The Hammer Falls: Should You Turn in [SPOILERS] or Take the Bribe in Starfield?

It’s time to finish the Freestar Rangers questline in Starfield, but to do so you have to have one final, thorny confrontation. For those who haven’t gotten this far, we keep the name of this individual concealed until you proceed further into the guide for the sake of spoilers. But they’re the sole person responsible for The First, their forced seizures of farmland, how it’s a coverup for something far more sinister. Should you turn in Ron Hope, of HopeTech, or take his bribe in Starfield?

Should You Turn in Ron Hope or Take the Bribe in Starfield?

You should try to arrest Ron Hope which will prompt him to attack, which is by far the option that’s more palatable with the NPCs in Starfield. Your companions will like this choice, and your conscience will too. He seized the farmland and effectively poisoned the soil with mineral-boosting experimental fertilizer, costing the lives of many innocent Freestar denizens.

Related: Should You Side With Mathis or Delgado in Starfield?

Ron saw this as a cost-cutting measure to gain more resources and bolster the bottom line for HopeTech, keeping his company afloat. Essentially, he traded Freestar citizen lives for company profits, even though he was on the council of governors.

Why Some Players Might Want to Spare Ron Hope

However, I have one counterargument: doing so will kill Ron Hope, who’s voiced by the iconic Wes Johnson. Do you really want to do that? Choosing the bribe option will keep him alive, and you’ll be scorned by nearly every companion who witnesses you making this choice. You’re effectively given 20000 credits to look the other way in the face of crimes against humanity, and it’s funny how insultingly low that amount is.

Either way, you’ll complete the Freestar Rangers questline upon turning in this mission to Marshal Blake. For what it’s worth, the tangible rewards for taking the bribe are technically better, but it’s definitely a roleplaying scenario, asking what you as your character would do in such a scenario. The rewards for finishing this questline are far cooler than a paltry 20k credits either way, though.