You’re standing in the middle of the NCX spaceport, surrounded by NUSA Black Ops, and your heart is actually hammering against your ribs. That’s the magic of the Cyberpunk 2077 Killing Moon quest. It isn't just another shootout. It’s a desperate, sweaty-palmed scramble for survival that forces you to choose between two people who have spent the last twenty hours lying to your face. Honestly, after finishing Phantom Liberty, this is the only ending that feels "Cyberpunk" in its purest, most depressing form.
Most players reach this point and realize they’ve been played. So, let’s talk about why this mission is such a massive spike in difficulty and emotional weight.
Getting Into The NCX: No Going Back
Before you even set foot in the terminal, you’ve made the choice to side with Songbird over Solomon Reed. This is a big deal. If you sided with Reed back at the Firestarter mission, you’ll never even see the Cyberpunk 2077 Killing Moon quest; you'd be doing "Somewhat Damaged" instead, which is basically a horror movie in a bunker. But here? You’re in a high-tech airport, trying to smuggle a dying netrunner onto a rocket to the Moon.
It starts quiet. You have to sneak through the maintenance areas. It feels like a heist. You’re moving through luggage carousels and avoiding yellow security cones, and for a second, you think, "Hey, I might actually pull this off without a bloodbath."
Then the NUSA arrives.
President Myers isn't happy about losing her favorite living weapon. When the orbital air terminal goes into lockdown, the game shifts gears instantly. You aren't just fighting regular Night City gonks anymore. These are Spec Ops soldiers with high-end tech, cloaking fields, and enough grenades to level a city block. If you’re playing on Very Hard, this section is a genuine nightmare. You have to use the environment. Use the kiosks. Use the verticality of the terminal. If you stay in the open for more than three seconds, you’re done.
The Choice That Actually Matters
The middle chunk of the Cyberpunk 2077 Killing Moon mission is a gauntlet. You’re escorting So Mi, who is basically a walking corpse at this point. She’s glitching. The Blackwall is eating her mind. And she’s leaking information.
This is where the writing gets really sharp.
So Mi admits it. She admits there is only one cure. She’s been telling you the whole time that you’d both get out, that there was a way to save V and her. She lied. It’s a gut punch. You’ve killed dozens, maybe hundreds of people to get her to this shuttle, and she tells you—right when the finish line is in sight—that she’s taking the only life raft.
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A lot of players hate her for this. I get it. But look at the context. In the world of Cyberpunk 2077, everyone is clawing for air. Reed is a loyal dog to a government that doesn't care about him. Myers is a tyrant. So Mi is just a girl who wanted to live. You have to decide: do you give her up to Reed and the NUSA so you can get the cure for yourself? Or do you send her to the stars anyway, even though it means you're still dying?
Dealing With the NUSA Chopper
The fight on the departures tarmac is legendary for being one of the most annoying encounters if you aren't prepared. There is a gunship. It has a lot of health. It fires missiles.
Don't try to out-tank it. You can't. You need to focus on the ground troops first while keeping the pillars between you and the chopper’s line of sight. If you have a high-reflex build with a Sandevistan, this is your time to shine. You can dash between cover, pick off the snipers, and then focus fire on the ship’s engines. If you're a Netrunner, it’s a bit trickier, but Synapse Burnout still does work if you can manage your RAM while dodging explosions.
The Face-Off on the Walkway
The climax of Cyberpunk 2077 Killing Moon isn't a boss fight with a giant robot. It’s a conversation on a rainy walkway with Solomon Reed. This is where the voice acting (shout out to Idris Elba) really carries the weight of the expansion.
Reed is standing between you and the shuttle. He’s not moving.
You have three main ways this can go:
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- Surrender So Mi: You hand her over. You get the promise of a cure (which leads to the "Tower" ending in the main game). You live, but at the cost of your soul and your life as a merc.
- The Quick Draw: You draw your weapon. This is a scripted sequence. If you aren't fast, Reed kills you instantly. One shot. Headshot. Game over.
- The Negotiation: You try to talk him down, but ultimately, if you want So Mi on that ship, Reed has to die.
There’s no "happy" middle ground here. That’s why people still talk about this mission years after the DLC launched. It forces you to weigh your own survival against a character who betrayed you, but who you might still emphasize with.
Actionable Steps for your Killing Moon Playthrough
If you’re about to jump into this mission, or if you’re struggling with the combat spikes, keep these specific points in mind:
- Stock up on Bio-Dyne or MaxDOCs: The combat in the terminal is sustained. There are very few "safe" zones once the alarms go off. You will burn through healing items faster than in any other mission in the game.
- Invest in Technical Ability: Many of the shortcuts and turret overrides in the NCX terminal require a Tech attribute of 15 to 20. Being able to turn the security systems against the NUSA soldiers makes the "Tycho" terminal section significantly easier.
- Watch the Train Roofs: During the final approach, use the height of the maglev trains to your advantage. Most AI enemies struggle to track you quickly if you’re constantly changing elevations.
- The Reed Encounter: When you reach the bridge at the end, do not rush the dialogue. Listen to what he says. If you intend to save So Mi, be ready for the draw prompt. It is extremely fast. If you miss it, you'll be reloading your last checkpoint.
- Check your Inventory: Before you start the mission, make sure you have a high-DPS weapon. Whether it's the Erebus power SMG (if you crafted it) or a high-tier Overture revolver, you need something that can drop armored NUSA heavies in a few hits.
Cyberpunk 2077 Killing Moon isn't just a mission; it’s the definitive statement on what Night City does to people. It breaks them, turns them into liars, and leaves them standing in the rain. Whether you send So Mi to the moon or hand her back to the government, the game doesn't give you a trophy for being a hero. It just gives you the consequences.
To maximize your efficiency in this quest, prioritize your mobility and don't get sentimental until the guns stop firing. The NUSA doesn't miss, and neither should you.