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Crime doesn’t pay — unless you join the Crimson Fleet. Early in Starfield, you’ll be able to join the most infamous pirate organization in the galaxy. Joining the organization is actually somewhat secret — there’s no special kiosk where you can sign-up to become a dirty criminal. If you want to join the enormous syndicate, you’ll need to complete a very specific step in a very specific place. Below we’ll explain everything you need to know about joining the Crimson Fleet.
The Crimson Fleet storyline is recommended for mid-game players. You’ll want Persuasion skills, Theft and Stealth — as well as skills in Piloting so you don’t get instantly creamed when completing missions in space. The Crimson Fleet gives you access to new methods for stealing and committing valuable crimes — you can steal ships, steal contraband and steal regular items and sell them all to the Crimson Fleet. Unlike other high-security locations, you won’t be scanned. Just don’t mess with the Crimson Fleet while exploring the galaxy. If you join them and then fight them later, you’ll need to pay off your bounty of the Crimson Fleet will kill you on-sight if you try to board their secret base station.
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How To Join The Crimson Fleet | Faction Guide
To join the Crimson Fleet, a vast network of pirates and smugglers, you’ll need to do something very specific.
- How To Join The Crimson Fleet: Travel to New Atlantis in the Jemison System. This is the Capitol of the UC. While in New Atlantis, you need to steal something and get caught.
- Objects count as ‘stolen’ if they have a red mark when you highlight the object. An information window will appear. If an object has a red mark, that means collecting it will count as stealing.
- You can also attempt to pickpocket and get caught. Other crimes may count, but stealing absolutely works. You need a faction bounty placed on your head.
- After raising an alarm, UC Security will spawn and talk to you. Let them take you in and don’t fight back.
Agree to be taken to the UC Vessel to begin the ‘Deep Cover‘ mission. You’ll reappear on the UC Vigilance vessel in space above Phobos, one of the moons of Mars. You’ll meet with the Commander Ikande of the vessel and be given an ultimatum — go undercover with the Crimson Fleet or be thrown back into jail.
If you agree, your crime will be forgiven. You won’t lose your stolen goods and won’t have to pay a fine. Your slate will be wiped clean. Please note, while taking this mission, you can choose to side with the Crimson Fleet or the UC — you are not locked to working with the UC. You can betray them after joining the Crimson Fleet.
- Select [Accept Offer] to begin the operation.
Follow the SysDef Guard to the elevator that leads to Ops and speak with Commander Ikande. Next step — actually joining the Crimson Fleet. Ikande has a plan. You’re going to meet one of the Crimson Fleet contacts with a cargo full of drugs.
Infiltrating The Crimson Fleet
On the UC Vigilance, finish speaking with Commander Ikande and instead speak with Lt. Toft. She’ll be our contact. For each piece of evidence you turn in to Lt. Toft, you’ll get a credit reward. Keep that in mind while completing missions with the Crimson Fleet.
- Finish speaking with Lt. Toft, then travel to Cydonia. Cydonia is on Mars in the Sol System, very close to our current location at Phobos. Land in Cydonia and travel to the Trade Authority vendor on the right in the central hub.
NOTE: Persuasion skills are very important here. Save your game or reach Rank 2 Persuade to make this encounter easier.
In the Cydonia Trade Authority, talk to Saoirse Bowden. She won’t buy the Aurora shipment, but she might know someone that does. Pay her [1,000 Credits] to get a name for another contact. Travel to the Broken Spear bar and talk to Adler Kemp.
Adler Kemp is sitting at the table at the top of the stairs. The Broken Spear is right next to the entrance to Cydonia. [Give Sample] to Adler, and he’ll demand your help with a different matter.
- Find Karl Fielding in the Diemos Miner’s Quarters. To find him, enter the Residential Quarters door to find him. You can pay the debt for him for [3,000 Credits], [Persuade] him to pay, or [Attack] and take the money off his body.
Talk to Adler Kemp again. You’ll get paid [6,800] Credits for the shipment. This also begins the next mission — ‘Rook Meets King‘.
Finding The Crimson Fleet Hideout
Complete the quest for Adler Kemp, and you’ll be introduced to the second-in-command of the Crimson Fleet. Meet her at Europa (Moon of Jupiter) in the Sol System. Jumping to the planet, you’ll be hailed by the Astraea. Naturally, she wants you to complete a mission.
- The Captain of the Astraea wants you to kill a traitor to the Crimson Fleet named Austin Rake. To find him, travel to Saturn and then the moon of Enceladus. Arriving over the moon, hail the medical transport The Ragana.
- To end this peacefully, you can convince The Ragana to kill Austin Rake themselves. Or, you can talk as a representative of UC SysDef and figure out a way to spare Austin Rake, making him appear as if he died.
- Alternatively, you can raid the ship and kill everyone. If you choose to attack, you can shoot the Ragana until it is vulnerable to boarding — or destroy it outright to kill Austin Rake.
Whatever you choose, return to Europa and talk to the Astraea when the job is complete. If you didn’t destroy the Ragana, you’ll find your Crimson Fleet contact under attack by Eclipse raiders. These are Level 12 ships — three of them — and they can easily wipe out your ship if you haven’t been upgrading it. If you attempt this fight early, lower the difficulty in the Settings menu.
Defeat the Ecliptic ships and hail Astraea. Tell her a [Lie] or convince her and she’ll finally make you an official Crimson Fleet member. Return to Phobos to report on your progress.
- Crimson Fleet HQ: Kryx System – Suvorov – In orbit of the planet Suvorov in the Kryx System, you’ll find a massive Crimson Fleet base called The Key.
- Your ship will not be scanned when entering the Key, allowing you to easily sell contraband or stolen items.
- The Key sells Shielded Cargo Holds to help hide contraband cargo from scanning at UC or Freestar settlements.
At the Key, talk to Naeva. She’ll show you around the base and lead you to the leader of the Crimson Fleet — Delgado. On the way, talk to Shinya to unlock the Crimson Fleet Mission Board. Here you can complete missions specifically for the Crimson Fleet — and earn credits while pirating or completing other criminal activities.
Talk to Delgado, and you’ll learn about a big score somewhere in the galaxy. You’ll now be an official Crimson Fleet member and can use all the facilities on the station. You’ll also be able to take random Crimson Fleet missions, sell contraband, and buy upgrades that make piracy much easier in the settled systems.
