Should you Lie to or Attack the Pirate in Starfield?

Should you attack or lie to the Pirate in Starfield? Space pirate and Crimson Fleet Captain Brogan is waiting in ambush with his goons at the landing pad of the Kreet Research Lab, so he's very much ready for a scrap. However, that doesn't mean you can't at least try to persuade him to get off your case. On the other hand, As a lowly Starfield spacefarer with not much gear, those pirates do look nicely stocked up - how can you loot a body if you take the non-bloody path? To help you decide your course of action, I've laid out what happens if you choose to lie to or attack Brogan in Starfield.

Lying to the Pirate

If you choose to Lie to the Pirate in Starfield, then you can follow that up with the Starfield persuasion dialogue option to enter a Persuasion check. Here, you are presented with a selection of dialogue choices that each have a points score, and you need to fill up the four bars of the Persuasion meter by scoring that many points within the specified number of turns. Whether a dialogue choice is successful or not comes down to chance, with higher points options needing more luck to be accepted, though if your chosen Starfield background and starting skills include Persuasion then you are more likely to succeed.

You have three turns to accumulate four points, but if you reach the third and final dialogue choice then succeed on it, you can keep going until you fail or reach the required points total. There's also a rare chance that an option you pick at any point will be a Critical Success, instantly concluding the Persuasion in your favor. Succeed in persuading Brogan and they'll let you leave peacefully, then you can fast travel back to your ship without any trouble.

Attacking the Pirate in Starfield

If you choose to Attack the Pirate in Starfield, fail the Persuasion check, or exit out of the dialogue with him, the Crimson Fleet Captain and his Pirates will open fire on you immediately. Shortly after, a Crimson Fleet Ghost ship will land on the planet surface nearby and more Pirates will disembark to fight you – although it's possible to board this vessel via the loading bay before it takes off again, the rest of the ship is inaccessible so it's not worth investigating further.

Once Brogan is defeated, you'll be prompted to fast travel to your ship as this part of your mission is complete, though it's up to you if you stick around to finish off the remaining Pirates first. If you loot Brogan's body you'll find a selection of items including a higher-level weapon, and although this will be randomized it will certainly be better than the guns you've picked up so far. Swipe the shooter, deal with any other threats as you see fit, then get back to your ship so you can continue with your adventure.

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