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Continuity & Analysis

Star Wars: Rebels - In the Name of the Rebellion (2017) [S4E3-4]
Saw Gerrera returns, determined to uncover an Imperial secret - no matter the cost.




CONTINUITY
These two episodes form a single storyline about Project Stardust.
The planet Jalindi is seen for the first time. Two worlds are seen in these episodes:

Episodes 1 through 13 of Season 4 take place in 7976 (1 BBY). The final three episodes of this series take place in 7977 (0 BBY).
This means there are only five storylines which take place in this entire calendar year, with the final three taking place in rapid
succession near the end of the year. This storyline beings not long after Episode 2, and based on the events, conversations,
and logical deductions regarding how the time was spent, the first storyline took place 3 to 6 months after the end of last
season and the Battle of Atollon. Therefore, this storyline takes place in the middle of 7976 (1 BBY), possibly even at
the midpoint of the calendar year. Ezra has now been Kanan's apprentice for at least three and a half years, possibly
as much as three and three quarters years.

- The Spectres who are returning from fighting on Mandalore have not previously been to Yavin 4. Kanan indicates that "the remnants
of Phoenix group are now a part of this cell", as their forces were severely diminished in the Battle of Atollon. The fact that there
has been time to fully integrate their forces and for Hera to be running missions suggests it has indeed been many months since.
Zeb and Hera's reactions also support this, although do not definitively indicate how long it has been.

- It has been about 7 to 9 months since the Alliance established its first headquarters on Dantooine. That was not a safe location in the long
term, and thus the headquarters was relocated to Massassi Base on Yavin 4 sometime since. According to supplementary material,
the Alliance founded the base after leaving Dantooine, which would seem to have been before 'Zero Hour' (S321-22), where
the Alliance has already relocated there. This suggests that the Rebels spent at most a month or two on Dantooine, and also
that General Dodonna's rebel cell must have been called something else before being renamed Massassi Group.


- In the event of a crash landing, angling forward deflectors to absorb some of the energy of the impact is apparently effective. This confirms
the assumption that one of the functions of deflectors is to deflect small matter during space flight, such as tiny grains of dust or small
rocks which would otherwise shred through a ship if impacted during the extreme velocities used. Unlike standard shields, deflectors
are one of the varieties of shield which prevent the passage of matter, as do ray shields and plasma shields.
Main Article: Shields, Deflectors, and Ray Shields

- Kallus was last seen in 'Zero Hour' (S321-22), which is presumed to have been about 4 to 6 months prior to this appearance. He has since been
made a Captain in the Alliance military, and seems to be sometimes functioning in an advisory role to Mon Mothma and Dodonna.
According to supplementary material, he is part of Rebel Intelligence, which would make sense as intelligence is his expertise.


What color are the pips on Captain Kallus' rank insignia? He is supposed to be part of Rebel Intelligence, which based on
Rogue One uses green rank insignia for all ranks below Colonel. The insignia animated for Kallas does not really appear
to be the stark green seen in that film, and actually looks similar to Hera's shoulder patch rank insignia, which has a light
blue appearance. This is correct, as blue is the color of Rebel fleet insignia, however once again her patch is not the stark
blue color seen in the original trilogy. Kallus' patch is probably intended to be the same color as Hera's which looks to be
more blue than it is green to most observers' eyes, but is indistinct enough not to answer anything. This is a tactic which
the confused creators of SW often use with details like rank insignia, as they seem to think that indistinct details are
better than continuity errors. This may be true, but its not as if it would be hard to get these kind of details right.
Main Article: Ranks and Rank Insignia


- Bail Organa seems to still be a sitting Imperial Senator. His statement about his "sources in the Senate" would make sense whether or not he was
still representing Alderaan. In Episode IV, 12 to 14 months after these events, Leia is the Senator from Alderaan. Senate delegations
often have more than one Senator, or other official Representatives, so it is probable that Leia is already serving, and probably taking
the lead role there so Bail can focus on the Rebellion. Supplementary material supports both of these conclusions.

