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Attack on the Ghost

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The title of this article is conjectural.

Although this article is based on canonical information, the actual name of this subject is pure conjecture.

"Kanan, we have a small situation here. If you'd care to blast one of those TIEs out of the galaxy, I don't think anyone would object."
―Hera Syndulla, to Kanan Jarrus[2]

In 5 BBY, the rebel VCX-100 light freighter the Ghost came under surprise attack by at least four TIE/ln space superiority starfighters in a trap set by the Galactic Empire. Kanan Jarrus, one of the rebel leaders and a former Jedi Padawan, came up with a plan to attack what he and the Spectres believed was an Imperial cargo convoy. In reality, it was a trap where the TIE fighters were waiting for them.

Outnumbered and sustaining damage from the remaining TIEs, Jarrus and rebel Captain Hera Syndulla struggled to work together as a communication disruption aboard the Ghost prevented the two from effectively coordinating their responses to the attack. Their astromech droid, C1-10P—or "Chopper"—ultimately saved the day by using the Ghost's auxiliary ship, the Phantom, to destroy the remaining TIE fighters that Jarrus, who had already destroyed two of the fighters with the Ghost's turret cannon, had been unable to finish off. This allowed the Spectres to escape and continue carrying out their activities, part of a growing insurgency against the Empire.

Sometime later, the Ghost traveled to Osisis Station for repairs, where Syndulla was forced into a high-stakes race against station owner Galus Vez in the hopes of securing the parts needed to repair the damage from the attack. With help from Jarrus and his new Padawan, Ezra Bridger, she won the race and secured the parts needed for the ship's repairs.

Prelude[]

"We started by wanting to fight the Empire. Somebody had to do something about the terror and injustice they're spreading across the galaxy."
―Kanan Jarrus[5]
Kanan Chopper and Hera

Kanan Jarrus, Chopper, and Hera Syndulla aboard the Ghost.

In the years prior to the official beginning of the Galactic Civil War,[6] the conflict in which the Alliance to Restore the Republic declared open war against the Galactic Empire, early opposition toward the Empire's galactic rule manifested as a growing insurgency consisting of various cells and factions.[7] One of these cells was the Spectres, which formed on the Outer Rim world Lothal[8] in 5 BBY.[9] Led by Captain Hera Syndulla, a Twi'lek pilot and freedom fighter, and former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, the Spectres engaged in several operations aboard their VCX-100 light freighter, the Ghost. This included attacks on Imperial facilities[8] and a series of raids against Imperial supply ships.[10]

The attack[]

"As I recall, raiding an Imperial convoy was your plan, love."
"Well, it made sense at the time."
―Syndulla and Jarrus[2]

In 5 BBY,[4] the Spectres' C1-series astromech droid C1-10P, nicknamed "Chopper," deciphered what the Ghost crew believed was Imperial Military communications chatter that cargo ships near the Ghost were transporting minerals used to build the Imperial war machine. Not content to ignore an opportunity that could strike a blow against the Empire, Jarrus devised a plan in which he, Syndulla, and Chopper would take the Ghost on a raid against the supply convoy in the Outer Rim.[3]

Imperial convoy raid

The Ghost being pursued by TIE fighters during the surprise attack.

In reality, there was no convoy—the entire operation was a trap to lure unsuspecting rebels into the hands of the Empire. At least four TIE/ln space superiority starfighters were waiting for the Ghost when it arrived at the coordinates.[3] A dogfight ensued, during which Syndulla piloted the ship while Jarrus manned the turret cannon. During the fight, the TIE fighters gained the upper hand over the Ghost crew and managed to inflict damage on the ship's deflector shield. Despite the damage, as the pursuit progressed, Jarrus managed to shoot down two of the TIE fighters.[2]

Syndulla ordered Chopper, who was in the cockpit with her, to repair the deflector shield, while the TIEs continued their assault and knocked out the Ghost's communication system. Unable to contact Jarrus, she redirected Chopper to restore the comms instead and to tell Jarrus to improve his accuracy against the TIE fighters. When Chopper relayed this to Jarrus, the Jedi gave a contradictory order, instructing the droid to continue repairing the shields and to tell Syndulla to "fly better." Annoyed after Chopper relayed the order and message, Syndulla took matters into her own hands, maneuvering the ship to destroy one of the two remaining TIE fighters. She then ordered Chopper to tell Jarrus to take out the last fighter. Frustrated with the back-and-forth, Chopper instead piloted the Ghost's auxiliary ship, the Phantom, and used its laser cannons to eliminate the final TIE fighter.[2]

Aftermath[]

"If you flew a little bit better we wouldn't have gotten damaged in the first place."
"Really? So says the guy whose idea it was to raid an Imperial supply yard and who couldn't hit a TIE fighter ten meters away."
"Hey, I got them all…eventually."
―Kanan Jarrus and Hera Syndulla discuss the attack on the Ghost[11]

The defeat of the TIE fighters lowered the tension aboard the Ghost, where Syndulla and Jarrus complimented one another for destroying three of the fighters while thanking Chopper, who returned to the ship, for taking out the last one. Syndulla instructed Chopper to repair the deflector shields and communication systems as the Ghost jumped into hyperspace, on their way to continue their resistance against the Empire.[2]

