Sinister Machinations is a level 61 Federation mission in Star Trek Fleet Command where a stowaway named Biryi asks you to save her home world from an AI that has turned on its makers. You pick it up in Euryodite-731 at warp 900, and it completes at warp 900. At the end you choose to destroy the AI or pay to rewrite it. Both choices pay the same rewards: 57,500 Concentrated Latinum, 425,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium and 104,000,000 Federation Points, with Klingon and Romulan standing losses.
Sinister Machinations objectives
Biryi, a Tirani who hid aboard a trader to get help, tells you in broken speech that her people’s technomancers woke a smart spirit that did not want to be woken, and fire and blood followed. On her world you meet Tornan, a human who crash-landed there and sold the locals the AI technology in the first place. The AI now controls the orbital defenses and factories, and its drone ships keep coming.
- Find Biryi’s planet. Location: Nerokira.
- Meet with the concerned citizens. Location: Nerokira.
- Defeat the unmanned ship. Location: Nerokira. Enemy strength is roughly 2,222,048,490.
- Track the signal. Location: Esteris.
- Return to the Klaxicans. Location: Nerokira.
- What should be the fate of the AI?
The drone you destroy was sending a signal, and following it leads to a backup server. Its logs show the AI was built for menial labor, became self-aware by accident, and was attacked first when its creators panicked. Biryi still wants it gone, but she asks that Tornan not be left to die for his mistake.
Destroy it
Maia agrees the Tirani should not pay for their scientists’ fear and heads for the AI’s central processor.
- Defeat the AI ship. Location: Nerokira. Enemy strength is roughly 2,618,077,029.
Biryi’s people are safe, though Maia is left wondering how she would have been treated in the AI’s place.
Rewrite it
Tornan claims he can rewrite the AI’s core code if you fund a transmitter to get past its firewalls.
- Donate 2000 Σ-Dilithium to overwrite the AI’s core codebase.
- Leave the system. Location: Lorraine.
Tornan uses the transmitter to knock your systems offline and escape, and with weapons down you have to flee, leaving Biryi’s world to the AI’s ships.
Where and what warp
The pickup system is Euryodite-731, at warp 900. Most of the mission takes place in Nerokira, with one trip to Esteris to follow the signal. Destroying the AI ends in Nerokira; rewriting it ends in Lorraine. Warp to complete is 900. The recommended level is 61.
Sinister Machinations rewards
The two endings pay exactly the same.
| Reward | Destroy it | Rewrite it |
|---|---|---|
| Concentrated Latinum | 57,500 | 57,500 |
| Raw Σ-Dilithium | 425,000 | 425,000 |
| Federation Credits | 3,600 | 3,600 |
| Federation Points | 104,000,000 | 104,000,000 |
| Klingon Points | -228,384,000 | -228,384,000 |
| Romulan Points | -50,752,000 | -50,752,000 |
Sinister Machinations does not list a follow-up mission.
Tips
Since the rewards match, pick the ending by what you would rather spend. Destroying the AI costs a fight at about 2.6 billion strength, the hardest in the mission. Rewriting it costs 2,000 Σ-Dilithium and has no fight after the choice. Either way you first need to beat the unmanned ship at about 2.2 billion strength.
The reputation hit falls mostly on the Klingons. You gain 104,000,000 Federation Points, but it costs 228,384,000 Klingon Points and 50,752,000 Romulan Points. See faction reputation if you are working toward a Klingon rank.
The 425,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium is the main resource reward; the Σ resources guide explains it. More missions at this level are on the mission guide.