- Establishing a new communication relay such as the large array the Empire installed in the Jalindi system, "greatly expands their command
and control throughout the surrounding sectors", which enables them to respond "much more quickly" to Rebel attacks in the vicinity.
This indicates that communications speed is limited by the power of the transmitter and the distance to a large relay stations. This makes
sense considering that the messages are being transmitted through hyperspace, and obviously take time to reach distant recipients.
Only by means of powerful relay stations can direct, two-way communication across the galaxy take place. The Empire also relies on
these stations, since their other assets are often moving in space. Transmitting updates directly to a relay station ensures the fastest
receipt of the message, and that the station will be able to rapidly contact their other assets in the area. This suggests that the Empire
is tracking their own ships, either by transponder or by regular communications signaling. Either way, the Rebels want to tap into this
relay, since they "could use it to monitor Imperial fleet movements", and then adjust their own operations to avoid them.
Main Article: Hyperspace Communication

- Saw Gerrera and his Partisans have split with the Rebel Alliance, at some point between 'Ghosts of Geonosis' (S3E12-13) and this storyline,
which was about a year prior to these events. The Alliance objects to Saw's tactics, suggesting he is known to "mistreat" prisoners, "target
civilians", and to "kill those who surrender." He is also said to "break every rule of engagement", which is assumed to mean he does
not follow the conventions on civilized warfare established by the Republic. Saw points out the Empire doesn't follow these either.

- Onderon, Ryloth, Montross, Lothal, and Chandrila are listed among those worlds currently under extreme Imperial occupation due to rebel
activity or elevated resistance there. It is possible Chandrila's situation is a recent development caused by Mon Mothma's sedition.

- Mon Mothma continues to support the position that the Alliance is "not ready for open war." There is disagreement about when the Civil War
actually begins, both amongst SW historians and amongst the ranks of Rebels in the galaxy in this time period. Some maintain that
the war had already begun with the rebellions, uprisings, and cell activity taking place between 7972 (5 BBY) and 7975 (2 BBY). Others
hold that the war began with Mon Mothma's declaration of the Rebel Alliance, or with the Battle of Atollon soon after, both taking place
late in 7975 (2 BBY). The other view is that the Civil War does not actually begin until 7977 (0 BBY) with the Battle of Scarif and the Battle
of Yavin, which is seen to be an attitude still held by some Rebels in Rogue One.

- In order to minimize the chances of detection over Jalindi, the Ghost approaches at a high altitude and deploys its strike team, then sort of
vacates the area. The plan is to "swoop back in below the outpost's sensors" during extraction. This suggests that sensors are limited by
line of sight, and of course by the orientation of their dishes. A high altitude will reduce the chances of the sensors establishing a trace,
and a low enough altitude will pass below the angle which the sensors are oriented to scan. This vulnerability is specific to an isolated
ground facility, and wouldn't apply to ships or an area of a planet with multiple scanning arrays at separate locations. The Ghost also
scrambles its signature, an ability demonstrated at a few places earlier in the series. They typically use this masking signal technology
to appear to be another ship, but in this instance they can also apparently cloak themselves from sensors with it. It is unclear how this
would work, perhaps there is a way to somehow make their energy signature appear to be that of a natural, non-energetic object.
The strike team is also able to avoid detection, by not firing their jets until they are below the line of sight of the sensors. This suggests
that sensors do not ordinarily scan for body heat, or that Human body temperatures are below their detection threshold.
Main Article: Scanners, Sensors, and Cloaking Devices

- Jalindi is a habitable planet located in the Gordian Reach Sector, in the Trans-Hydian region of the Outer Rim. It is a rocky world with
a breathable atmosphere and large amounts of water. The planet's cloud cover is at its most dense near the surface, which has
severely eroded the rocky surface through weathering. In some areas, this has left large numbers of mesas whose peaks reach
above the cloud cover. One of these 'fields of stone towers' was used by the Empire to construct a relay station earlier this year.
This has hampered Rebel activities, as Jalindi is located approximately 4000 light-years southwest of the Rebel HQ on Yavin 4.


- Brom Titus returns for his fourth and final appearance in this series, and third appearance with dialogue. He is still a Junior Lieutenant,
the rank he was demoted to from Brigadier General after his failure in command of an interdictor ship. This suggests he was not
further demoted for his failure at Reklam Station. As part of Imperial Army Intelligence, he has been dispatched leading a mission
to Jalindi Station, as the work done at the station is obviously of great relevance to the duties of military intelligence. After twice
being foiled by Ezra, his third run-in with the young Jedi against results in his defeat, and this time seems to have gotten him killed.


