Grunt Work is the second mission in the Starfield Vanguard Faction questline, which starts the moment you pass the Piloting Exam during the Supra Et Ultra mission.
Unlike Supra Et Ultra, however, the Starfield Grunt Work mission is a bit longer and involves hunting down a Terrormorph on Planet Tau Ceti II.
As you are about to see, the Grunt Work Vanguard mission is pretty similar to the 1986 Alien science fiction action film written and directed by James Cameron. This means that you’ll need to get ready to face a vicious creature that will hunt you down.
So, if you wonder how to complete the Starfield Grunt Work side mission, throughout the following walkthrough, we’ll cover all the objectives you must complete.
How To Start the Grunt Work Mission in Starfield
In Bethesda‘s latest video game, the mission named Grunt Work starts after you become a member of the Vanguard Faction and swear your oath in the presence of Commander Tuala outside the MAST building in New Atlantis.
At the end of the Supra Et Ultra mission, Tuala informs you that your first assignment is to get to Tau Ceti II and deliver some equipment to a processing plant. The said equipment was requested by the workers to repair their communications.
Tell Tuala you are ready to go, and he’ll offer additional information on your first objective.

Where To Find Crew Chief Herath at the New Atlantis Spaceport
Now that you have received your first mission as a Vanguard Member, it’s time to find Herath at the New Atlantis Spaceport.
To do so, press LB followed by RB to open the New Atlantis surface map, select your ship’s icon, and fast travel to the Spaceport.
Crew Chief Herath is found on the other side of the Spaceport, in front of another ship (pictured below).

Approach Herath, and he’ll offer you some info regarding the equipment he prepared for you. If you want, you can ask him additional questions about Tau Ceti II, but just like Tuala, he doesn’t actually know what happened out there. So, tell him you are ready to go and return to your ship.
How To Make Contact With the Setllers on Tau Ceti II
Inside your ship, get to the cockpit and interact with the pilot seat. If this is your first trip to another planet, here is what you must do.
First, press and hold Y on your Xbox controller to take off. When in space, open the game’s menu, then access the map.
Press B twice to zoom out to the galaxy view, then look for the Tau Ceti system. It should be west of Alpha Centauri.
Now, select Tau Ceti and press X to jump to the new location.

Upon reaching the Tau Ceti star system, open your map again, and while tracking the current mission, look for Tau Ceti II planet.
Move it around until you see the Tau Gourmet Production Center icon in my screenshot, then select it and press and hold X to land.

After landing on Tau Ceti II, press and hold X to exit your ship. Now, things become pretty straightforward as you discover that the whole production center is abandoned.
Take your time exploring the area, and make sure you track the current mission. Use your Hand Scanner (LB) to find the objective marker and follow it because it will take you to one survivor inside the larger building. You should hear her scream.

Make sure you find the Hadrian and get ready to find out what happened to the workers at the Production Center.
When talking to Hadrian, exhaust all dialogue options, and she’ll tell you that a Terrormorph has attacked the workers. There is no need to lie to her when she asks you if you are a shock trooper because there is no benefit in doing it.
During your dialogue with Hadrian, you’ll find out that the Terromorph killed every worker in the production center, and she needs your help restoring the power and the security systems.
How To Restore the Security System Connection
After you receive your next objective, head outside the building and follow the objective marker on your hand scanner. It will take you to a terminal like the one pictured below.

Access the computer, then select the Security System Connection Status option, followed by Reset Security Connection. Confirm your selection, exit the terminal, and wait until Hadrian analyzes the system.
How to Tune the Livestock Tracker to 183.5
The next objective for the Grunt Work mission is to tune the livestock tracker Hadrian discovers to a specific frequency. Simply put, Hadrian wants to tune the tracker used for livestock so it can track the Terrormorph.
The tracker will eventually let you know when the Terrormorph is nearby. To complete this objective, enter the room next to the terminal you found earlier and interact with the highlighted computer.

Select the following options from the menu:
- System Status
- Turn On Tracking System
- Press B to return to the previous screen
- Tracker Frequency Tuner
- 183.5: Targets (1)
- Press B to exit the terminal
How To Kill the Terrormorph in Starfield Grunt Work
After the system is re-engaged, your objective is to deal with the Terromorph, and how you do it depends on your playstyle.
With enough firepower, you can take the alien down without the turrets you just activated. If not, you’ll want to activate the kill lanes; however, remember that this is only an optional objective.
To complete it, all you need to do is get on the facility’s roof and interact with the highlighted terminals (power breakers). These will activate several turrets capable of tracking and shooting the Terrormorph.

The most important aspect, however, is that the moment you receive the objective to kill the Terromorph, you’ll become a target, and you’ll need to move fast.
The creature will constantly follow you, but luckily, you’ll know when it is near if you pay attention to your hand scanner radar and the distinctive sounds (beeps). When the Terrormorph is near, you should hear that the sounds grow in frequency.
As said, the Terromorph is a scary alien but not as difficult as you may think, especially if you are well-equipped. It is a level 10 enemy which can be easily fooled.

If you are uncomfortable dealing with it, simply find a way to get to the rooftops (there are multiple ramps and stairs outside) and activate the turrets. Remember to stay mobile and, if needed, lure the creature towards the turrets.
After killing the Terrormorph, approach its carcass and loot the following:
- Terrormorph Cell Sample
- Alien Genetic Material
- Quark Degenerate Tissues
- Sedatives
- Ornamental Materials
Now, return to Hadrian and tell her you’ve dealt with the Terrormorph. Give her the Cell Sample, then follow her to the nearby Research Station in the facility.
After she runs several tests, she’ll tell you that the current station can’t run a proper analysis, so she can’t figure out how the Terrormorph reached this planet.
As such, she wants you to find Dr. Percival Walker on Mars. With his help, she might be able to find out how the Terrormorphs spread on other planets. However, before going after Percival Walker, you’ll first want to report back to Tuala in New Atlantis.
Return to your ship and find Tuala in the MAST District. When talking to him, play safe and tell him the truth. Also, ask him all available questions to learn more about Hadrian, who previously worked with Terrormorphs.
At the end of the Grunt Work mission, you’ll unlock the Deep Cover and Delivering Devils side missions. If you need help with them, feel free to check our Starfield Wiki Hub.
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