How do mission timers work in Zero Company?

A Cycle is the campaign unit of time: each Cycle begins after you return to the Den after completing a Mission. A timer on the Holotable is a number of Cycles, and it can mean one of three things — the activity can expire, an activity that is already running is about to complete, or a Critical Mission is about to become mandatory.

What does "Expires in 1 Cycle" mean?

The activity is available now and can be removed once the campaign advances. Spending the next Cycle elsewhere risks the opportunity rather than delaying it.

What does "Completes in 1 Cycle" mean?

It means the activity is already underway and finishes when the campaign advances. The game ships 16 objective strings with an exact countdown, and 15 of them read "1 Cycle remaining to complete" — none of those is an expiration warning.

Do Operations advance the Cycle?

No. Operations are handled at the Holotable inside the current Cycle. The Cycle is what happens around a Mission, which is why a full round of Operations does not spend the timer you are watching.

Do Tactical Missions advance the Cycle?

Yes. A Cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission, so every Tactical Mission you launch moves the campaign clock forward.

Yes. 11 of the 20 activities the current data records as able to expire are Missions, and the rest are Operations. An explicit expiration state is stored in the campaign data; an exact number of Cycles is not always stored with it.

Can Operations expire?

Yes. Both Missions and Operations can expire, and several Operations appear in the campaign logic with an expired state. Completion is a different state: an Operation can also resolve rather than be removed.

Can Critical Missions expire?

Not in the same way. Story-critical activity becomes obligatory rather than disappearing. The game states that Critical Missions are required to advance the campaign and that you must launch one when it reaches 1 Cycle remaining.

Do story missions disappear?

The Main Story route does not quietly disappear; it becomes mandatory. Optional and Crisis activity is what is recorded as able to expire.

Can Hero Missions expire?

Yes. The 11 Missions with an explicit expiration state are all Hero Missions, which is why an Operator-authored mission is usually the one worth reading the timer on.

Can Companion Missions be missed?

A Companion or Hero Mission can expire, and it can also sit in front of a follow-up that expires in turn. Treat the displayed timer as the maximum window rather than as a guarantee.

Why did my mission disappear?

Only one of the reasons is an expiration: the timer reached zero. The others are a Critical Mission becoming obligatory, an unresolved prerequisite, a mutually exclusive branch being resolved, or the Operator the activity was tied to leaving the roster.

Why can't I find the 1-Cycle Mission?

Check whether the chip says "Completes" rather than "Expires". A completion countdown belongs to an Operation that is already running, so there is no new Mission to select — you are watching something finish.

Is a 1-Cycle Operation about to expire?

Look at the verb. Every exact countdown in the current data is a completion timer, including the 15 that read "1 Cycle remaining to complete". A separate expiration state is what marks an activity as able to be removed.

What is the difference between a Cycle and a turn?

A Cycle is campaign time and changes which activity is available. A turn is a round of combat inside a Mission and cannot remove anything from the Holotable. The two are stored as separate fields.

Can two Missions expire at the same time?

They can share the same closing window. The page does not rank one above the other; it prints what is unique to each and compares them against the goal you are playing for.

Can I do every timed Mission?

No. Not every Mission and Operation in a campaign can be completed in a single run, so some content closing is intended design rather than a scheduling failure.

When does a follow-up Mission timer start?

The current data records follow-ups as dependency edges — the follow-up lists the earlier activity as a completed prerequisite — but it does not state the Cycle the timer starts on. This page shows the relationship and leaves the start point unstated.

Does a Mission timer start before it appears?

The campaign logic connects an earlier Operation to the later Mission, so delaying the prerequisite can leave less window for what it unlocks. Whether the later timer begins before the activity is visible is not stated in the current data, so it is not printed as a fact.

Should I wait until the final Cycle?

There is no safe final-Cycle habit. A timer that is not an expiration still becomes urgent when a Critical Mission or a forced campaign state takes the Cycle you were saving. Read the timer first, then decide what advancing the campaign actually changes.

