The Ballad of Cortex T is a level 62 neutral mission in Star Trek Fleet Command in which you drive a gang of Independent thugs out of the Steria system. You pick it up in Steria and need warp 1,000 to start and to finish. It has two objectives: 20 hostile kills and a fight with Cortex T himself. The reward is 1,200 Σ-Tritanium, 116,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium and 36 5 Minute Σ-Speed Ups, with no faction points attached. It is a quick combat mission for a ship that already grinds hostiles at this level.
The Ballad of Cortex T objectives
Deena, a colonist in Steria, tells you the settlement is constantly caught in the crossfire, and that a crew led by a man calling himself Cortex T is the worst of it. The idea is to smash enough of his fleet that he has to take notice. There are two objectives, with no choice split:
- Defeat 20 hostiles of Level 61 or higher.
- Defeat Cortex T. Location: Steria (enemy strength ~2,618,077,029).
Once the kills are done, Cortex T shows up and claims the system as his own, ahead of any Federation or Klingon claim. After you beat him, Deena tells him to leave and not come back, and your officer points out that he has been offered a way out. He takes it, and Deena goes back to working out what the colony can do on the planet.
Where and what warp
The mission is picked up in Steria and needs warp 1,000 to start and to complete. The Cortex T fight takes place in Steria. The kill objective names no system, so any hostiles of level 61 or higher count toward it. The recommended level is 62.
The Ballad of Cortex T rewards
| Reward | Amount |
|---|---|
| Σ-Tritanium | 1,200 |
| Raw Σ-Dilithium | 116,000 |
| 5 Minute Σ-Speed Up | 36 |
There are no credits or faction points, so running it does not change your standing with any faction.
The Ballad of Cortex T and Disconnected compared
Steria also hands out Disconnected, another level 62 neutral mission at the same warp.
| Mission | Level | Warp | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Ballad of Cortex T | 62 | 1,000 | 1,200 Σ-Tritanium, 116,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium, 36 5 Minute Σ-Speed Up |
| Disconnected | 62 | 1,000 | 177,000 Latinum, 225,000 Raw Σ-Tritanium |
Disconnected pays Latinum and more raw material; Cortex T pays Σ-Tritanium, Raw Σ-Dilithium and speed ups.
Tips
Do the 20 kills wherever you already farm. Hostiles of level 61 or higher anywhere count, so there is no need to grind in Steria itself. The hostile guide lists targets by faction and level.
Cortex T is not a hard fight for this level. His ship is listed at about 2.62 billion strength, one of the lowest figures among level 62 mission fights, so a ship that clears level 61 hostiles comfortably should be fine.
The 1,200 Σ-Tritanium goes toward Σ-priced building upgrades such as Operations 62 (see Tritanium), and the 116,000 Raw Σ-Dilithium adds to your Dilithium stock. Other missions sorted by level are on the mission guide.