Shadows & Ruminations is a short investigation mission in Star Trek Fleet Command where you follow up on a startling discovery from Luis about a strange gas. The game lists a recommended level of 1, it starts at warp 1 and needs warp 15 to complete, and there is no combat at all. You spend 2,000 Dilithium along the way and get refined gas and crystal back. It is part of the It Came from Deep Space arc.
Shadows & Ruminations objectives
Four objectives, three systems, no choice split:
- Gather a second sample of the gas. Location: Sorenle.
- Meet with the chemics expert in Priya. Location: Priya.
- Release 2,000 Dilithium to the gas.
- Return to Starbase 82. Location: Lorillia.
You collect a fresh sample in Sorenle, take it to an expert in Priya, and then test it by releasing Dilithium into the gas. The Dilithium step has no location, so it is paid from your stock wherever your ship happens to be. The mission ends with a return to Starbase 82 in Lorillia.
Where and what warp
There is no pickup system. The mission starts at warp 1 and becomes available after the previous mission in the storyline, then needs warp 15 to finish. That is a small range, so almost any ship built for this part of the game can reach Sorenle, Priya and Lorillia.
The recommended level is listed as 1. With no hostile to defeat, the only real requirements are the warp 15 range and 2,000 Dilithium in the bank.
Shadows & Ruminations rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas | 6 |
| 3★ Common Refined Crystal | 200 |
Completing it also unlocks the next mission in the Luis storyline.
Shadows & Ruminations and the missions around it
| Mission | Warp to complete | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
| Accountability | 13 | 17,000 Tritanium, 50 3★ Interceptor Parts, 50 Federation Credits, 500 Federation Points, -378 Klingon Points |
| Shadows & Ruminations | 15 | 6 3★ Uncommon Refined Gas, 200 3★ Common Refined Crystal |
| Stirrings of Life | 15 | 250 Ultra Recruit Token, 101,000 Officer XP |
The warp barely changes across these three, so if you can run one you can run all of them. Stirrings of Life, where you help Carol Marcus look into a possible new lifeform, pays out in recruit tokens and Officer XP, so Shadows & Ruminations is worth clearing quickly to get there.
Tips
Keep 2,000 Dilithium spare before you start. It is a small amount, but at the level where warp 15 matters it can still be a noticeable share of your stock.
A survey ship or any fast hull is fine. Nothing on this route fights back, so repairs and combat crews do not matter here.
Luis also appears in Pathogen, another mission in the same arc, where a Starfleet colony is being ravaged by a poison. The mission guide has every other mission sorted by level.