Campaign timer interpretation

How Mission & Operation Timers Work in STAR WARS Zero Company

A Cycle number on the Holotable does not tell you what the timer means on its own. The same "1 Cycle" chip can mean an opportunity is about to be removed, an Operation is about to pay out, or a Critical Mission is about to stop being optional. This page reads the timer before you act on it.

Not Every “1 Cycle” Timer Means the Same Thing

EXPIRES IN 1 CYCLE

An opportunity is closing

The activity is available now, and it can be removed once the campaign advances.

Advance the campaign and the opportunity disappears.

COMPLETES IN 1 CYCLE

An activity is finishing

The activity is already underway. The countdown is time to completion, not time to removal.

Advance the campaign and the result resolves.

BECOMES MANDATORY

A Critical Mission is closing in

Story-critical activity is running out of patience rather than out of existence.

You lose the freedom to choose another Tactical Mission.

✦ Only the first of the three can be lost. A completion timer is a payout arriving, and a Critical Mission deadline is a restriction on your next choice rather than a deletion.

Timer types

Cycle Timer vs Combat Turn Timer

Three different counters all get called a mission timer. Only two of them are campaign timers.

Timer	Where	What it counts	Failure result
Cycle timer	Campaign layer	Cycles are a unit of time across STAR WARS Zero Company's campaign. Each cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission.	The Mission or Operation changes availability.
Completion timer	Campaign layer	How long an activity that is already running needs before it finishes.	None — it resolves instead of being lost.
Combat turn limit	Tactical battle	A round of combat inside a Mission. The game labels this field "Turns" on the Mission Details panel.	The objective fails for that Mission, not the campaign availability.

When a Cycle advances

Cycles are a unit of time across STAR WARS Zero Company's campaign. Each cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission.

What is on the Holotable

The Holotable shows all available Operations and Tactical Missions for the current Cycle.

✦ A "mission timer" can mean either of the first two. A "turn limit" is the third and never removes anything from the Holotable. The two are stored separately, so a Combat turn limit is never read as a Cycle deadline.

First reading

What Does “Expires in X Cycles” Mean?

This is the only reading that costs you an opportunity.

1AvailableThe activity is on the Holotable now.
2Expires in 2 CyclesThe chip counts down as the campaign advances.
3Expires in 1 CycleThe last window is open.
4RemovedThe activity is no longer offered.

EXPIRES IN 1 CYCLE

If you launch another Tactical Mission, this activity will no longer be available.

20 activities in the current data carry an expiration state: 11 Missions and 9 Operations.

No generic numeric mission-expiration duration field was recovered from the selected assets. Do not infer per-mission cycle deadlines except where an asset explicitly encodes a one-cycle objective.

✦ The chip format is shipped text: the game prints {N} Cycle or {N} Cycles under an EXPIRES IN header. The 2-then-1 walk in the diagram shows the counting direction only — the current data does not carry a generic per-activity duration to fill it with.

Mission database →Campaign walkthrough →

Second reading

“Completes in 1 Cycle” Does Nothing to Your Availability

A completion countdown belongs to something already running. It is a payout arriving, not a warning.

1Activity runningThe Operation is already underway.
2Completes in 1 CycleThe countdown is time to resolution.
3Campaign advancesOne Cycle passes.
4Result resolvesThe outcome, reward or follow-up state is applied.

COMPLETES IN 1 CYCLE

The activity is underway. One Cycle later the result, reward or follow-up state is applied.

16 shipped objective strings carry a countdown and 15 of them read "1 Cycle remaining to complete". None of them is an expiration warning.

Expiration is amber and completion is neutral on this site on purpose. They are not two shades of the same countdown.

Every exact countdown in the current data

These are the shipped objective strings that carry a number. Each one sits on an Operation that is already in progress.

