Moving in the Shadows is a mission in the Cost of Hope DLC for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 that takes you deep into the ruined SIRCAA facility. You’ll need to search for the mercenaries, navigate flooded underground areas, activate a centrifuge, and fight your way through the archive. After finding Karma’s PDA and speaking with Mavka, you’ll need to find your way back out of SIRCAA.
Moving in the Shadows
Once done with Distant Mirage, go back to the Kurin camp and get some rest. Once you wake up, you will get a radio call from Zulu and Mavka telling you to report to the Sultansk base. However, if you do not use the Advanced Start, you will only be able to access the mission once you have progressed “A Minor Incident” in the base game.
In order to get access to the second part of the DLC, you will have to speak with Prof. Ozersky. To enter the Sultansk base, make sure you have either a Ward Badge or Malachite Pass.
Head to SIRCAA
Make a fast trip to the base of the Sultansk and go upstairs; then move towards the chamber on the opposite side of Owl’s counter. The first thing Zen will do is prevent you from getting into that chamber; however, Mavka will interfere and permit you access to the chamber. Talk to Zulu and Mavka for details about your next task.
As Mavka will offer you an option to do so, you can hire a Guide and get to the front of SIRCAA faster. Once you arrive at SIRCAA, use the gate with flashing lights to get into the ruined building and move towards the entrance stairs. A Mutant Stag will attack you there along with other mutant animals.
Find Traces of the Mercenaries
Head towards the objective marker on the eastern side, then move down the staircase that leads to a broken part of the road. You will come across two bandits who are hiding inside the small underground locker. These bandits are non-hostile and will ask you not to fire at them.
You need to take a path leading to the archive through an underground path where there is a newly discovered water anomaly. It is important to wait until the water anomaly drains the water from the underground tunnel. You should pay attention to the movements of the anomaly while in the presence of the bandits.
Go further along the room that is filled with shelves and boxes after the water clears. Go towards the dark place where you will find a floating blue orb. When the enemies are defeated, the gate will open. Take the way through the gate and go along the tunnel to get to the next area.
There is no need to wait until the water goes down in this part of the level. Go along the path safely and find the door that leads you to the stairs. Climb the stairs and get to the upper floor. Try not to rush while going through the corridor because the Controller can appear anytime. Defeat it and find the broken door. Go through the opening to continue.
Find the Centrifuge Instructions
Proceed to the control room and listen to the conversation of the mercenaries on the radio. Jump onto the centrifuge and look at its base. Pull all the levers that you see here. Once you pull all the levers, several electrical anomalies will mess up the system. Destroy all those anomalies.
After destroying all the anomalies, go to the centrifuge control panel and press the red circular button. This will turn on the centrifuge and allow you to proceed further by jumping through the opening near the control panel. Go ahead to get to a lift and ride down to the lower level.
Reach the Side Passage
Go after the objective marker to the boiler room. Go up the stairs until you get to the top and look for the little corridor that is under the destroyed walkway. There are several Poltergeists around here. Jump down to the lower level of the corridor and go into the air duct. Go through the duct and find a grate and interact with it to start a cutscene with mercenaries in the archive. Kill all of them to proceed.
Search for Karma’s PDA
When the battle has ended, search for Karma among the corpses. Search the corpse for the PDA and take it with you. Speak with Suslov, the hostage, on the second floor. Question him regarding the mercenaries. He will be able to tell you a lot about Nord’s intentions and schedule.
Go to the top floor of the archive and talk to Mavka. She will inform you about the failed meeting in Sultansk. Give her Karma’s PDA to expose Lukash as having ties with the mercenaries operating in Iron Forest.
Leave SIRCAA
After meeting with Mavka, go left through the corridor after her. Keep going until you arrive at the open ground level where the centrifuge is located. Take the stairs that lead from the large gate above the centrifuge. Be careful at this point since there is a sniper as well as some hostile mercenaries stationed around the area.
Once you get to the top of the stairs, take care of the enemies shooting at you from the left position. Jump on the centrifuge and move it towards the other side. As the centrifuge moves past a walkway without railings, jump across to the ledge. Continue up the stairs.
The centrifuge arms spin very fast in this level, making it easy to be thrown off. Make use of the spaces between the big bolted wall panels as you make your way past the spinning arms. Go through the door labelled -3, which is open and climb the stairs. There are two levels with numbered doors, but only one leads up.
The next point you should be looking for is locked yellow gates with -2 written on them. The exit is hard to miss since it will have a light hanging over its entrance. Pass through the door and follow the path to your right, where you will find yourself faced with a ladder surrounded by the Lift anomaly.
Stand beneath the ladder and jump into the anomaly, which will throw you up and let you climb the ladder. There are enemies patrolling this place. Climb the ladder and then follow the walkway to where it has a hole, and then proceed along the ledge.
Use the broken walkway and pass through the fallen barrier. You can make use of your elevated position to kill off the guards below and then drop down. This will make the last part a little bit easier. Follow the walkway down, using the ladder to exit the building.
Outside, move towards the broken wall, drop down and keep going further away from SIRCAA. This will complete the Moving in the Shadows mission.
