Auto Destruct is a single mission in Star Trek Fleet Command that sends you after a string of escape pods to work out why a ship’s accident happened. It is picked up in Axanar, needs warp 45 to start and warp 48 to finish, and ends with a 5M Dilithium bribe. The payout is 10,756,000 Parsteel plus 60,000 Federation reputation, at the cost of 77,760 Klingon reputation. It is worth running if you are building Federation standing and can spare the Dilithium.
Auto Destruct objectives
There are five objectives and no choice split, so every player follows the same path:
- Search for survivors in the Riktor system. Location: Riktor.
- Retrieve the transponder from a second escape pod. Location: Riktor.
- Find the Yridian that was contacted by the ship. Location: Yridia.
- Bribe the Yridian 5M Dilithium.
- Return home for a diagnostic of the ship.
The first two steps both happen in Riktor. You search for survivors, then pull a transponder out of a second pod, and that transponder points you at a Yridian contact. The third step moves you to Yridia to find that contact, and the fourth is a straight resource payment rather than a fight. No hostile is listed anywhere in the mission, so this is a travel-and-pay run.
The last step sends you back to your station for a diagnostic, which closes the mission and hands over the rewards.
Where and what warp
Auto Destruct is picked up in Axanar, and the mission asks for warp 45 to start and warp 48 to complete. The small gap between those two numbers means a ship that can reach the pickup point can almost certainly finish the job, but check your range to Riktor and Yridia before you commit.
The game lists a recommended level of 1. That number does not reflect the real bar. Warp 48 puts this well into mid-game space, and the 5M Dilithium bribe is a cost most low-level accounts cannot cover. Treat your warp range and your Dilithium stock as the actual requirements.
Auto Destruct rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Parsteel | 10,756,000 |
| 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas | 10 |
| Federation Credits | 400 |
| Federation Points | 60,000 |
| Klingon Points | -77,760 |
Completing Auto Destruct also unlocks the next mission in the storyline, A Trojan Effort.
Cost against payout
The only resource the mission takes from you is the 5M Dilithium bribe. In return you get more than 10.7 million Parsteel, which is the bulk of the value, along with ten 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas and 400 Federation Credits.
The faction swing matters more than the resources for some players. You gain 60,000 Federation reputation and lose 77,760 Klingon reputation in the same step. The Klingon loss is larger than the Federation gain, so if you are trying to stay on good terms with the Klingons, or you are close to a Klingon reputation threshold, think before you accept. If you have already committed to the Federation, the Klingon hit costs you little.
Tips
Stock the Dilithium before you set out. The bribe is the fourth objective, after two systems of travel, and it is frustrating to arrive in Yridia without enough to pay. Having the 5M on hand lets you clear the payment the moment the step appears.
Any ship with the warp range will do. With no enemy listed, there is no reason to pull your main combat ship off hostile grinding. A spare ship that can make the warp 48 trip is enough, though the usual risks of flying through contested space still apply.
Plan the route as Axanar, Riktor, Yridia and home. Both Riktor objectives are back to back, so there is only one trip into that system, and the Yridia step is a single stop.
Check your faction standing first. Because the mission pays Federation reputation and costs Klingon reputation, it fits best in a Federation-focused run. You can find other missions sorted by level on the mission guide.