Back Channels
Scouting Storm Basin: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Background Check
Awaiting mystery client's transmission: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Cast a Dark Shadow
Investigating Rhy Cesca: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Enemy of My Enemy
Investigating Vull Quist: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Gather Leads
Analyzing intelligence on the Coil: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Hot Property
Seeking thermal shields on Shu-Torun: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Jedi On The Case
Awaiting Tel-Rea's intel on the Coil: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Job Ain't Done
Searching Zone Esk for Fathom: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Listening In
Scouting Cindermoor Station: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Murmurs
Investigating shipyards to locate Fathom's base: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Rhy Cesca
Researching secret Umbaran-Republic meeting: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Smugglers' Manifest
Analyzing Courtsilius smugglers' manifest: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Smugglers' Manifest II
Searching for leads on Courtsilius: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Studying igneous tunnels
Studying igneous tunnels: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE
Studying igneous tunnels
Studying igneous tunnels: 2 Cycles remaining
2 CYCLES
Underworld Intel
Tracking Fathom to Aleen: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
1 CYCLE

Intel and Operations →

Third reading

What Happens When a Critical Mission Timer Reaches Zero?

Story-critical activity does not disappear. It stops being optional.

1Critical Mission availableIt sits on the Holotable like any other Mission.
2Timer progressesThe countdown keeps running while you resolve other activity.
31 Cycle remainingThis is the point the game states you must launch it.
4ObligatoryOther Tactical Mission choices stop being available until it is handled.

CRITICAL MISSION

Critical Missions are required to advance the campaign. When they reach 1 cycle remaining you must launch this mission.

A Critical Mission is not an opportunity that quietly disappears. It becomes a restriction: the campaign stops offering you a free choice of Tactical Mission until it is launched.

The Main Story route contains 13 Missions, and the game labels them as Critical Missions.

✦ On the Holotable these are listed as Main Missions and carry the narrative icon. The in-game keyword for the same class is Critical Mission. The tooltip the game ships reads: "Critical Missions are required to advance the campaign. When they reach 1 cycle remaining you must launch this mission."

Optional Expiry vs Mandatory Story Progression

Optional activity

WILL DISAPPEAR

• An Optional Mission or an Operation loses its slot on the Holotable.
• Nothing else changes: the campaign keeps running.
• This is the only kind of timer that costs you content outright.

Critical Mission

WILL BECOME MANDATORY

• A story-critical Mission stays in the campaign instead of leaving it.
• At 1 Cycle remaining it has to be launched.
• The cost is the Tactical Mission choice you wanted to make instead.

✦ Both of these are printed as a Cycle countdown, and they are not the same event. Writing "Expires" over a Critical Mission hides the difference the player needs.

The catch

Remaining Cycles ≠ Guaranteed Free Deployments

A 4-Cycle timer is four Cycles of campaign time. It is not four guaranteed free choices of Tactical Mission.

A Critical Mission can become obligatory and take a Cycle you had planned to spend elsewhere.
A Crisis or scripted campaign state can consume a Cycle without being on your list.
An Operation can gate the next Main Story Mission, so the Cycle you spend elsewhere can move the story window too.

Read the timer as remaining campaign time. Whether that time is actually free depends on what the campaign forces on you in between.

Why a 4-Cycle Companion Mission Can Still Be Urgent

4 CYCLES LEFTNominal windowThe chip says 4 Cycles.
3 CYCLES LEFTMandatory story eventA Critical Mission becomes obligatory and takes the Cycle.
2 CYCLES LEFTCrisis or forced decisionA campaign state consumes a Cycle that was never offered as a choice.
1 CYCLES LEFTOne practical free deployment leftThe timer still reads 1 Cycle, and there is nothing left to spend it on.

This is not an argument to rush every Companion Mission the moment it appears. It is an argument to treat the displayed timer as the maximum, not the plan.

Injuries and the Medbay →Permadeath Guide →

Chains

Does This Activity Unlock More Timed Content?

Some timers are attached to a chain rather than to a single activity, so the way you spend an earlier Cycle can change a later window.

TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Best Served Cold→Without Honor or Humanity
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Buy Cheap, Never Sleep→Kith and Kin
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Comm Relay Search→Kith and Kin
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Contact Sawtooth→No Clone Left Behind
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Distress Call→You Can't Go Home Again
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Kinro Decryption→Distress Call
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Lord of Betrayal→No Kings, No Masters
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Opportunity Knocking→Buy Cheap, Never Sleep
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Shu-Torun Sympathizers→You Can't Go Home Again
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Sullust Search→Lord of Betrayal
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Umbaran Expertise→No Kings, No Masters
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.
TIMED FOLLOW-UP
Weak Spot→No Kings, No Masters
The follow-up is recorded as able to expire, so the window it gets depends on when the prerequisite resolves.

Chains in the current data

12 of them lead to an activity that is itself recorded as able to expire.

The chain is dependency evidence: the follow-up records the earlier activity as a completed prerequisite. It is not a claim about how many Cycles the follow-up will get.

Consequences

What Do You Lose When a Mission Expires?

The honest answer is a graph, not a sentence. This is the shape of it, and the checker below fills it in for one activity.

Direct loss

The activity itself — the scene, the deployment and the opportunity to resolve it.

Possible connected loss

A linked decision, achievement, Operator progression, Bond or follow-up activity.

Not a unique loss

Credits, Capacitors and other generic resources still arrive from other sources.

✦ Expiring does not mean the reward is gone forever. It means this opportunity for it is gone. A generic resource is replaceable; a scene, a choice and a follow-up are not.

Credits sources →Den upgrades →

Database

Browse Timed Activities

Everything the timing layer has something to say about, with the strength of the evidence printed next to it.

