First Line of Communication is a level 64 Federation mission in Star Trek Fleet Command in which you fetch a Vulcan xenolinguistics expert, Lt. T’Meila, to help Starfleet talk to the Ethereals. It is picked up in Sh’Pord and needs warp 1,200 to start and to complete, with a detour to Vemmi. The only fight is a Breen attack of about 432 million strength, but you must transfer 7M Dilithium to a communications array. The reward is 6,000 Σ-Tritanium, 555,000 Raw Σ-Parsteel and a large Federation reputation gain, and it unlocks Circle of Trust.
First Line of Communication objectives
There are five objectives in a fixed order and no choice split:
- Rendezvous with Lt. T’Meila in Vemmi. Location: Vemmi.
- Escape the Breen attack. Location: Vemmi. Enemy strength about 431,979,699.
- Take T’Meila to the site of the Ethereals. Location: Sh’Pord.
- Transfer 7M Dilithium to the communications array.
- Discover more of the Ethereal trail. Location: Sh’Pord.
Admiral Johnson explains that the Ethereals keep disrupting Starfleet’s exploration of the region, and nothing has helped: better shields, more crew, attempts to talk. He has asked the Vulcan High Command for help, and they have pointed him to T’Meila. You find her in the middle of a conversation with the Breen about the grammar of their dialect, which the Breen take for a trap, so you beam her out under fire.
At Sh’Pord she finds Starfleet’s array far too weak and asks for 7M Dilithium to be injected so it can fire in a single burst. The Ethereals answer with two words, fade and cease. T’Meila works out that Starfleet’s warp bubbles are hurting them, which explains why incidents rise with heavy traffic between systems. The creature asks you to follow, and the mission ends with T’Meila agreeing to do so.
Where and what warp
The mission is picked up in Sh’Pord at warp 1,200 and needs warp 1,200 to complete. The pickup of T’Meila is in Vemmi, a low-level system, and everything after that happens back in Sh’Pord. The recommended level is 64.
First Line of Communication rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Σ-Tritanium | 6,000 |
| Raw Σ-Parsteel | 555,000 |
| Federation Credits | 3,700 |
| Federation Points | 138,000,000 |
| Klingon Points | -317,952,000 |
| Romulan Points | -70,656,000 |
Completing the mission unlocks Circle of Trust.
The Ethereal missions compared
Five level 64 Federation missions deal with the Ethereals, picked up in Holst or Sh’Pord. All of them pay the same Federation Credits and reputation changes as this one:
| Mission | Pickup | Warp to complete | Toughest fight | Main rewards |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unseen | Holst | 1,200 | BSV Troxxa, about 9.05 billion | 101,000 6★ Raw Crystal, 303,000 Raw Σ-Parsteel |
| Ethereal | Holst | 1,200 | Lippett’s vessel, about 9.05 billion | 110,000 6★ Raw Gas, 328,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium |
| First Line of Communication | Sh’Pord | 1,200 | Breen attack, about 432 million | 6,000 Σ-Tritanium, 555,000 Raw Σ-Parsteel |
| Circle of Trust | Sh’Pord | 1,200 | Nausicaan hauler, about 3.37 billion | 101,000 6★ Raw Crystal, 112,000 6★ Broken Survey Parts |
| Rage Eternal | Sh’Pord | 1,250 | Romulan research vessel, about 4.69 billion | 51,000 6★ Raw Ore, 152,000 Raw Σ-Parsteel |
First Line of Communication has the lightest fight of the five by far and the largest Raw Σ-Parsteel payout. Its real cost is the Dilithium.
Tips
Stockpile 7M Dilithium before you reach the array; the story stops there until it is transferred. The Breen fight at Vemmi is small for a level 64 ship, so any combat-capable hull with the range will do.
The reputation swing matters: Federation Points rise by 138 million while Klingon Points fall by nearly 318 million. The faction reputation page explains the tiers, and more missions are on the mission guide.