Brom Titus is once again called "Commander", which is correct despite his actual rank being Jr. Lieutenant, as he is clearly
in command of the light cruiser he is aboard. What is an issue is the officer standing next to him, who carries a much
higher-rank, probably Fleet Commander, or possibly Commodore. He takes orders from Titus and inappropriately calls
him "Sir". This could make sense if that officer were the Captain of the light cruiser, and Titus the Commander of
the mission. This would make sense since Titus was seen to be part of Army Intelligence, and not the Navy, in his first
appearance. His rank insignia after his demotion is too low-ranking to indicate whether he is regular Army or Army
Intelligence, however his assignments are all activities which would likely be under the purview of Intelligence. This is
the only explanation that fits the established, on-screen facts of Titus' appearances, however in this instance it is only
a cover for the incompetence of this show's creators. The apparent Fleet Commander next to Titus is the third of
seven appearances of 'Sideburns', a ridiculously overused animation template who appears across the Empire, often
in an inappropriate role for his high rank. In this instance, he is once again taking orders from an inferior officer, just as
he was in his first appearance in 'Ghosts of Geonosis' (S3E13). Unlike that appearance, in this case there is a possible
explanation, however the absurdity of this is further compounded by the fact that Jalindi Station's commanding officer,
only shown briefly before the light cruiser's arrival, is yet another 'Sideburns'. Although both of these officers are killed
in action shortly after, a third 'Sideburns' is seen in the very next episode, which concludes this two episode storyline.
As a result, 'Sideburns' is killed three times in this storyline. The creators reuse templates to save on production costs,
assuming that few will notice. That may be sometimes true, but in this instance it is extremely noticeable. Regardless of
this constant repetition of the same template, the continuity issue is caused by his seemingly inappropriate rank insignia.
Main Article: Ranks and Rank Insignia


- Saw Gerrera was last seen over a year earlier on Geonosis, back when he was still working with the Rebel Alliance. It was then that Saw
first became aware of the existence of an Imperial project secret enough to warrant the genocide of the Geonosians. This is of
course Project: Stardust, the Empire's code name for the Death Star project. Saw's efforts to investigate have thus far yielded
only "rumors" and "whispers", however he states that he "recently acquired intel on a secret Imperial cargo being loaded aboard
a civilian freighter" on Faos Station. During these events, Saw learns that "any special cargo" on board this freighter probably came
from the Jedha System. He will next be seen about a year later operating on Jedha in Rogue One, along with his Tognath
buddy and fellow Partisan, Edrio, who makes his first appearance chronologically in this storyline.

- Faos Station is described as a "civilian cargo facility", which based on its function, ongoing activity, and physical design is an IG Banking
Clan transfer station. The Banking Clan is a fully nationalized and integrated component of the Empire, so facilities like this are still
being used as transfer ports as they were before and during the Clone Wars. The IGBC maintains an extensive network of these
stations across the galaxy. As was the case during the Republic era, most of the personnel on these stations are droids. Its grid
coordinates or the sector it is located in have not been identified, but it is probably in or around the Gordian Reach Sector.


- Freighter 2716 is an Orca-class cargo freighter, chosen by the Empire for this operation because it is a kind of civilian ship not used by
Imperial military. Based on its design elements, Orca-class freighters are almost certainly a product of Gallofree Yards, Inc.

- The Imperial rendezvous takes place in the Tonnis Sector, described as "just empty space out there" with "no settlements or stations."
The Tonnis Sector is not one of the primary sectors of the galaxy, sometimes called oversectors, and thus must be a subsector
of one of the primary sectors. There is no oversector without settled planets, as sectors are political entities organized around
populated worlds, and the primary sectors are all too large not to hold many inhabited worlds and places. Subsectors are also
usually allocated in this manner, however due to the vastness of space there may indeed be significant regions within a given
oversector which is uninhabited. The Tonnis Sector may be an example of a subsector which was defined for its uninhabited
quality, something of a wilderness area, not necessarily as a preserve but de facto due to inhospitable worlds or other factors.

- Giant kyber crystals store and amplify energy like any kyber crystal, but are more "unstable" or easily overloaded by the massive
energy stored within, some of which is drawn from the Force itself. Even a small kyber crystal like those used in a lightsaber
must be carefully aligned and channeled power through the crystal in a specific, controlled manner, otherwise it is liable to
overload and discharge explosive energy into the surrounding materials. Giant kyber crystals therefore produce far more
powerful explosions when overloaded, but if energy is properly channeled through them, it can act as part of a superlaser,
which is the very idea behind the Death Star's main weapon - essentially a giant canon that fires huge lightsaber blades.

