Ear to the Ground is a story mission in the Origin Sector arc of Star Trek Fleet Command, tuned for commanders around operations level 25. It opens one warp from your position and runs out to warp 20 to finish, so it carries you deep into neutral space. Along the way you join a rebel base, drive off a Trill attacker, and escort a passenger called the Broltha home. The headline payout is 703,000 Parsteel with a stack of speed-ups on top.
Ear to the Ground objectives
The mission runs four steps in order, with no branching path:
- Join the rebels in Netron Omega.
- Fight off the Trill ship in Netron Omega. The target sits at roughly 75,300 strength.
- Donate 70,000 Parsteel.
- Bring the Broltha to the Origin Sector by flying to Nott.
Only the second step is a fight; the rest are travel and a resource donation. The first two objectives keep you in Netron Omega, and the last one sends you on to Nott. Once the Broltha reaches Nott, the mission closes out.
Where and what warp
The recommended level is operations 25, so this is a mid-early mission rather than a starter quest. It becomes available just 1 warp away, which makes accepting it easy.
Finishing it is the longer trip. The objectives stretch out to warp 20, first to Netron Omega for the rebels and the Trill fight, then to Nott to hand off the Broltha. Both systems sit in neutral space, so no faction standing is at stake for flying there, but the distance is the main thing to plan around before you set out.
Ear to the Ground rewards
Completing all four objectives pays out:
- 703,000 Parsteel
- 5 × 3 Hour Speed Up
- 25 × 15 Minute Repair Speed Up
The 703K Parsteel is the draw here, and it more than covers the 70,000 you donate during the mission, so you finish well ahead on Parsteel. The speed-ups help with building and repairs while you keep leveling.
Tips
Two things are worth prepping before you accept. The Trill ship in Netron Omega sits near 75,300 strength, so line up a ship and crew that can win that fight at level 25 before you commit. If your current build falls short of that number, clear it up first rather than stalling halfway through the mission.
The third objective asks for a 70,000 Parsteel donation, which comes straight out of your warehouse. Keep at least that much banked before you start, or the mission will hold on that step until you gather it. The mission’s own reward pays the donation back and then some, but you still need the 70,000 on hand at the moment it is asked for.
The last leg out to Nott is a haul at warp 20, so fuel up and check your ship’s range before the trip. Ear to the Ground continues the Origin Sector storyline, picking up after The Fugitive and leading into A Dent in the Armor, so finishing it keeps that arc moving.
