The Reliant

Lore & Background

In the sprawling, politically fractured cosmos of Starfield, the Reliant stands as a reminder that not every faction wields a gun or a laboratory. The Coe siblings built their identity around a single, purposeful vessel and the networks of trust, trade, and diplomacy that orbit it. The Reliant is less a warship than a mobile embassy—a place where deals are struck, routes are charted, and the quiet machinery of colonial interdependence is kept turning.

Sam Coe embodies the faction's public face: quick-witted, loyal, and unafraid to call out hypocrisy in a universe full of it. Her bond with Barret is the emotional spine of the faction's story, a sibling partnership tested by duty, disagreement, and the constant pressure of keeping a fragile operation solvent in a galaxy where every faction is pulling in a different direction. The Reliant's questline weaves through these personal stakes, asking the player to invest in a faction that is as much a family project as it is a political entity.

What makes the Reliant resonate with fans is its grounded, human scale. In a game where you're fixing warp drives and debating the nature of consciousness, the Coes' story is about two people trying to do right by the people who depend on them, one shipment and one conversation at a time.

In Their Own Story

The hangar bay of the Reliant hummed with the low thrum of recycled air and the distant clank of a docking arm settling. Sam leaned against the bulkhead, arms crossed, watching her brother pace the deck with a datapad clutched like a talisman. Another colony had shifted its trade allegiance. Another route was going dark. Barret's jaw worked, silent, the way it always did before he spoke a decision he wasn't sure he'd survive.

"You don't have to carry this alone, Barret," Sam said, not looking up from the wrench in her hand. She didn't need to. He'd heard her say it a dozen times. But this time, for the first time, he stopped pacing. Set the pad down. And nodded.

Outside the viewport, the stars held their ancient, indifferent geometry. The Reliant drifted between them, small and stubborn and alive.

Reader's Guide

The Reliant operates as a diplomatic and logistical faction, with their namesake vessel serving as a mobile headquarters. Their questline centers on the Coe siblings and the political pressures they face in keeping their operation viable amid shifting colonial allegiances. You'll encounter them early in the game and their arc unfolds across multiple systems as you help navigate trade disputes, political negotiations, and the personal tensions between Sam and Barret.

Key members to watch: Sam Coe (companion, available for recruitment into your crew) and Barret Coe (faction leader, encountered throughout the questline). Their relationship and the decisions you make around them shape the faction's trajectory.

Reputation with the Reliant opens up additional dialogue options, trade opportunities, and access to their vessel. Completing their questline to its conclusion unlocks unique rewards tied to the faction, including specialized gear and access to their ship's systems.

The political stakes are real: siding with the Reliant's positions can create friction with other factions, particularly those with competing colonial interests. Treat their questline as a narrative about institutional loyalty versus personal conscience, and the choices will carry weight in the broader story.

Did You Know?

• Sam Coe is one of the companion characters in Starfield, and her personal story is tightly interwoven with the Reliant faction's questline rather than existing as a standalone romance arc.
• The Reliant functions as both a faction name and the name of the vessel that serves as their operational base, making the ship itself a character in the narrative.
• The Coe siblings' dynamic—Sam's public-facing charisma contrasted with Barret's quieter, burdened leadership—mirrors the faction's broader theme of balancing institutional duty with personal loyalty.
• The Reliant's role in Starfield's political landscape is deliberately distinct from the other major factions, occupying a diplomatic and logistical niche rather than a military or scientific one.