- The captain of Freighter 2716 is Fleet Commander Wells. He is called "Captain", which is appropriate as it is protocol that any officer
who is in command of a ship can be properly addressed as 'Captain' regardless of rank or lack there of. His actual rank cannot
be Captain, otherwise his rank insignia is a continuity error. Assuming Wells is indeed a Navy officer, his rank insignia indicates
he is either a Fleet Commander, a Commodore, or a Rear Admiral. As there is no reason within the episode why his actual rank
could not be one of those high ranks, according to what is seen on screen the officer identified in the credits as Captain Wells
is at least a Fleet Commander. This rank would be appropriate for an officer in charge of an Imperial operation of importance
and secrecy like shipping the kyber crystal. Once again, the reason this needs to be made sense of is that Wells is yet another
iteration of 'Sideburns', the overused Imperial officer template seen as two entirely different characters in the first episode
of this storyline. The death of Wells is the third time a 'Sideburns' is killed in this storyline. At least in this instance, he is in
command and not taking orders from lower-ranked officers, and could conceivably be wearing an appropriate insignia
for an Imperial officer doing what he is seen to be doing. Other 'Sideburns' appear in three later episodes of this season.
Main Article: Ranks and Rank Insignia

- The Imperial special forces guarding the kyber crystal understandably report to Director Krennic, who is the Army Intelligence officer
in charge of the Death Star project. Their commanding officer's order to contact Krennic indicates that Saw Gerrera is already
specifically known to be attempting to learn more about the project, that Imperial forces assigned to the project are aware he
is the most likely to be poking around or interfering, and also that Krennic usually operates from Imperial Command on Coruscant.

- Captain Slavin makes one final appearance as the soon to be dead commander of a doomed star destroyer. His only other appearance
with dialogue was 'Hera's Heroes' (S3E5), set just over a year and a half earlier, however he was also seen in a meeting with
other Imperial officers on Thrawn's star destroyer in 'Through Imperial Eyes' (S3E17), set just over a year earlier.


Where is the Tonnis Sector located? Considering that Hera did not know where Gerrera had taken Ezra, Sabine, and
Chopper, she must have remained in the vicinity of Jalindi or returned to Yavin 4, both of which are located in the Gordian
Reach Sector, and in galactic terms are relatively close to each other. Wherever Faos Station is located, and wherever
the Tonnis Sector is located, they must either be in the Gordian Reach Sector or in one of the adjacent sectors. It would
be a very unlikely coincidence if Faos was located far from Jalindi, but the secret Imperial rendezvous in empty space in
the Tonnis Sector brought them back to near where this episode began. The Tonnis Sector must be a subsector of
the Gordian Reach Sector or one of the sectors in the immediate vicinity, since Hera and the Ghost arrive in
the Tonnis Sector about 3 minutes after Ezra told Chopper to signal them and inform them of where they are.
To have arrived here 3 minutes later, Tonnis Sector must be very near to either Jalindi or Yavin 4.
Main Article: Hyperspace Travel


- Kanan is concerned about the Empire's interest in large kyber crystals, and is starting to believe the Empire may be somehow be using
them as a weapon despite not knowing if that is possible. It is possible that a more knowledgeable Jedi or the old Jedi archives may
have known about the possibility, however it is also possible that weaponizing kyber crystals had remained a Sith science. Ancient
Sith superweapons sometimes incorporated kyber crystals, and Darth Sidious was the one who introduced the concept of
the Death Star's main weapon to the Geonosian engineers who designed the station. The previous delivery of a giant kyber crystal
which Kanan and friends stopped was about 3 and a half years earlier, seen in 'Fighter Flight' (S1E4). The fact that this operation
is still ongoing after almost 4 years and so near to the completion of the station suggests how difficult to obtain the very large
crystals needed for the Death Star are, and the time-consuming effort needed to gather them and secretly ship them.
Main Article: Darth Sidious and The Plan