TimerTypeOperatorImpact

63 of 63 activities

20 expire · 14 complete · 13 critical

Best Served Cold
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks Without Honor or Humanity
Mission guide →
Buy Cheap, Never Sleep
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Opportunity Knocking
Unlocks Kith and Kin
Mission guide →
Distress Call
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Kinro Decryption
Unlocks You Can't Go Home Again
Mission guide →
Kith and Kin
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Buy Cheap, Never Sleep, Comm Relay Search
Mission guide →
Lord of Betrayal
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Sullust Search
Unlocks No Kings, No Masters
Mission guide →
No Clone Left Behind
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Contact Sawtooth
Mission guide →
No Kings, No Masters
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Lord of Betrayal, Umbaran Expertise, Weak Spot
Mission guide →
Origin of Infection
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Mission guide →
Sisters
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Mission guide →
Without Honor or Humanity
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Best Served Cold
Mission guide →
You Can't Go Home Again
Hero Mission
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Depends on Distress Call, Shu-Torun Sympathizers
Mission guide →
Contact Sawtooth
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks No Clone Left Behind
Jedi Holocron
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Kinro Decryption
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks Distress Call
Opportunity Knocking
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks Buy Cheap, Never Sleep
Rawn's Fate
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Rawn's Path
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Sullust Search
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks Lord of Betrayal
Weak Spot
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks No Kings, No Masters
Where's Geryon?
Optional Operation
ExpiresKnown to expire
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Behind Enemy Lines
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Behind Enemy Lines
Depends on Quid Pro Quo
Mission guide →
Casualties of War
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Casualties of War
Depends on Strange Bedfellows
Mission guide →
Dark Waters
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Dark Waters
Depends on Loose Lips
Mission guide →
Deep Cover
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Deep Cover
Mission guide →
Eavesdropping
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Eavesdropping
Mission guide →
Enemy Intelligence
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Enemy Intelligence
Mission guide →
Not Your Turf
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Not Your Turf
Mission guide →
Smugglers' Den
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Smugglers' Den
Depends on Our Jedi Friend
Mission guide →
Stillwatch
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Stillwatch
Mission guide →
Strike Action
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Strike Action
Mission guide →
The Infinite Coil
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: The Infinite Coil
Depends on Knock Knock
Mission guide →
The Serolonis Job
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Mission guide →
Unfinished Business
Main Story · CRITICAL MISSION
Becomes mandatoryRelationship only
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Mission: Unfinished Business
Depends on Chut Chut, Pateesa
Mission guide →
Back Channels
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Scouting Storm Basin: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Back Channels
Background Check
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Awaiting mystery client's transmission: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Background Check
Cast a Dark Shadow
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Investigating Rhy Cesca: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Cast a Dark Shadow
Enemy of My Enemy
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Investigating Vull Quist: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Enemy of My Enemy
Gather Leads
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Analyzing intelligence on the Coil: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Gather Leads
Hot Property
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Seeking thermal shields on Shu-Torun: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Hot Property
Jedi On The Case
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Awaiting Tel-Rea's intel on the Coil: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Jedi on the Case
Job Ain't Done
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Searching Zone Esk for Fathom: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Job Ain't Done
Listening In
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Scouting Cindermoor Station: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Listening In
Murmurs
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Investigating shipyards to locate Fathom's base: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Murmurs
Rhy Cesca
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Researching secret Umbaran-Republic meeting: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Rhy Cesca
Smugglers' Manifest
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Analyzing Courtsilius smugglers' manifest: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Smugglers' Manifest
Smugglers' Manifest II
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Searching for leads on Courtsilius: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Smugglers' Manifest II
Underworld Intel
Main Operation
Completes in 1 CycleVerified countdown
Tracking Fathom to Aleen: 1 Cycle remaining to complete
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Underworld Intel
Chut Chut, Pateesa
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Chut Chut, Pateesa
Unlocks Unfinished Business
Comm Relay Search
Optional Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks Kith and Kin
Gorga's Revenge
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Gorga's Revenge
Gorga's Suspicions
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Gorga's Suspicions
Ingress Oblige
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Ingress Oblige
Knock Knock
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Knock Knock
Unlocks The Infinite Coil
Loose Lips
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Loose Lips
Unlocks Dark Waters
Operation Trick
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Operation Trick
Our Jedi Friend
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Our Jedi Friend
Unlocks Smugglers' Den
Payback
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Payback
Pick Your Poison
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Pick Your Poison
Quid Pro Quo
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Quid Pro Quo
Unlocks Behind Enemy Lines
Shu-Torun Sympathizers
Optional Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks You Can't Go Home Again
Strange Bedfellows
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: Strange Bedfellows
Unlocks Casualties of War
The Ossic Hand
Main Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Campaign objective: Launch Operation: The Ossic Hand
Umbaran Expertise
Optional Operation
No timerNo verified timer
No exact Cycle count is recorded for this activity.
Unlocks No Kings, No Masters

Single activity

Check One Activity Before You Advance

Pick an activity from the timed database and read what the current data actually says about it.

Activity

Hero Mission

Best Served Cold

NOT SAFELY — THIS CAN EXPIREKnown to expire

• This activity is recorded as able to expire, so the campaign advancing is what takes it away.
• The number of Cycles remaining is not stated in the current data, so there is no safe count to wait on.

This answer only covers the known timer. A mandatory event or hidden follow-up is not predicted unless the data records it.

What Do You Lose If It Expires?

Unique to this activity

✓ The Best Served Cold mission itself
✓ Operator progression for Cly Kullervo
✓ Follow-up activity: Without Honor or Humanity

Replaceable

None recorded.

Still unknown

The exact number of Cycles before this activity is removed
Whether a hidden prerequisite changes the window

Follow-up timer

TIMED FOLLOW-UP

Resolving this late can shrink the window the follow-up gets, because the follow-up is recorded as able to expire.

Without Honor or Humanity — recorded as able to expire

Why Did This Activity Disappear?

