Background Checks is a unique faction mission for Ryujin Industries in Starfield. The technological powerhouse that rules over the business world of Volii Star System, is not short of competition. This time around, the stakes are even higher as the discord comes from within the company. You will go against your people to sniff out a mole that has infiltrated your ranks.
After completing Top Secrets, you need to visit Dalton Fiennes to proceed with the Ryujin Industries questline. Head up to the Executive Floor of Ryujin Industries in Neon City on Alpha Volii in the Volii Star System. He will be in his office, left of the elevator. Talk to him to get the details of your assignment.
How to complete Background Checks in Starfield
Background Checks start with Dalton sharing that Ryujin’s files have been leaked to their competitor. An internal audit is being done and they suspect Ularu Chen for being the mole.
Since she is an executive, you can’t access her files directly. You need to go off the record and upload a scanning program on her personal computer to confirm if she is the one responsible or not.
While carrying out the Background Checks mission, you will be considered a trespasser on Ryujin Industries property. He will not let you go without any help though.
Dalton will give you the Arboron Novablast Disruptor, a weapon that can non-lethally take down guards. He then directs you to Nyx who will have your program ready and advises you to carry out the mission in stealth.
Find Nyx
You will find Nyx at Madame Sauvage’s Place, as mentioned by Dalton. Head back down from Ryujin Tower to Spaceport Terminal.
Head down the alley between Mining League and the Terminal’s elevator. Enter Ebbside and you will find Madame Sauvage’s Place next to the entrance. Nyx will be inside next to the computer on the right.
He won’t hand over the program for free so you will have to either pay him or do him a favor.
Best choice: Should you pay, persuade, or do Nyx a favor?
The best way to deal with Nyx during the Background Check quest in Starfield is to do him a favor and not complete it.
He asks you to upload a program on Camden Cho’s computer on your way to Ularu’s. If you want you can take a couple of extra minutes to do it but not completing it does not have any effect on the rewards and future quests. Essentially, making the program free.
You can also pay him 2500 Credits but we recommend to persuade him to drop the price to 1000 Credits.
If paying is out of the option, you can do him a favor. He will ask you to run the same program on Camden Cho’s computer while you are in Ryujin Tower for another client. He will then hand over the slate and bring it back to him once you are done.
This might seem like the best dialogue choice since you are getting the program for free, but the optional objective will make the mission a bit more difficult in Starfield.
Infiltrate Ryujin Industries through the vents
With the program slate, it’s time to infiltrate Ryujin Tower during Background Checks. Exit the establishment and take the first street on the left. Head up the stairs and press the Button on the Terminal at the end.
It will move the crane carrying the hollow shipping container to your side. Follow the alternative path to Ryujin Industries HQ.
After entering Ryujin, the first room has a hatch you need to climb up to, next to the blue cylinder. Use the control panel to take the lights out and drop down the hatch on your left. Crouch-walk to the right side of the hallway to avoid the guards.
Enter the first door on your left and activate the drone demo inside to distract the hallway guards. Since they don’t stop patrolling the area, it will become difficult to not break stealth around them. As the drone bot makes its way to the hallway, wait for the guards to notice it and then take the door to the right end of the hall.
Take the stairs up to the top floor. Head straight down the hall and go inside the room directly past the stairs. Climb up the hatch and the vents will take you to the cafeteria. A guard is patrolling the hall you need to pass through. Take care of him using the Disruptor.
Optional: Run Nyx’s program on Camden Cho’s Computer
If you want to do Nyx that favor, now is the time. The office on the right of the hall belongs to Camden Cho. Use Digipicks to unlock the door and upload the program on Cho’s Computer. Click on Rover files to complete the objective. You can skip the process if you have already paid Nyx for the program.
Run Nyx’s Program on Ularu Chen’s Computer
Past the hallway, the door on your right leads to another ventilation shaft. You will exit out of it to another heavily guarded room. Fortunately, you don’t have to deal with any of them. Just walk down the stairs and enter the vent behind the generator.
There is another Door Panel at the end of the vents. You will need to unlock it using Digipick to take out the lights of the entire floor.
This next area is guarded by robots and Ryujin Security so you will need to be quick on your feet. Wait for the patrolling robot to leave before moving deeper. Head inside the medical room left of the red tree, and go up the stairs. Keep your Disruptor ready if you end up crossing paths with any guards. The entrance to the vents is above the shelves on your right.
You will be on the ceiling of a large room. Cross over to the other side using the metal suspenders on either side of the ceiling. The next vent has a panel for turning the whole floor’s power down.
Use the disrupter on the guard so he doesn’t die, and make your way to Ularu Chen’s computer. Use the computer and click on the Rover files to run the program. It will complete the task of uploading Nyx’s program on Ularu’s computer, part of the Background Checks quest in Starfield.
Use the hatch above Ularu’s computer room to exit the Ryujin Tower through the vents. Take the stairs down, turn right, and use the stairs around the corner to head to Nyx’s Apartment.
Report back to Dalton
Wait for Nyx to decrypt the program and return the updated data slate to Dalton. Don’t worry; he won’t keep you in suspense and inform you that Imogene Salzo, the Operations specialist, and your entry into Ryujin Industries was the one behind the leaks.
Head back to the Executive Floor to report everything to Dalton. He will reward you with 250XP and 10,000 Credits. You will now be able to access your next Ryujin Industries mission, Guilty Parties.
Background Checks Mission Bugs
There are unfortunately few major bugs involving the Background Checks faction mission in Starfield. Stealth is not the game’s strong suit which can cause problems for some players. The bugs mentioned here are more related to the mechanics rather than the playstyle.
Locked outside Ryujin Tower
The first one is before entering the Ryujin Tower from above, the crane resets if you exit the area. You cannot interact with it again while the mission marker has moved on to the next objective. This locks out the players from proceeding with the quest normally.
The bug can occur because the normal script of the mission is disturbed. Sadly, there is no available solution as of yet other than going back to an old save or skipping the mission using console commands.
Unable to interact with Dalton
At the end of the Background Checks, Dalton does not initiate further dialogue, and the message “This individual is busy” is shown. This is an extremely rare bug that has no applicable solution. For now, you need to start back up from your last save or turn to commands to skip it.
Getting bounty
While playing Background Checks, you can end up with a bounty on your head at the end. This can occur even if you complete the entire quest undetected. The cause is not known but can be influenced if you have companions with you. The only way out is to pay the bounty out of your own pocket.
