"Having received information his former husband was wrongly convinced, Barrett asked me to take him to Gagarin to help clear Ervin's name. We managed to find evidence that the mining done on H-363 was the cause of the disaster and deliver to Ellie Yankton, who will do the legal work necessary to clear Ervin's name."
Breach of Contract is a Miscellaneous Companion Mission in Starfield. It is set on the planet Gagarin in the Alpha Centauri System, which is controlled by the United Colonies. The Breach of Contract quest can be started after the player has had Barrett as a companion for a certain period of time and discussing the previous lawsuit involving Ervin and agreeing to help investigate. After mentioning Gagarin, Barrett will request to speak to the player once they have landed on Gagarin.
Detailed Walkthrough[]
Barrett will ask to talk to The Player after traveling together for some time. Barrett will mention Ervin, his husband who passed away after getting caught in cross-fire during the war. Barrett will then mention Ervin's past, and a lawsuit brought against him in 2309, after being accused of letting a predator outbreak run rampant, causing ongoing works to fail and Hephaestus to lose out on credits. A witness also arriving to testify on behalf of Ervin also did not show up to the trial, causing Ervin to be found guilty and his named besmirched. If the player agrees to pay, Barrett will speak to the player again after a few days, informing them that their contact has information. The Player can then offer more money to help the investigation further. After another day or so, Barrett will inform The Player that the information was fruitful, showing the witness originally slated to testify was threatened into not showing up to court. He wants to re-open the case to clear Ervin's name. The Player can offer to pay more money for the lawyer, but Barrett will refuse, opting to pay it himself. Barrett will ask that The Player take him to the world of Gagarin. Once landed, speaking to Barrett will reveal the name of the lawyer, Ellie Yankton, and the whereabouts of her office. After arriving, Ellie reveals the unfortunate news that, while the evidence is strong, it is not strong enough to win a new lawsuit against Hephaestus, the mining company that used Ervin as their scapegoat.
From here, The Player will need to find more evidence to clear Ervin's name. Starting at Ervin's apartment, the player can check his personal terminal to find an application Ervin filled out for a hunting license, proving Ervin was attempting to quash the predators that were impeding works. A cactus can also be found on Ervin's desk, which Barrett will take a liking to and will relieve it from the player after acquiring it. Speaking to Barrett once finding these clues will direct The Player to the Town Hall, to finalize the evidence of Ervin's hunting license.
With this new evidence in hand, The Player can head to The Foundry to access a terminal outside. A passcode can get you into this terminal, which a worker nearby will have in their possession. This can be pick pocketed to access the terminal. Once The Player has logged in, they can find details and coordinates of the mine Ervin was stationed. The Player can then talk to Barrett again for an update, before heading to the Hephaestus mine.
At the mine, The Player will need to deal with Pests that have overrun the location. After dispatching the enemies, Ervin's work terminal and the terminal of Dr. Helgi Hakkusson can be used to find damming evidence that the reports of these predators had been reported multiple times by Ervin and Helgi, but Hephaestus ignored the issues. Equipped with new evidence, The Player returns to Ellie's office to hand it off.
While the evidence is insurmountable, Ellie believes the case cannot be won without a witness to testify. It is now up to The Player to find Helgi, but is advised this may be tough, as he has become recluse and "weird" since the lawsuit. The Player can now talk to Dr Keala about Helgi to find information on his whereabouts. After a persuasion check, Dr Keala will inform The Player that Helgi was employed by Clint de Haven at Clint's Collectibles. Dr Keala can also be asked to be a character witness. The Player goes to the store to speak to Clint, who claims Helgi has a sizable debt. A persuasion check can be done here, or Helgi's debt of 4000 credits can be paid off. Clint will then let The Player know that Helgi is a regular Lizzy Ajello's bar. Clint can also be asked to be a character witness.
[Optional] The Player can head to the UC Security and talk to Chief Dalitso Pretorius for information on Helgi's whereabouts. While here, The Player can also ask her to be a character witness.
Lizzy Ajello will be extremely subtle about giving information and will require payment. A persuasion check can also be passed to bypass paying her fee. Lizzy will give The Player Helgi's exact location. She can also be asked to be a character witness. The Player is now free to talk to Helgi to ask him to testify once more to clear Ervin's name, but not before a persuasion check. If the persuasion check fails, Helgi will refuse to testify.
After talking to Helgi and returning to Ellie, the player can inform her the status of Helgi as a witness, and who the character witness should be. The town physician Dr Keala seems to be the best choice. Ellie will confirm with The Player and Barrett that the case is now in her hands and to leave it with her. Upon leaving her office, The Player can talk with Barrett again, who will thank them for all their hard work in helping him clear his deceased husbands name.
Some time after the quest ends, Barret will inform you about the results of the lawsuit when next spoken to.
Mission Stages[]
- Take Barrett to Gagarin
- Talk with Barrett
- Talk with the Lawyer
- Find Ervin's Apartment
- Enter Ervin's Apartment
- Search the apartment for evidence
- Discuss evidence with Barrett
- Go to Town Hall
- Look up Ervin's hunting license
- Go to the Foundry District
- Use the Foundry terminal
- Get a passcode from an employee
- Find the mine's coordinates
- Talk with Barrett
- Go to the Hephaestus Mine
- Search for evidence
- Bring evidence to Ellie
- Talk to Dr Keala about Helgi
- Talk to Lizzy about Helgi
- Talk to Clint about Helgi
- Convince Helgi to testify
- (Optional) Find a potential character witness
- Talk with Ellie
- Talk with Barrett
Bugs[]
- If the player accesses the Foundry terminal before taking the passcode, the “Get a passcode from an employee” will remain unchecked and will be active until the quest is over.