Starfield: How to complete Eyewitness

Eyewitness is the follow-up mission to Delivering Devils in the UC Vanguard line of side missions in Starfield. This is a mission where things start to get really serious with the Terromorph threat, with an attack by the creatures on the New Atlantis spaceport being the major event of the quest. The mission acts as a demonstration of the terrifying power and devastation of the Terromorphs, as well as a closer look at the true extent of their abilities. 

Before we get started on how to go about completing the Eyewitness mission, there are a few important factors to point out, as this particular quest is known to have an annoying bug. 

First, make sure that you have an EM weapon equipped before you begin. EM weapons in Starfield are guns that shoot electromagnetic beams rather than live ammunition so that a target can be stunned instead of killed. There is a section in this mission where you will need one and if you don’t, you will be frustratingly stuck. An EM weapon is supposed to spawn in the area, but the bug in question sometimes makes it so the gun doesn’t appear. Pick one up beforehand to be sure that you don’t have to reload your previous save. 

That being said, it might be useful to create a new save file before you begin the mission just to be sure. You might also want to dismiss your companion, particularly if they are a member of Constellation. During the mission, you will need to speak with the New Atlantis cabinet and president, and there are some dialogue options that might displease your companions. To avoid making your friends mad at you, make sure that you go into the cabinet meeting with Hadrian only. 

With this in mind, let’s take a look at how to complete the Eyewitness side mission in Starfield.

How to complete Eyewitness in Starfield

Hadrian outside the MAST building

At the end of the Delivering Devils mission, Hadrian advises that it’s up to you to pitch your concerns about the Terramorph threat to the New Atlantis president and her cabinet to try and gain access to classified data on xenowarfare, which is found in the Archives on New Atlantis. This data could be instrumental in learning more about the Terramorphs, so it is imperative that you convince the cabinet to allow you to get into it.

Hadrian asks you to meet her outside the UC building so that you can go into the cabinet meeting together, even though you are the one who is going to be doing most of the convincing (you do have main character syndrome after all). You can, however, ask for her advice on what to say to the cabinet. If you ask Hadrian this, you will get some extra dialogue options when you speak to the cabinet members. 

Go Into the MAST Building

When you have spoken to Hadrian, the cabinet will call you in to plead your case and when they do, you will need to head into the MAST building. Take the elevator to go up to the Cabinet Chambers, where the members of the cabinet will be waiting to speak with you. 

Speak with the Cabinet Members

Despite seeming like a moment that is going to require certain dialogue options to get a certain outcome, it is important to know that what you say here won’t actually matter in the long run. You can convince the cabinet to release data in this part of the mission, but in the end, they will release the data no matter what.

If you are one of those players who likes to succeed in every conversation—even if it doesn’t matter in the grander scheme of things—then the dialogue choice that you will want to pick when speaking with the cabinet president is as follows:

Yes. If the fear is the data being weaponized, the Terrormorph program failed. The data’s not dangerous.

You can only get this option if you ask Hadrian for any suggestions on what to say before you go into the cabinet meeting when you are waiting outside the MAST building. 

As I said, this isn’t necessary as even if you don’t manage to convince the cabinet to allow you to use the data at first, they will change their mind after the second half of the mission due to the Terramorph attack on the city. 

The Terramorph attack 

Soon after the cabinet decides on whether to grant you access to the Archives, an emergency alert will sound and interrupt the meeting. The Terramorphs have found their way to Jemison and are attacking the New Atlantis spaceport. Talk about a case of impeccable timing. You will need to head back to the elevator and go down to the NAT station, where you will encounter your first look at one of the more sinister Terramorph abilities.

Incapacitate the brainwashed civilians

You will see that a group of civilians are attacking UC security guards when you come out of the elevator. Hadrian explains that the Terramorphs are able to get inside the heads of some (though not everyone) and cause them to turn on one another whilst under the influence of the creature. It is this brainwashing that has caused the New Atlantis residents to start attacking.

This is where you will need that EM weapon that we talked about earlier. Equip the one that you have or look for one on the ground marked by a blue mission marker. The bug we mentioned might mean that it isn’t there, which is why having an EM weapon ready to go is imperative.

To progress in the mission, you will need to stun the civilians by shooting them with the EM weapon. This can be surprisingly tricky. There were a few times when I was sure that I had downed someone, only for them to suddenly get back up again after lying on the floor for a while. Keep shooting at them until they don’t get back up. That definitely sounded harsher than intended, but don’t worry, you won’t be physically hurting them. The mental anguish both you and the Terramorph are causing to the poor civilians is another story though. Best not to think about it. 

The game doesn’t allow you to start gunning down the residents with anything other than the EM weapon. This is another reason why it is crucial to have one on you, as otherwise, your progress will grind to a halt. Reload your save if you are out of options but if this doesn’t work and you have no other save file to go back to, you will just have to go back to before you began the mission. 

You will know when you have successfully taken down all the citizens as your mission will update and you will be able to talk to one of the UC guards who was being attacked. After you have done this, hop onto the NAT train and make your way to the spaceport. 

Killing the Terramorphs

The first Terramorph that you will find in the Eyewitness mission will be just through the security barriers in the spaceport and to the left. The mission marker will show you the way, but it is easy to find anyway as you will see that a number of UC guards are already trying to take the creature down. 

Terramorphs aren’t an easy fight in Starfield, so make sure that you have your best weapons to hand as well as plenty of ammo and Aid items should you need them. 

Speak to Sergeant Yumi

When the Terramorph is down, you will need to talk with Sergeant Yumi who will tell you about the fireteam who are armed and ready to help you fight the other Terramorphs trying to get into the city. 

I decided to get the fireteam to hang back to make sure nothing got through into the city, but that was only because I had plenty of ammo and equipment ready for a big fight and I didn’t want to risk them getting hurt. Other play-throughs I have seen that chose the fireteam to back them up didn’t seem to have any casualties, though it is possible that they could end up as Terramorph chow should you bring them. 

I would suggest bringing them if you are low on supplies, but otherwise, let them hang back and wait it out. They don’t have that main character plot armor that you do, so it seems like the kindest decision to make for them. 

Fighting the final two Terramorphs

Advance through the barriers to the left and follow the marker to find the last two remaining Terramorphs. As with the first monster, this isn’t an easy fight due to their brute strength and speed. I would advise picking your best weapon for this and aiming for the head as much as you can. If you have the fireteam with you, a handy tactical strategy is to use them to distract the Terramorphs whilst you attack at long range. We’re not saying that they are cannon fodder, though. Not out loud anyway. 

The Terramorph will be trying to get inside your head as you fight, but Hadrian will be there to keep you grounded and ensure you that they are not to be listened to. Just ignore the creepy voices in your head and focus on killing the monsters and you should take them down in no time. 

Return to Sergeant Yumi

With the immediate Terramorph threat neutralized, return to Sergeant Yumi and let him know that you have taken the monsters down. Give him a thorough debriefing of what went down and then head back to the Cabinet Chambers to inform the cabinet and President Abello of your success. 

As you can imagine, this attack makes it clear that the concerns about the Terramorphs are more than just a theory. If the cabinet did not agree to let you access the data in the Archives when you first spoke to them, they will now reverse their decision. If not, they will further express the importance of allowing you that access. When the conversation is over, you will have successfully completed the Eyewitness mission. 

So there you have an in-depth guide on how to complete the Eyewitness mission in Starfield. You will get 350 EXP for finishing the mission along with 12,000 credits. Not only that, but you’ll also be ready to take the next steps in your fight against the Terramorph threat. Good luck, Captain.