Brea System[ | ]
Break on Through[ | ]
Go to the Brea System[ | ]
Defeat Satellites and Ships in Orbit[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
We have arrived in the Brea system, Captain.
Preliminary scans show automated defences and a handful of Romulan ships, most likely Tal Shiar vessels. If we're going to reach that planet, we'll have to breach the Romulan defenses.
I don't see anything the <Shipname> can't handle, sir. The weapon platforms are probably short-range, but we must disable the satellites and any enemy ships in orbit or any away teams that we send to the planet will be at risk.
Tactically, it would be wise to draw off the ships and engage them separately from the fixed defences.
Romulan Commander:
Enemy vessel. You are in Romulan space.
Leave immediately or you will be destroyed.
A Mogai Escort will move immediately to intercept you. You must destroy it and deal with the turrets guarding the system before you can beam down.
Defeat Romulan Reinforcements[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Enemy reinforcements inbound at high warp!
After you have defeated the first Romulan ship, another group will warp in to engage. Defeat them.
[Tactical] Reprogram Turret Targeting (Optional)[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Now that we have targeting information from one of the turrets, we may be able to reprogram some of their sensors to confuse them.
Tactical captains can reprogram the defence turrets so some of them will start targeting each other and any Romulan vessels still in the area, helping you to defeat all of them.
Upon completing this objective, all members of the team will receive the accolade Friendly Fire.
Beam Down[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
We need to get within transporter range of the planet's surface.
Approach the planet until you reach transporter range and can then beam down.
Tactical Officer:
Long-range sensors show that Reman and Romulan vessels are converging on this location. The <Shipname> will need to remain ready for action.
Sir, I'm picking up an increase in energy use on the planet's surface as well. The Tal Shiar base is mobilizing. We need to hurry if we are going to have any chance to find Hakeev and his Iconian connections.
Ready to transport on your orders.
Brea III[ | ]
Ups and Downs[ | ]
Set Spatial Charges[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Sir, the Romulans are trying to jam transporters, and there's a lot of ... particle leakage from the Iconian technology here. I can't identify the type of particles yet, but ... the rest of the senior staff are reporting in from different locations.
Apparently the transporters are being diverted. You're on your own for the moment.
Scans show that parts of the settlement are locked down with force fields. You'll have to disable them or find ways around them.
Be ready, sir. Hakeev will be somewhere well-defended.
Proceed west, into the city. As you exit the square, you will be contacted by your ship again.
Federation
Tactical Officer:Looks like the Romulans are using force fields and construction supplies to choke off access points. The Tal Shiar must have detected us in orbit and they've put the base on emergency lockdown.
Our orbital scans show that a lot of these buildings have catwalks and balconies. You may be able to use those to get over some of the walls and barricades.
Some of our tactical teams made it to the surface with beachhead equipment. You may be able to get support from them. Romulan ships will be here soon, though, so we'll have to raise the <Shipname>'s shields and won't be able to use transporters.
Good luck, Captain.
Klingon
Tactical Officer:Looks like the Romulans are using force fields and construction supplies to choke off access points. The Tal Shiar must have detected us in orbit and they've put the base on emergency lockdown.
Our orbital scans show that a lot of these buildings have catwalks and balconies. You may be able to use those to get over some of the walls and barricades.
Some of our tactical teams made it to the surface with beachhead equipment. You may be able to get support from them. Romulan ships will be here soon, though, so we'll have to raise the <Shipname>'s shields and won't be able to use transporters.
Fight with honor, Captain.
You will encounter a single Romulan Technician as you exit the square, which is not much of a combat challenge. Proceeding forward, you come to a courtyard with a fountain. There are a number of Romulans here, and you have the option to call for reinforcements if you would like. A group of NPCs from your faction will beam in and assist you in fighting the Romulans if you do.
Once you have defeated the Romulans, any reinforcements you called in will beam out again. Set first spatial charge on the wall of a building on the North side of the courtyard.
Tactical Officer:
That's the first charge, sir.
I've downloaded virtual markers to your HUD that will show you where to go to place additional charges.
You can utilize the virtual guide path to show you where you should be going. Your next destination requires you to climb up stairs to top of building. Once you reach the rooftop, an ambush of Romulans beams in to attack you. They are easy enough to defeat without calling for help (which is good, since you don't have that option here)
After defeating this group of Romulans, your ship will contact you with an optional mission objective.
Tactical Officer:
Sir, Romulans are massing reserves in multiple locations around the base.
The <Shipname> is in synchronous orbit, Captain. We can provide fire support if you supply target coordinates.
Proceed along the catwalks, passing over a square containing a group of Remans battling Romulans. Assist them from on high if you desire.
