Protocol 13

"The Empire has some new plan, as evidenced by Protocol 13… It is the immediate evacuation of all Imperial personnel from an occupied planet."

―Mon Mothma^[1]

Protocol 13 was an order for, when issued, the immediate recall of all personnel of the Galactic Empire to the base for a full evacuation from an occupied planet. Use of the order could be followed by devastating events the Empire would unleash upon a world, such as the destruction of Jedha City by the Death Star.

Protocol 13 was used by the First Order, where Allegiant General Enric Pryde activated it to evacuate the garrison on Kijimi in order to have the planet destroyed because Darth Sidious and his Sith Eternal cult from the dark planet of Exegol in the Unknown Regions wanted to send a message that the Resistance has lost the war.

History[]

"All Imperial forces have been evacuated and I stand ready to destroy the entire moon."
"That won't be necessary. We need a statement, not a manifesto. The Holy City will be enough for today."
"Target Jedha City. Prepare single reactor ignition."

―Orson Krennic and Wilhuff Tarkin^[5]

Protocol 13 was used during the reign of the Galactic Empire to for the immediate recall of personnel to the base for a full evacuation from an occupied planet prior to a devastating event. In 1 BBY, Alliance High Command discovered the Empire activated Protocol 13 on the planet Lothal. Knowing it meant Lothal had little time left, this revelation helped Captain Hera Syndulla persuade Alliance High Command to authorize her Attack to lead Phoenix Squadron to destroy the Imperial weapons factory on Lothal, where a dangerous new TIE Defender starfighter was in full scale production.^[1] It was activated on Lothal again by the rebel forces liberating the planet, to lure the garrison inside the Imperial Dome in Capital City before launching it into the air and activating its self-destruct. Despite the intervention of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the ploy was successful, resulting in the destruction of the Dome and the deaths of Governor Arihnda Pryce and the garrison.^[3]

Protocol 13 was activated by Director Orson Krennic on the holy moon of Jedha^[4] in 0 BBY,^[6] where the Empire tested a low-powered burst of the Death Star's superlaser. After the evacuation of most of the Imperial forces, a single reactor ignition from the Death Star destroyed Jedha City, taking with it about three percent of the Imperial forces stationed on the planet who were not able to evacuate.^[7] A short time later, during the Battle of Scarif, Protocol 13 was not used by the Death Star’s new skipper and Krennic’s rival Governor Wilhuff Tarkin when he ordered General Hurst Romodi to destroy the Imperial security complex on Scarif. This resulted in the deaths of Imperial personnel on the planet, including Krennic and the commander of the planet's garrison, General Sotorus Ramda.^[5]