It’s time for the final chapter in Starfield’s Freestar Collective storyline. After some intense investigation work, often seeing you slice through mercenary groups like a hot knife through butter, the truth is out. While the First Cavalry was attacking the farms, the real puppeteer is Ron Hope, leader of HopeTown. It’s time to put an end to the investigation. Here’s how to complete The Hammer Falls mission in Starfield.
Starfield The Hammer Falls Walkthrough
As you’ve deduced at this point, accessing The Hammer Falls requires you to complete nearly every mission in the Freestar Collective mission line. This includes investigating the farm attacks, getting in contact with two First Cavalry members, and decrypting several Ecrypted Slates.
All Previous Freestar Collective Missions
Before The Hammer Falls, there are seven other Freestar Collective missions that you need to complete. Those missions are as follows:
- Job Gone Wrong
- Deputized
- Where Hope is Built
- Shadows in Neon
- Surgical Strike
- On the Run
- First to Fight, First to Die
Go to HopeTown and Confront Ron Hope
Head to HopeTown in the Valo system on the planet of Polvo. After landing, make your way inside and find Ron on the main factory floor. He’ll be praising his worker, Birgit, for meeting some ambitious quotas that he set for her. Speak with him and tell him you know he ordered the hits on the farms, and he’ll immediately deny it under the fact that Paxton was court-martialed. Show him the slate and he’ll confess to what he did.
His reasoning for doing this is about what you’d expect. HopeTech had been falling behind its competition and needed ways to catch up and keep competitive. He began to diversify his research team and looked into crops, though the first tests of experimental fertilizer were unsuccessful and destroyed crops. He was ready to cut the project out before the fertilizer proved it had other significant effects that would seriously increase profits. Thus, his plan was to donate the fertilizer, clear out the farm, and then harvest the soil. That’s what he hired the First to do, though his plans never involved wanting to hurt anyone. However, farmers are stubborn, and he couldn’t risk having witnesses.
Birgit chimes in and is shocked he did something so vile, and he’ll act as vile as you’d expect in return. From here, he presents you with a choice. He vows to call off the operation and return the land to its rightful owners, and he’ll even pay you to let it go. This presents you with a few options. You can either take the money and walk away, or you can kill him. Choosing the option of bringing him to justice brings you to the same choices.
Should You Kill Ron Hope?
If you ask me, I say you should attack and kill Ron. While he could give you a nice deal for keeping quiet, the idea of someone who’s cost the lives of innocent farmers getting to walk is disgusting. It’s 20,000 Credits (50,000 if you choose to negotiate) versus him getting dealt justice, and I’m going to choose the right thing any day of the week. If you want more information on the implications of this choice, check out our article on whether you should kill or spare Ron Hope.
Talk to Birgit McDougall
If you choose to kill Ron Hope, then you’ll want to talk to Birgit after the deed is done. She’ll be shocked by the fact that he did what he did, but still finds it bizarre given how he always looked out for his employees. She’ll be upset, though there’s thankfully a second-in-command who can replace him; Elana Nwanko. She seems fine, so things should be okay.
Talk to Marshal Blake
Leave HopeTech and make your way back to Akila City, where you’ll want to talk with Marshal Blake at The Rock. Inform him of what happened at the mech factory with Paxton and with Ron Hope of HopeTech. He’ll be shocked, though Emma is far from surprised. If you killed him, he’ll be worried about how this could affect the Collective, though Emma seems unconcerned about it causing any lasting damage.
However, there’s a good ending to all this. The Marshal and Emma have approved your promotion from Deputy to full Ranger! Not only do you get a fancy new badge and some mostly useless gear, but you’ll get Credits and a free Star Eagle ship as well. Congratulations on completing the Freestar Collective mission line in Starfield!
If you’re looking to delve into another faction mission line, check out our guide on how to complete the Deep Cover mission line in Starfield.
