Starfield Eye of the Storm: Side with SysDef or Crimson Fleet?

After spending all this time working with the Crimson Fleet in Starfield, your time with the faction will soon be coming to an end, depending on whether you side with the UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet. That decision will come soon, but first, we’ve a few loose ends to wrap up.

After retrieving the ComSpike and acquiring some Conduction Grid Plans to help power it, we’ll have returned to the Crimson Fleet aboard the Key. The fleet will be on high alert, and Delgado will want to speak with you right away, so let’s get to it. Here’s how to complete the quest ‘Eye of the Storm’ in Starfield, and whether you should side with the UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet.

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Starfield Eye of the Storm: Should you side with UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet?

Start the ‘Eye of the Storm’ by speaking with Delgado in the repair bay of the Key. During the conversation, hand over the Construction Grid plans to Jazz.

It’ll turn out that the Crimson Fleet is preparing for an attack on the Key, so it’s our job to retrieve Kryx’s Legacy from Bannoc IV and make sure that the loot doesn’t end up anywhere else.

First, though, we need to install the ComSpike Module and the Conduction Grid Module on our ship, so ask Jazz for help with your ship. Then select ‘I’d like to view and modify my ships.’

From here, enter the ‘Ship Builder’ and then choose ‘Add’ to add modules to your ship. You’ll find both the ComSpike and Conduction Grid under the ‘Equipment’ tab. When adding the modules, a blue mark should appear where you can position them. You can also use the ‘Flight Check’ option to check for any positioning errors.

When the modules have been attached, return to UC Commander Kibwe aboard the UC Vigilance and inform him of the Crimson Fleet’s plans.

Following the conversation, make your way to Bannoc IV in the Bannoc star system, and make sure to have plenty of digipicks and ammo beforehand. Your quest marker will point out an unknown signal in the distance, so fly towards it, being careful to avoid any asteroids along the way.

You’ll slowly approach the Legacy, at last. Dock with it. The ship will be in complete disarray, but follow your quest marker over to the Transfer Module Lock; you’ll then see that you need a Transfer Module to use it.

Fortunately for us, there is one beside the corpse just outside of this room. Insert the lock into the Transfer Module and advance into the Vault Control Center. Access the fancy-looking Credtank along the way for some free Credits, and prepare to kill some Combat Robots, and digipick plenty of doors.

You’ll want to press through the Legacy ship until you come to the Vault. It’s quite dangerous, with some areas of the ship radiated, so you’ll want to be careful. You can run past a lot of enemies if needed, too.

You’ll eventually come to the Vault entrance, with a computer to open the door. Open the door and head inside. Prepare for more Combat Robots when you enter.

When you’ve finished them off, proceed to the back of the room and upstairs to reach a control room of sorts. Retrieve Jasper Kryx’s possessions from here, including a legendary rifle called the Revenant, and various audio logs.

You’ll need to listen to ‘GBLR011: The Waiting Game’ from start to finish before you get a new quest objective. This recording will tell you that you need to reroute the Legacy’s power from the shields to the Vault so that you can actually access all the Credits on board it, but this will make the Legacy vulnerable to Bannoc IV. Either way, we’ve no choice!

Activate the switches on either side of the room, the two Transfer Modules in the front of the room, and then input the Data Core Port. You’ll now be able to download the Credit reserves on board the Legacy by flipping the Data Control Switch.

Wait for the transfer to complete, which will take a minute. Then, remove the Transfer Modules and the Data Core Port. There will immediately be a warning that the Legacy’s system failure is imminent, so you’ll want to rush back to your own ship and escape before Bannoc IV’s EM field kills you.

There’ll be environmental damage and a lot more robots to watch out for along the way. Ideally, you want to beeline for the exit and run past as many enemies as you can before the environment kills you.

When you finally board your ship again, you’ll be presented with a choice. You can take what was aboard the Legacy to the UC SysDef or the Crimson Fleet, and who you deliver it to will be who you’re siding with for the rest of your game. You’ll need to venture away from Bannoc IV for a little to then be able to fast travel, as a heads up.

Should you side with UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet in Starfield?

It’s likely that you’ve already made your decision based on your experiences with each faction, but in case you’re still not sure, here’s what happens depending on whether you side with the UC SysDef or Crimson Fleet in Starfield.

• If you side with UC SysDef

You will launch an attack against the Key, and have to fight plenty of space pirates as a result. You’ll then also get the option to kill Delgado (and claim his outfit and Tempest rifle), or persuade him to give himself in to the authorities.

You will then be rewarded 250,000 Credits, the approval of your companions, and will have unrestricted access to the UC Vigilance. You will no longer be able to access the Key, or the Crimson Fleet’s mission board, and flying through Crimson Fleet territory will see you being attacked. This can be problematic for those who want to rack up credits with the Crimson Fleet’s various smuggling missions, or acquire the likes of scan jammers, and so forth.

• If you side with Crimson Fleet

UC SysDef will launch an attack on the Key that you have to defend everyone from. The difficulty of this fight will depend on how much information you provided to UC SysDef, and how many of the fleet’s contacts you might’ve killed off, or p**sed off. You will also need to secure multiple defensive batteries, and kill UC Commander Kibwe (this will get you the Unfair Advantage pistol).

You will then be rewarded 250,000 Credits, the ability to travel through any Crimson Fleet territory without them attacking, and unrestricted access to the Key. Your companions will not approve of your decision, but you fortunately won’t come under fire from the UC, and can still complete any UC Vanguard quests. It’ll be like any of this never happened.

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That's it for our guide on whether you should side with SysDef or the Crimson Fleet! For help with other Starfield quests, check out our guides to the Ryujin Industries questline and our pages for the Guilty Parties, Sabotage and Executive Level quests.