At the end of the catwalk is the top of a rotunda, where you can place second spatial charge.
Tactical Officer:
There's another catwalk on the other side of this rotunda.
Head around the rotunda to the right and you'll find the first orbital strike location, indicated by a holographic starship silhuette. Go to that location and call in the orbital strike. A cutscene shows some Scorpion fighters on a nearby rooftop being taken out.
Continue following the guide path, which leads to the new catwalk and down, though partway down the stairway there is a landing that leads up to the roof of another building.
Following the guide path takes you down the stairs and into another courtyard; heading up the stairs will trigger the optional Engineering objective (see below); you can do this now, or tackle it later when you will have to cross that rooftop anyway. There is combat taking place in the alleys leading away from the courtyard.
Tactical Officer:
To the right, ground level -- our scans indicate that the building houses a data facility.
Place the third spatial charge on the wall of the data facility. Romulans will beam in to attack you once you have completed this task, but you can request additional support to deal with them.
Once you are done, fight your way West down the alley and around the corner to the South. There will be numerous groups of Remans and Romulans battling each other in the alleys and squares. Lend what assistance you want as you proceed. At the base of a large tower, place the final spatial charge.
[Engineering] Remodulate Weather Controller to Depolarize Gravitic Lift (Optional)[ | ]
Atop one of the buildings is a weather controller; it is located roughly between the locations you place the third and fourth spatial charges, and is accessible via several stairs which lead up to it from several directions. If you have not done it already, the next set of objectives in the hunt for Hakeev will take you directly across this rooftop, so you will have the opportunity to do it then.
When you reach the rooftop, a Scorpion fighter will fly overhead, blasting one of the catwalks with a photon torpedo, causing it to catch fire.
Engineering captains can hurry to the weather controller console and remodulate it before the Scorpion fighter comes around for another pass. All members of the team will receive the accolade Gravity Kills, and the weather controller will interfere with the Scorpion fighter as it fires another photon torpedo at the weather controller console area.
If you are able to shoot down the Scorpion fighter, either using the weather controller or doing sufficient damage to it (or both), you will receive the accolade Grounded.
Find a Way to Reach Hakeev[ | ]
Scan for Hakeev[ | ]
You now need to figure out how to reach Hakeev. Perform a quick scan to locate him.
Science Officer:
Hakeev's in the promenade outside of a building Southwest of your location -- but you're separated from him by one of those force fields.
There's an access gate on the walkway, but you'll need to disable the force field. If you create a massive power draw at one of the other large facilities, it should temporarily disrupt the field.
If you get back on the rooftops, it will give you a better vantage point.
Disable Force Field by Drawing Power Away[ | ]
Head up to the rooftops and go North; note that a force field prevents you from proceeding South anyway. The first rooftop you reach will be the one holding the weather controller, where you can complete the optional Engineering objective if you have not done so yet (see above).
Proceed across this rooftop and take another catwalk North to the roof of the data center building. Use the console atop the data center to queue a power drain.
Science Officer:
The data center is now drawing emergency power. The force field is compromised!
Engineering Officer:
Sir, Hakeev's in a reinforced section of the base. You'll need an access chip or else the doors won't open.
We're reading a forward observer team on the highest building in your area. If you can get the officer's access chip, that should get you into the heart of the base.
A number of Romulans will beam onto the roof of a building to the North of the data center and begin attacking you. You cannot get over to that rooftop, but it is in range of your weapons. You can engage in a firefight with the Romulans, or ignore them and run, but the most effective way of dealing with it is to destroy the Scorpion fighter that is parked on the rooftop next to the Romulans. It will explode, taking all the Romulans out, and grant everyone on the team the Shooting Romulans in a Barrel accolade.
Acquire an Access Chip from a Romulan Officer[ | ]
The forcefield that prevents you from proceeding to Hakeev's location in the South should now be down. Retrace your steps and follow the guide path to top of the building on which you placed the final spatial charge. Here you will find the location from which to call in the second orbital strike.
Call in the strike and watch a cutscene of the orbital strike incinerating a Heavy Disruptor Turret and the Romulans standing nearby.
Climb up to the top of a large building just East of where you called in the orbital strike, and take out the Romulans there. You can call in support if you need it.
One of the officers will have the access chip you need.
Engineering Officer:
You should be able to use the officer's ID chip to bypass the security lock on the access gate in front of the central plaza.
Hakeev is directing defense operations from there.
Defeat Hakeev and His Guards[ | ]
Follow the guide path, retracing your steps back around and down. Take a catwalk heading South and you will reach some stairs leading back to the ground.
Tactical Officer:
You're in the section with Hakeev's personal offices. He should be just ahead!
