Can I kill Captain Aquilius before starting Hard Answers?

I was minding my own business in Markarth when somebody called Captain Aquilius attacked me for no good reason. I killed him. I haven't started Hard Answers yet, and that page doesn't mention him, even though on his character page he's associated with that quest.

Will I still be able to start and complete the quest?

Solution 1:

You won't have any problems completing the quest.

Captain Aquilius is simply an NPC that shows up and attacks you on that quest. You don't even need to interact with him at all.

A stealthy character can easily sneak out of the building without being seen.