How to Complete Deep Cover in Starfield

As you make your way through the earliest parts of the UC Vanguard mission line in Starfield, you’ll quickly be opened up to the Crimson Fleet mission line, which is a length of missions where you infiltrate and help take down the infamous pirate faction. The first mission in that line sees you find your in to the faction. Here’s how to complete Deep Cover in Starfield.

Starfield Deep Cover Mission Walkthrough

As mentioned, to unlock Deep Cover, you must first begin the UC Vanguard mission line. This includes completing the missions Supra Et Ultra and Grunt Work. After returning to Commander Tuala, he’ll present you with two options. He’ll either let you continue on with investigating the Terrormorph’s existence on the planet Tau Ceti II, or you can help out UC SysDef with the Crimson Fleet problem. For this guide, we’re obviously going with the latter.

Related: How to Find the Heart of Mars in Starfield

All Deep Cover Mission Steps

• Travel to the UC Vigilance
• Speak to the SysDef Guard
• Follow the SysDef Guard
• Speak to Commander Ikande in the Operations Center
• Speak to Lieutenant Toft
• Proceed to Cydonia
• Speak to Saoirse Bowden at the Trade Authority
• Speak to Adler Kemp at the Broken Spear
• Recover Karl Fielding’s Debt
• Return to Adler Kemp

Travel to the UC Vigilance

To begin, you’ll first have to head to the UC Vigilance. For this mission, it can be found orbiting the moon of Phobos in the Sol system. Once there, dock with the ship like you would any other ship.

Speak To/Follow the SysDef Guard

Once inside, you’ll meet with a UC SysDef Guard who will escort you to meet Commander Ikande. What he says and how you respond during the dialogue prompts don’t matter much. Eventually, you’ll come to an elevator, which you’ll need to take up to meet the man himself.

Speak to Commander Ikande in the Operations Center

Once you get to Commander Ikande, he’ll introduce himself and tell you about your mission. SysDef’s plan is to have you meet with a contact in Cydonia on Mars, who can get you in contact with the right people. You’ll also have a crate of Aurora on board your ship, under the guise of needing a way to transfer it.

Speak to Lieutenant Toft

When you’re done speaking with Ikande, his second in command Lieutenant Toft will want to chat with you. She’ll be handling any evidence you gather while out and about. Gathering evidence doesn’t have a huge effect on the mission line as a whole, but can have a minor effect during the final mission.

Proceed to Cydonia and Speak to Saoirse Bowden

After they both have had their spiel, head back to your ship, undock from the Vigilance, and land in Cydonia. Heading through the airlock will bring you to the central hub, through which you’ll want to head straight and down into the main area of the city. On the right will be the Trade Authority Outpost with Saoirse inside.

Speak with Saoirse and tell her about your shipment. She’ll say the Trade Authority doesn’t buy Aurora, but she’d be willing to lead you to the right direction for a “finder’s fee”. Pay the 1000 Credits she asks for, and she’ll lead you to a man named Adler Kemp in the Broken Spear bar.

Speak to Adler Kemp at the Broken Spear

Adler Kemp can be found by heading back up near the entrance of Cydonia. Before the airlock, you’ll find the Broken Spear on your left. Head inside and speak to Adler as he’s sitting down at a desk with a briefcase. He’ll agree to move your shipment but wants your help with a problem first. There’s a miner in Cydonia who’s racked up quite a debt with the Crimson Fleet, which Adler wants you to get him to pay back. His name is Karl Fielding and can be found near the Miner’s Quarters.

Recover Karl Fielding’s Debt

Head back out of the Broken Spear and into the Residential area of Cydonia. Here, you’ll find Karl sitting by a stack of boxes. Speak with him, and he’ll say he doesn’t have the money to pay off the debt. From here you have a few options. You could pay off the debt yourself, persuade him to pay it, or attack him. You shouldn’t choose the last option, and should instead pick to either persuade or pay. It’s your choice which of the two you go with.

Return to Adler Kemp

Once you’ve got the money back, return to Adler Kemp and he’ll offer you a meeting with the Crimson Fleet’s second-in-command, Naeva Mora. This begins the next mission in the mission line, Rook Meets King.

If you’re having trouble with the later missions of the Crimson Fleet mission line, check out our guide on how to complete Absolute Power in Starfield.