As part of the main questline in Starfield, you'll need to pinch an Artifact from a renowned collector—he's also a dangerous salvager who has a well-armed crew that protects him and his goods. While experimenting with different ways of completing quests is an enjoyable pastime in Bethesda games, there's one very easy and clear path to take regardless of your level, so here's what you need to do.
How to complete No Sudden Moves easily
Starfield guide: Our hub of advice
Starfield console commands: Every cheat you need
Starfield mods: Space is your sandbox
Starfield ending: Who to side with
Starfield companions: All your recruitable crew
Starfield romance options: Space dating
To get started, speak to Vladimir on The Eye and you'll be assigned a companion—in this case, I was paired with Sarah. Everyone aboard The Eye at this stage is someone you've engaged in a bunch of dialogue with, and the one you have the least relationship with is paired off with you. This is important info for later during the High Price to Pay mission.
Afterward, Sarah and I were sent to The Scow to find Captain Petrov and his impressive collection. The Scow is heavily guarded and I'd recommend taking some mines with you—this will make sense later. You can say you're interested in trading and try to persuade them to let you dock, or you can be a space pirate and start attacking them before docking. I'd try the first one if you have points in persuasion as it means you can dock and nobody is hostile.
Once you're aboard, you'll be lightly interrogated before being allowed to have a wander and find Petrov. You need to persuade him to let you into the vault, so take some Hippolyta if your persuasion skill is low, or let a character like Barrett do the talking on your behalf. You could always attack him or pickpocket the key but these options risk everyone turning hostile against you.
When Petrov takes you to the vault, scatter a few mines around before engaging him. Exhaust all the friendly options and leave the conversation before picking up the Artifact, which will initiate a conflict. Focus your fire solely on Petrov and eventually he'll collapse to the ground and you can chat with him. You can persuade him to call off his troops and you can safely leave The Scow unscathed, though everyone you walk by makes some kind of reference to you being a pirate. You'll get a bounty on your head but you can go to one of the kiosks to pay it off. Returning to the Lodge will set in motion the High Price to Pay quest so you might want to go and do some faction or side quests beforehand.
