Starfield: Surgical Strike Mission [Walkthrough]

The intriguing Starfield’s Surgical Strike mission stands out in the vast Starfield world. Players can get critical insights into this complex environment and its intriguing people by participating in missions, whether essential central missions drive the main plot or optional side missions. Particularly, Faction Missions are unique tasks given by several Factions that strengthen the player’s bond with the associated Faction and promote the group’s main plot.

Key Points

• Starfield’s Surgical Strike is a significant mission, offering insights into the game’s world and characters through missions. Like Surgical Strike, Faction Missions strengthen your bond with factions and contribute to the plot.
• Starfield’s Surgical Strike becomes available after completing the Shadows in Neon mission. The mission centers around unraveling the mystery of Maya Cruz and her connection to the First Cavalry mercenaries.
• Your first objective is to find Maya Cruz, which takes you to The Clinic near Deepala in the Narion system. Ranger Ben Armistead assists you in the investigation, and you meet Ari Miller, who reports issues with the patient database.
• After questioning patients and conducting investigations, you learn that Maya Cruz may use an alias. Accessing the VIP Wing involves persuading Dr. Titus Cassidy for a keycard or using other methods like hacking.

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After completing the Freestar Collective’s Shadows in Neon mission, Starfield’s Surgical Strike becomes accessible. As you explore more into the enigmatic world of the First Cavalry mercenaries as a result of your confrontation with a bold starship robber who stole a HopeTech spacecraft straight out of the production, this intriguing task develops.

You can select the order in which you finish the two separate missions that makeup Surgical Strike. The objective of “On the Run” is to find Marco Graziani, whereas the goal of “Surgical Strike” is to find Maya. Finding Maya, however, is no simple endeavor, and this mission entails numerous complex stages.

Starfield’s Surgical Strike is an extensive mission, and the following are the steps one needs to complete it and get their deserving rewards.

Go To The Clinic

The Clinic in the Narion System northeast of Alpha Centauri is a key landmark in Starfield’s Surgical Strike mission. You might have to go through the Sol system north of Alpha Centauri to get to Narion. After finishing Shadows in Neon, you can see the Clinic on a Star Station within the Deepala Rings when you have conducted the Surgical Strike mission.

Marshal Daniel Blake advises looking for Maya Cruz in The Clinic, a covert hospital in the Settled Systems that would be ideal for her covert treatment. You can find Deepala by doing a grav leap to Narion, then discover The Clinic. To help you with your inquiry, meet Ranger Ben Armistead in the Ranger Office. Then, resume your search for Maya Cruz by going to Clinic operations manager Ari Miller.

Look For Maya Cruz

To find Maya, you head to The Clinic near the gas giant Deepala in the Narion system. Your first task is to locate Ranger Ben Armistead in the Ranger Office and fill him in on the ongoing investigation. Ben is well-informed about recent developments and offers his assistance willingly.

There, you meet Ari, a significant character who reports persistent issues with the patient database. Ari attempts to access patient records but finds no results for Maya Cruz. Ari provides the names of two female patients at the facility – Jane Nakamori and Candace Doolin. You have several dialogue options, but conversing with Ranger Ben Armistead in the adjacent Ranger’s Office is essential.

After your discussion with Ranger Armistead, you return to Ari for further dialogue, leading to a visit to his terminal in the central room. You learn of Maya’s tech expertise but discover that Ari is unaware of anyone matching her description at The Clinic. However, he suggests narrowing down potential candidates based on specific criteria, such as those needing long-term care.

Ari’s search confirms the absence of any patient named Maya Cruz, raising suspicions that she may be using an alias. As you leave the Ranger Office, you encounter Ari Miller, who reveals ongoing technical issues with The Clinic’s computer systems. Ari guides you to the terminal, where he identifies two female patients who meet the criteria: Candace Doolin and Jane Nakamori.

At this point, you have two methods to confirm Maya’s presence:

1. Leverage Your Security Skill

2. Question Patients

Without the Security Skills, your alternative approach involves direct patient interaction. Venture into the ward rooms and question Jane and Candace.

Ultimately, your inquiries conclude that neither aligns with the description of the individual you seek. Following these investigative steps, you return to Ari at his terminal, where he has identified a new potential lead: a patient named Catarina Rivera in the V.I.P. section.

This revelation propels the mystery forward, offering new ways for exploration in your quest to unveil Maya’s identity.

Enter The VIP Wing

You have two viable choices to access the exclusive VIP Wing in The Clinic. First, you can use your persuasive skills to convince Dr. Titus Cassidy to provide you with the keycard. Alternatively, for a more daring approach, you can hack a nearby safe to obtain the keycard, which only requires Novice-level hacking expertise.

To learn how to access the VIP Wing, consult Ari for guidance. Dr. Cassidy holds the authority to grant or deny entry. If you choose persuasion, find Dr. Cassidy’s office in the Staff Area, left of The Clinic’s entrance.

