It is only a matter of time before you have to go back to where the adventure began, and that means heading Back to Vectera in Starfield. Since you left the mining colony, Barrett has been taken captive by the Crimson Fleet pirates and now it’s up to you to get him back, which we’re here to help you with in this mission walkthrough.
How to Start Back to Vectera
You’ll find the Back to Vectera quest after completing The Old Neighbourhood. You’ll need to speak to Sarah Morgan, who is in The Lodge, which is on Jemison and the headquarters of the Constellation itself. This is part of a series of main quests, which we’ve listed below.
After completing the quest, you’ll receive 350 exp, along with 7200 credits.
What Main Quests Do You Need to Start Back to Vectera
Here is the list of main quests in the Back to Vectera questline.
- Into the Unknown.
- The Empty Nest.
How to Complete Back to Vectera:
- Speak to Lin about Barrett.
- Find three Power Cells.
- Fix the Comms Computer.
- Read the clue for Barrett’s location.
- Speak to Heller about Barret’s last known location.
- Rescue Barrett from the Crimson Fleet on Bessel III.
Speak to Lin on Vectera in Starfield
Lin can be found running the mining operation on Vectera like she was at the beginning of Starfield, and she has the last known information about Barrett. You need to return to Lin at the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost, which is on the moon of Anseion.
The last time you saw Lin and Barrett, there was a Crimson Fleet pirate attack that you had to repel. After a quick victory, Barrett gave you the Frontier ship, and you were instructed to find the Lodge. Now that you’re back, the comms equipment has gone down, and Lin needs you to repair it so you can get the information on Barrett’s last location.
How to Fix the Comms Computer in Starfield (Back to Vectera)
You can fix the Comms Computer in Back to Vectera by inserting three power cells into the station. Next to the computer that has the last known voice logs from Barrett, there are three slots for power cells, but you need to find them around the mining outpost. There are a handful of power cells that you can find, and only three are needed to get the comms back on.
How to Obtain 3 Power Cells in Back to Vectera
Two of the power cells can be found in the same building as the Comms Computer. After we picked up those two cells, we walked outside of the main outpost building and examined the robot stationed directly ahead. You can take out the power cell if you examine the machine, and now you have all three batteries.
If you’re having a hard time finding the cells, you can use a Digipick on the door to the Comms Computer. There won’t be enough power to get the evidence you need, but you can mark the last known locations of all the power cells in the mining outpost. There are roughly six different cells you can loot in total.
How to Find a Clue to Barrett’s Location in Starfield
With the power cells in place, search the Comms Computer files for a clue to Barrett’s location during Back to Vectera. In the computer, there will be an emergency transmission file with the last known comms from Barrett or Heller. Of course, they aren’t on Vectera, and it sounds like they are on a dangerous path with the pirates.
Now, head back to Lin and give her an update on the situation. She will be grateful for the help and will even offer to join your crew if you have the space. You can always have her on the bench for some support.
How to Find Barrett and Heller in Starfield
The next location for Barrett and Heller is planet Danra in the Narion system. This isn’t far from the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost, and you can easily get there with one quick landing. However, you will find a crashed ship as soon as you land on the surface of Danra.
As you approach the ship, you will find Heller in a drowsy state due to all the painkillers he took. Don’t worry—he is fine and will even join your crew later on as well if you want another member. Before he leaves, he has a second emergency transmission from Barrett that gives the next location.
In an attempt to save Heller, Barrett caused the ship to crash and was then kidnapped once again. He succeeded in saving Heller, but that doesn’t help us finish the quest. There’s more to do.
How to Listen to Emergency Transmission 02 in Starfield
To listen to “Emergency Transmission 02,” just open up your inventory and head to the notes section. Inside, you will find both transmission messages that you picked up from Barrett. Once you’ve listened, you’ll have the true location of Barrett you need to finish the quest.
How to Rescue Barrett in Back to Vectera (Starfield)
You can rescue Barrett by heading to the Bessel III planet in the Bessel system. The Crimson Fleet pirates took him to yet another outpost, and they are hiding him inside where he can be kept out of sight. We took out every single pirate we could find in the area before we went inside for the final rescue. Despite all the action, you can rescue Barrett from his true captors without any more bloodshed.
Once we saw Barrett in his chair with the Crimson Fleet captain, they were having a friendly conversation. The pirates still plan on killing Barrett, so don’t confuse them for being good people. However, they can still be civil about the situation. We were able to persuade the Crimson Fleet to let Barrett go free, despite all the killing outside.
If you can’t successfully persuade the pirates, then you will definitely have to fight your way out. That’s not always a problem when you want some extra loot, though. Whether you attack or not is entirely up to you.
Now just take Barrett after the pirates are dealt with and head back to The Lodge on New Atlantis. From there, the Back to Vectera mission is complete in Starfield, and you can move to the next adventure.
Barret Companion Stats in Starfield
Barret is one of four companions in Starfield that you can befriend and marry. He loves knowledge and discovery above all else, making him a very science, goal-oriented person. He’s also skilled at cooking, which should come in handy for your journey across the stars. Here are all of Barret’s skills in Starfield: his skills down below.
- Particle Beam Weapon Systems (3-star)
- Starship Engineering (4-star)
- Robotics (2-star)
- Gastronomy (1-star)
For another lengthy story mission, read through my guide on how to complete Into the Unknown in Starfield.
