- "Squadron up. Target: Eadu."
- ―General Davits Draven, to a Rebel technician
The mission to Eadu was a mission undertaken by the Alliance to Restore the Republic during Operation Fracture[2] to the planet Eadu to assassinate Galen Erso. Originally, the plan was for Captain Cassian Andor and Jyn Erso, aided by former Imperial droid K-2SO to capture Galen. Unbeknownst to Jyn, Andor had received orders from General Davits Draven, head of Alliance Intelligence, to assassinate Galen on the spot, fearing Galen knew too much about the situation.[1]
The mission[]
Background[]
During the course of Operation Fracture to find and assassinate Imperial scientist Galen Erso, the U-wing LMTR-20 carrying the Rogue One group crashed on the planet Eadu because of a rainstorm and the planet's harsh conditions. After losing contact with the team, whose leader Captain Cassian Andor was meant to execute Erso, General Davits Draven, part of Operation Fracture Oversight, ordered the launch of[1] Blue Squadron[6] which had been kept ready as a backup plan to directly attack the Eadu Energy Conversion Laboratory and kill Erso themselves. However, Draven had failed to realize that the group, although unable to communicate, could be in the strike zone.[1]
On the planet, Andor took defected Imperial transport pilot Bodhi Rook on a scouting run to identify a suitable vantage point from where to shoot Erso, hoping to complete his mission undisturbed by Galen's daughter Jyn Erso, who he believed would try to stop him from killing her father. However, Jyn deduced Andor's true intentions due to Andor's droid K-2SO off-handedly noting he brought a weapon with him in the sniper configuration and Chirrut Îmwe sensing the dark side influencing his actions. Despite being ordered to stay with the ship, Erso went after him and was soon followed by Îmwe and Baze Malbus.[1]
Just as Andor arrived at a vantage point with a view of the landing pad, the director of the project, Orson Callan Krennic, accompanied by a unit of death troopers, arrived at the planet on board shuttle[1] ST 149[2] to investigate a possible leak within the facility's science staff. He then ordered for the scientists to be brought out and ordered for the mole responsible for leaking the Death Star plans to step out, threatening to execute the entire staff if the one responsible failed to comply. Galen admitted he had been responsible, but Krennic nonetheless decided to have the science staff, save for Galen, executed anyway. Krennic then revealed the events of the destruction of Jedha City to Galen Erso, bragging about how he had been responsible.[1]
Incoming rebel ships[]

Captain Feroph's TIE Reaper evading fire from Rebellion fighters.
Before Andor could fire at Galen, he noticed Jyn on the landing platform, and a received a signal from K-2SO, who had contacted the Alliance, alerting him to the squadron's imminent arrival. Andor replied that Jyn was in the strike zone, and ordered K2 to call off the attack. Base One staff received the transmission and relayed it to General Draven, who ordered for the strike to be delayed; however, Blue Squadron had already engaged Eadu defenses.[1]
As the squadron, consisting of X-wings and Y-wings was entering the canyon leading to the Energy Conversion Laboratory, it was detected by perimeter defenses, which raised the alarm in the lab. Before the platform could be evacuated, the first wave of X-wings fired at the gates, killing several stormtroopers[1] of the 975th Battalion[2] who were standing guard before Krennic. As the second wave attacked the station, Krennic ordered for the base's fighters to be launched. At this point Jyn Erso made her way to the platform, calling for her father and drawing Krennic's attention, who drew his pistol against her. Before either could fire though the third fighter wave, consisting of Y-wing bombers dropped a bomb directly on the platforrm, killing several more stormtroopers, and mortally injuring Galen Erso.[1] Captain Feroph managed to evacuate from the base as the Rebel forces attacked via a TIE/rp Reaper attack lander.[8]
As the rebel ships were turning for another pass, base security led by Captain[1] Magna Tolvan[5] dispatched its fighter screen and activated the anti-aircraft gun above the main platform, shooting down two X-wings and driving the rest away. At the same time, Chirrut Îmwe, standing in a nearby hilltop, shot and damaged a TIE fighter, which crashed on top of the platform cannon, blowing it up. Krennic ultimately evacuated from the base just as the Rebel squadron was leaving Eadu.[1]
Aftermath[]
While such an open attack had been attempted[9] and even carried out in the past,[10] the open assault of the Eadu facility and the destruction the attack wrought were, nonetheless, major escalations in hostilities between the Empire and rebels, who had yet to enter open war[1] despite assorted bloody battles that had been waged across the galaxy;[10] after the Battle of Atollon, Alliance leader Mon Mothma had decided the rebellion was not yet ready for open war and continued to hope for a peaceful resolution, typically approving small-scale operations instead of outright destructive acts.[11]
Soon enough after the Eadu battle, open warfare would break out with the Battle of Scarif.[1] Due to her inability to ensure the security of the Eadu site, Captain Tolvan was assigned to a punishment duty on Yavin 4 shortly after the Battle of Yavin.[5]
Appearances[]
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (First appearance)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story novelization (and audiobook)
- Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel (and audiobook)
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Graphic Novel Adaptation
- Rogue One Adaptation 3
- Rogue One Adaptation 4
- Rogue One Adaptation 5 (Indirect mention only)
- "Grounded" — From a Certain Point of View (and audiobook) (Mentioned only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 4 (Indirect mention only)
- Doctor Aphra (2016) 14 (Indirect mention only)
Sources[]
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 1.27 1.28 1.29 1.30 1.31 1.32 1.33 1.34 1.35 1.36 1.37 1.38 1.39 1.40 1.41 1.42 1.43 1.44 1.45 1.46 1.47 1.48 1.49 1.50 1.51 1.52 1.53 Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Star Wars: The Rebel Files
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Doctor Aphra (2016) 4
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 "Grounded" — From a Certain Point of View
- ↑
Star Wars: Card Trader Set: 2020 Base Series, Card: Farns Monsbee
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3
Star Wars: X-Wing Miniatures Game — TIE Reaper Expansion Pack Card: Captain Feroph — TIE Reaper
- ↑
Star Wars Rebels — "Rebel Assault"
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 Battlefront: Twilight Company
- ↑
Star Wars Rebels — "In the Name of the Rebellion"