The Shadow Descends is a Borg story mission in Star Trek Fleet Command where you track down whoever is behind a string of colony attacks. It runs from Pasadoran to Panak and needs warp 22 to complete. Along the way you fight an assimilated ship at roughly 347,055 strength and clear 15 hostiles of level 26 or higher. The reward is 24 3★ Uncommon Refined Ore, and finishing it unlocks the next mission. The game lists a recommended level of 1, but the level 26 kill requirement is the better guide.
The Shadow Descends objectives
Five objectives, no choice split:
- Locate the source of the signal. Location: Pasadoran.
- Defeat the assimilated ship. Location: Pasadoran. Enemy strength is roughly 347,055.
- Defeat 15 Hostiles of Level 26 or higher.
- Gather Dalen from the hideout. Location: Panak.
- Return to your Station.
The trail starts in Pasadoran, where the signal leads to an assimilated ship. That fight is the only scripted battle, at around 347,000 strength. After it, the mission asks for 15 kills against hostiles of level 26 or higher, in any system. Once the count is done you head to Panak to collect Dalen from the hideout, then return to your station to finish.
Where and what warp
There is no pickup system and the mission can be accepted from warp 1. Completing it needs warp 22 to reach Pasadoran and Panak.
The recommended level is listed as 1. In practice you need a ship that can reach warp 22 and win fights against level 26 hostiles, plus the assimilated ship, so plan around that rather than the listed level.
The Shadow Descends rewards
The reward is 24 3★ Uncommon Refined Ore. Completing the mission also unlocks the next mission, Vulnerable.
How it compares with the missions around it
The Shadow Descends sits in a run of missions that follow Dalen, Pasadoran and the Borg threat. Current game data:
| Mission | Warp to complete | Fights and kills | Rewards |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trailing Off | 22 | 10 hostiles of level 26+, Starfleet Officer (about 347,055) | 370 3★ Explorer Parts |
| The Shadow Descends | 22 | Assimilated ship (about 347,055), 15 hostiles of level 26+ | 24 3★ Uncommon Refined Ore |
| Vulnerable | 19 | 10 hostiles of level 26+, Borg ship (about 204,300) | 200 Ultra Recruit Tokens, 75 Premium Recruit Tokens |
| To Err is Human | 19 | Borg ship (about 347,055) | 1 One of Eleven shard, 53,000 Officer XP |
This mission has the highest kill count of the four, 15 against 10 for its neighbours, and the smallest reward by volume. Panak also appears in Trailing Off as the place Dalen goes to hide, so the hideout step closes that thread.
Tips
Farm the 15 kills near Pasadoran. The assimilated ship fight and the kill objective come back to back, so staying in the area saves time before the trip to Panak.
Repair between the assimilated ship and the kill count if the fight went badly. A damaged ship loses more time on 15 level 26 hostiles than a quick repair costs.
Keep the refined ore for upgrades that need 3★ Uncommon Refined Ore. None of the three neighbouring missions above pay any refined ore.
Previous mission: Arrival. Next mission: Vulnerable. More missions by level are on the mission guide.