Freestar Collective – one of the playable factions that the main character can join. It is a splinter group from another leading faction in Starfield – United Colonies, but the Rangers have chosen freedom and independence. They protect the borders from the aggression of space pirates and rangers and are based in Akila City.

In this guide, you will learn how to become a member of the faction and what mission you need to complete to join the Freestar Collective.  

How to Join the Freestar Collective

You will first encounter the faction and its members in the mission "Empty Nest", but you won't be able to join their ranks right away. However, immediately after that, the mission "Job Gone Wrong" will start - the first quest in the faction's questline, which will allow you to start gaining their trust.

In fact, you can receive the mission much earlier – immediately after completing the first story quest, "One Small Step". But at that time, you won't have Sam Coe in your team – a former Freestar Ranger with whom you will have many more dialogue options and learn a lot of interesting things. It is recommended not to rush and visit Akila City with Sam following the standard course of the storyline.

The quest will be given to you by Marshal Daniel Blake in the GalBank area in Akila City.

How to Complete the "Job Gone Wrong" Mission

Head to Akila City. When you approach the gates, a guard will speak to you and inform you that you should stay away from the bank building due to a hostage situation. The hostages need to be rescued, but there are criminals inside the building. It's a pretty clear hint about who will have to deal with them and what you'll be doing during the mission.

In the conversation with the guard, choose the response option:

• "If people are in danger, I want to help" - you will receive Sam's approval.

Pass through the gates, where you will meet Marshal Daniel Blake – the actual leader and one of the most influential figures in the Freestar Collective, although he is not a member of the faction's Council. 

The Marshal will explain the hostage problem in more detail and share that the invaders refuse to negotiate with members of the Freestar Collective, including the Marshal himself. However, they are willing to listen to a neutral party (you).

Successfully Negotiating

At this stage of the mission, you will need a high-level Persuasion skill. This is another reason why you shouldn't rush to get the mission – you'll need time to level up this skill.

Head to the bank to negotiate with Jed Bullock – the leader of the invaders. The conversation will take place through a sort of intercom; you won't see the leader himself.

Successfully Convincing the Gang Leader

This mission best illustrates how the Persuasion mini-game works. You need to choose different phrases highlighted in different colors: green, yellow, red. The color determines the difficulty level of Persuasion: green is easy but with fewer points, red is hard but with a bigger reward. The more challenging the phrase, the higher your skill level needs to be to successfully convince the character.

In the conversation with Jed, you will have two persuasion attempts. The last one is decisive. You need to earn 8 Persuasion points in 3 rounds. How well you gain Jed's trust in the first attempt will determine your further success:

• If you achieve a Critical Success, the required Persuasion points will decrease from 8 to 6;
• If you simply succeed in the mini-game, the required Persuasion points will decrease from 8 to 6;
• If you fail, you will still need to earn 8 Persuasion points.

So, your main task is to avoid failing, and then you will achieve a positive result in any case.

Regardless of the result, Jed will continue to dictate his demands. To start the second persuasion attempt, choose the response option:

• "It's not too late to end this peacefully".

Be careful and don't accidentally choose another response, as all other choices will lead to combat.

You will move on to the main mini-game, where you need to earn 8 Persuasion points. Choose response options at your discretion and according to your skill level. The main thing is to earn 8 points, and the rest doesn't matter.

After successful negotiations, return to the Marshal. He will praise your resourcefulness and reward you.

If Negotiations Fail

If, for some reason, you couldn't pursue a peaceful path, the only option left for you is to storm the bank and eliminate the invaders.

After the failed negotiation attempt, return to Marshal and inform him of the situation. He will give you the key to the bank's back entrance. You can proceed in two ways:

• Check on the hostages;
• Immediately infiltrate the bank through the back entrance.

Check on the Hostages

You can ask the bank's leader to see the hostages, but to do so, they will require you to enter the building unarmed. Choose the response option:

• "Just hear me out for a minute"

If you have a sufficient level of the Persuasion skill, you can persuade the invaders to let you in with your weapons. After all, you won't be able to deal with this crowd without it, so it's not recommended to check on the hostages if you're not confident that you can convince the invaders.

Regardless of your choice, you'll be allowed inside, where you'll need to eliminate the thieves as quickly as possible before any of the hostages are harmed.

After your victory, search the leader's body and take the key to the main entrance to exit the building and report the results to Marshal.

Infiltrate the Bank Through the Back Entrance

If you don't want to continue negotiations with the criminals, simply use the key provided by Blake.

When you encounter the invaders guarding the hostages again, try not to harm the hostages during the battle. After the battle, return to Marshal Blake using the gang leader's key.

What Happens If You Kill a Hostage?

Let us warn you right away that this action will not lead to anything good. However, this is only the case if you personally kill a hostage. If it happens as a result of a shot from one of the invaders, there will be no consequences for you.

If you still accidentally kill a hostage yourself, there will be various consequences: from your companion leaving to you completely failing the mission, being unable to continue the Freestar Ranger questline, and becoming a wanted criminal with a bounty on your head. During the battle, the bank's guards may also start firing at you. So, just in case, save your game before entering the bank. 

Be cautious and try not to shoot in all directions to ensure that all the hostages remain unharmed.

As a reward for successful completion, you will receive 150 experience points (XP), 3,800 credits, and access to the next mission in the Freestar Collective questline.