Starfield ‘A Break at Dawn’: Should you persuade Hugo to give back the engagement ring?

All is fair in love and war.

Starfield's Hugo looking concerned
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Picking up UC Security missions in Starfield sees you taking on a number of interesting missions, one of which is A Break at Dawn.

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In this mission, you are tasked with hunting someone down who has reportedly stolen a valuable ring, following a disagreement at a fancy restaurant called Pioneer Tower. The accused is Hugo Fournier and, after finding and speaking to Hugo, you find out the ring he’s reportedly stolen was actually an engagement ring given to him by his fiancé, Octavio.

After finding out Octavio asked a waiter at the restaurant for their number, the two had a big falling out, and Hugo decided to keep the ring. Now, Octavio wants it back, so he reported Hugo for theft. This leaves you with a choice: Should you persuade Hugo to turn over the ring or let him hold onto it?

Should you persuade Hugo to return the ring or let him keep it in Starfield?

When you confront Hugo after the theft, he tells you his sad story. Hugo is suitably angry, but you have a job to do, and it’s up to you whether or not to do it.

After Hugo’s rant, you are given two options: You can either persuade him to give back the ring, or you can agree with him that his ring “theft” isn’t a crime.

If you agree with him, he keeps the ring. You can then go back to Yumi at UC Security, explain the situation, and still walk away with 2000 Credits and 100 XP. This option does mean, however, that you aren’t able to keep the ring for yourself and sell it.

I suggest, instead, that you persuade Hugo to return the ring, as this gives you the option to keep and sell it, if you wish. While my heart wants Hugo to keep his memento, my wallet says otherwise.

How to persuade Hugo to return the ring in Starfield

If you do decide to persuade Hugo to return the ring, then you will need to pass a persuasion check. Here are the dialogue options I selected to persuade Hugo to give me the ring (you can watch it above, too):

  • [Persuade] It’s still his property.
  • Why would you want to keep something that reminds you of him? (+4 Persuasion)

If you pass the persuasion check, then Hugo should hand over the ring, and you can decide whether to give it to Yumi or keep it for yourself. Either way, completing this quest awards you 2000 Credits and 100 XP.

If you fail your persuasion attempts, then you must accept defeat and go back to Yumi empty handed—although you’ll still get the rewards, just no ring.

Author
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Vic Hood
Vic is Gaming Editor at Dot Esports. An award-winning games journalist, Vic brings experience from IGN, Eurogamer, TechRadar, and more to the Dot Esports table. You may have even heard her on the radio or speaking on a panel. Not only is Vic passionate about games, but she's also an avid mental health advocate who has appeared on both panels and podcasts to discuss mental health awareness. Make sure to follow her on Twitter (@hood_vic) for more.