What are the consequences of your decision on the plane in Deus Ex?

Question

I was assigned to kill an NSF leader on a plane in LaGuardia National Airport, but Paul has been urging me to side with the NSF. My murderous nano-aug superior is insisting that if I don't kill the guy, SHE will do so. It felt like a serious breaking point with major plot ramifications.

On my first attempt, I died horribly.

On my second attempt, I was able to kill Anna Navarre, and the NSF leader actually survived! I'd gone so far as to booby trap the plane with land mines, though, and I inadvertently set one off before I could talk to the guy.

On all my subsequent attempts, Anna either killed the guy before I can kill her, or she wound up killing me herself. I finally gave up and just resumed playing from a file where both of them died in the altercation.

Does the NSF leader have anything more to tell you if you save him from Anna? Does Gunther wind up killing him? What would have happened if I'd followed my superiors' orders and either killed him outright or let Anna kill him?

Answer 1

At that point, you pretty much have to make a choice of trying to save Lebedev or killing him. If you choose to kill him, then that's that and you will have to face and fight Anna later.

If you want to save him, you will have to take out Anna.

If you choose to walk away, Anna will kill Lebedev for trying to 'escape' and you will still have to face her later.

Personally, I usually take the opportunity to take out Anna at that moment. The easiest way to do that is to slap a laser trip mine on the door frame just before you enter the room where Lebedev is. Anna will trigger it and get blown up as she enters.

However, even if you do save him, he is captured later on by MJ12 and then killed. His death will be blamed on you. You will learn of these events through the news.

Note, it is also possible to arrange a way so neither is killed, but it is very difficult and doesn't affect the story anyway.

Answer 2

If you don't kill Anna on the plane, you have to do it later. It's much easier then, because you'll have either a combat shotgun, plasma rifle or (best of all) the killword for her. Killing vs. not killing her has no other in-game effect; I presume that if you "save" the guy on the plane, he is later, shall we say, shot while attempting to escape.

Answer 3

If you just keep talking to Lebedev, like your brother Paul tells you, you'll eventually get 175 skill points. You have to ask yourself whether that's worth more to you than a measly monetary op bonus that you'll be giving up.

I think the answer is pretty clear... 175 skill points trumps an op bonus every time.

Answer 4

The consequence of killing Lebedev is, short of missing out on his conversation, nothing.

The consequence of not killing Lebedev is that Manderly will not give you an op bonus.