You'll have to fight your way through some Romulans that are engaged in battling Remans at the foot of the stairs however.
Take an alleyway running South towards the arched entrance to a large paved square. As you approach this square, which contains Hakeev and his guards, you will be hailed from your ship.
<Shipname>:
We have a problem up here, Captain.
Over the past few minutes, the ship has started to suffer a series of cascading system failures.
It's nothing serious yet, but it looks like we're being hit by an Iconian virus. We'll purge the computer memory and restore from archives, but that will take some time and we'll continue to have system problems until the work is complete.
Even if it works, Hakeev can simply send another virus our way. You'll need to find and destroy the Iconian transmitter before the <Shipname> will be secure, sir.
As you enter the square and approach Hakeev, a cutscene will precede your confrontation.
Hakeev:
As much as A would relish the opportunity to explain my strategies, I'm afraid the subtleties would be lost on you.
A lowly being such as yourself cannot even recongnize the true power the Iconians represent -- and that any future will depend on a place in their regime.
As the Borg would state, 'resistance... is futile.'
Fight Hakeev and his guards. You can call in support to assist you. Watch out for his use of Thalaron mines.
Once all his guards are down, another cutscene will play as Hakeev calls for reinforcements of his own.
Hakeev:
Fool, I can call as many reenforcements as I need.
Obisek:
Not now. My ship has placed an interference field around this plaza. It's over.
Hakeev's reinforcements have beamed in, but so have Obisek and a group of Remans as well. Battle until all the Romulans, including Hakeev, are down.
Check Hakeev[ | ]
Once the Romulans are all down, go search Hakeev's body.
Hakeev:
His PADD is tightly encrypted, but the file that is open references an Iconian gateway only a dozen meters from this very plaza.
Once you have acquired Hakeev's PADD, the camera pulls back for a cutscene as Hakeev expires.
As his plans collapse around him, only silence follows him into oblivion.
Speak with Obisek[ | ]
Now that things have quieted down a bit, have a word with Obisek.
Obisek:
The road to Reman independence will be long and bloody, but this is a significant step. While I do not seek your approval of my methods, the crossing of our paths has been fortuitous. It's a pity you cannot aid us further in our liberation.
You have my respect, and the respect of my crew. If in the future we encounter one another again as allies, I would find this ... gratifying.
I must return to the Zdenia. I recommend you finish what you came to do, and leave quickly.
Obisek and his guards beam out, leaving you to deal with the Iconian gate. The Iconian gate is located inside a building on the East side of the square. The Science optional objective is located opposite this, on the West side. You can perform them in whatever order you like, but dealing with the Iconian virus before blowing everything up, rather than after, seems to make a little more sense...
[Science] Deploy a Worm to Overwrite Iconian Computer Virus (Optional)[ | ]
Enter the building and you'll find an alien console.
Science Officer:
That's an Iconian interface -- maybe you can use it to counteract the Iconian virus!
Science captains can use the Iconian interface to deploy a worm to counteract the virus. All members of the team receive the Worms accolade.
Plant Spatial Charges on Iconian Gate[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Sir, our analysis of Hakeev's PADD shows references to his use of Iconian gates, and he's been receiving messages from the Iconians as well.
He must have a gate in this facility; you have to find and destroy it!
Science Officer:
We've located the Iconian computer systems. They're in a research room near the courtyard -- just back the way you came.
Stay where you killed Hakeev, just Head back toward where you entered the square.
Science Officer:
Now that you have Hakeev's PADD and his access codes, you can get into these research areas!
Enter the building to the East (white doors for science, blue doors for tactical). A single Romulan Technician sees you...
Technician:
...and runs into the Iconian gateway, vanishing.
Plant the spatial charges on the gateway and head back to the plaza.
[Delta Recruit] Scan the Iconian Gate[ | ]
Temporal Agent Phillip Crey:
Hakeev was trying to use that gateway to escape. It was set for a location in the Delta Quadrant, but our sensors haven't shown anything in that area but empty space?
Obviously, there is something there. I'll make sure we send a ship to check it out.
Return to Plaza for Beam Out[ | ]
A cutscene shows a massive archway in the plaza to actually be... the second largest Iconian gate you have ever seen.
The arch... it's a huge Iconian Gate!
Order Bombardment[ | ]
Science Officer:
Sir, we have your coordinates but we can't beam you up until the gate is destroyed. We're still getting strange interference.
We are prepared to destroy the large Iconian gate with an orbital bombardment. We'll target the warhead yield, but you should get to an area away from the blast.
Head to a safe location before you call in the bombardment; there is a sheltered spot amongst the rubble in the South-west corner of the plaza. Once your team has reached this safe location, the holographic ship silhuette which indicates you can call in an orbital strike will appear.
