When you reach the Vox Relay to infiltrate it during The Saboteur of Paradise quest in The Outer Worlds 2, you’ll come face to face with Brigadier Montelli — a Protectorate officer who has gone full tyrant under the pressure of command. By this point, you’ve probably seen him execute his own people, and when you encounter him, the game gives you a crucial choice: do you kill Montelli and end the madness, or spare him and hope reason wins out?
The outcome looks major, and while it doesn’t directly affect the story, it does carry long-term flavor consequences and changes how Marshal Corbin and future events treat you. This guide explains everything you need to know about how to spare Montelli, what happens if you kill him or let him live, and which choice you should make.
Where to Find Brigadier Montelli
You’ll meet Montelli at the command floor of the Vox Relay Station during the main quest, The Saboteur of Paradise. The whole sequence is part infiltration, part moral dilemma. Before you get to Montelli’s office, you’ll encounter Marshal Corbin, who can either become an ally or an obstacle depending on your dialogue options during conversation.
If you have the Writ of Conscription from Vigilant Hogarth (earned from The Saga of the Malfunctioning Mechanicals quest), you can use it to get Corbin on your side right away. Without it, you’ll need at least Speech level 2 skill to convince him you’re not the enemy. Getting Corbin’s help is important if you plan to spare Montelli, since he’s the one who unlocks the peaceful option later on. You must choose this dialogue when it appears during the talk with Corbin, “All right. We’ll do things your way. How do I reach Montelli’s terminal?”
Once Corbin is ready to cooperate, he’ll suggest accessing Montelli’s terminal before you confront him. So do that, first “Send Corbin’s Official Notice of Relieving Montelli of Command,” and read all computer logs to unlock the nonviolent dialogue option to settle things down without bloodshed.
How to Spare Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2
To spare Montelli’s life, you need to do three things before you speak to him:
- Get Corbin on your side (using the Writ of Conscription or Speech 2).
- Read every entry on Montelli’s terminal in his office.
- Have Speech level 5 when you finally talk to Montelli.
When you face him, don’t attack. Go through the dialogue calmly, and eventually, you’ll see an option that says:
“These extreme measures were never your idea in the first place, were they, Montelli?”
The above dialogue option only unlocks if you’ve read his complete terminal data, and Corbin is also with you. After that, the next important line appears, which requires Speech level 5 to pass:
“Do what you know is right, not what your puppeteer tells you.”
Select this dialogue, and Montelli stands down. He’ll leave his Chainspark Cannon weapon and Officer Regalia armor behind, which you can pick up, and Montelli will surrender himself and face execution later. You’ll avoid a tough boss fight, keep Corbin alive and loyal, and still walk away with Montelli’s unique loot.
How to Kill Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2
If you haven’t reached Speech 5 skill or skipped Corbin’s cooperation, the encounter automatically turns hostile. Montelli won’t talk things through and attack right away, which results in an inevitable boss fight. Montelli is a heavy-hitting boss armed with the Chainspark Cannon, a shock-based weapon that fires bursts of chain lightning. He also has support troops, so it’s not an easy fight you can get into unprepared with weak weapons and gear.
Once you manage to defeat Montelli, you will earn +300 XP and his same weapon and armor. Killing him doesn’t change much story-wise; you get access to De Vries’ safe room after that and visit the command room to send Vox Relay to either Fairfield, Westport, or into space.
Should You Kill or Spare Montelli in The Outer Worlds 2?
The decision seems big on paper, but comes down to what kind of captain you’re role-playing — the diplomat or the executioner. The outcome doesn’t impact the main story, but it changes NPCs’ attitude towards you and how much of the Protectorate’s truth you can learn.
If you’ve already leveled up to the required Speech skill, sparing Montelli is the best choice in The Outer Worlds 2. It skips the boss fight, keeps Marshal Corbin on your side, and unlocks extra dialogue where Montelli admits he has been acting under someone else’s orders from higher-ups. That extra bit of intel comes into use in the later quest On the Trail of the Traitor. You still walk away with his Chainspark Cannon and Officer Regalia, so you won’t miss the valuable rewards other than XP.
If you’re not specced for Speech or you’d rather settle things the old-fashioned way, killing Montelli works fine too. The encounter is a proper battle, nets you a chunk of XP, and delivers the same loot. The trade-off is that Corbin becomes distant afterward, and you won’t get the chance to hear Montelli’s confession about who is pulling his strings.
