The main quest 'High Price To Pay' in Starfield starts after completing the previous quest No Sudden Moves.

Upon returning to the Lodge and after delivering the artifact from the Scow, speak to Noel, who receives a distress call from Vladimir. He warns of a Starblood that is on the way to the Lodge. This guy calls himself the Hunter and he's after the artifacts we've collected so far.

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Two objectives start: 'Defend the Lodge' and 'Or Go to the Eye'. They are mutually exclusive, even if this makes no difference to the outcome of the quest (except for a small detail, see the following paragraph).

Important: one of your companions dies in this quest, one way or the other. Which companions are involved in the dilemma is shaped by your past decisions, and perhaps their affinity for you. In one instance, we saw Sam and Barrett under threat, while in another it was Sam and Sarah Morgan.

Brief in-game voice lines seem to indicate who is under threat in which location. Listen out if you want to make a choice about who to save. The remainder of this guide will discuss going to the Eye first to save Sam's life, or staying and defending the Lodge in order to keep Barrett alive and well.

Go to The Eye first

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Once you've talked to the survivors at the Eye, check on everyone in the Lodge: Barrett, Matteo, and Walter. Noel escaped through a door downstairs.

Behind the passage to the left of the entrance you will find the passage down. Follow this to the door in the direction of lower deck. Behind it you will find Noel in the sewers.

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Escape to your ship

Talk to her and flee towards the ship as soon as the Hunter shows up. Don't fight him, just follow Noel. At the spaceport, board the Frontier and take off.

After a final meeting with Vladimir in mind, the first course of this quest ends. You can build the armillary either in an outpost or on the ship on this screen:

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This route leads to the side quest 'Belongings of the Companion' and the main quest Unity.

Defend the Lodge first

If you stay in the Lodge, your allies get ready. Suddenly we hear a noise from Walter upstairs. Take the stairs up and check on him by the bar.

The Hunter appears out of nowhere.

The Hunter appears behind him. Only shoot him after his energy bar is there, don't cause a single scratch until then.

You don't have to kill the hunter completely, just hold it off for a while until Noel can get rid of the artifacts, then the objective will refresh again.

Escape the Lodge

Here goes down. | Image credit: Bethesda Softworks

The exit is barred, but there is an old escape tunnel that everyone runs to once the objective starts. Follow them to the lower deck and run through the sewers to the ship.

Always run after your people, then not much can happen. The Hunter will show up during the escape through the streets and start shooting around, but we don't need to worry about that.

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Go to your ship

Just stay with Noel and follow her to the elevator at the end of the hall. This takes you to the spaceport, where the ship can be reached after 200 meters.

The Hunter also appears here. Don't stop, run and you'll make it safely to the Frontier. Swing into the cockpit.

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Go to The Eye

Upon leaving the planet, we are approached by a Starblood named Scorpius, but he disappears no matter what answers we choose.

After that, set a course for The Eye and go inside. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for Sam in the aisle directly ahead. Sarah survived badly injured, as did Vladimir.

Check your companions. | Image credit: Bethesda Softworks

Lastly, we still have Andreja in the team's quarters 01. She's been injured too, but she'll make it. Then talk to Noel and Vladimir at the exit. It makes no difference how you answer.

Build the armillary

You can then build an Armillary and place it on the ship or an outpost. In the ship, this works via this armillary screen to the right of the cockpit:

Otherwise you'll have to build an outpost on a planet and place the armillary there, but that's up to anyone.

Return to the Lodge

One way or the other: at the end of the quest we go back to the Lodge, where we talk to Matteo about the term 'Unity'. Our next lead.

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As a reward for completing 'High Price to Pay', you'll get 11,800 credits, and unlock the next main quest, Unity.

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