This segment of our comprehensive Starfield Walkthrough presents an exhaustive guide to navigating “All That Money Can Buy,” the sixth main mission, which becomes available once you complete “Back to Vectera,” “The Empty Nest,” and “Into the Unknown.”
Here, we outline the locations for essential items, reveal spots to discover rare collectibles and clue you in on hidden opportunities for extra loot. Join us as we team up with Walter Stroud to partake in an exclusive transaction amidst the vibrant backdrop of Neon’s nightlife.
- Main Mission 06
- Planets: Volii Alpha
- Rewards: 10,000 Credits, 400 EXP, Fiscal Quarter
Talk to Walter Stroud
Speak to Walter Stroud, who will tell you that he needs you to accompany him at a meeting with a seller in Neon on Volii Alpha in the Volii star system. Walter is looking to purchase another artifact for the Constellation, but he suspects the Artifact was stolen, so he needs you as extra muscle.
Travel to Neon
Open your Missions menu and set the course to Neon on Volii’s planet Volii Alpha.
Talk to Walter Stroud
Talk to Walter Stroud again as soon as you land on Neon. You must first make a stop by the Stroud-Eklund offices (yes, that’s his ship manufacturing company), as the funds involved in the Artifact’s transaction are large, and authorization procedures are required.
Check in at Stroud-Eklund HQ
Head to Neon’s core and then go east until you reach the giant Administrator Bayu statue. You can find the Trade Tower, where Stroud-Eklund‘s Corporate HQ isbehind the statue. Once you enter the tower, head to your right and take the elevator to the headquarters.
Talk to Issa Eklund
After a short conversation with Stroud’ssecretary, you will meet Issa Eklund, the co-owner of Stroud-Eklund and Walter’s wife. They’ll start talking about business until Issa focuses on you. Walter will eventually ask for permission to use the discretionary fund. Your meeting with the seller will be at the Astral Lounge. You must go there to ask about the location’s security and investigate the seller you are meeting. You will also receive 1,000 Credits.
Ask About Security
The Astral Lounge is also at the Trade Tower, so it’s best to head there first. Take the elevator to the lobby, and then, instead of going left to the lobby’s exit, take the stairs to the right to head to Astral Lounge.
Head to Boone Morgan, the bartender, to ask him about security. Eventually, he will recommend the Lounge’s VIP package, which costs 4,000 Credits. You can persuade him to lower the price to 1,000 Credits if you persuade Boone (picking the three easy options will do it).
Check the Doors
Take the elevator to the venue’s VIP balcony and head to booth 3, where you will find a computer (Novice Security Level). Hack it to find information about the Remote Door Controls in the VIP booth, which can only be used once. Time to investigate the seller.
Investigate the Seller
Head to Newill’s Goods (James Newill is the broker who arranged the meeting). You can persuade James to reveal more about the seller for free or give him 2,500 Credits. Either way, he will reveal the seller’s Sleepcrate, Sleepcrate One.
Search the Sellers Sleepcrate
Follow the Objective Marker 48 meters southeast, past the door to Ebbside. Follow the Objective Marker and unlock the Novice Security Level door.
You will find a Termination Notice, a GalBank Statement, and a Computer inside.
The emails in the Computer will reveal the seller’s name, Musgrove. The bank statement and termination notice will reveal that he desperately needs money, but what you need to complete this objective is to access the Computer.
Let’s inform Walter about the results of our investigation now.
Talk to Walter Stroud
I’m not sure the dialogue choice you make here matters at all. It’s time to head to the Astral Lounge for the meeting.
Go to the Astral Lounge
Head inside the Astral Lounge. You will find Walter close to the entrance.
Talk to Walter Stroud
Walter will tell you he doesn’t know what the seller looks like, but they’ll have a security briefcase with them, large enough to hold the Artifact. The code to identify yourself as the buyer is “Ramsay and Travers,” the scientists who discovered Neon, the noble gas (all four links here will get you to Wikipedia; ignore them if you are not interested).
Locate the Seller
Identifying Musgrove (aka Mr. Seller Obvious) won’t take long, but in any case, he is close to Boone Morgan, the bartender you asked about Astral Lounge’s security earlier.
Talk to Walter Stroud
Walter will tell you what he expects from the negotiation (Musgrove will ask for double the money) and that the only thing that matters is the Artifact. Take the elevator to the VIP balcony and head to booth 3.
Negotiate for the Artifact
Musgrove will indeed ask for double the agreed-upon amount. Here is what I did:
- I’ll sit. No sense in making anyone uncomfortable.
- Remote trigger the door to close.
- Signal Neon Security
Another way to get him to back down and take the initial amount:
- I’m standing. Deal with it.
- Stop bluffing. We know you need to sell quickly.
- No you won’t. You still need the money.
- Do the smart thing. Take the money.
And another one:
- I’ll sit. No sense in making anyone uncomfortable.
- Grab the Artifact.
- Signal Neon Security Walk away, or I have Security gun you down.
Head to the Entrance
A Slayton Agent will instantly appear, as Artifact Nu was probably stolen from Nicolaus Slayton, owner of Slayton Aerospace. He will demand you hand over the Artifact to him. You have three options:
- Persuade him to leave.
- Signal Neon Security to make the Slayton Agent leave.
- Attack him.
Persuasion will require you to score six Persuasion points. Taking the Easy dialogue options will get you 6 points in 4 turns (you must succeed in all three turns and earn that extra one).
Option #2 is the easiest one here. Slayton will be after you, regardless. However, you should avoid a confrontation here if you want to avoid getting a bounty.