Later that year,[12] the crew of the Ghost—which had come to include Ezra Bridger,[11] a Force-sensitive orphan from Lothal who became Jarrus' Padawan[13]—headed for Osisis Station, a space station in the Regani sector owned by a Besalisk parts dealer named Galus Vez.[11] Although the Ghost had taken Imperial fire on other missions,[13] their travel to Osisis Station was intended to repair damage suffered during the TIE fighter trap[14]—an encounter that Syndulla, who referred to the intended target as a supply yard, and Jarrus continued to lightly banter back and forth about.[11]

Splendor cockpit

Galus Vez, aboard the Splendour, races Syndulla and the Ghost.

By the time the Spectres arrived at the station, previous encounters with the rebels meant that the Empire had doubled its inspections on Osisis Station. Thus, Vez made the rebels a deal: Syndulla would have to race him in an event called the Fool's Run. If Vez won, he would take the Ghost. If Syndulla won, however, then the crew could take the parts they needed to repair the ship. The two began the race, but Vez used a thruster on an asteroid to damage the Ghost. Syndulla won the race with help from Jarrus and Bridger, both of whom used the Force to knock an asteroid towards Vez's Gauntlet fighter, the Splendour. Vez attempted to attack them for their victory, but the rebels fought back and overwhelmed Vez and his forces. As a result, Vez gave the crew the parts they needed to repair the Ghost.[11]

Behind the scenes[]

MachineintheGhost

Chopper was the central character of "The Machine in the Ghost"

The attack on the Ghost was the central plot of the Star Wars Rebels animated television short "The Machine in the Ghost,"[2] which premiered on August 11, 2014.[15] It first appeared in the young readers book Chopper Saves the Day by Elizabeth Schaefer[16] and the chapter book Rise of the Rebels by Michael Kogge,[3] which were both released on August 5, 2014, ahead of the short's premiere.[17][18] The Rebels short, the first in a four-part series, was part of the lead-up to the series premiere of Star Wars Rebels[15] on September 26, 2014.[15] Storyboards as well as footage from the short and the attack first appeared in the promotional video "Meet Chopper, Grumpy Astromech Droid," which introduced the character Chopper on January 28, 2014.[19]

The attack on the Ghost was later referenced in "Ring Race," a comic strip written by Martin Fisher[11] and published on January 28, 2015[20] in the first issue of Star Wars Rebels Magazine.[11] When asked on Twitter whether the raid on an Imperial supply yard mentioned in the story was the same as the raid referenced in "The Machine in the Ghost," Fisher stated that the two events were indeed the same and that the event from the short was the only reference he had for the animated series when he wrote the script for the comic.[14]

Concept art galleries[]

"The Machine in the Ghost"
Storyboards Concept art Digital renderings In-progress artwork

Appearances[]

This article has an associated index page with page numbers and/or timestamps.

Sources[]

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Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156 establishes the Star Wars Rebels episodes are written and aired in chronological order. As the same source places "Art Attack"—which features the attack on a Lothal airfield—as the next episode after "The Machine in the Ghost," which includes the attack on the Ghost, the airfield attack must occur chronologically afterward.
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 2.19 2.20 Star Wars Rebels — "The Machine in the Ghost"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Rise of the Rebels
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Star Wars Rebels Exclusive Clip Spotlights Conflict in Space by Eric Goldman on IGN (August 8, 2014) (backup link) establishes "The Machine in the Ghost" takes place five years before the events of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, which begins in 0 BBY according to Star Wars: Galactic Atlas.
  5. ↑ Star Wars Rebels: The Ultimate Guide
  6. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines establishes that the events of early Star Wars Rebels episodes took place in 5 BBY. "A Certain Point of View" — Star Wars Insider 203 states that the Galactic Civil War officially began at the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance, which Timelines dates to 2 BBY. This places the events of "The Machine in the Ghost," in which the attack on the Ghost occurred, as taking place prior to the Galactic Civil War.
  7. ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Call to Action"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide
  9. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
  10. ↑ Star Wars Rebels: Ghost Raid
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.4 11.5 11.6 "Ring Race" — Star Wars Rebels Magazine 1
  12. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Ring Race" to 5 BBY.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Martin Fisher (@tronprogram2) on Twitter (post): "yes it is :) It was the only reference I had for the show when I wrote the script." (screenshot)
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156
  16. ↑ Chopper Saves the Day
  17. ↑ Star Wars Rebels Chopper Saves the Day on Amazon.com (backup link)
  18. ↑ Disney.com Star Wars Rebels: Rise of the Rebels on Disney Publishing Worldwide's official website (backup link)
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 Meet Chopper, Grumpy Astromech Droid | Star Wars Rebels on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)
  20. ↑ EGMONT PUBLISHING LAUNCH STAR WARS REBELS on Egmont's official United Kingdom website (original link is obsolete)
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 Meet Hera, the Pilot | Star Wars Rebels on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)


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