Its timer reached zero
The activity was available and the campaign advanced past its window. This is the only case that is a plain expiration.
A Critical Mission became obligatory
Story-critical activity took the Tactical Mission slot, so the choice you were planning was not offered.
Its prerequisite was never resolved
The activity had not become available yet, or its prerequisite activity expired first.
Another mutually exclusive activity was resolved
Where the campaign offers competing outcomes, resolving one can close the other. This is a branch resolution rather than an expiration.
The Operator behind it left the roster
Hero activity is tied to an Operator. Losing or dismissing that Operator closes the chain.

What the data says about Best Served Cold

• This activity is recorded as able to expire.
• It is tied to Cly Kullervo.

Only the first reason is an expiration. Treating all five as "I forgot to do it" is what makes the timers feel inconsistent.

Tradeoff

What If Two Activities Expire at the Same Time?

This page will not rank the two activities for you. It prints what is unique to each, then compares them against the run you are playing.

Activity AActivity B

Your goal

Best Served Cold

Unique

The Best Served Cold mission itself
Operator progression for Cly Kullervo
Follow-up activity: Without Honor or Humanity

Replaceable

None recorded.

Buy Cheap, Never Sleep

Unique

The Buy Cheap, Never Sleep mission itself
Operator progression for Kabb Uppercut
Follow-up activity: Kith and Kin
1 linked decision

Replaceable

Capacitors — obtainable from other sources

On the current data both activities preserve a comparable amount of unique content. The tradeoff is a preference call rather than a data call.

If you advance the campaign with both unresolved, Buy Cheap, Never Sleep is the one recorded as at risk.

✦ This page does not label a winner. It prints what is unique to each activity so the tradeoff is visible, then ranks by the goal you select.

Choice Solver →

Reference

Mission Timer Cheat Sheet

The five words on this page that share the same Cycle chip, and what each one actually means.

EXPIRES IN: The activity can be removed once the campaign advances far enough.
COMPLETES IN: The activity is already running and is resolving, not being removed.
CRITICAL MISSION: Story-critical activity, labelled by the game as a Critical Mission.
OBLIGATORY: The campaign requires it, so other Tactical Mission choices stop being offered.
CYCLE: Cycles are a unit of time across STAR WARS Zero Company's campaign. Each cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission.
TURN: A round of combat inside a Mission. It never removes anything from the Holotable.

✦ If a chip says "Completes", nothing is about to be lost. If it says "Expires", the opportunity is the thing at stake. If it is a Critical Mission, the thing at stake is your next choice.

The game prints expiration and completion with the same chip: N missions are expiring. N tasks are expiring.

