The Introducing: Traxus priority contract is one of the first real tests Marathon throws at you, and it catches plenty of players off guard. Three objectives, one run, and a ticking clock at the end make this feel far more demanding than a typical early-game quest. Get through it, though, and you unlock Vulcan as your Traxus AI contact, opening up an entirely new faction progression tree.
What Is the Introducing: Traxus Contract?
This is a Liaison Priority Contract issued by CyberAcme, designed to formally introduce you to the Traxus faction. It only becomes available after you finish the Welcome To Tau Ceti contract, and it must be completed on Dire Marsh (not Perimeter). All three steps must be finished within a single run, so planning your approach before dropping in matters.
Where to Start: Choosing Your Terminal Location
The first objective asks you to hack a UESC terminal at one of three named locations on Dire Marsh. Here is the critical detail most players overlook: whichever location you choose for the terminal hack will also determine where the UESC Commander spawns and where the shipping container appears. Pick based on where you spawn in, since the objectives stay clustered together.
Terminal Locations at a Glance
Once you find the terminal, interact with it to download the workstation data. This automatically triggers the next phase.
info
Spawn location should drive your choice here. If you land near Bio-Research, go there. Backtracking across Dire Marsh costs time and exposes you to PvP.
How to Defeat the UESC Commander?
Hacking the terminal immediately causes a UESC Commander to spawn in the outdoor space closest to your chosen terminal. A pink icon marks the Commander on your HUD, so locating the target is straightforward. The fight itself is the real challenge.
The Commander carries more powerful weaponry than standard UESC Recruits and deploys a large energy-based tower shield that blocks frontal damage. You will almost certainly need to break or flank the shield before you can deal meaningful damage to the Commander directly.
UESC Commander shield engagement
A few things to keep in mind during this fight:
- The Commander does not arrive alone. Recruits accompany it, so manage the adds before focusing the Commander.
- If you are at Intersection, use the second-floor vantage point to land headshots down onto the Commander while staying above the Recruits.
- Prioritise cover at all times. Getting downed here ends your contract run entirely.
- Stock up on ammo and healing before dropping into Dire Marsh. This fight can drain resources fast.
Once the Commander is destroyed, a UESC Shipping Manifest item drops to the ground near its body. UESC units also drop loot crates and ammo, so scan the area carefully to spot the quest item.
warning
Picking up the Shipping Manifest immediately starts a 3-minute countdown timer. Do not grab it until you know exactly where the shipping container is located.How to Scan the Shipping Container in Time?
After picking up the Shipping Manifest, the countdown appears in the top-right corner of the screen next to the active quest step. Three minutes sounds generous, but getting shot while climbing the container can cost you the run.
The container you need is numbered "314" and is always stacked on top of a larger container. Here are the exact positions per location:
- Intersection: Outside near the southeast corner of the main Intersection building, stacked on a larger container.
- Complex: The highest stacked container on the landing pad where you fought the Commander.
- Bio-Research: Northwest corner of the compound, again elevated on top of another container.
Container 314 scan objective
Climb to the top of the correct container and interact with it to scan. The scan itself is quick, but you are exposed while doing it. Clear the immediate area of enemies before climbing.
danger
You do not need to extract after completing the scan. The contract completes the moment the scan finishes, so you are free to continue looting or head for extraction on your own terms.
What Are the Rewards for Completing Introducing: Traxus?
Finishing this contract pays out the following:
- 1x Bully SMG
- 4x Random Enhanced Chip Mod
- 3x Unstable Gunmetal
- 70x Heavy Rounds
- 1000x Credits
Vulcan contact unlocked
More importantly, you gain access to Vulcan and the full Traxus faction contract chain. Traxus is described as the most powerful and far-reaching faction in Marathon, so unlocking this progression tree early gives you a meaningful advantage heading into later runs.
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