Cracking the Shell is a small Independent mining mission in Star Trek Fleet Command. It has a recommended level of 10, needs warp 5 to start and to complete, and can be picked up in any of 24 early systems. The only objective is to mine 2,000 Parsteel. The reward is 320 Parsteel and 500 2★ Raw Ore. It is a simple mining job that pays a little extra for work a mining ship does anyway.
Cracking the Shell objectives
The story line asks you to assist the local Independent network by establishing a mining spot in the system. There is a single objective and no choice split:
- Mine 2000 Parsteel.
No specific location is attached to the mining step, no hostile is listed and nothing is donated. The mission clears once your ships have mined 2,000 Parsteel.
Where and what warp
Cracking the Shell is offered in 24 pickup systems: Liynuk, Dignam, Aum, Rozi, Luca, Mari, Flibble, Ethjamar, Mackers, Maya, Alannah, Bulut, Later, Luheez, Una, Doraboro, Ellijo, Sohkia, Gobbo, Somaochu, Yoki Neesh, Zonu, Dudu and Tynkar. Both the start and the finish need warp 5, so a ship that can reach any of those systems can complete it.
The recommended level is 10, higher than the level 2 listed for Hostile Takeover, which is offered in a similar set of small systems. With no fight involved, mining capacity matters more than combat strength.
Cracking the Shell rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Parsteel | 320 |
| 2★ Raw Ore | 500 |
The game data lists no follow-up mission unlocked by Cracking the Shell.
How it compares with a similar Independent mission
Cracking the Shell belongs to a group of short Independent missions offered in many small systems at once. Hostile Takeover is the combat version of the same idea. Current game data:
| Mission | Recommended level | Warp | Objective | Reward |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cracking the Shell | 10 | 5 | Mine 2,000 Parsteel | 320 Parsteel, 500 2★ Raw Ore |
| Hostile Takeover | 2 | 5 | Eliminate 3 hostiles of level 3 or higher | 20 Recruit Tokens |
Both use warp 5 and a long list of pickup systems. Cracking the Shell asks for mining instead of fighting, and pays resources rather than recruit tokens.
Tips
Use a mining ship and leave your combat ship alone. The objective is pure mining, so the fastest way through is to park a miner on a Parsteel node and let it fill up.
The 500 2★ Raw Ore is the larger line of the two rewards. The 320 Parsteel is small next to the 2,000 you mine for the objective, so treat the mission as a bonus on a mining run rather than a reason to make one.
Pick the mission up wherever you already mine. With 24 pickup systems on offer, there is almost always one close to your usual route. Other missions sorted by level are on the mission guide.
