If you’re looking for guidance on completing the “Surgical Strike” mission’s “Search for Clues” objective in Starfield, you’re in the right place.
You will be very close to finding the culprits of the theft of the Freestar Rangers ship in Starfield, but you still have a little more research to do. The “Surgical Strike” mission will have you go to the Clinic, where the medical care and privacy are supposed to be the best there can be.
However, that won’t stop us from trying to locate Maya Cruz, but as is often the case in Starfield, things will hardly go as planned. So, here’s how to complete the Freestar Rangers “Surgical Strike” mission in Starfield.
Surgical Strike Quest Guide in Starfield
Start the “Surgical Strike” quest by heading to the Clinic. Once inside, go talk to Ranger Ben Armistead about the reason for his visit.
After speaking with Ben, he will take you to meet with Ari Miller, who will try to help you locate Maya Cruz’s whereabouts within the facility.
Ari is exceptionally helpful. | Image credit: Bethesda
Talk to Ari Miller and follow him to his computer station, where he will try to find the location of Maya Cruz or someone matching her description. She will give you two names: Candace Doolin and Jane Nakamori.
Talk to the two suspicious patients to find out that… well… they’re not suspicious. | Image credit: Bethesda
Talk to each patient in their rooms, and don’t worry too much about how the conversation goes. Candace will seem distrustful, while Jane is a huge hypochondriac. In any case, neither of the two patients is the Maya Cruz we are looking for.
Go back and talk to Ari Miller again. He says he’ll have found someone who fits our suspect profile, but the problem is that he’s staying in the VIP Wing, which we don’t have access to.
Ari will inform us that we can access the VIP Wing by getting a Keycard from Dr. Titus Cassidy, or by stealing one from his office. Save your game here and approach Dr. Cassidy, where you can try to persuade him to give you a keycard.
Persuade the doctor to give you the key card to the VIP Wing. | Image credit: Bethesda
Alternatively, if you have the Medicine skill, you will have a Medicine-related dialogue that will instantly earn the doctor’s trust. Then it will give us the key card without problems.
With the key card in our possession, go to the VIP Wing. Upon entering, disarm the turret and head to Maya Cruz’s room. Surprise, surprise; She is missing and her doctor is dead. Now you will have to search the room for evidence.
Take a look at the computer and pick up the data slate in this room. | Image credit: Bethesda
He glances at the computer terminal in his room, then picks up the data board on the nightstand with the food tray on it. This will reveal who Maya has fled, and exactly where she has fled to.
Head to the Sakharov space system. The Eklund CL25 site, where Maya is hiding, is built on an asteroid here. Dock on it and enter.
This installation is quite simple. However, there will be plenty of turrets and aliens to face along the way, so keep your wits about you and be prepared to take cover. There will also be sabotaged switches and such, which when interacted with will electrocute you. So be careful!
In addition, there are emergency cuttable walls; You will have to shoot the yellow bolts on each corner of these doors to make them open. You’ll have to pass through them to progress, so stay alert and be careful not to confuse them with the locked security doors throughout Starfield.
It turns out you can break down these walls! | Image credit: Bethesda
In general, we want to continue deeper into the site and head towards our quest marker. When you first enter the site, cross the metal platforms in front of you and go through the emergency wall that can be cut. Continue down into the next area, where you should find a small building with a computer terminal inside.
Access this computer to open the nearby security door that must be passed through next. | Image credit: Bethesda
You will have to dig up the computer, and then you can open the nearby security door using it. In the next area, head down again. There will be a security door that can be opened using the switch in front of it. Go through the door.
Follow the quest marker to the elevator and press the button to lower it. Get ready for a lot of turrets in the next area.
Climb the metal structure in this area and break the emergency cuttable wall at the top. You will face Maya Cruz. You can shoot her until she knocks her down, and she will magically get back up to talk to you.
Maya is dying, and she wants to live her last days in peace, or die right here. | Image credit: Bethesda
Maya will reveal to you that she doesn’t have much time left to live, and she would prefer that you kill her where she is or let her live her last days in peace. She will also give you an encrypted slate with information about the First. Then, she can choose between killing her or leaving her alone. We choose to let her live.
Now, it’s time to finally return to The Rock in Akila City and give him this encrypted slate. There will be an elevator at the back of the room Maya is in; Follow this path and you will soon be spit back to where her ship is.
Deliver the encrypted dataslate to Alex Shadid. | Image credit: Bethesda
When you return to Akila City, return the Encrypted Slate to Alex Shadid in The Rock. With this, his mission will be complete and now it is time to complete the mission “On the Run”.
This mission seems to be an integral part of the game, and several sources have provided detailed walkthroughs to help you navigate it effectively.
- IGN offers a comprehensive walkthrough of the Surgical Strike mission, including instructions on completing the “Search for Clues” objective. You can find detailed guidance on this side mission, along with spoiler warnings to ensure you have the best gaming experience possible. The article on IGN is a valuable resource for a step-by-step breakdown of the mission’s objectives and how to complete them.
- PC Invasion also provides a guide specifically focused on completing the “Search for Clues” objective in the Surgical Strike mission within Starfield. This guide should offer valuable insights into the specific tasks and challenges you’ll encounter while searching for clues during the mission.
- Gamerpillar presents a step-by-step guide to completing the “Search for Clues” objective in the Surgical Strike mission. It offers a detailed walkthrough that can be particularly helpful for players who want to thoroughly understand how to progress through this mission.
- eXputer labels Surgical Strike as one of the most important missions in Starfield and provides a full walkthrough. This guide can be especially useful if you need to find Maya Cruz and obtain the encrypted slate during the Surgical Strike mission. It also mentions that you access this mission after completing the Freestar Collective side mission called “Shadows In Neon.”
- For those who prefer visual guides, there’s a YouTube video titled “Surgical Strike – Search for Clues | STARFIELD.” This video walkthrough provides gameplay footage and commentary, which can offer a more immersive understanding of how to search for clues in the Surgical Strike mission.
In summary, to successfully complete the “Search for Clues” objective in the Surgical Strike mission in Starfield, you can consult these resources, each offering its own detailed guidance. Use the provided walkthroughs and videos to navigate the mission effectively and enjoy your gaming experience in the Starfield universe.