Starfield Back to Vectera walkthrough: Full guide, objectives, rewards, and more

Back to Vectera is the fourth primary mission of Starfield. In it, you will ultimately rescue Barrett on Prax and have the chance to recruit Lin and Heller to your group if you want. We’ll be listing those as objectives, but it is worth noting that they are optional.

It’s not an incredibly challenging mission, though it will take some combat when it’s time to rescue Barrett towards the end of this quest.

Starfield’s Back to Vectera mission also leads into All That Money Can Buy, heralded as one of the best quests in the main story of the game. We’ll go over everything you need to know about the fourth in-game mission, from steps to take to rewards you’ll receive.

Note: The planet you travel to during Back to Vectera may have a different name. Some have seen Prax, Virum, Danra, Polvo, and others. While the planet's name may change, the objectives do not. Just set a course for whatever planet you see via your mission log.

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Starfield Back to Vectera objectives and rewards

Mission objectives

• Return to Vectera
• Fix the Comms Computer
• Obtain three Power Cells (Optional)
• Recruit Lin (Optional)
• Find Barrett and Heller
• Recruit Heller (Optional)
• Listen to Emergency Transmission #2
• Rescue Barrett
• Return to The Lodge

Mission rewards

• 350 EXP
• 6,000 Credits

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1) Begin Back to Vectera - Return to Vectera, speak to Lin

Lin's got bad news about Heller - and Barrett, too (Image via Bethesda)

To begin Back to Vectera in Starfield, you need to head back to where the game began in the first place. It’s easy enough to fast travel to the Argos Extractors Mining Outpost. The planet’s namesake is in the quest title, so head back when you’re ready. You’ll find Lin here, but not Heller or Barrett.

She’ll tell you that the Crimson Fleet returned, and things did not go well for the mining team this time around. We weren’t there to save the day like we did in the first mission of Starfield. Barrett was captured during the battle, and we must rescue him. However, we need to fix the broken Comms Computer first.

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2) Fix the Comms Computer

Just flip the switch and head in to get to work (Image via Bethesda)

The Broken Comms Computer is our next objective on Return to Vectera. Lin’s hoping that it will let us figure out where Barrett was taken. Head to the comms building and flip the switch to get in.

Head into the office on the left and look on the desk. There’s a Vectera Control Room Key you can use to open an upcoming door. You can also lockpick it if you have at least beginner-level skills. From here, follow the quest marker to the door and open it whichever way you prefer.

You’ll find the computer here, but it has no power to get going. Interact with the communications computer and select “Search for energy source.” The next objective is optional, but we’ll go over what you need to know for this part of Return to Vectera in Starfield.

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3) Obtain 3 Power Cells (Optional)

Just grab the easiest three you find - you don't need more than that (Image via Bethesda)

This step is very easy. You’ll have three blue objective markers to track down. One is found with a nearby robot, another with Lin after speaking with her, and the third after interacting with the Medbench in a nearby building.

Finding three is remarkably easy; pick up whichever three you prefer. These aren’t the only reported Power Cells, though. A pair of them are in the Comms Computer building as well.

The next step is to put the cells into place and listen to the recording. Go speak to Lin, and while she still doesn’t want to see Barrett again, she does worry about Heller. She’ll give you the location to head to.

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4) Recruit Lin (Optional)

Lin's optional, but you can pick her up here if you want (Image via Bethesda)

Lin hints during the previous conversation that she’s considering a career change. This is the hint you need to recruit her during Back to Vectera in Starfield. Speak to her again, and she will say her contract’s up, and she’s willing to change careers.

We know for certain that the first dialogue option will recruit Lin to become one of your companions. You can then assign her to your ship and suggest you can catch up later.

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5) Find Barrett and Heller

Heller tells you that Barrett's still with the pirates (Image via Bethesda)

As stated above, your destination may vary, but the objectives remain the same. This is due to the procedurally generated nature of Starfield. As the next part of Back to Vectera, head to the planet you need to travel to and land. You’ll see a crashed ship not too far off in the distance.

You’ll also see Heller up ahead, and he’s not doing great. After a conversation with your former co-worker, you’ll have a chance to recruit him to your team in Starfield.

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6) Recruit Heller (Optional)

During Back to Vectera, you also have the option of recruiting Heller here (Image via Bethesda)

Heller wants to get off the planet he’s on and is hoping there’s room for him on your ship. All you have to do is tell him you’ve got room, and he’ll go with you. You don’t have to do any fancy Persuasion checks in this case.

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7) Listen to Emergency Transmission #2

The next stop will be made clear after the conversation (Image via Bethesda)

During your conversation, you’ll receive Emergency Transmission #2. This is an important objective for Return to Vectera. Sadly, Barrett isn’t here - he’s now been taken to Bessel 3, which appears to always be the destination to wrap this mission up.

Get back to the ship, travel to Bessel 3, and land. Thankfully, you won’t be far away from your destination. From the landing spot, you can see the Crimson Fleet camp less than 100m away from you.

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8) Rescue Barrett

Murder your way through the base until you find Barrett (Image via Bethesda)

Thankfully, you can see a marker indicating where Barrett is hiding away in the Crimson Fleet base. It’s likely that you’ll be quickly spotted, and combat will break out.

Get through the pirates in whatever fashion suits you best, killing them all on the way to Barrett. After you’ve murdered your way through the crew, you’ll find Barrett with Mutty Matsura.

He is one of the pirates, but they aren’t willing to let your friend go so easily. You have a few options at your disposal, including a Persuasion check for this Back to Vectera objective.

Options

• Persuade
• Pay 4,000 credits
• Have Sarah Morgan handle the issue
• Murder the pirate

No matter how you solve the problem in Starfield, you’ll get Barrett back. From here, head back to the lodge and wrap things up once and for all in Back to Vectera.

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9) Conclude Back to Vectera - Return to The Lodge

Now Barrett's back, safe, and can join you as a companion in Starfield (Image via Bethesda)

Succeeding on Bessel 3 means you take Barrett back with you, as well as potentially Lin and Heller - if you want. After a conversation, Barrett can now also be one of your companions. This concludes this quest in Starfield, leading to the next main story mission, All That Money Can Buy.

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Back to Vectera concludes here, but you're far from done with the game. Starfield is now available on PC and Xbox platforms. You can learn more about the game here, in our in-depth review of Bethesda’s latest RPG masterpiece.