Starfield ‘Back to Vectera’ quest walkthrough

After Starfield’s tutorial missions, the game will prompt you to return to Vectera in the aptly named “Back to Vectera” quest. Here you’ll meet back up with Supervisor Lin — your boss from the first mission — Heller, and Barrett.

“Back to Vectera” is one of three quests the game makes available to you when it opens up, with the others being “Into the Unknown” and “The Empty Nest.” We recommend starting with “Into the Unknown,” but “Back to Vectera” is the perfect second choice for this block of quests.

In this Starfield guide, we’ll walk you through the “Back to Vectera” mission and help you recruit three new crew members to your cause.

Check on Barrett, Lin, and Heller

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

The Constellation crew needs you to go check in on Barrett, who you last saw on the mining planet of Vectera, way back when you started Starfield. Head over there and see how Barrett, Supervisor Lin, and Heller are doing.

Return to Vectera // Talk to Lin

Fast travel to Vectera, the planet you started the game on, and land at the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost.

When you leave your ship, you’ll find the area partially destroyed and Supervisor Lin — your old boss — running up to talk to you. She’ll tell you the colony was attacked by pirates again and that Heller (your old goober co-worker) and Barrett were taken.

Lin has given up hope, but says there might be something on the broken comms computer, which is in the office to your right (across from the mine).

Fix the Comms Computer // (Optional) Obtain 3 power cells

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

Enter the office and follow the waypoint to the broken computer. When you reach the inner office, you’ll realize the computer needs power to boot correctly.

If you already have three power cells from around the world of Starfield, you can plug them into the wall and get going with the quest. If not, you’ll find at least three hanging out in the mining area.

The game marks these power cells on-screen and they’re all easy enough to find if you follow the waypoint. You’ll find two by Lin (she’s holding one, and will give it to you if you talk to her) near the landing pad and one inside the infirmary. If you want to stock up on more power cells, you can find an unmarked one in the office building and in the storage area behind the infirmary.

Find a clue to Barrett’s location // Return to Lin // (Optional) Recruit Lin as crew

Once you’ve got an inventory full of industrial-sized batteries, head back over to the office, plug them into the wall, turn on the power, and look through the computer. Access the Incoming Ship Logs file to read the Emergency Transmission from Barrett and Heller. This SOS signal will tell you where and how to find your friends. Shut the computer down and head out to Lin.

Tell Lin you’re going on a rescue mission. She’ll mention looking for a change in career before you leave. Even if you ask her to join you, you’ll need to end the conversation and then strike up another one in order to officially recruit her. Once you talk to her again you can tell her she’s “just the kind of traveling companion” you want and hire her. You can assign her to your ship or to any outpost you may have.

Save Barrett and Heller

Image: Bethesda Game Studios/Bethesda Softworks via Polygon

Now that you know what happened to Heller and Barrett, it’s time to mount a rescue mission and follow your coordinates to their emergency broadcast.

Travel to Gryphus (random planet) // Find Barrett and Heller

The emergency SOS will take you to a randomly selected planet, meaning that your game won’t necessarily send you to Gryphus like mine did. Hop in your ship and go where the quest asks you to.

When you land, regardless of the planet you’re on, you’ll find a crashed ship and an injured Heller clutching his wounds.

Talk to Heller // (Optional) Recruit Heller as crew

Talk to Heller for a bit and he’ll explain what happened and give you a note from Barrett. If you ask Heller how he’s doing, he’ll tell you he’s fine and needs help off of the planet. Talk to him again and you can recruit him to your crew. Then you can assign him to your ship or to one of your outposts.

Listen to ‘Emergency Transmission 02’

Regardless of if you recruit Heller or not, he’ll give you a disk that has a message from Barrett on it. Open your inventory, go to “new” or “notes,” and select “Emergency Transmission 02.” Listen to the message and you’ll hear about where Barrett has gotten himself kidnapped this time and has been taken to a new planet: Bessel III.

Travel to Bessel III // Rescue Barrett

With your two new crew mates (or not, if you didn’t recruit Lin or Heller), jump back in your ship and fly off to Bessel III. Land by the Ransacked Research Outpost and make your way to the pirate village. Shoot or sneak your way in and you’ll find Barrett sitting there like nothing is the matter, chatting up a pirate captain named Matsura.

Matsura and Barrett are both chatting like old friends, and while the pirate captain seems pretty friendly (for a pirate captain), he still won’t let Barrett go for free. He’ll ask for 4,000 Credits for your friend back, and you can respond in a few ways.

• If you have Sarah Morgan with you, you can choose an option where she pays the fee out of the Constellation kidnapping insurance policy.
• You can also pay the cash yourself.
• You can shoot the pirate captain — but be warned that he has bodyguards in the room with him.
• Finally, you can Persuade Matsura to give Barrett back to you peacefully and (most importantly) for free. This is a mildly difficult persuasion check this early in the game. You’ll need to get six pips from the captain.

However you solve the Barrett problem, walk out of the camp and back to your ship with your buddy on your heels.

Return to the Lodge // Enter the library // Wait for Barrett // Talk to Barrett

Jump back in your spaceship and fly back to New Atlantis and the Lodge. Walk into the library with the rest of the crew and wait for Barrett to pop in and chat everyone up (including you).

With Barrett officially back with Constellation, you’ll finish the “Back to Vectera” quest.

Now that you’re done with “Back to Vectera,” you’ll need to finish up “Into the Unknown” and “The Empty Nest.” If you rescued Barrett last and have already done those quests, you’ll instead be on the “All That Money Can Buy” quest.