Walkthrough for the mission Surgical Strike in the game Starfield. This page covers all main objectives, key steps, or helpful tips to guide you through the mission smoothly. Whenever possible, the guide points out locations for key items and details interactions with NPCs, among other tips. To ensure maximum clarity, in-game screenshots are included for easy-to-follow visual guidance.
Quest Group: Faction Missions
Faction: Freestar Collective
Prerequisites: To play this mission, you must first complete the mission Shadows in Neon.
This is one of two missions you will receive after completing the "Shadows in Neon" mission. The main goal of this mission will be to find Maya Cruz, one of two high-ranking First members.
I'm tracking Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First who recently had emergency surgery. Marshal Blake suggested I talk to Ranger Ben Armistead at the Clinic, a sophisticated medical facility in orbit of Deepala.
Marshal Daniel Blake
Akila City
Travel to Narion system > Deepala, and and board The Clinic space station.
I'm tracking Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First who recently had emergency surgery. Marshal Blake suggested I talk to Ranger Ben Armistead at the Clinic, a sophisticated medical facility.
After boarding the clinic, find and talk to Ben Armistead. After a short conversation, he will decide to introduce you to the clinic's manager, Ari Miller.
I've arrived at the Clinic in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. I met Ranger Ben Armistead, who's going to introduce me to someone who can help me locate Maya.
I'm tracking Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First who recently had emergency surgery. I met Ranger Ben Armistead who introduced me to Ari Miller, the Clinic's operations manager.
Ari will mention to you the problems with the computer that they have recently.
Ari will lead you to the computer terminal located in the center of the room. Wait for him to check the patient records. He'll note that he couldn't find a patient named Maya Cruz but he will give you the names of two other female patients - Jane Nakamori and Candace Doolin.
If you unlocked the Security Skill then you will be able to say "[Security] If I can find the source of your computer issues, that might lead me to Maya." and then Ari will grant you administrator access to the clinic's computer, and thus an additional possibility.
If you used the dialogue option available when you have the Security skill.
I'm at the Clinic in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. Operations manager Ari Miller gave me the names of two patients who might be Maya using an alias. He also gave me admin access to a terminal where I can trace an issue disrupting the Clinic's computer systems.
Interact with the Freestar Rangers Terminal > Admin Access > Active Processes > Query: Disruptor Mk4 > You will learn about the existence of another patient located in the VIP area and you don't have to talk to two female patients.
While talking to her, you can test your persuasion skills. If you succeed in doing so, you can then demand 1,000 or 4,000 (Theft Skill) credits from her for keeping for yourself what you have learned.
You will find the second patient in another of the clinic's rooms. Talk to her in any way you can.
I'm at the Clinic in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. In case Maya is using an alias, Ari Miller gave me the names of two female patients who could be her. I spoke to them, but neither fits the profile.
When you talk to both patients then return to Ari. He will inform you about another patient located in the VIP area.
I'm at the Clinic in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. The computer systems are suffering malfunctions, and I used a terminal to trace the disruption to the room of Catalina Rivera, a patient in the restricted VIP wing. To gain entry, I need to persuade Dr. Titus Cassidy or search his office for a spare key card.
You can steal a key from the safe located in the doctor's office.
You can also talk to the doctor and persuade him to do grant yuo an access, or you can use the Medicine skills (It always works). You can also try to steal the doctor's key, but it won't be easy. Cassidy cannot be killed.
Enter the VIP area.
Eliminate the hacked turret, then enter the room to the right.
I'm at the Clinic in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. I'm searching the room of a patient named Catalina Rivera, which could be Maya using an alias. There might be clues to her location.
Beware of mines! Find and pick up the "Urgent - Read Immediately" slate lying on the table.
You'll find out where you should go next.
I'm in pursuit of Maya Cruz, a technical genius and senior member of the First. She'd been staying at the Clinic under an alias, but was warned that the Freestar Rangers were looking for her and fled to her hideout, an asteroid mine in the Sakharov system.
Travel to Sakharov System > Bonner > Eklund Excavation Site CL25 > Board the asteroid mine.
You need to get to the bottom of the mine. Walk forward through the corridor, then activate the button to open the security door on the left.
Avoid the mines, eliminate the Shardhoppers and approach the Emergency Cuttable Wall. Cut the four yellow pins to create a passage.
Move forward and eliminate the Robot Model A that stands in your way. When you reach the larger cave then take the elevator or go down the staircase to the lower level. There you will have to deal with a few more Shardhoppers and the Robot Model S. You will also find another security door there, which is locked.
To unlock this door you must hack (Novice Lock) the Remote Security Door Computer. You will reach it by following the cable. On a nearby desk you can find two digipicks.
There is also another way to get to the other side of the security door without opening it. Instead of going down the stairs or taking the elevator, go around the elevator all the way and jump over the crystals to the other side of the cave. There you will find a tunnel and a shaft that will take you to the other side of the security door.
Move forward, on the way eliminate the guard turret and other Shardhoppers and climb down the large crystal to the lower level.
Keep moving forward. Watch out for the mines that have been placed just after the security gate. Next, you will come across a few more Shardhoppers. Eventually you should reach the elevator and staircase which will take you to the very bottom of the mine. Before you go down, be prepared to face a hefty combat there. You will have to deal with 5 Robots Model A, 1 Robot Model S, 4 Mining Turrets MK I and 1 Turret MK IV. You need to reach the room at the top, which you can get to via the ramps in the middle.
When you reach that room then cut the pins on another Emergency Cuttable Wall and get inside. Inside, Maya Cruz will be waiting for you and the fight with her will begin.
I've tracked down and defeated Maya Cruz, a high-ranking member of the mercenary company called the First. Now it's time to find out what she knows about the First's operations and who hired them to seize land from farmers.
Once you defeat Maya Cruz, you will be able to talk to her. You'll soon have to pick between the following dialogue options:
If you decided to attack Maya Cruz then do so, kill her, and then take the encrypted slate from her corpse.
I obtained an encrypted slate from Maya Cruz, a high-ranking member of the First mercenary company. I need to take it to Alex Shadid at the Rock in Akila City for decryption.
You can't use the fast travel option, you have to get back to the ship first. The fastest way to do this is by using the elevator you can find nearby.
When you get back to your ship then return to Cheyenne System > Akila > Akila City > The Rock and hand over the disk to Alex Shadid.
This will complete the mission and you will receive 350 XP and some credits for completing it.
Continuing my investigation into the First mercenary company and their effort to seize farmland by force, I tracked Maya Cruz, a high-ranking member of the First, to the Clinic and then to her asteroid hideout. I retrieved an encrypted slate and gave it to Ranger Alex Shadid for decryption.
After completing this mission, you will be able to play the mission First to Fight, First to Die.