Call in that strike, and a cutscene will show the arch being destroyed by a salvo of photon torpedoes.
Return to Ship[ | ]
Science Officer:
With the gate destroyed, we can get a lock and beam you up whenever you're ready, sir.
Beam back up to your ship and you can deal with the huge space battle that is now brewing above Brea III
Brea System[ | ]
Icon of an Empire[ | ]
Fight Off Romulan Forces[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Romulan reinforcements are starting to arrive, Captain!
Obisek:
We have our work cut out for us, Captain.
I will assist you -- after all, we face a common foe.
There are many Romulan and Reman vessels locked in combat above Brea III. Engage and assist the Remans.
As the first wave of Romulan ships is taken out, more will arrive.
Tactical Officer:
More Romulan ships incoming!
As the second wave of Romulan ships are destroyed, Sela arrives with a third wave to take charge.
Defeat Empress Sela and Escort[ | ]
Sela:
This is Empress Sela. Interference in Imperial affairs will not be tolerated. Rebels and insurgents will be eliminated!
Sela and the I.R.W. Leahval are a formidable foe; watch out for her thalaron beam attack, which she will often use immediately after emerging from cloak. Be ready with a little evasive manoeuvres or the like if you find yourself in the path of this!
Obisek:
My ship is disabled! You must finish this!
The Leahval will do a number on the Reman vessels, but eventually the weight of numbers (and all those plasma torpedoes) will take its toll.
Once her hull has received sufficient damage (down to 25% or so), a cutscene will show Sela's ship being captured(?) by an Iconian vessel, which emerges from the largest Iconian gateway yet.
Sensors are reading a gate opening! There's a ship coming through ... can't get a sensor lock on it.
They have the Leahval in tow ... they're heading back through the gate!
Disable the Iconian Gate[ | ]
Tactical Officer:
Did Sela just escape? Or was she kidnapped against her will?
Regardless, this gate is deep in Romulan space. It's too risky to leave it in Romulan control, even with Hakeev and the Empress gone.
Fly over to the asteroid containing the Iconian gate and attack its weak points (there are three).
Depart System[ | ]
Federation
Science Officer:If that was another Iconian gateway ... that explains how they moved entire fleets!
We have to get out of Romulan space and warn Starfleet Command. The Romulan threat may be over for now, but it looks like a bigger threat is looming on the horizon.
Klingon
Science Officer:If that was another Iconian gateway ... that explains how they moved entire fleets!
We have to get out of Romulan space and warn the homeworld. The Romulan threat may be over for now, but it looks like a bigger threat is looming on the horizon.
Your work here is done. Depart the system and hail your mission contact to claim your reward.
Return to Admiral T'nae/Temek[ | ]
Federation
Admiral T'nae:Starfleet will continue the search for Sela's vessel, but, as of right now, we have no idea where the Iconians took her or if she went willingly.
I find this turn of events ... disturbing. Sela's absence will throw the Romulan Star Empire into even greater chaos, and we have found that the Romulans are at their most dangerous when their backs are against the wall. Like wounded Sehlat cats they will strike out at anyone in reach, and the Federation may bear the brunt of their fury.
The return of the Iconians could change ... everything.
Klingon
Temek:The Klingon Defense Force will continue the search for Sela's vessel, but, as of right now, we have no idea where the Iconians took her or if she went willingly.
I find this turn of events ... disturbing. Sela's absence will throw the Romulan Star Empire into even greater chaos, and we have found that the Romulans are at their most dangerous when they are wounded.
They suffered a grievous wound today.
We are not done with them yet. I fear the return of the Iconians could change ... everything.
Post-Completion[ | ]
After completing “Cutting the Cord”, you can speak to your faction's mission contact about the Iconian threat.
Federation
- The Iconians' presence threatens the Federation.
I agree. The Iconians are a cause for concern.
Their motives are still unknown to us, as are their plans for the quadrant. What we do know is that they desire chaos.
Many of the problems we currently face can be directly traced back to their machinations. If they had not antagonized the Undine, would we now be at war with the Klingon Empire?
It may be that they want the powers of the quadrant so fractured that we will not be able to unite against them. We cannot allow that to happen.
Klingon
- The Iconians are a threat to the Empire.
I agree. The Iconians are a cause for concern.
Their motives are still unknown to us, as are their plans for the quadrant. What we do know is that they desire chaos.
Many of the problems we currently face can be directly traced back to their machinations. If they had not antagonized the Undine, would we be at war with the Federation today?
They push us into battles that drain our resources. They fracture the powers of the quadrant so no one will be able to stand against them when they finally arrive. They must be stopped!
I do not fear these demons of air and darkness. Let them come. The Empire will defeat them!