Project Ziggurat
| "Analysis... the implications of what we're detecting - I mean, with the instruments we have - we'll need to construct new ones - what we're seeing is unprecedented in terms of even state-of-the-art of Domain-era technology. Uh. Publically acknowledged technology, anyway." | ||
"Project Ziggurat" is the fourth main mission in the Galatia Academy mission chain. The player investigates Tri-Tachyon's mysterious project of the same name.
Acquisition
This mission is available by docking with the Academy at any time after completing "Kallichore Archive" and "Finding Coureuse".
Walkthrough
The player needs to follow the trail of Tri-Tachyon engineer Kelise Astraia. There are two ways to start off, both in the Hybrasil Star System:
- Bribe the administrator on Culann.
- Contact senior executive Rayan Arroyo on Eochu Bres. He will ask the player to sell some false blackmail material to a pirate official; Donn in the same system will do.
The chosen informant will direct the player to Callisto Ibrahim, administrator of Agreus in the Arcadia Star System. On the way there, a large Luddic Church fleet (sent by a certain Pather) will ambush the player. The rogue Luddic knight can be bought off for a large bribe (80-120k credits); otherwise, it may be best to avoid contact, using a story point if necessary.
Talking to Ibrahim will send the player towards another star system. Here another ambush fleet is encountered: a mercenary phase fleet working for Tri-Tachyon. This fleet cannot be bought off, and is quite dangerous as it contains multiple S-modded Dooms along with other phase ships; taking evasive action may be advisable. To complete this part of the mission, find a hidden probe (similar to "Finding Coureuse").
The last leg of the mission is in the Alpha Site, now (temporarily) marked on the map. Enter the system with a Transverse Jump through the nascent gravity well. The wreck of Ibrahim's Venture-class cruiser ISS Hamatsu is here; recover the ship and its cargo.
Approach the Alpha Site. The Ziggurat is orbiting the planet; interact with it to complete the mission objective. The ship can be fought and recovered at this point, but its Mote Attractor and level 10 officer will be extremely dangerous to an unprepared player. Otherwise, simply disengage - it will harry your fleet, but won't pursue. Inspecting the Alpha Site will provide some dialog.
One last thing to do in the location is to pick up the cache of Omega weapons, found in the far northeast of the map.
Transverse Jump out of the system and return to the Academy to complete the mission. This will award one story point.
Skipping the mission
Alpha Site exists from the start of the game and can be entered as soon as the player has access to Transverse Jump. This allows the player to skip this mission.
- Investigating Hamatsu before talking to Ibrahim (before or after starting this mission) will create a mission to return it to her.
- If the player returns Hamatsu, then starts this mission, and talks to Ibrahim, her dialogue is unchanged; she'll still complain that her ship is missing and ask you to retrieve it.
- If the player has interacted with the Ziggurat before starting this mission, it is completely skipped. After returning Scylla Coureuse and Gargoyle to the academy, docking to it will start the next quest, At The Gates. However, this also skips the quest reward from Anita.
- Jumping into Alpha Site after starting the mission skips all previous objectives.
Rewards
Arroyo's blackmail material can be sold for 10,000c, or more for 1 SP 100% XP.
Hamatsu contains 50,000c, 73 Fuel, and 126 Supplies.
You receive 150,000c and a story point after completing this mission.
Aftermath
Take the Hamatsu back to Ibrahim, where it can be turned in for 100,000c. This also unlocks Ibrahim as a potential contact. Alternatively, the player can keep the Hamatsu (which angers Ibrahim and has a 50% chance of causing a mercenary fleet ambush later), although the only gameplay purpose to doing this is to offer the ship to Warlord Kanta later.
If the Ziggurat is recovered, traveling with it can lead to certain encounters with NPC fleets in Hegemony, Tri-Tachyon, Persean League, Luddic Church and Sindrian Diktat space. There will also be a bar encounter with Livewell Cotton on non-pirate, non-Pather markets.
| Galatia Academy missions | |
|---|---|
- Quests
- Galatia Academy