How to Start & Complete ‘The Colander’ Side Quest in Starfield

The Settled Systems are full of mysteries just waiting to be uncovered, whether it be through a side mission or simply for the sake of exploration. One, in particular, is the Colander questline, involving an abandoned ship deep in space. We’re here to show you where to find this vessel and unravel its secrets to determine what really happened to the crew.

How to Start the Colander Quest in Starfield

While there doesn’t seem to be a quest associated with the Colander, you can still explore the ship to discover a secret Easter Egg. For starters, you can travel to the Schrodinger system near the Kryx.

Then, players can head over to Schrodinger III to trigger the Colander’s appearance nearby.

Keep in mind that the area features a recommended level of 65, so be sure to come equipped with a powerful weapon and gear set. You can also bring along a few Digipicks and master your lockpicking skills to access a hefty amount of treasures throughout your journey on the ship. Once you’re ready, you can dock the Colander to collect information about the lost crew.

How to Complete The Colander Quest in Starfield

As mentioned before, the Colander presumably doesn’t include a quest, but you can explore it to discover a hidden secret in Starfield. The expedition will require you to venture alone, as companions will not board the vessel. When players board the ship, they can continue heading forward and then take a right near Dr. Amos S.’s location.

You must go to the back of the room to discover a hatch. Players will eventually be taken to another level on the ship, where they can either open the door to the Laboratory or take a left turn before going through the first entryway. If you don’t have the skill to unlock the Master door (it will take you to the same destination), you’ll need to use the second option.

From there, you can take a right turn to discover yet another hatch. However, the door to the following location will be locked, so you must interact with the Mainframe computer to select ‘Open Doors’ via the Remote Security Door Control file. At this point, players must go through the entryway and then go up the ramp toward the Laboratory (the Master lock room.) You’ll notice a new doorway that you can use to access the upper floor at the end of the hall.

Players will return to the location where they initially started, only this time, the red door at the end of the room will be opened. You’ll find a set of stairs on the right side, where you’ll need to watch out for an unusual enemy type with a Level 85 difficulty. We won’t say much about this boss, but this foe is essentially the reason for this expedition to determine the cause of the crew’s demise.

To defeat the opponent, you must remove its protective armor several times to deal damage. If you want to make the process easier, you can return to the room with the red door and shoot it from the crew’s quarters. The creature has difficulty going through this entrance, making it easier to target and avoid any oncoming attacks.

You can collect the beast’s tissue to obtain a unique substance that can’t be found anywhere else on the Settled Systems. There will also be a computer that you can use to open the Master door to the Laboratory, allowing you to exit the vessel the same way you entered.

Now that you’ve explored the mysteries of Starfield’s Colander ship, you can learn about other side quests by checking out our First Contact mission guide. Be sure to also view the relevant links below for more content about the game.