As proud as Akila City is, it's not without its fair share of problems. While Starfield players are exploring the capital of the Freestar Collective, they might come across a group of guards arguing about how to better protect the town from its resident hostile fauna species.
Defensive Measures is a Starfield quest that's easy to miss. It sheds some light on the daily life of the people in Akila City, and it's got some great rewards waiting for players at the end as well. It's a bit lengthy for an optional quest, but every bit of it is worth it in the end. Here's a guide covering all the necessary steps involved to help anyone who might have trouble completing it.
How To Start The Defensive Measures Quest
To start Defensive Measures, players should head to the alley past Shepherd's store and listen to the guards argue about defending the city against Ashta. After the argument, speaking with Davis Wilson will direct players to talk with Keoni Alpin, a civilian who has come up with a new way to protect the city.
Keoni will have players stick some sensors along Akila City's walls. All of them are highlighted with quest markers, so they shouldn't be hard to find or reach. Once they have all been placed, players can speak with Keoni again. She will ask players to distract a guard near one of the city's towers so she can hack into the computer network.
How To Complete The Defensive Measures Quest
Here, players can either bribe the guard, commit a crime, or sweet-talk their way to victory. It'll take 1000 Credits to get the guard out of his station. Paying him off isn't the most interesting way to do things, but it's certainly the quickest.
If players decide to steal something in front of the guard, they will have to spend some time in prison. Getting tossed in jail may result in some XP loss, so it may be better to just pay the guard to go somewhere else.
Another free way to get past this point is to pick the special Freestar Ranger dialogue option, which only becomes available after completing the entire Deputized quest line. The guard will respect the player's authority and leave his station, allowing Keoni to do her thing.
This officially concludes the Defensive Measures quest, but there's more to this story. Keoni will give players a generous helping of Credits, but those who are craving a legendary Old Earth Hunting Rifle should finish the next two quests in the chain.
Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.