The Hammer Falls is the final story mission for the Freestar Rangers in Starfield. This mission starts immediately after you kill Paxton Hull in the Freestar Mech Factory.
Summary[]
The threat of the First is over. In a desperate bid to cut costs and save his company, HopeTech founder Ron Hope hired the First mercenaries to seize farmland so he could use an experimental fertilizer to boost the soil's mineral content. Confronted with the truth, he agreed to end the scheme for good.
Quick Walkthrough[]
- My investigation into the activities of the mercenary group called the First has led me to HopeTech founder Ron Hope. The First's leader, Major Paxton Hull, had evidence that Hope hired the First to seize farmland. Now it's time to learn Hope's plans and bring him to justice.
- Go to HopeTown
- Confront Ron Hope. Ron Hope will try to convince you in dialogue to keep his dark deeds in a secret, and he tries to give a bribe. He refuses to surrender, and there is no choice to arrest and bring Ron to justice. It's up to you to accept money from him, agree to keep his operation in secret in exchange for his oath, or attack.
- Talk to Marshal Blake. The lines of dialogue with Marshal Daniel Blake depend on your decision about the fate of Ron Hope. In any case, the investigation will be closed, and the character will be promoted to Ranger, after which the Star Eagle ship will be at your disposal as a reward.
Detailed Walkthrough[]
Head to HopeTown on Polvo. Head into the HopeTech building. You'll find Ron Hope on the shopfloor giving Birgit some sort of commendation/bonus for exceeding all quotas. Confront him. He will confess to all wrongdoing and explain his reasoning. He will detail what he plans to do to rectify his wrongdoing. Next, you are presented with a choice. Ron Hope offers you a substantial amount of credits to keep the situation quiet. You have the following options:
- Attack Ron Hope
- Accept 20,000 credits to keep the situation quiet, and hand over the data slate
- Tell Ron you understand where he is coming from, but you have to do your job. In turn, he will threaten you through his security. You will get two options:
- Agree to keep the situation quiet for the employee's sake.
- Attack Ron Hope.
- Try to force Ron Hope to turn himself in. You will receive the same options as the above:
- Agree to keep the situation quiet for the employee's sake.
- Attack Ron Hope.
Depending on how you decide to deal with Ron, the quest will proceed slightly differently. Based on your decision, view the respective outcome below.
Attack/Kill Ron Hope[]
If you choose to attack Ron, you will have to take him out, along with Cosette and a few of his security guards.
After this, speak to Birgit. She will explain that she is shocked that Ron could do something so horrible. However, she will also express some remorse for you making the decision to kill such an inspiring, charitable figure - and many people's lives depend on him.
- When discussing the plan forward for HopeTech, depending on your dialogue choice, Birgit may also discuss that the second in command named Elana Nwanko could take over HopeTech. Again, this is only revealed if you select a certain dialogue option.
Speak to the Marshal back in Akila City at The Rock and let him know what happened. You can describe the entire plot to Marshal Blake. He and Emma will have a short conversation on its likelihood before you hand over the incriminating data slate. After reading the slate, Marshal will be convinced. He will be slightly worried about the publicity of this and what could ensue in the Freestar Collective. Emma will calm him, letting him know the collective "Isn't like the Colonies". Next, he will mention Emma has one more thing for you. Emma will recommend you be advanced to the rank of Ranger. You receive a new badge to be a full fledged Ranger and receive your quest rewards.
Accepting the bribe[]
If you choose to accept the bribe, you will receive 20,000 credits from Ron Hope. In turn, you must hand over the incriminating data slate. He already agreed to stop the operation, but makes no further agreement about employees/mercenaries.
Speak to the Marshal back in Akila City at The Rock and let him know what happened. The only option you have is to lie and tell Marshal Blake that you didn't learn anything about the operation. He will express some disappointment, stating the case doesn't feel fully resolved, because as far as he knows, you didn't figure out who hired the mercenaries. Regardless, he will mention Emma has one more thing for you. Emma will recommend you be advanced to the rank of Ranger. You receive a new badge to be a full fledged Ranger and receive your quest rewards.
Agreeing to keep the situation quiet for the employees[]
If you agree to keep the situation quiet in order to keep the employees of HopeTech safe, Ron Hope will agree to completely stop the operation. He won't hire any new mercenaries to take the First's place, and dedicates himself to "looking after the hard-working people of HopeTech". He will take the data slate and send you back to the Marshal.
Speak to the Marshal back in Akila City at The Rock and let him know what happened. The resulting conversation will be identical to if you would have accepted the bribe from Hope (the above option), but you will have 20,000 credits less.
Rewards[]
- Levelled credits
- 150 XP
- Freestar Ranger Badge
- Justifier (modified Lawgiver)
- .50 Caliber Caseless ammunition
- Ranger Duelwear
- Ranger Skip Pack or Balanced Pack
- Ranger Space Helmet
- Ranger Spacesuit
- Star Eagle-class starship (with no registration fee required)