How to join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield

There are a number of intriguing factions in Starfield and one of our favorites is the Crimson Fleet. No space opera is complete without a few antagonists, and the Crimson Fleet plays the role of space pirates. They roam the galaxy, seeking out treasure and wealth through means that don’t always gel with law and order. You can join them, if you like, rather than always fighting them. Here is our guide telling you how to join the Crimson Fleet in Starfield.

Starfield – How to join the Crimson Fleet

The Crimson Fleet in Starfield is essentially a group of space pirates, with an internal power struggle and a healthy appreciation for wealth. When you search outposts on the various planets, you might sometimes wander into members of that faction.

If you’re not one of them, they might even try to end your adventure prematurely. If you find a way to join them, such meetings can end peacefully. To join the Crimson Fleet, clear the Rook Meets King mission offered through UC Vanguard, which requires you to infiltrate the pirate organization and earn their trust as an undercover agent.

Get arrested in UC space

The way that I joined the Crimson Fleet early in Starfield was to get arrested in a United Colonies city like New Atlantis. I’m not sure if you have to be a certain way through the game to trigger this happening, but when I was halfway through the main campaign, I accidentally did something illegal in UC space and they tracked me down.

Instead of being thrown into jail, you’ll be placed on a UC ship and Commander Kibwe Ikande will talk to you. He’ll ask you to infiltrate the Crimson Fleet and be a double agent for the UC Vanguard. Play along and then find the Crimson Fleet and join them. You can continue as a double agent for UC Vanguard or you can ditch that and just straight up join the Crimson Fleet.

Becoming a member of UC Vanguard

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Very near the start of the game, meet the character named Tuala in New Atlantis. He spends most of his time behind a desk. When you talk to him, he encourages you to join the Vanguard. Membership is entirely optional, but you do earn a wage. You also receive the first in a series of quests that ultimately allows you to join the Crimson Fleet.

After you agree to join Vanguard, perform the required research and combat training. Check out our guide on how to join UC Vanguard if you need more in-depth info. Once you finally satisfy all conditions, meet with Tuala again. He has you swear your oath and then you receive a probationary mission, Grunt Work. Once you complete that mission, you receive your early assignments as a member of Vanguard. Proceed as instructed until you commence the Deep Cover mission. There are numerous steps in this mission, but the game guides you pretty closely.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Arranging a meeting with Naeva Mora

Once you complete the Deep Cover mission and gain the trust of Adler Kemp, you soon access the Rook Meets King mission. In this mission, you rendezvous with the Astraea at Europa. She is a tough character, and you must win her approval. When you do, she asks you to kill a traitor named Austin Rake.

You do not necessarily need to kill Austin Rake to satisfy Astraea. She merely needs to believe you have done so. In my playthrough, I spared his life by working with the crew of the ship where I found him. Once you deal with the matter as you see fit, continue following directions until finally you travel to the Key. There, you meet Naeva Mora. She is an important individual within the Crimson Fleet organization.

Screenshot by PC Invasion

Becoming part of the Crimson Fleet crew

If your conversation with Naeva Mora goes well, she takes you on a tour of the Depot. That tour concludes as you meet Delgado, who leads the Crimson Fleet organization. At the end of that conversation, you receive 250 XP for completing the mission. You also receive the Pirate Swashbuckler Gear and 5800 credits. You are now an official member of Crimson Fleet.

Note: If you have completed the above steps very early in your campaign, you might want to hold off before accepting the first major mission related to the Crimson Fleet. You should gather plenty of ammo and perhaps gain some additional skills. Echoes of the Past will be a difficult mission for the unprepared.

Starfield is available to purchase on Steam and the Microsoft Store.