Starfield Top Secrets: Should You Take Out Malai Liskova or Betray Simon?

There are multiple choices you can pick to make in many of the missions that you have in Starfield. Each of the decisions comes with unique outcomes and consequences. During the Top Secrets mission, Ryujin Indutries’ informant, Simon, reaches out to you about a bounty hunter chasing after them, and you have the option to work with them to take out the hunter.

The one hunting Simon is named Malai Liskova, and if you take the side gig, Simon is willing to lower the price of the information he’s selling. However, Malai is willing to listen to reason, if you can convince her to work with you and betray Simon. Here’s what you need to know about whether you should take out Malai Liskova or betray Simon during the Top Secrets mission in Starfield.

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What Happens When You Take Out Malai Liskova in Starfield

Simon will point you exactly where you need to go to find Malai Liskova in Starfield. You can find her waiting on Saturn for Simon to show up. When you arrive, she hails your ship, and the two of you can briefly talk with each other. You can choose to engage in a ship-on-ship engagement with her, or you can persuade her to invite you to the vessel by telling her of Simon’s plan. Both options are a good choice, and if you’re looking to grab her gun, being invited onto her ship is much better.

When you get onboard, Malai reveals that she never wants to honor the deal the two of you shared together. A firefight will occur aboard her vessel, and after you take her out, you can make your way back to Simon and share the good news. He’ll be sad that Malai is gone, but he’s relieved he doesn’t have to look over his back anymore, and you’ll get everything you asked for the Top Secrets mission in Starfield.

What Happens If You Betray Simon, Saving Malai in Starfield?

You have the chance to speak with Malai when you arrive on Saturn, where Simon told you to find Malai. Instead of attacking her, have your character explain the situation to her, and she’ll lower her weapons. She invites your Starfield character to her ship and will welcome you aboard to see if the two of you can’t come to an arrangement.

Unfortunately, when you do make your way to her ship, she only wants you there to ensure she doesn’t damage your ship in a fight. She plans to take you out, not honoring the arrangement the two of you had. Although your character can Persuade her otherwise, convincing her to part with her weapon, Ember. You’ll need to go through the Starfield Persuasion mini-game to complete the interaction.

She’s going to step away from the Bounty Hunting business, fully expecting to see Ember sometime in the future. She doesn’t know how she knows it’ll happen but fully expects it. When you return to Simon, you receive everything you need to continue the Top Secrets mission without paying for it.

Should You Take Out Malai Liskova or Betray Simon in Starfield?

I think betraying Simon and convincing Malai to work with you is the superior choice between the two options. Although you get what you want from both interactions, and the Ember pistol, Malai gets to keep her life. A majority of your crew will approve of this decision, and they’ll support why you go around this.

Although they did not disapprove of taking her out, they approve of working with her so Simon feels safe. Plus, Malai talks about her she’s taking it as a way of retiring, hinting that Simon should be fine in the future, but that is constantly fluid in Starfield.