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The connection to the Death Star is a personal one: protagonist Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) is the daughter of Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen), one of the men responsible for designing the deadly superweapon. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, directed by Gareth Edwards ( Godzilla), tells the story of a brave band of Rebels who set out on a mission to retrieve the plans for the original Death Star - plans that eventually find their way into the hands of Luke Skywalker and set in motion the fall of the Empire. This resulted in the deaths of Imperial personnel on the planet, including his rival Krennic and the commander of the planet's garrison, General Sotorus Ramda.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story artwork composite by Tim SextonĪlmost 40 years after Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope arrived in theaters, fans are finally able to witness the fateful events hinted at in the movie's opening crawl. A short time later, during the Battle of Scarif, Protocol 13 was not used when Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin ordered the Death Star to destroy the Imperial Security Complex on Scarif. After the evacuation of Imperial forces, a single reactor burst from the Death Star destroyed Jedha City. Protocol 13 was activated by Director Orson Krennic on the holy moon of Jedha later that same year, where the Empire tested a low-powered burst of the Death Star's superlaser. 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 entire Imperial garrison. It was activated on Lothal by the rebel forces liberating the planet, to lure the Imperial garrison inside the Imperial headquarters in the capital city before launching it into the air and activating its self-destruct. Knowing that it meant Lothal had little time left, this revelation helped Captain Hera Syndulla persuade the Alliance leaders to authorize an attack on the Imperial weapons factory on Lothal, where a dangerous new TIE Defender starfighter was being developed. In 0 BBY, Alliance High Command discovered that the Empire had issued Protocol 13 for the planet Lothal. Protocol 13 was used during the reign of the Galactic Empire to evacuate Imperial forces from an occupied planet prior to a devastating event. 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 an order used by the Galactic Empire that, when issued, started the immediate evacuation of all Imperial personnel from an occupied planet.
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