Brain and Brawn is a level 53 KSG mission in Star Trek Fleet Command where you retrieve the Kos’Karii Engine from pirates. It starts at warp 1 after Lazarus Rising and needs warp 255, taking you through New London to a pirate base in Merius. You defeat 14 hostiles of level 50 or higher, then the pirate Lazna. The reward is a 1 Day Peace Shield and 9,180,000,000 Parsteel, and completing it unlocks Intellectual Property Theft. It is the toughest fight in this stretch of the KSG chain.
Brain and Brawn objectives
There are four objectives and no choice split:
- Track down the pirates. Location: New London.
- Find the pirate base. Location: Merius.
- Defeat 14 hostiles of level 50 or higher.
- Defeat Lazna. Location: Merius. Enemy strength around 19,553,313.
The hostile count has no system attached, so any hostiles of level 50 or higher count. Once the 14 are done, the fight with Lazna at the pirate base finishes the mission. The Kos’Karii Engine story carries on two missions later in Black Market Blues, where you go looking for the engine’s parts.
Where and what warp
There is no pickup system. Brain and Brawn appears at warp 1 once Lazarus Rising is complete, and warp 255 is needed to finish.
The recommended level is 53. Lazna, at around 19.6 million strength, is the strongest named enemy in the level 53 KSG missions, above the 17.2 and 17.6 million pirates in Echoes of the Mind and Lazarus Rising.
Brain and Brawn rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| 1 Day Peace Shield | 1 |
| Parsteel | 9,180,000,000 |
| Klingon Credits | 800 |
| Klingon Points | 1,400,000 |
| Romulan Points | -2,671,200 |
Completing Brain and Brawn unlocks Intellectual Property Theft. The Romulan Points loss is covered on the faction reputation page.
How the payout compares
| Mission | Recommended level | Fights | Parsteel paid |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lazarus Rising (save the scientists) | 53 | One pirate | 5 1B Parsteel Tokens |
| Brain and Brawn | 53 | 14 hostiles and Lazna | 9,180,000,000 |
| Intellectual Property Theft | 53 | Disable X’Zar’s vessel | none |
At 9.18 billion, the Parsteel here is the largest single resource payout in the KSG missions from In the Eyes of the Future to Black Market Blues. That is the reward for the extra combat.
Tips
Do the hostile grind before you go to Merius for Lazna. Since the 14 kills can come from anywhere, clearing them on the way lets you arrive at the pirate base ready for the final fight.
Repair before Lazna. After 14 fights your ship will be worn down, and Lazna is the hardest target in this part of the chain.
Keep the Peace Shield for a time you need it. It is a one-day shield, and it is easy to waste by using it on a quiet day. More missions by level are on the mission guide.