Starfield: How to save everyone in the Juno's Gambit quest

Starfield Juno quest - Operative Khambatta
(Image credit: Bethesda)

The Starfield Juno quest is one of the more random encounters that you can find while exploring certain systems and planets. In the quest, two Ryujin Industries operatives are having some trouble with a rogue AI, and it's up to you to cast the deciding vote on who gets to walk away. It's not the most ideal quest, since both of its regular outcomes result in the operatives getting hurt.

However, there is a secret third option you can use to keep everyone happy if you've pursued a specific faction questline. Here's how to complete the Juno's Gambit quest in Starfield, the choices you can pick, plus how to get that third option to save everyone.

How to start Juno's Gambit

This quest is a somewhat random encounter, but your best chance of finding it is heading to either the Khayyam or Tau Ceti systems, specifically, Khayyam II, or Tau Ceti III. On arrival, you'll find a Mysterious Ship being attacked by an Ecliptic Falcata. Destroy it, and then dock to make your way onboard. Here, you'll meet two Ryujin Industries operatives who are trying to shackle a rogue AI known as Juno. After a short discussion, revealing that Juno killed the technician who previously tried to shackle her, they'll give you the Control Board and ask you to do it instead. There are three overall options and outcomes.

Use the Control Board

After chatting and philosophising on the nature of humanity and self with Juno, you'll be presented with the choice to either kill the Ryujin operatives, or install the Control Board. If you choose the latter, simply talk to Juno again and pick the install board option. Juno shuts down and the Ryujin fellas thank you before sending you on your way. However, once you undock with the ship, a very angry Juno will wake up and suffocate the operatives before warping out of the system. You'll get 3,500 credits and finish the quest.

Kill the operatives

If you kill the operatives, you can help Juno decide how to use her freedom (Image credit: Bethesda)

When the time to choose arrives, murder both Ryujin operatives with your weapon of choice and then speak to Juno. She'll thank you and ask for your input on how she should use her newfound freedom. Leave the ship and she'll warp off into deep space to be alone for a while and recuperate before setting out again. You'll get 2,000 credits for this option.

Save everyone

The best choice is available if you became an operative for Ryujin Industries by pursuing their questline on Neon in the Volii system. When the time comes to choose, talk to Operative Khambatta and explain that you think Juno should be allowed freedom. This presents a unique line of faction dialogue that you can use to convince them. The operatives will decide it isn't worth the headache and ask for a lift back to Neon. Talk to Juno and the dialogue plays out much the same as with the second choice. Juno departs on her adventure and once you safely drop the operatives back on Neon, you'll get 4,300 credits, making this the most lucrative choice.

Starfield endingStarfield companionsStarfield romance optionsStarfield console commandsStarfield mods

Starfield ending: Who to side with
Starfield companions: All your recruitable crew
Starfield romance options: Space dating
Starfield console commands: Every cheat you need
Starfield mods: Space is your sandbox

TOPICS
Sean Martin
Senior Guides Writer

Sean's first PC games were Full Throttle and Total Annihilation and his taste has stayed much the same since. When not scouring games for secrets or bashing his head against puzzles, you'll find him revisiting old Total War campaigns, agonizing over his Destiny 2 fit, or still trying to finish the Horus Heresy. Sean has also written for EDGE, Eurogamer, PCGamesN, Wireframe, EGMNOW, and Inverse.

Read more
Avowed art showing companions having a picnic together under sunny day
All the Avowed ending choices and epilogue-affecting decisions
Henry and Radzig stand side-by-side, Henry looks shocked and Radzig looks proud.
How to get the best ending in Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2
Avowed kill or spare Ygwulf - An upper-body shot of Ygwulf facing directly ahead.
Should you kill or spare Ygwulf in Avowed?
Avowed - Giatta
How to save Fior mes Ivèrno in Avowed
Avowed Sargamis choice - An upper-body shot of Sargamis looking almost directly ahead.
Should you give Sargamis the relic in Avowed?
Avowed - The Delemgan Queen, a magical humanoid creature with bark skin, leaf accents, and twisted root horns and crown
Delemgan Queen stealth route in Avowed: How to get the adragan heart without fighting her
Latest in RPG
Minthara BG3 looking upset
Another round of Baldur's Gate 3 unearthing reveals Minthara can end up living in a sewer, an unused beach ending, and more
Person battling bizarre four-eyed monster with stylish UI elements surrounding them
Persona and Metaphor: ReFantazio's UI designer is open to accessibility options for players who find the stylish menus overstimulating: 'That is something we understand we'll need to work on and provide in the future'
Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth money farm - Super Crazy Delivery
Like a Dragon series director sums up why sidequests are essential to a great RPG with a single metaphor: 'a good main dish alone will not earn you a Michelin star'
Image of a sweetroll with a candle in it
Bethesda marks Oblivion's 19th with a sweetroll, a candle, and absolutely no happy birthday gift for fans eager for the still-unannounced remaster
Fallout 76 ghoul screenshots
Getting to level 50 in Fallout 76 to become a ghoul actually isn't as daunting as it seems, which is why I created a new character
Koana, a main character in Final Fantasy 14: Dawntrail, stares thoughtfully at a book in his hands.
After a controversial coding slip-up fed stalkers info on their victim's alts, FF14 wipes the slate clean to try and fix its mistakes
Latest in Features
A screenshot from game Mudborne of a little humanoid frog in a marsh
Five new Steam games you probably missed (March 24, 2025)
Fragpunk
Somebody finally figured out casual Counter-Strike
Dean Hall at GDC 2025.
Outer space inspired DayZ's Dean Hall to become a modder and game developer, and now he's making a Kerbal successor called Kitten Space Agency
An image of a corpse with the text "You've been re-educated."
I played the lost videogame sequel to 1984, and came away more nostalgic than ever for gaming's awkward adolescence in 1999
Bears in Space
I downloaded this bear-obsessed comedy FPS to kill time before Doom: The Dark Ages and discovered the most underrated shooter on Steam
Fallout 76 ghoul screenshots
Getting to level 50 in Fallout 76 to become a ghoul actually isn't as daunting as it seems, which is why I created a new character