Life During Wartime is the 23rd main story mission in Cyberpunk 2077 (CP77). This walkthrough will guide you through all objectives, paths, dialogues, choices and endings of the Life During Wartime Main Job.
Area: Badlands
Quest Giver: Panam
Requirement: Begins immediately after completing Main Story mission Lightning Breaks.
Mission Info: No in-game journal info
Objectives:
- Take out the drones
- Wait for Panam to fix the turret
- Take out the drones
- Reach the AV
- Check out the crash site
- Scan the area for signs of the Aldecaldos (Optional)
- Scan the Kang Tao operatives (Optional)
- Scan the combat drones (Optional)
- Scan the area for Mitch
- Scan the crashed AV
- Disconnect from the drone
- Take out the turret
- Defeat the Kang Tao operatives
- Wait for Panam
- Get in the AV
- Talk to the Pilot
- Talk to Mitch
- Talk to Panam
- Scan the tracks
- Follow Kang Tao
- Get on the motorcycle (Optional)
- Follow the Kang Tao’s tracks
- Defeat the Kang Tao operatives on the airstrip (Optional)
- Follow the next set of Kang Tao tracks
- Go to the gas station with Panam
- Go inside
- Find Hellman at the gas station
- Confront Hellman
- Knock Hellman out
- Call Takemura
- Pick Hellman up
- Take Anders outside
- Put Hellman down
- Talk to Hellman
- Leave the room
Starting Location: Life During Wartime
Begins immediately after completing Main Story mission Lightning Breaks.
Take out the drones
After shooting down the AV with a rocker launcher, you and Panam are in a race to reach the AV before her Nomad friends wander straight into a royally pissed off squad of Kang Tao corpsec. On the way several drones will give chase, once again giving you the chance to use Panam’s sweet roof turret.
Wait for Panam to fix the turret
About halfway through the fight the turret will jam, forcing Panam to turn on the autodrive and pop out of the hatch to fix it.
Take out the drones
After a couple tense minutes, your turret will be back up and running. Finish off any drones still in pursuit.
Reach the AV
You’ll pull up near the crashed AV. Before you go in on foot however, Panam gets you to survey the crash site with a masked drone.
Check out the crash site
Fly around the crash site, searching for signs of your friends from the Aldecados, and the Kang Tao corporate security agents that are taking up positions near the crash site. Things do not look good.
Scan the area for signs of the Aldecaldos (Optional)
Dammit. Looks like you were too late.
Scan the Kang Tao operatives (Optional)
Scan the combat drones (Optional)
Scan the area for Mitch
Scan the crashed AV
Finish off with a scan of the crashed AV.
Disconnect from the drone
Recon accomplished.
There are now two choices you can make with Panam:
- I’ll handle the launcher, you cover me from here. –> she will provide sniper cover fire
- Stay in the car. You’re hurt. Won’t be too much help out there anyway. –> this is the choice we tested on our playthrough that led to romancing Panam (probably doesn’t matter, but if you want to romance her, go with this confirmed option to be safe. Shows her you care about her wellbeing).
After exiting the car, there will be a number of bots, agents, and a combat drone in the area, all on high alert. Defeat all of them.
Take out the turret
On top of the downed AV is a turret providing cover. You can disable it by hacking the console on the side of the AV, or by simply destroying it.
Defeat the Kang Tao operatives
Luckily the bots don’t seem to have much need for cover. Unluckily that’s because they’re implacable killing machines.
Wait for Panam
Once all of the resistance in the area has been mopped up, Panam will come down to help you breach the AV’s hatch.
Get in the AV
When ready, interact with the hatch to open it.
Talk to the Pilot
Looks like the Kang Tao pilot is holding Mitch hostage. That doesn’t seem like a great idea. If you talk to him and choose the dialogue options “I just want Hellman” and “I’m losing my patience”, the pilot will tell you where they’ve taken Hellman and save you from searching for him. You’ll also have to tangle with a lot fewer Kang Tao operatives later in the mission. Alternately, you can shoot him in the head before he finishes talking and then take the long way for more combat XP and loot.
Talk to Mitch
Mitch tells you what happened to Scorpion, which Panam does not take well.
Talk to Panam
Panam’s a true professional. Job’s not done, she’s not done.
Scan the tracks
If you didn’t get Hellman’s location out of the pilot, you’ll have to do this the hard way. Scan the tracks to reconstruct a simulation of their route.
Get on the motorcycle (Optional)
Technically this one is optional, but hey… free bike. Jump on the bike and wait a few seconds for Panam to grab the other bike next to it (she’ll not ride with you on the same bike, it can take her a moment to get on it).
Follow Kang Tao
Follow the simulation of the Kang Tao vehicles as they drive cross country.
Follow the Kang Tao’s tracks
And the end of the first simulation, follow the checkpoint to pick up their trail as oil tracks. They will pull off into a disused airstrip where some Kang Tao operatives have been dropped off to delay your chase.
Defeat the Kang Tao operatives on the airstrip (Optional)
You can stop to make sure you don’t miss killing any agents, or continue through a back gate at the airstrip and continue the chase.
Follow the next set of Kang Tao tracks
Eventually Panam will figure out that the tracks are leading to an old gas station, meaning that the Kang Tao operatives have no doubt stashed Hellman inside the structure and have had some time to fortify their position.
Go to the gas station with Panam
When you arrive, Panam sets up to provide sniper cover while you go in on foot. Be sure to take a moment to survey the area before you head down. There are a lot of agents, drones, and several autoturrets set up around the perimeter.
Go inside
Whether you choose to go in stealthily or guns blazing, the first thing you’ll have to deal with are the automated defenses. If you have enough skill and the RAM to do it, a fun thing to do is to flip the turrets into Friendly Mode. That way when you choose to enter combat, suddenly the agents find themselves being attacked on all sides. Fun fact, gas pumps do not make for good cover.
The second thing to worry about are the two snipers that have set up on the roof of the gas station and a platform at the base of a tower.
After all resistance has been taken care of outside the station, time to head in. The front door has been barricaded with shelves and cabinets, so go around to the side door to slip inside.
Find Hellman at the gas station
There will only be a couple of agents inside, and you can get the drop on them without much trouble. Head up the stairs at the back of the garage, and you’ll find Hellman in the office area.
Confront Hellman
This isn’t really the best place to have a full interrogation, what with Kang Tao reinforcements likely on the way.
Knock Hellman out
Pistol whip, for the win.
Call Takemura
Let Takemura know that you’ve managed to secure Hellman, and you’ll make arrangements to meet him back at the Sunset Motel.
Pick Hellman up
Carry him outside.
Take Anders outside
Outside you’ll see that the Aldecaldos have arrived to “help out”.
Put Hellman down
Load Hellman on your new motorcycle.
The following choices are recommended:
- Just need to ask him a few questions
- It really wasn’t Panam’s fault (Timed Choice) –> this is what we tested to be working for successfully romancing Panam. It shows her your loyalty, pick this to stay on Panam’s good side as she’s one of your main allies in the game.
After the conversation, time will automatically skip to the interrogation at the motel.
Talk to Hellman
Question Hellman about the relic biochip that’s killing you, and fill him in on your situation. Eventually Takemura will arrive to continue the “discussion”.
Leave the room
Poor Hellman. Arasaka does not take kindly to defectors.
This finishes Life During Wartime main quest in Cyberpunk 2077 (CP77). Now the next quest Play it Safe becomes available.
For all other Quest Walkthroughs, check out the complete Cyberpunk 2077 Walkthrough.
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