Talk to Issa Eklund
Issa will inform you that Slayton has put a bounty on Walter’s, yours, and your companion’s heads while your ship has been impounded. There’s no leaving Neon without confronting Nicolaus Slayton.
Go to Slayton Aerospace HQ
The Slayton Aerospace HQ is also located at the Trade Tower. Head back to the lobby from the Astral Lounge and take the elevator to Slayton Aerospace HQ.
Find a Way to the Next Floor
Talk to the receptionist. You can either Persuade her to let you see Slayton or Attack her. She is agreeable, so you can be aggressive in your picks. Mentioning you have Walter Stroud with you will help!
I think I got critical success four times when I picked the option “I’m sure we can work something out,” regardless of which turn it appeared in (2nd, 3rd, or 4th). It’s hard to imagine this is a coincidence.
Here is the Persuasion route I took:
- Believe me. Slayton is expecting me. (Typically fails but unlocks following dialogue option)
- I have Walter Stroud with me. The CEO of Stroud-Eklund.
- I’m glad you’re starting to come around to my point of view.
Here is a safer route:
- I won’t need to take up much of his time. We’ve just had a misunderstanding.
- There’s no reason for us to have a problem, is there?
- I have Walter Stroud with me. The CEO of Stroud-Eklund.
Take the Elevator
Once you have access to the elevator and the Executive Level Access Code take it to the Executive Level.
Talk to Walter
Slayton we’ll be onto you and stop the elevator and talk to Walter from the speaker. Talk to Walter and Issa will interrupt saying she is patched in the building by paying off one of Slayton’s security consultants. She will open the elevator’s doors for you.
Go to the Next Floor
Issa will recommend using the vent system to get to the next floor. Open the vent to the right of the elevator and follow the path to the left until you reach a hatch. Drop down as Issa instructs you.
Jump to the cabinet at the end of the path to reach the hatch on the ceiling that takes you to another vent. Head right and drop down again at the next hatch. Issa will unlock the door to your right and then go left. From here on, you can try to sneak if you can or take down the security personnel on the floor.
Follow the Objective Marker until you reach a door that leads you to the Trade Tower’s exterior.
Climb the Trade Tower
Once you are out, take the stairs you see at the right back corner of the image above to reach the roof of the structure and enter Slayton Aerospace HQ once again from the door there. You should encounter 4-6 security guards along the way.
Confront Nicolaus Slayton
You can choose to either attack Slayton or resolve this peacefully:
- “Call off your guards, Slayton. And release my ship.“
- “You and Walter are businesspeople. Some arrangement can be made.” or “I wouldn’t trust your mercs. They haven’t stopped us so far.”
- Both options will resolve this peacefully as a business deal will take place between Walter and Nicolaus. The first option makes more sense as Walter will propose that Stroud-Eklund add Slayton Aerospace to their supply chain, and Slayton will agree. In the second option, they don’t go into details.
If you resolve this peacefully, there will be a final dialogue option on what to do with Musgrove:
- Decide. As in we could let him go. (Andreja will dislike that if you have her with you).
- He’s a thief. Let the authorities deal with him. (Andreja will like that if you have her with you).
- Clearly you want him dead. (Andreja will say this seems a bit extreme, but there is no like/dislike prompt.)
Regardless of what you end up doing with Musgrove, the second option seems to be the best one here.
Talk to Musgrove
Talk to Musgrove and hear his reasons for stealing the artifact and what happened to the money.
- We’re letting you go. Get out of Neon while you can.
- Everyone steals, but you got caught. You’re going to jail. (Andreja will like that if you have her with you).
- You’re dead anyway. Might as well make it quick. (Andreja will dislike that if you have her with you).
#1 or #2 seem the best options here. I picked #1, as it felt right morally. After all, we knew the Artifact was stolen and still wanted to buy it from him.
Regardless of what your choices were, you loot an Industrial Crate from Nicoalus’ office while you can steal from his Safe (Master Security Level).
Kill Musgrove (if you picked option #3)
This objective appears only if you selected option #3 in the previous conversation.
Go to the Ship
Take the elevators down to the lobby and then take the elevator to the Spaceport Terminal to head back to the ship (you can’t fast-travel). Get on the Pilot’s Seat. Walter will talk to you through the intercom as you are about to take off.
Talk to Walter Stroud
Whatever dialogue option you pick here won’t make much difference. You will receive 10,000 Credits, the Fiscal Quater rifle, and some ammo.
Take Off From Neon
Take off, and your objective will change to Return to the Lodge once you reach space.
Return to The Lodge
The objective will change to Return to the Lodge. Just as you are about to wrap things up, a ship that even Walter does not recognize will appear out of nowhere. An NPC identifying as Helix will talk to you and tell you to hand over the Artifact.
It’s quite clear from the conversation that these are not humans, as they belong to the Starborn kind, and it is implied that they are the ones who created the Artifacts. They want you to abandon the path your thirst for knowledge leads you to, as humans cannot be trusted with the Artifacts.
You will have the following three options:
- Grav. Jump to The Lodge.
- Hand over the Artifact.
- Fight the Helix spaceship.
Your best option here is option #1, as your crewmates won’t like #2, and the Helix spaceship is level 30, so your chances of winning are slim. Even if you do, they will flee (don’t dream of stealing their ship or anything of sorts).
| All That Money Can Buy Rewards |
|---|
| 10,000 Credits, 400 EXP, Fiscal Quarter |
- How to Beat Juggernaut in Armored Core 6 Cheese Build - May 8, 2024
- How to Beat EC-0840 Smart Cleaner (Best Cheese Builds) - May 8, 2024
- How to Use Photo Mode in Armored Core 6 - May 8, 2024