Questions

Mission Timer FAQ

How do mission timers work in Zero Company?
A Cycle is the campaign unit of time: each Cycle begins after you return to the Den after completing a Mission. A timer on the Holotable is a number of Cycles, and it can mean one of three things — the activity can expire, an activity that is already running is about to complete, or a Critical Mission is about to become mandatory.
What does "Expires in 1 Cycle" mean?
The activity is available now and can be removed once the campaign advances. Spending the next Cycle elsewhere risks the opportunity rather than delaying it.
What does "Completes in 1 Cycle" mean?
It means the activity is already underway and finishes when the campaign advances. The game ships 16 objective strings with an exact countdown, and 15 of them read "1 Cycle remaining to complete" — none of those is an expiration warning.
Do Operations advance the Cycle?
No. Operations are handled at the Holotable inside the current Cycle. The Cycle is what happens around a Mission, which is why a full round of Operations does not spend the timer you are watching.
Do Tactical Missions advance the Cycle?
Yes. A Cycle begins after returning to the Den after completing a Mission, so every Tactical Mission you launch moves the campaign clock forward.
Can Missions expire?
Yes. 11 of the 20 activities the current data records as able to expire are Missions, and the rest are Operations. An explicit expiration state is stored in the campaign data; an exact number of Cycles is not always stored with it.
Can Operations expire?
Yes. Both Missions and Operations can expire, and several Operations appear in the campaign logic with an expired state. Completion is a different state: an Operation can also resolve rather than be removed.
Can Critical Missions expire?
Not in the same way. Story-critical activity becomes obligatory rather than disappearing. The game states that Critical Missions are required to advance the campaign and that you must launch one when it reaches 1 Cycle remaining.
What happens when a Critical Mission timer reaches zero?
It becomes obligatory. The campaign requires it to be launched, which is what stops you choosing another Tactical Mission instead. That is a restriction on your next Cycle rather than a loss of content.
Do story missions disappear?
The Main Story route does not quietly disappear; it becomes mandatory. Optional and Crisis activity is what is recorded as able to expire.
Can Hero Missions expire?
Yes. The 11 Missions with an explicit expiration state are all Hero Missions, which is why an Operator-authored mission is usually the one worth reading the timer on.
Can Companion Missions be missed?
A Companion or Hero Mission can expire, and it can also sit in front of a follow-up that expires in turn. Treat the displayed timer as the maximum window rather than as a guarantee.
Why did my mission disappear?
Only one of the reasons is an expiration: the timer reached zero. The others are a Critical Mission becoming obligatory, an unresolved prerequisite, a mutually exclusive branch being resolved, or the Operator the activity was tied to leaving the roster.
Why can't I find the 1-Cycle Mission?
Check whether the chip says "Completes" rather than "Expires". A completion countdown belongs to an Operation that is already running, so there is no new Mission to select — you are watching something finish.
Is a 1-Cycle Operation about to expire?
Look at the verb. Every exact countdown in the current data is a completion timer, including the 15 that read "1 Cycle remaining to complete". A separate expiration state is what marks an activity as able to be removed.
What is the difference between a Cycle and a turn?
A Cycle is campaign time and changes which activity is available. A turn is a round of combat inside a Mission and cannot remove anything from the Holotable. The two are stored as separate fields.
Can two Missions expire at the same time?
They can share the same closing window. The page does not rank one above the other; it prints what is unique to each and compares them against the goal you are playing for.
Can I do every timed Mission?
No. Not every Mission and Operation in a campaign can be completed in a single run, so some content closing is intended design rather than a scheduling failure.
When does a follow-up Mission timer start?
The current data records follow-ups as dependency edges — the follow-up lists the earlier activity as a completed prerequisite — but it does not state the Cycle the timer starts on. This page shows the relationship and leaves the start point unstated.
Does a Mission timer start before it appears?
The campaign logic connects an earlier Operation to the later Mission, so delaying the prerequisite can leave less window for what it unlocks. Whether the later timer begins before the activity is visible is not stated in the current data, so it is not printed as a fact.
Should I wait until the final Cycle?
There is no safe final-Cycle habit. A timer that is not an expiration still becomes urgent when a Critical Mission or a forced campaign state takes the Cycle you were saving. Read the timer first, then decide what advancing the campaign actually changes.

What Should You Do Next?

Understand Zero Company mission timers, expiration and cycle rules. Learn the difference between Expires in 1 Cycle, Completes in 1 Cycle and Critical missions becoming mandatory, and see what you may lose before advancing time.

Beginner guide →

How Mission & Operation Timers Work in STAR WARS Zero Company

Not Every “1 Cycle” Timer Means the Same Thing

What do you need to answer?

Cycle Timer vs Combat Turn Timer

What Does “Expires in X Cycles” Mean?

“Completes in 1 Cycle” Does Nothing to Your Availability

Every exact countdown in the current data

What Happens When a Critical Mission Timer Reaches Zero?

Optional Expiry vs Mandatory Story Progression

Remaining Cycles ≠ Guaranteed Free Deployments

Why a 4-Cycle Companion Mission Can Still Be Urgent

Does This Activity Unlock More Timed Content?

What Do You Lose When a Mission Expires?

Browse Timed Activities

What Changes If I End This Cycle?

Check One Activity Before You Advance

What Do You Lose If It Expires?

Follow-up timer

Why Did This Activity Disappear?

What If Two Activities Expire at the Same Time?

Mission Timer Cheat Sheet

Mission Timer FAQ

What Should You Do Next?