Bethesda RPGs are known for their interesting and varied questlines, often giving players the choice to side with either good or evil. Out of the many factions in the Settled Systems of Starfield, few have a more notorious reputation than The Crimson Fleet. This faction of pirates is known for being comprised of merciless cutthroats and criminals of the highest order.
For players who are caught stealing or smuggling items in United Colonies territory, the Crimson Fleet questline will become available as they are recruited as an undercover operative for UC SysDef. This Starfield questline will give players the opportunity to join the fleet, as well as access some unique and interesting items along the way.
How To Start The Rook Meets King Quest
Following the completion of the mission "Deep Cover," in which players are recruited by Commander Ikande to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet, players must head from their meeting with Adler to meet with a high-ranking Crimson Fleet commander named Naeva Mora. She is located on her ship, The Astraea, in orbit around Europa, one of Jupiter's moons in the Sol system.
Upon grav-jumping to Europa, players will be hailed by The Astraea and Naeva will present the challenge. A former member of the Fleet, Austin Rake, is aboard a ship named The Ragana and must be dealt with one way or another. Naeva wants him dead, and it is up to players to ensure that she is satisfied. The Ragana is located in orbit of Enceladus, one of Saturn's moons, so it is not a particularly long trip in order to find it.
Should You Kill Austin Rake Or Spare Him?
Upon arriving in Enceladus, players can hail The Ragana or destroy it. There are other passengers aboard the ship in addition to Austin Rake, so it might not be the smartest idea to destroy the ship without boarding it. If players are able to successfully convince the ship's captain, Dmitri Moldavski, to let them aboard, they will be faced with a group of passengers including Dmitri and Austin Rake.
This can be played out a number of ways; either players can kill everyone and solve the situation that way, they can turn the crew against one another and have them kill Rake without having to lift a finger, or they can negotiate with Rake and let him survive, meaning they will have to lie to Naeva when they report back to her again. For players who either kill everyone or let Rake and Dmitri kill each other, the Mark I Spacesuit and Helmet can be found on Dmitri's body, which are some of the best items in the entire game.
How To Complete The Rook Meets King Quest
When reporting back to The Astraea in orbit of Europa, players will arrive to find the ship under attack from Ecliptic mercenaries. This battle can be very challenging for players who have not upgraded their ship or do not have any spare Ship Parts with which to conduct repairs. There are three enemy ships to deal with in total, but sadly, The Astraea will offer very little in terms of support during this encounter.
Once the Ecliptic ships have been destroyed, Naeva will provide the coordinates to The Key, the Crimson Fleet's home base, in the Kryxx system. The next objective will be to report back to the UC Vigilance to update Commander Ikande. Ikande will then provide reports on several members of the Fleet, though at this point, the player is still very much able to choose which faction to side with. With the reports in hand, players can make their way to The Key for the first time.
This unique star base is home to several vendors who can provide very rare items and will have no problem accepting stolen goods. Upon arriving at The Key, Naeva gives the player a tour of the facilities and introduces the key characters of the Crimson Fleet. Players are then introduced to the faction's leader, Delgado, who will brief them about the next mission: Echoes of the Past.
Starfield is available now on PC and Xbox Series X/S.