When to Tell Hadrian About Her Father: The Right Choice in Starfield

Navigating the United Colonies Vanguard questline in Starfield presents players with several intense moral and narrative dilemmas. One of the most significant choices involves deciding whether to reveal to Major Hadrian Sanon that her father, Francois Sanon (also known as Vae Victis), is actually alive. While this secret is kept under tight security by top UC leadership, players are given multiple opportunities throughout the campaign to come clean or maintain the lie.

Understanding the Truth About Vae Victis

During the UC Vanguard story, players learn that the infamous war criminal Vae Victis was not executed as officially reported. Instead, he is held in a secret facility beneath the MAST building, serving as a covert advisor. Hadrian, who is a clone of Vae Victis, spends much of her life believing her father paid the ultimate price for his atrocities. Finding out the truth puts players in a position to either uphold a military secret or share the truth with a trusted ally.

The Key Opportunities to Tell Hadrian

Players get their first real opportunity to break the news during early missions like War Relics or Hostile Intelligence after meeting Vae Victis. A final chance occurs during the climax quest, A Legacy Forged, before addressing the UC Cabinet. Telling her early allows Hadrian to process the shock and insist on holding her father fully accountable for his past and current actions. However, revealing the secret prematurely alters how certain mission dialogues unfold as you approach the end of the narrative arc.

Consequences of Revealing the Secret Early

If you inform Hadrian about her father right away, she immediately pushes to gather evidence against him. This choice effectively leads to Vae Victis being permanently brought to justice when the Cabinet learns of his survival. While this outcome satisfies players looking for moral righteousness, it ends the main faction line slightly faster. Consequently, players lose access to the recurring bounty hunting missions provided by Vae Victis later in the game.

Why Waiting for A Legacy Forged Is Ideal

For players aiming to experience the maximum amount of story content and questlines, holding off on revealing the truth is often recommended. By keeping the secret through the main investigation, you preserve the full natural progression of the faction narrative. You can still choose to expose Vae Victis to the Cabinet during the final meeting of A Legacy Forged if you decide he must face justice. This pathway gives you complete narrative context while ensuring you do not miss out on intermediate mission objectives and gameplay rewards.