The Artery is a three-part mission chain that follows Carrot and Stick and turns you against Gul Dukat. You slip into a Transogen convoy to learn about his Artery project, help Maia sabotage the Transogen generators in Unefra, and then join Winn Adami and Hurak in the assault on Dukat. All three parts are recommended for level 35, start at warp 1 and finish at warp 29. Rewards include a VIL Gul Dukat shard, 20,642,000 Parsteel, 500 Federation Recruit Tokens and 3,000 Trait XP. Part 1’s 42M Parsteel generator rebuild is the one large cost.
The Artery at a glance
| Part | Recommended level | Warp to complete | Key reward |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Artery Part 1 | 35 | 29 | 20,642,000 Parsteel |
| The Artery Part 2 | 35 | 29 | 3,000 Trait XP |
| The Artery Part 3 | 35 | 29 | 1 VIL Gul Dukat shard |
Each part starts at warp 1, and finishing one unlocks the next.
The Artery Part 1
Plan your attack against Gul Dukat. From Exchange Central you hide in a Transogen convoy in Sintek, steal an identity tag from Dukat’s soldiers, and follow the Artery project to Unefra. There are no fights in this part.
- Figure out your next steps in Exchange Central.
- Hide in the Transogen convoy in Sintek.
- Steal Dukat’s soldiers’ identity tag in Sintek.
- Reconstruct a Transogen generator with 42M Parsteel.
- Find out more about the Artery project in Unefra.
Warp to complete: 29. Rewards: 500 Federation Recruit Token, 20,642,000 Parsteel, 3 8 Hr Peace Shield.
The Artery Part 2
Sabotage the Transogen generators and disrupt the anomaly. You clear hostiles in Unefra and hold off a defender while Maia works, then retreat to Sintek.
- Locate the Transogen generators in Unefra.
- Defeat 10 hostiles of level 35 or higher.
- Win some time for Maia to sabotage the Transogen generators in Unefra (enemy strength ~673,107).
- Defeat 3 hostiles of level 35 or higher.
- Retreat to Sintek.
Warp to complete: 29. Rewards: 3,000 Trait XP, 2,484,000 Tritanium, 390 3★ Interceptor Parts.
The Artery Part 3
Defeat Gul Dukat. Winn Adami and Hurak join the assault in Unefra, where you take out the generators and deal with Stirga.
- Join Winn Adami and Hurak in their assault against Dukat in Unefra.
- Destroy the first generator in Unefra (enemy strength ~531,649).
- End Stirga in Unefra (enemy strength ~673,107).
- Destroy more generators in Unefra (enemy strength ~531,649).
- Return to Station.
Warp to complete: 29. Rewards: 428,000 Dilithium, 340 3★ Explorer Parts, 1 VIL Gul Dukat shard.
The Artery and the linked chains
The Artery is unlocked by Carrot and Stick, which follows Whistleblower, and finishing The Artery Part 3 unlocks Eleventh Hour. All four chains are level 35, and each pays one VIL Gul Dukat shard in its final part.
| Chain | Recommended level | Warp to complete | VIL Gul Dukat shards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whistleblower | 35 | 27 to 32 | 1 |
| Carrot and Stick | 35 | 32 to 47 | 1 |
| The Artery | 35 | 29 | 1 |
| Eleventh Hour | 35 | 26 to 45 | 1 |
Tips for completing The Artery
All three parts finish at warp 29, so range is not a concern. The cost is Parsteel: rebuilding the Transogen generator in Part 1 takes 42M, while the same part pays 20,642,000, leaving you about 21.4 million short.
Part 2 is the grind, with 13 hostiles across two sweeps plus a defensive fight at about 673,000 strength. Part 3 has three named fights in a row in Unefra, from about 532,000 to 673,000 strength, so repair before you join the assault.
Are The Artery rewards worth it?
On resources it runs at a loss because of the Part 1 Parsteel cost. You still collect 20,642,000 Parsteel, 2,484,000 Tritanium, 428,000 Dilithium, 3,000 Trait XP, 500 Federation Recruit Tokens and two batches of 3★ ship parts, plus the third VIL Gul Dukat shard in the run and the unlock for Eleventh Hour. The STFC mission guide lists more level 35 chains.