Machinations is a five-part Star Trek Fleet Command mission chain in the Duality arc in which you investigate a possible traitor to the Romulan Empire and follow Sela from colony to colony until you can prove her guilt. Every part is recommended for level 45 and needs warp 110 to 120 to complete. It begins with a meeting in Beta Niobe. The chain pays two batches of Tomalak shards, 600 Premium Recruit Tokens, over 500 million Parsteel in the final part, and large amounts of Tritanium and Dilithium. Choices in Parts 3 and 5 change the route but not the rewards.
Machinations at a glance
| Part | Recommended level | Warp to complete | Key reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machinations Part 1 | 45 | 120 | Tomalak shards, 18,367,000 Tritanium |
| Machinations Part 2 | 45 | 120 | 120 × 3 Hour Speed Up, 4,134,000 Dilithium |
| Machinations Part 3 | 45 | 110 | 600 Premium Recruit Token, 8,267,000 Dilithium |
| Machinations Part 4 | 45 | 110 | 28,034,000 Tritanium, 145,000 Officer XP |
| Machinations Part 5 | 45 | 120 | Tomalak shards, 506,134,000 Parsteel |
Machinations Part 1
A mysterious figure points you at a possible traitor to the Romulan Empire. You visit Sela’s base of operations, destroy an automated vessel and plant evidence on a local pirate troop.
- Meet with the mysterious figure (Beta Niobe).
- Go to Sela’s base of operations (Ardaji).
- Destroy the automated vessel (Ardaji, enemy strength around 9,254,282).
- Plant evidence on a local pirate troop (Ardaji).
- Return to your Station.
Warp to complete: 120. Recommended level 45.
Rewards: 2 × Tomalak shards, 22 3★ Uncommon Refined Crystal, 18,367,000 Tritanium.
Machinations Part 2
You dig deeper into Sela’s operation by following her trail from Nuva to Glacii, knocking out a recording device on the way and clearing a hostile grind before you reach the colony.
- Follow Sela’s trail (Nuva).
- Disable Sela’s recording device (Nuva).
- Continue to follow Sela’s trail (Glacii).
- Defeat 12 hostiles of level 44 or higher.
- Investigate the colony (Glacii).
Warp to complete: 120. Recommended level 45.
Rewards: 120 × 3 Hour Speed Up, 350 3★ Interceptor Parts, 4,134,000 Dilithium.
Machinations Part 3
Sela’s path of destruction reaches a second colony, where you find a victim and decide what to do with them. You can bring them back to your Station or attempt to treat them on the spot by powering the med-bay. The rewards are the same either way.
- Investigate the second colony (Romashki).
- Choose what to do with the victim.
Warp to complete: 110. Recommended level 45.
Path: Bring them to your Station
- Return to your Station.
Rewards: 600 Premium Recruit Token, 700 3★ Battleship Parts, 8,267,000 Dilithium.
Path: Attempt to treat them here
- Power the med-bay with 200,000 Dilithium.
Rewards: 600 Premium Recruit Token, 700 3★ Battleship Parts, 8,267,000 Dilithium.
Machinations Part 4
The trail leads to Sela’s outpost in Verin. You get past its automated guard, investigate the lab and clear another batch of hostiles.
- Find Sela’s outpost (Verin).
- Defeat the automated guard (Verin, enemy strength around 9,254,282).
- Investigate the lab (Verin).
- Defeat 10 hostiles of level 45 or higher.
- Return to your Station.
Warp to complete: 110. Recommended level 45.
Rewards: 145,000 Officer XP, 600 3★ Explorer Parts, 28,034,000 Tritanium.
Machinations Part 5
You need hard evidence of Sela’s guilt, and it is in her lab in Mayush-yush. First you choose how to bypass the defenses: destroy them in a fight or decrypt them with a Dilithium donation. Both routes end with Tomalak aboard, one more fight and an escape.
- Find Sela’s lab (Mayush-yush).
- Choose how to bypass the defenses.
Warp to complete: 120. Recommended level 45.
Path: Destroy the defenses
- Defeat the automated guard (Mayush-yush, enemy strength around 9,254,282).
- Beam Tomalak aboard the Station (Mayush-yush).
- Defeat the automated vessel (Mayush-yush, enemy strength around 9,527,375).
- Escape!
Rewards: 2 × Tomalak shards, 90 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas, 506,134,000 Parsteel.
Path: Decrypt the automated defenses
- Donate 1,000,000 Dilithium.
- Beam Tomalak aboard the Station (Mayush-yush).
- Defeat the automated vessel (Mayush-yush, enemy strength around 9,527,375).
- Escape!
Rewards: 2 × Tomalak shards, 90 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas, 506,134,000 Parsteel.
Video walkthrough
Tips for completing Machinations
Machinations picks up where the Liberation chain ends, and after Part 5 the story moves on to Vendetta. Each part unlocks the next, so you cannot skip ahead.
Both choices in this chain pay identical rewards, so pick on cost. In Part 3, returning to your Station is free while treating the victim costs 200,000 Dilithium, so the free option is the obvious one unless you are far from home. In Part 5, destroying the defenses costs one extra fight at about 9.25M strength; decrypting costs 1,000,000 Dilithium. If your ship can handle the automated guard, fighting saves the Dilithium.
The automated vessels and guards sit between roughly 9.25M and 9.53M strength, and the same guard strength appears in Parts 1, 4 and 5, so a ship that clears Part 1 comfortably will manage the rest. The two hostile grinds are 12 kills at level 44+ in Part 2 and 10 kills at level 45+ in Part 4.
Warp 120 is needed for Parts 1, 2 and 5, and 110 for Parts 3 and 4. Make sure your ship covers 120 before you start. More chains in this range are listed in the mission guide.
Are the Machinations rewards worth it?
Yes. Tomalak shards arrive in Part 1 and again in Part 5, and the chain also hands out 600 Premium Recruit Tokens, 506 million Parsteel, about 46 million Tritanium, over 12 million Dilithium, 145,000 Officer XP, 120 three-hour speed-ups and 1,650 3★ ship parts. With the free choices taken, there are no required donations at all, so the only cost is fuel and repairs.
