In Bethesda’s open-world sci-fi game Starfield, decision-making is as crucial as mastering the mechanics. During the “Echoes of the Past” quest, you face an ethical dilemma: Should you kill Delgado, the Captain of the Crimson Fleet, or should you side with him? Here’s an in-depth look at the choices and their repercussions, with a recommendation that could optimize your gameplay experience.
Important Note: You won’t have the option to kill Delgado this early in the Crimson Fleet questline, even if you decide to side with Mathis. Your only actual chance to kill Delgado will be after you complete Eye of the Storm, when you must decide the fate of Kryx’s Legacy and start the final mission, Legacy’s End. Siding with UC SysDef will make the Crimson Fleet hostile and you will have the opportunity to invade The Key persuade or kill Delgado during Legacy’s End.
Context of the Decision: Echoes of the Past Quest
Quest: Echoes of the Past
Location: The Lock, a maximum-security prison on planet Suvorov in the Kryx System
Faction: Crimson Fleet
Characters: Mathis, Delgado
You’re a newcomer to the Crimson Fleet, a ruthless pirate organization. Your mission is to gather intel for the United Colonies as a double agent. During the third Crimson Fleet quest, Echoes of the Past, Mathis, a fellow member of the Crimson Fleet, presents you with the option to kill Captain Delgado.
It’s important to note that your decision will have zero impact on the questline, as Mathis Castillo won’t put his plan to assassinate Delgado in motion.
However, you can turn against Mathis at the end of the mission, which has a single gameplay implication. It will make Mathis hostile and lead to a battle in space against him.
What Happens if You Side with Mathis inside The Lock? Answer: Nothing
| Outcome | Description |
|---|---|
| Loyalty with Mathis | If you decide to side with Mathis initially, he will be pleased. |
| Mathis’ Reaction | Mathis will lose his nerve later and won’t proceed with killing Delgado. |
What Happens if You Don’t Side with Mathis inside the Lock? Answer: Nothing
| Outcome | Description |
|---|---|
| Loyalty with Delgado | Not siding with Mathis means not betraying the leader of the Crimson Fleet. However, this doesn’t translate to anything |
| Mathis’ Reaction | Mathis will be visibly agitated but will back out from the assassination plan. |
Regardless of your decision, you can kick Mathis Castillo out of the Crimson Fleet at the end of the Echoes of the Past mission by telling Delgado that Mathis wasn’t of much help at The Lock.
Doing so will cause a retaliation attack from Mathis and his crew at some point in the game; however, their starships are very low level, and it will be easy to get rid of Mathis once and for all.
However, even if you defeat Mathis in this encounter, he will still appear as one of the captains Delgado summons during Legacy’s End.
Turning Against Mathis at the End of Echoes of the Past: Minimal Gameplay Impact
Mathis doesn’t carry through with his assassination plan regardless of your choice at the Lock. Later, you can report Mathis’s actions during the mission to Delgado (actually, you don’t report on the assassination plan, but Delgado will ask your opinion on whether to keep Mathis in the Crimson Fleet). This can lead to two different outcomes:
Side with Mathis: If you report favorably about Mathis, he will be grateful the next time you meet him at The Key.
Don’t Side with Mathis: If you report negatively to Delgado, Mathis will become hostile and be kicked out of the Crimson Fleet. Mathis will vow revenge and eventually will attack you with a fleet of three starships at some point in the game.
Final Thoughts: Should You Side with Mathis or Not?
The Verdict: Your decision here will have zero gameplay impact, so it really depends on how you want to roleplay your character.
Your orders are to gather intel on the Crimson Fleet, so a Lawful or Neutral Good character would keep away from siding with Mathis. Meanwhile, a Chaotic Good character may decide to take matters into their own hands by attempting to assassinate Delgado (again, this scenario won’t play out, but it’s reasonable to attempt to go for the head of the snake).
If you plan on siding with the Crimson Fleet, I would believe that a Lawful or Neutral Evil character wouldn’t side with Mathis, while a Chaotic Evil character would attempt to take the crown of the Crimson Fleet for themselves.
In terms of rewards, you’ll get a subpar “Prison Escape” ship at the end of the quest, regardless of your choices, while you will also acquire the Keelhauler as a gift from Delgado at the end of the mission.
For more detailed guides on pivotal decisions in Starfield, check out our extensive coverage in the Starfield section of Meta Game Guides.
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