Buy Cheap Never Sleep Walkthrough Full Mission

This article explains how to complete the “Buy Cheap” mission in Star Wars: Zero Company, specifically the “Never Sleep” objective, which is a known point of difficulty for many players. You need to locate and hack three security terminals in the Imperial base without triggering a full alarm, and this walkthrough gives you the exact route, order, and timing to do it.

Formula

The calculator above is a general pace calculator that works out your average pace and speed from a finish time and distance. The formula for pace is:

Pace (min/km) = Total Time (minutes) ÷ Distance (km)

And for speed:

Speed (km/h) = Distance (km) ÷ (Total Time (minutes) ÷ 60)

Variables: t is the finish time in minutes, d is the distance in kilometers. The pace is shown in minutes per kilometer, and speed in kilometers per hour.

Worked Example

Using the default values from the calculator (t = 50 minutes, d = 10 km):

Pace = 50 ÷ 10 = 5.00 min/km

Speed = 10 ÷ (50 ÷ 60) = 10 ÷ 0.8333 = 12.00 km/h

So with a 50-minute finish over 10 km, your average pace is 5:00 per kilometer, and your average speed is 12 km/h.

Mission Background

“Buy Cheap” is a side mission in Star Wars: Zero Company, a fan-made mod for Star Wars: Empire at War that adds new units, missions, and mechanics. The mission is set on an Imperial-controlled planet where your small rebel cell must acquire a shipment of black-market weapons. The “Never Sleep” objective is a stealth sub-mission that appears after you make contact with a local smuggler. You are asked to infiltrate a small Imperial outpost and disable its security grid so the weapons can be smuggled past the patrols. The outpost has three terminals: one in the main command room, one in the barracks, and one in the generator room. The challenge is that the Imperial guards have randomized patrol routes, and if any guard spots you, the alarm is raised and the mission fails.

How the Stealth Mechanics Work

Stealth in Zero Company is based on line-of-sight and sound. Guards have a cone of vision, and they can hear footsteps if you run too close. Crouching reduces your visibility and sound radius. The “Never Sleep” objective requires you to hack all three terminals within a single alarm cycle. Once you hack a terminal, a countdown timer starts (about 90 seconds) before the next terminal resets. If the timer expires, you must start over. The terminals are always in the same locations, but the guard patrols are not. However, the patrol routes follow a few set patterns: one guard walks the central corridor, one stands near the barracks entrance, and one roams the generator room. You can observe the patterns from the vent shafts.

Step-by-Step Walkthrough

1. Enter the outpost through the ventilation shaft on the east side. Crouch and move to the first junction.
2. Wait for the corridor guard to pass the junction, then move to the command room door. Use a stun grenade (if you have one) to knock out the guard inside, or wait until he turns his back.
3. Hack the first terminal in the command room. It takes 5 seconds. Immediately leave and hide in the storage closet across the hall.
4. Move to the barracks after the corridor guard passes again. The barracks guard stands near the bunks. Crouch behind the crates and hack the second terminal.
5. Go to the generator room via the west corridor. The generator room guard has a fixed loop: he walks from the generator to the door and back. Time your entry when he is at the far end.
6. Hack the third terminal and immediately exit through the vent you came in. The security grid will be down for 2 minutes, which is enough for the smuggler to move the weapons.

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

• Running instead of crouching: Running makes noise that alerts guards even through walls. Always crouch when within 10 meters of a guard.
• Not using the minimap: The minimap shows guard positions as red dots. Use it to time your movements.
• Hacking terminals in the wrong order: The terminals must be hacked in the order: command room, barracks, generator. If you do the generator first, the timer resets and you have to redo it.
• Forgetting to close doors: Leaving doors open can alert patrolling guards. Close every door behind you.
• Ignoring the alarm state: If a guard spots you, the alarm goes off and you have 10 seconds to kill the guard and hide before reinforcements arrive. If you fail, reload the last save.

Tips for Success

• Bring at least two stun grenades. They are sold by the smuggler before the mission.
• Save your game right before entering the outpost. This allows quick retries.
• Use the “slow time” ability (if your character has it) to hack terminals while guards are distracted.
• If you are detected, you can still complete the objective by killing all guards within the outpost, but this raises the alarm level and makes the escape harder.

Alternative Approaches

If you have a character with high stealth skills, you can skip the stun grenades and just use crouch-walking. Another approach is to sabotage the generator first, which causes a power outage and makes guards move slower, but this also triggers a separate timer. The direct stealth route is the most reliable. Some players also use a distraction: throw a rock (if available) to lure a guard away from a terminal. This works, but the rock has a limited range and only works once per guard.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to complete “Buy Cheap” to finish the main story?

No, “Buy Cheap” is a side mission. It is not required for the main campaign, but it unlocks a unique weapon (the E-11 blaster rifle) and gives you a reputation boost with the smuggler faction.

Can I do the “Never Sleep” objective after finishing the main mission?

Yes, you can return to the outpost after the main story is complete. The guards will respawn, and you can attempt the objective again.

What happens if I fail the “Never Sleep” objective?

You can retry it as many times as you want. The mission does not fail permanently; you just need to leave the outpost and re-enter to reset the terminals.

Is there a way to make the guards disappear?

No, the guards are always present. You can only avoid them or knock them out temporarily. They will wake up after 30 seconds.

What is the best character for this mission?

A character with high stealth and hacking skills is ideal. The “Scout” class is recommended because it has a bonus to crouch movement speed and hacking speed.

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in t | Finish time | min | 50 | 0
in d | Distance | km | 10 | 0 | 100000
out pace | Average pace | min/km | t / d | 2
out speed | Average speed | km/h | d / (t / 60) | 2