ANALYSIS
The Imperial response to the eroding security situation has been to increase the intensity of its presence on discontent and resistant worlds,
These preemptive military occupations are facilitated easily enough by the apparatus put in place since the Clone Wars, which had already
established local military government, state police, and military installations on major and populated worlds, and geared the entire economy
towards military production and supply. The Alliance is in no real position to help liberate the thousands of worlds now under extreme
Imperial occupation, despite their growing force potential. The Battle of Atollon had proven the Rebels would have difficulty winning
a battle, let alone a campaign, in open warfare, which led to the Alliance Council's more patient and cautious elements dominating their
strategic approach. This does not sit well with Rebels who are eager to fight back against the Empire's ever-escalating oppression. Discovery
of the kyber crystal and Saw's warnings about a superweapon suggest that patience may be ill-advised, considering that the Empire is at
war with the Rebels whether or not the members of the Alliance acknowledge that, and is in fact working on a checkmate move.
The Alliance has adjusted its tactics to avoid full-scale conflict, in order to preserve its forces. In the many months since Atollon, their
operations have focused on establishing secret bases and fleets from which to operate, and launching targeted raids against Imperial
resources and operations. Even if the Alliance had known about the Death Star, this would still have been the best strategy at this time.

Those elements of the Rebellion like Gerrera's Partisans realize that time is on the side of the Empire and not the Rebellion, and that
the Alliance's approach doesn't hurt the Empire enough to ever compensate for steadily increasing Imperial strength. As a result, Saw
wishes to take direct action against targets like Jalindi rather than try to use the relay there as part of a long-term strategy. The Alliance
is at odds with Saw due to his tactics, which employ immoral means and lack of restraint similar to the Empire. This is understandable,
both because many Alliance leaders do believe in the values they advertise and because it is harmful to the Rebellion's public image
and therefore its chances of winning a majority of support in galactic opinion. The Alliance acts in keeping with its democratic ideals,
preferring both to avoid conflict through diplomacy and political channels, and the idea that legitimacy and actual real-world power
only come from having the majority of the people supportive of their leaders. The Alliance wishes to demonstrate that Palpatine is
not governing with consent of the people, and that the Rebel government in exile speaks for the majority of interstellar society. Any
rebellion is ultimately doomed to fail if it does not have the support of the greater half of the galaxy's people. The Alliance must take
political advantage of the Empire's increasing oppression to demonstrate their superior values, and thus must only target the Imperial
military, and do so according to the conventions of war which the Republic officially adhered to. The Alliance's position is therefore
tactically, morally, and politically sound, nevertheless does little to help the oppressed worlds, costs them additional people and
resources, and would ultimately have been rendered null by the Death Star's completion. Mon Mothma and her supporters believe
it is better to stand and die with honor than to become the very evil you once opposed. Saw suggests this is a selfish and cowardly
creed, which will leave the galaxy at the mercy of the Empire. Saw will ultimately be proven to have been correct about the urgency
and the value of aggressive actions, but will die having been in no position to take that action. The Alliance will have patiently gathered
the resources needed to strike the Death Star, and succeeded because their character warranted the support of allies like the Jedi.

The Empire has shifted tactics regarding transporting its kyber crystals for the Death Star project, having lost crystals to rebel raids and
potentially other piracy. The fact that intel about these cargoes was being leaked to the point that their shipments could be targeted
suggested too much information about the secret project was being disseminated for comfort. Considering the massive scale of
the Death Star and the countless workers invovled in parts of its construction, the Empire has largely succeeded in keeping it under
wraps. This was achieved by compartmentalizing labor, manufacturing pieces at one location and assembling them at another, and
by genocide of the majority of the population of Geonosis after their extensive participation in the project. Engineers and developers
at Geonosian Industries knew more about the station than anyone else outside of the project and the Imperial inner circle. At the same
time, this project was too big not to leave a trail of mystery and unusual activity, which Saw was able to follow until finally discovering
clues to the projects purpose. "High-quality construction compounds", reactor mechanics and power specialists, and superpowerful
crystals all indicate that the Empire was indeed building something as dangerous as it was unique, and learning the link to Jedha put
Saw closer to discovering the full nature of the project than any other of the Empire's opponents. Director Krennic is apparently aware
that Gerrera is getting too close for comfort, and thus the unusual means of transport and elite military escort for the crystals. This is
a threat, as any leak about the Death Star before it is complete could be a political and security disaster for the Empire, however learning
about Jedha and the kyber crystal collecting is still one step removed from discovering the station itself, and Saw can ultimately be
kept occupied on that moon chasing meaning in the Imperial activity there, without much risk of exposing anything about the station.
The Empire knows that whoever is targeting its crystal shipments does not know exactly what they are for, or rumors would be already
circulating. The project will not start to become the subject of serious rumors and leaks until close to its completion in about 9 months.


FURTHER ANALYSIS
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