Engage him in conversation until the ‘Persuade’ option appears, and succeed by accumulating six points within three turns. Another option is to utilize the Medicine skill, convincing Dr. Cassidy without hassle.

You can acquire the VIP Wing Keycard through different methods. One option is to use your medical knowledge by selecting “[Medicine] I give you my word as a fellow medical professional that I’ll be very discreet” during your conversation with Dr. Titus Cassidy. This guarantees your success, and Dr. Cassidy willingly provides you with the keycard.

Another approach involves persuasion, where successful persuasion results in Dr. Cassidy handing over the keycard. However, if persuasion fails, your only recourse is to steal the keycard, either from Dr. Cassidy himself or from a secure location. In summary, you can obtain the VIP Wing Keycard, but no matter your route, access to the VIP Wing will be yours to explore.

Attempting to eliminate Dr. Cassidy is futile. Whether you persuade, pickpocket, or steal from him, you’ll obtain the VIP Wing Keycard, granting access to explore its mysteries.

Go To Sakharov

After obtaining the VIP Wing Keycard, head back to The Clinic’s lobby, turn left to access the VIP Wing, and prepare for an immediate turret threat upon entering. Defeat the turret and proceed to the room on the right, adjacent to the VIP docking area. You’ll find a deceased doctor’s body and another active turret inside this room.

Eliminate the turret and be cautious, as mines are rigged around the bed and medical box. While inspecting the room, discover a slate on the bedside table revealing Maya Cruz’s presence at the clinic and her plan to visit her secret base on Sakharov, your next destination. Regardless of your method to enter the VIP section, be ready for a turret encounter as the doors open.

Disable it and enter Catarina’s room, avoiding potential mine traps. After securing the room, you’ll realize Maya Cruz has disappeared. Investigate for clues.

• Clue One: Access the modified terminal near the door and follow these steps. Activate ‘Command Override Mode,’ disable the program, and access ‘Terminal Access Logs.’ Within these logs, select the top ‘C. Rivera, Guest’ entry, which discloses Maya’s intended destination: Sakharov. This information points to her whereabouts and directs your next move, guiding you toward the abandoned asteroid mine in Sakharov.
• Clue Two: A slate on the table reveals precise details about Maya’s destination: an abandoned asteroid mine in Sakharov.

Now, you must journey to Sakharov and locate Maya within the old asteroid mine hideout.

Visit The Asteroid Mines

Set a course for the Sakharov star system, tucked away southwest of Narion and southeast of Alpha Centauri, to find Maya Cruz’s elusive hiding place. Your target is Eklund Site CL25, a decommissioned asteroid mine that she used as a cover for her underground stronghold.

When you dock at the mine, a strange mannequin dressed in a Deep Mining Set welcomes you. Although not immediately useful, selling these objects can bring you a healthy profit.

As you continue down the mine, a small passage that calls to you draws you in with its tense silence.  Push a button to enter the space below the Stroud-Eklund emblem, representing your enigmatic trip’s next stage. Proceed through tight corridors, carefully dealing with turrets and Shardhoppers to avoid setbacks. After descending another elevator, a massive firefight featuring turrets and numerous robots ensues.

Maneuver carefully, navigate around the central formation, and eliminate the final enemy. Looting is encouraged; to your left is a security room that conceals valuables, while to your right is a staircase leading to an upper level with a wealth of aid supplies. As the mission progresses, these will be quite helpful. Even rare weapons might be hidden in the security room.

Climb up the structure at the center of the area and destroy the turret. Finally, use any weapon to cut through the pins on the Emergency Cuttable Wall and prepare to confront Maya Cruz. Before heading to Sakharov, stock up on healing items, food, aid, weapons, and ammunition. Move forward armed with your newly acquired resources.

Turn on your scanner to look for hidden mines that Maya has anticipated and placed. As you approach the Emergency Cuttable Wall, a strong barrier that must be destroyed by cutting its four yellow pins, neutralize the hiding Shardhoppers.

Go Up Against Maya Cruz

After defeating Maya in a tense encounter, you have two options: look into the First Cavalry or move on with a potentially lethal attack. By choosing information, you spare Maya; before accepting her fate, she offers an encrypted slate. In contrast, deciding to engage in combat results in Maya’s death and the same encrypted slate recovery.

Your next move is still unclear because the results of saving or killing Maya in upcoming Freestar Collective Side Missions are yet unknown. After that, take an elevator to your ship’s docking port, get past one last cuttable wall, and confront Maya. You can immediately attack her or ask her why she’s doing it before getting another encrypted slate.

Send Alex Shadid The Encrypted Slate

Use the elevator opposite Maya’s room to exit the asteroid mine’s lower level. Depart the mine, then carry the slate to Akila City. Hand it over to Alex Shadid in The Rock to wrap up Starfield’s Surgical Strike mission and claim your rewards: 6800 Credits and 350 XP.

Hopefully, this article helped you in your quest for Starfield’s Surgical Strike mission. Below are more Starfield-related guides!

• Starfield Main Quest List.
• Starfield Neon Location Guide.
• Starfield Best Factions.