves won't be paying you much for risking your life otherwise).

As you head to leave back through the elevator, be sure to check out the Commander's Office room to the right of the elevator, as a small shelf on the right inside holds a Skill Magazine - CombaTech Catalog 02 - which permanently increases range and accuracy of all CombaTech weapons. There's also a SysDef Crew Uniform you are free to take, and you can snoop on the commander's terminal.

Meet Saoirse Bowden in Cydonia

From the UC Vigiliance, it's just a short hop down to the surface of Mars and into the major city of Cydonia.

Saoirse resides in the Trade Authority shop, and if this is your first time on Mars, you luckily don't have to look far. Take the main path once you enter the city until the hall opens up to a wide balcony and stairs.

Turn right just before hitting the stairs to spot a sign for the Trade Authority, and enter to find Saoirse lounging along the left wall. When you tell her you've got a shipment you're looking to unload, she'll hint that she knows some people that might be looking to buy.

Unfortunately, she's not willing to part with the contact info for free, and death threats mean little, so you're going to have to eat the cost of a 1,000 credit finders fee.

She'll point you back up the path to the Broken Spear bar near the entrance to Cydonia, to meet a man named Adler Kemp. He can be found on a small upper seating area when first entering the bar, next to the stairs.

If you blew off SysDef and went to jail instead, a member of the Crimson Fleet will contact you with a slate telling you to meet Adler, bypassing the need to speak with Saoirse.

Indicate to Adler that you want to sell some Aurora, and he'll take the sample and indicate that he knows the Crimson Fleet. However, before you can do business and move the shipment, you'll need to do Adler a favor. There's a miner who owes him money, and is in need of a shakedown.

Your task is to get the money he owes, and more importantly put the fear of God into him. Adler won't take your money as payment (at least not yet), and he doesn't want you outright killing the man.

Collect Karl Fielding's Debt

Leave the Broken Spear bar and head back down the path to the large balcony and stairs, and travel down one flight to find an orange door to the Residential Quarters. You should find Karl right on the other side, sitting down by a wall.

When you try and assert your dominance, Karl will play dumb and pretend not to know what you're talking about, so exhaust some dialogue options until he finally comes clean, and tries to ask for an extension.

You'll have a few options to choose from when he claims he can't pay:

• Make him promise to stop borrowing, and pay off his debt for 3,000 Credits
• Persuade him to take the threat seriously and pay up
• Attack him directly

As fun as violence is, Adler told you not to kill him, and everyone else in the room will immediately turn on you, so you should instead try for the persuasion route, leaning on threats like "You're a dead man if you don't pay this back" to make him realize the serverity of the situation. However, if you're really in this to expose corruption and fight the bad guys, you can opt to pay his debt.

Return to Adler with the money, and Adler will agree to send you the location of the Crimson Fleet's second in command: Naeva Mora. She'll be waiting for you in orbit of Europa, one of the moons of Jupiter that's not too far away.

As the mission concludes and you are sent on your way, you'll also get your cut of the shipment of Aurora that Adler was able to move for you, netting you a tidy profit of 7,300 credits.