When you begin The Empty Nest mission in Starfield, that entails traveling to Akila City with Sam Coe and his daughter Cora Coe. Sam has a lead on another object, which could very well be another Artifact. As a member of The Constellation, I have secured two Artifacts till now. The first artifact was found deep in the mines at Vectera (which you can check out in our Starfield review), and the Artifact Beta was found later at the end of the mission The Old Neighborhood. Here, you’ll get to know how to acquire Artifact Chi in Starfield.
Now, in our last outing, I had become sort of a flamboyant hero of Akila City by rescuing the city folk from the clutches of the Shaw Gang by foiling their robbery attempt at GalBank. After I took out the robbers on my own, with no civilian casualty, Marshall David Blake was pleased and suggested that I join the Freestar Rangers, which I did, with the help of Ranger Emma Wilcox. I now serve under her as Deputy Freestar Ranger.
But here is the thing: I’d landed in Akila City on The Constellation business, and Sam was still with me. He looked to be the patient sort but kept reminding me to go and pay a visit to GalBank to check out the bank vaults to get Solomon Coe’s maps. Our objective: To get Artifact Chi. And that’s how the story in The Empty Nest moves forward. Here is how it all played out.
Also Read: Starfield: Back to Vectera Walkthrough
Going to GalBank For The Maps
I went with Sam to GalBank in Akila City. The same one where a robbery attempt was made by an inexperienced group of gang members.
Once you enter from the front door, go straight and then take a right. There will be a staircase descending to the bank vaults.
Sam tells you that his family has got a few deposit boxes that should be checked. He will hand you the key to that.
The Maps Are Missing!
You will see three of such boxes. Check each one. In one, you will find a note to Sam, but there will be no maps.
Next, you will learn from Sam that someone called Jacob took Solomon’s maps!
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Who’s Jacob?
Sam knows who Jacob is but will not open up to you easily.
With some effective persuasion, you’ll get to know that Jacob is actually Sam’s dad and that they don’t get along well. But Cora does gel well with his grandpa. According to Sam, “both are thick as thieves”.
Even if Jacob took the maps, you need them for the mission. So, the next stop is Jacob’s place in Akila City.
Going to Jacob’s Place (The Coe Estate)
When you arrive at Jacob’s, there will be some heated argument between father and son.
Jacob wanted Sam to join the family business, not roam around the world as an explorer. But Sam had his own dreams, and he pursued them, irrespective of what his dad wanted him to be. That made Jacob wroth with Sam, and it is like that to this day.
Their ancestor, Solomon Coe, built Akila City, so they are an important family, and Jacob didn’t want his son joining a group of space explorers and risking his life on adventures. Hence, he has no special love for The Constellation too.
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Getting Solomon’s Maps
Again, putting your persuasion skills to good use, tell Jacob that as soon as you get the maps, both you and Sam will be out of his hair in no time.
Jacob would see sense in that and instantly give you the key to his office where the maps are kept.
Great, now you have Solomon’s maps. It is up to Sam to figure out the location.
Deciphering The Location of the Artifact
Sam tries to decipher the location of the Artifact and gets it soon. He tells you that in that place, “no creature, alien or otherwise, would dare step inside”. There is something there which is causing these animals to stay away. Could it be one of the artifacts? It looks highly likely.
The spot — The Empty Nest — is in the middle of the frontier. But there is a problem that would make going to The Empty Nest a lot more perilous.
‘The Empty Nest’ Is A Cave!
Sam tells you that The Empty Nest is a cave right in the middle of Shaw Gang territory. Remember the Shaw Gang? How could you not? You recently made quick work of its members who tried to rob GalBank in Akila City, and now the next part of your mission is about paying a visit to a cave inside their stronghold.
Earlier, when you fought them, you were a newcomer, a stranger to Akila City. Now you are a Freestar Ranger Deputy. How would you deal with them, now that you have the Marshal’s license to kill?
Land Near the Location of ‘The Empty Nest’
Next, plot your course to land near The Empty Nest. After you land, take some care in proceeding towards the Shaw Gang base, as the area around is rigged with mines.
Kill The Shaw Gang Sentries
The Shaw Gang members don’t care that you want to check out The Empty Nest for your artifact. They will open fire. Take them out, one by one, until the area is clear.
There is some good loot to be found inside the camps, so comb the living quarters. The gang members who are topside could be taken out from a distance if you have a rifle with a scope.
Head Inside ‘The Empty Nest’ Cave
Next, you have to go inside the cave on the other side of the camp.
You will face a few more Shaw Gang members inside the cave. Take care of them. You’ll get the cave key from one of the dead bodies. Look for the Ashta Tamer weapon and its ammo, as you would need it later.
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Gather Artifact Chi
The way underground would go deep into the bowels of the earth until you reach a place where the rocks are glittering in all shades of blue and some white.
Shoot and blow away the part concealing Artifact Chi and grab it.
Yay! You got Artifact Chi. As soon as you get a hold of it, you will experience the same light-and-music thing you did when you got the first Artifact.
You’ll also see a complex geometrical shape in the space, just like the last time.
Now that you have Artifact Chi in your possession, it’s time to get out. You have what you came looking for. You would want your friends at The Constellation to see it.
Surprise! Look Who’s Here! Shaw Herself!
But woah! There are some people with guns outside!
When you get outside the cave with Artifact Chi, you will find Shaw, the gang leader, herself. She is not willing to let you go away, but if you persuade her successfully, she will relent.
If you fail to persuade her, she will order her men to attack you. In both cases, there will be another surprise in the form of three Ashtas who would appear and start attacking everyone. Now would be a good time to equip that Ashta Tamer gun you got inside the cave.
If you could not persuade Shaw into non-violence, then I’m afraid you will have to kill her and her men, too.
Kill The Ashta
If you can get to the ship without killing the Ashtas, that can work. Or, kill them all. The pro tip here is to get to a higher ground upon which there is some space for you to move (the top of the Shaw Gang huts), a place where the ashtas can’t get up.
Then, shoot them with your Ashta Tamer gun. Remember that the Ashtas attack with fiery stones, so you have to keep changing your position atop the platform you are on.
Now, loot whatever you can or want to and get back to your ship. You can loot Ashtas for their genetic material and antimicrobial (carapace).
When you are done, go and board your ship. Beware of the mines that are spread out around the Shaw Gang camp again.
Get to The Lodge
Set course for New Atlantis, land there, get to The Lodge, and submit the Artifact Chi there. That would conclude The Empty Nest mission.
Summing Up
With The Empty Nest mission complete, I have secured three artifacts in Starfield. Plus, if you dealt death to the Shaw Gang, you did the whole of Akila City and the Freestar Rangers a big service. I hope Marshal David Blake has a huge sigh of relief when he gets to know that the Shaw Gang won’t bother the city people anymore.
You got what you were looking for with Sam (the artifact) and got rid of the Shaw Gang as well. Now would be a good time to pat yourself on the back. As the Marshal would say, “Good job, Deputy!”
By the way, did you know that there are multiple ways to earn money in Starfield? We’ve listed them in our post, so make sure to check that out!
