Friends Like These Walkthrough - Starfield Guide - IGN (2024)

Following a horrific Terrormorph attack in the New Atlantis Spaceport, President Abello and the UC Cabinet invested their full support into Hadrian's investigation into this growing threat. As part of this Starfield quest for the UC Vanguard, you have to work with Deputy MacIntyre in Interstellar Affairs to get access to the Armistice Archives so you can collect data to help. Follow our side quest guide to see it through.

Speak to Deputy MacIntyre

First up, you'll have to speak to Deputy Chief Diplomat Elisabeth MacIntyre. The Interstellar Affairs offices are on the same level of the MAST Building where the Cabinet hearing was held in Eyewitness. MacIntyre has the office in the back. She'll reiterate that the Armistice Archives hold all of the data banned after the Colony War. You need a one-time use code from each of the three major factions — UC, Freestar Collective, and House Va'ruun — to unlock the archives.

UC is already on board, so Freestar and Va'ruun are the targets. There's Ambassador Radcliff of the Freestar Collective and Ambassador Bal'mor of House Va'ruun. MacIntyre offers plenty of intel and some credits (we got 7800) to help with bribes and such, along with an FC Embassy Security slate that explains how an access door in the conference room is frequently left unlocked. It's ultimately up to you how to handle convincing both parties. And while you can technically approach either one first, she suggests starting with Radcliff.

Acquire the Freestar Collective Archival Code

Ambassador Radcliff is a veteran of the Colony War and holds a grudge against UC. MacIntyre officially suggests negotiation and for you to leverage mutual military experience to find common ground. But she's doubtful it'll work. Which is why they planted a recording device in Radcliff's living quarters. If you can sneak in there to retrieve it, you can use it as leverage. There's also a disgruntled employee named Cameron Long you can convince to work with you.

MacIntyre gives you the diplomatic ID you'll need to enter the embassy, so head out to the MAST District and to the Freestar Collective Embassy.

Head right to the elevator and take it to the ambassador's floor. Head to the back of the area and open the door to her office to catch her actively berating Cameron Long.

Persuade Ambassador Radcliff

You can march right up to her and try to Persuade her, but you only have three rounds to get eight successes. Save right before starting the conversation, and you can re-load the save file if you fail to try again.

Retrieve the Recording from Radcliff's Living Quarters

Your alternate option is to chat up Cameron Long. There are a few different chat options available to coerce him into helping you. We flattered him with the Empath trait option and then followed him downstairs into his living quarters to talk privately.

Tell him you need access to her quarters. You'll either need to lie about getting him another job or bribe him with 1000 Credits, and he'll give you a key to unlock the vents above the conference room that can get you access to her living quarters.

You can also avoid Cameron altogether and instead pick a few Expert-level locks along the way to do it on your own terms.

Find the recording device in a planter in the corner of her bedroom which provides evidence that she was conspiring to have a member of the Council of Governors named Elias killed to open up a seat.

Confront Ambassador Radcliff

All that's left to do is confront her about it, using it as leverage to claim her access code. Press her for a reward, and she'll hand over her custom-made pistol Laredo as well. And, you can even request a "negotiation fee" to the tune of 7000 Credits.

She'll lead you downstairs into a server room where an Armistice Code Machine will spit out the code you need. Now it's on to House Va'ruun.

Acquire the House Va'ruun Archival Code

When House Va'ruun retreated into obscurity following the Colony War, Bal'mor was the only one who stayed behind. MacIntyre notes that he has a history of supporting some small archive requests. However, he hasn't been seen in public in several years, and MacIntyre wonders if he's even still alive.

There's a side entrance near the Galbank building that you can access with an override code that MacIntyre gives you. Then take the elevator up from the lobby up to the embassy proper.

Investigate the Va'ruun Embassy

Overgrown plants have more or less destroyed the entire embassy but a crackly voice calls out amidst the static on the intercom. You'll have to reactivate the power in several areas. Look for the intercom in the room behind the desk, then flip the power switch right next to it.

Before you proceed deeper into the embassy, hack into the computer terminal behind the desk. There are security bots and turrets in the areas ahead, but you can deactivate the turrets on this computer or select "Update Friend/Foe Settings" to make the turrets protect you from the bots. Note that you can do this and still destroy the turrets and bots for the XP.

Once you reach the living quarters, you can do the same with the robots. As soon as you interact with the console, three of them will rush toward you. If you choose to leave them active, dash back to the range of the turret in the previous hallway so it can help you dispatch them. There are more turrets and robots ahead as well.

Approach the second intercom flagged with a quest marker. (There's another nearby computer terminal in control of the turrets nearby.) The crackly voice over the intercom will tell you there's one more you need to reactivate.

Continue upstairs where you can pick the lock on the Common Room door to access another computer terminal in charge of turrets. Then interact with the terminal and power switch.

Your final stop is in the basem*nt where you'll get a warning from the intercom that guardians have to be eliminated ahead. Get ready for a fight ahead with two Va'ruun robots with four legs.

In the far corner, find Bal'mor who invites you into his hideaway.

A Venom Tree is responsible for all of the overgrowth and destruction in the embassy, which was also hit with a power surge during the Terrormorph attack.

Bal'mor is open to helping you, but he wants your promise to alter House Va'ruun's legacy of carnage. Tell him that independent observers will ensure the info is used for good. Then he'll hand over his code.

Access the Armistice Archives

Head right back to the MAST District to reunite with Deputy MacIntyre in Interstellar Affairs to get the last of your three codes. From there, head across the plaza to the Armistice Archives building. Take the elevator inside the museum towards your destination.

In the room ahead, talk to the Monitor and then deposit each of the code pieces into their Archive Access Code Receptacles (you'll automatically put in the correct ones).

You can only access Unit 18 in the back of the room which contains your data on Case T-18 and the Terrormorphs.

With the data in hand, head back to Interstellar Affairs in the MAST Building basem*nt to chat with MacIntyre and Hadrian.

The research will continue at the Red Devils base on Mars where you found Percival, but MacIntyre offers to get you official UC citizenship for your ongoing service.

Follow MacIntyre to Become a UC Citizen

Follow MacIntyre to the roof of the MAST Building to be sworn in as an official UC Citizen.

You'll receive an official ID card and also a citizen dispensation (to the tune of 5000 credits). And, you'll complete the Friends Like These quest.

MacIntyre also reveals that someone within the UC in a "sensitive position" has requested to speak with you. She believes it could involve valuable intel related to the Terrormorphs.

So once you swear to keep it a secret, head on down to Subsection Seven to begin The Devils You Know.