You just became a double agent as part of UC SysDef, but the heat is already turning up. To prove your worth to the Crimson Fleet, you need to find and kill a traitor. But the UC doesn’t want blood spilled. The Rook Meets King quest in Starfield can be a tough one to navigate, but our guide will see you through to the end — for good or ill.
Following the last mission, Adler Kemp points you in the direction of a “business associate.” Head to Europa, where you get immediately hailed by the pirate vessel, The Astraea. Meet Naeva, second in command of the Crimson Fleet and someone you’ll get to know very well during this questline. She has a serious bone to pick with a man named Austin Rake. The Crimson Fleet traitor has stowed away onto a medical ship, The Ragana, near planet Enceladus. If he dies, you get your invite onto the crew.
Rook Meets King quest lets you be a pirate or protector in Starfield
There are two ways you can complete the Rook Meet King quest in Starfield: The pirate way or the good guy way. It’s up to you what kind of character you’re playing. If you choose the pirate’s life, finishing this quest is as easy as pulling a trigger. But if you’re siding with UC SysDef, which doesn’t want blood spilled, things will be a bit trickier. When you reach Enceladus in the Sol System, The Ragana will immediately hail you.
Here are the options you can take along with the consequences.
Do what you want ’cause a pirate is free
So, you’ve decided to be an ass. That’s perfectly okay; I don’t judge. When you get hailed by the ship, you can ignore it and attack or tell them to get ready to be space dust and then attack.
- Positive outcome: The deed is done and you can return to Naeva. You’re now a Crimson Fleet pirate.
- Negative outcome: Commander Ikande is 14 shades of pissed, but he allows you to continue the mission regardless.
Convince them to let you onboard
You can represent the Crimson Fleet or UC SysDef and convince the captain to let you on the ship. It doesn’t matter which option you go with; you get your audience with captain Dmitri. You now have three choices to make:
| Option | Result | Consequence |
| UC SysDef | Convince Rake to turn himself into the UC. | Rake agrees to turn himself in and the captain fudges the passenger manifest to make it appear he was never on board. Rake lives, and you’re able to convince Naeva he’s dead. Ikande is pleased with the results. |
| Persuade | Convince Dmitri to kill Austin Rake. | After a successful persuasion check, Dmitri betrays Rake and attacks. Rake dies, and you’re in the crew. Ikande is angry but allows the mission to continue. |
| Attack | Kill all passengers aboard the ship, including Rake. | Rake is dead, and you’re now a pirate. Ikande is furious, but the mission carries on. |
Once you’ve decided, you can head back and report the news to Naeva. She tells you to head to the Crimson Fleet’s headquarters, the Key, in the Kryx star system. First, you must brief Commander Ikande on the UC Vigilance.
His attitude toward you differs based on the results, of course. If Rake dies, he’ll show frustration. But the murder of everyone on the ship will send him into orbit. The best moral path is to choose the UC option above. It’s also the easiest next to destroying the ship. You don’t have to use your persuasion skill at all.
No matter what choice you make in the Rook Meet King quest in Starfield, it won’t change the final result. You can lie to Ikande about where Naeva wants to meet you following the events, but it doesn’t seem like that results in anything significant.
Either way, you’re in the pirate game and the job continues. You meet with the head of the pirates, Delgado, who prepares you for a new mission. You soon head deep into the bowels of a frozen prison, and the company you keep won’t offer much warmth.
