STAR WARS Zero Company The Den

Why Kafrene

The Den sits on the Ring of Kafrene, a deep-space mining colony and trading outpost halfway between the Core and the Outer Rim. Canon first showed the Ring in Rogue One. Public framing: it is a crime-heavy backwater, which is why an off-books mercenary company can operate there without a Republic parade. Lore is flavor; the terminals are the job.

Talk first when Bonds are thin

Walking up to a squadmate is not a cutscene skip. Dialogue can move Bonds up or down and unlock background (Trick’s helmet scarring is the public example). Cross Training and combat reactions still want missions together — the Den talk is the other half. Details: bonds.

The room that actually sends you back to war is the Holotable.

Intel is spent here, not in combat

Intel fuels Operations and contacts on the galaxy map. Burning it all on one Operation when a timed node is about to expire is the usual leak. Full mission taxonomy: missions.

Do not Holotable on an injured four

The table will let you deploy. Medbay will not auto-fix anyone. Assign beds first — the facilities section below is the checklist the Holotable cannot see.

Cycles are why that order matters.

Operations still cost a Cycle slice

Operations do not put you on the isometric map, but they still spend Intel and can move Bonds, enemy upgrades, and Zone Influence. Treat them as a Cycle action, not a free pause-menu click.

Story still wants Hawks

Critical missions typically require Hawks plus up to three others. Custom mercenaries fill gaps; they do not replace Hawks on story nodes. Roster rules: operators.

The three rooms that make a Cycle legal are Recruitment, Armory, and Medbay.

Medbay does not auto-heal

Building or unlocking the Medical Facility is not treatment. Open the Medbay terminal, pick the squadmate, assign a bed. They will not recover just because the room exists. More beds come from upgrading Medbay at the Den upgrade terminal — extra beds are wasted until you actually have two Injuries at once.

Recruitment is how permadeath stays playable

Custom hires are fully customizable: species, clothing, voice, name, specialization. Authored Operators can still die (Hawks cannot). You will recruit replacements. That is the XCOM-shaped half of Zero Company, and it happens in this room — not on the Holotable.

Armory is loadout, not cosmetics

Weapon models and color schemes live here too, but mods change crit, damage, and status. You can even swap weapons mid-combat; class perks may still favor one specialization. Full AP table: weapons.

Credits spent on the wrong facility upgrade delay all three rooms. Priority is next.

One Medbay bed until you need two

Public play advice: do not buy extra beds “just in case.” One assigned bed covers a clean run. Buy the second when two Operators are actually queued. Crew Quarters is the other early spike — you cannot recruit if the roster is capped.

Black market is a Den level, not a street vendor

As The Den levels, a black-market source unlocks additional mods. Missions and Operations still drop mods. You do not have to max the market before you can field a legal four.

A Cycle checklist keeps the spend honest.

Credits order

Consumable-like needs first: Medbay if Injuries exist, Crew Quarters if you cannot hire, Weapon Mods slots if loot is clogged. Combat Readiness is a bonus on top of a living roster. We do not invent credit numbers — read the upgrade terminal.

Then go fight

The Den loop exists so combat has a legal four with treated Injuries. If you came here from a wipe, fix the roster before you open the Holotable again.