The rebel and the thief

The episode opens with Luthen Rael and Cassian Jeron Andor travel through hyperspace aboard a Fondor Haulcraft bound for Aldhani. Andor searches for a medpac and Rael offers him a drink of med nog. Andor is curious about Aldhani. Rael offers Andor two choices: dropping him off on another planet or coming with him to join a bigger fight. Knowing Andor’s talent for stealing, Rael offers him the opportunity to “put a stick” into the Empire’s eye and get paid for it.

Andor is curious about Rael’s identity and wonders whether he is a rebel or partisan. Andor is not interested in Rael’s cause and admits he is more interested in survival. He tells Rael that he spent two years in prison and fought on the planet Mimban when he was 16 years old. Andor adds that he was part of a unit of 50 that survived. Rael points out that Andor had spent six months on Mimban as a cook and survived because he fled.

Rael says that Andor should hate the Galactic Empire more for forcing him to fight with others to survive. Rael offers the opportunity to help bring about the downfall of the Empire, emphasizing that he came for him. Rael offers to pay Andor 200,000 credits if he takes part in a mission to steal the quarterly payroll of an entire Imperial sector.

Imperial security

At the galactic capital of Coruscant, Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) Supervisor Dedra Meero attends a meeting at the ISB Headquarters. During the meeting, Supervisor Grandi reports that an increase in quarterly detentions across the Ryloth sector would erode local authority, requiring an increase in their blackline budget. Major Partagaz demands more specifics and is dissatisfied with her answer about increasing Imperial surveillance activities. Partagaz then questions Lagret about the progress of his memorandum about mining on Arvala-Sox, which has displaced the local population.

Partagaz asks the ISB officials about the purpose of their agency. Meero responds that their purpose is to further security objectives by collecting intelligence, providing useful analysis, and conducting effective covert action. Partagaz responds that is verbatim from the ISB mission and wrong. He likens the ISB to healthcare providers who treat symptoms and locate “germs” for the purpose of treating diseases. Partagaz reassigns Lagret’s task of writing the memorandum to another ISB official.

Partagaz then questions Blevin about an incident on Ferrix in the Morlana sector. Blevin responds that incident is under the jurisdiction of Corporate Tactical Forces and explains that they tried to serve a warrant but encountered more trouble than they anticipated. When Partagaz presses Blevin on the matter, he explains that several personnel were killed and property damaged. Blevin also reports that a stolen Imperial Starpath unit was also recovered from the scene. Blevin offers to investigate but Partagaz says that they will speak before he leaves. Partagaz asks Lonni Jung about protection requests for traffic to the Abrion sector. Jung reports that there is an increase in protected shipping heading towards Scarif. During the meeting, Meero glances down a screen.

The rebel contact

On the lush hills of Aldhani, Andor picks the pseudonym “Clem” and shaves his beard. Rael sights their local contact approaching them. Before leaving to meet the contact, he gives Andor a Kuati Signet as a down payment, explaining that it was created to celebrate an ancient uprising against the Rakatan invaders. Rael tells Andor that he wants the signet back if he lives, warning him that it is worth a lot of credits.

The contact turns out to be a human woman named Vel. When Vel asks if something is wrong, Rael replies that he thinks that things are coming together. While Andor watches through the cockpit windows, the Fondor Droid Mod speaks to him. Outside, Rael explains that “Clem” can pilot, shoot, lie and is a polyglot. Vel is skeptical about recruiting an untested new recruit and mercenary for their planned heist. Rael gives her the option of including “Clem” for their mission or calling off the entire operation. When Vel objects, Rael tells her that this is her opportunity to lead and emphasizes that “Clem” is disposable.

The Imperial takeover

At the Pre-Mor Enforcement headquarters, ISB agent Blevin informs Chief Inspector Hyne, Deputy Inspector Syril Karn, and Sergeant Linus Mosk that they are to surrender all comlinks, weapons and documents to the Empire. He says that they will be dispatched to a transfer where they will have their personal effects handed to them. Blevin also informs that them they will also certify confirmation of the official ISB After Action Report detailing their involvement in the “Ferrix Incident.”

Hyne protests that they had nothing to do with it but Blevin blames their alleged idiocy, ineptitude and total disengagement for the recent debacle on Ferrix. Blevin refuses to let Mosk speak. He also tells Karn that he will not be replaced. Blevin uses the Ferrix debacle as a pretext for placing the Morlana system under permanent Imperial authority.

Parallel journeys

Back on Aldhani, Andor accompanies Vel as they walk down a hill. Vel asks about his arm. Andor asks who Rael is but she replies that he should have asked Rael when he had the chance. She also warns Andor not to mention Rael to the others when they return to camp. When Andor asks why they are in a remote location, Vel briefs him about their plan to rob the armory of the Aldhani Garrison. Vel explains that their route avoids a nearby Imperial airfield. With Andor, she says that their team now consists of seven members. During the journey, they avoid a patrolling TIE fighter.

Elsewhere, Attendant Heert briefs Dedra Meero about the Ferrix incident, reporting that one local and four Preox-Morlana security employees died. Meero locates the NS-9 Starpath unit in the database, giving them jurisdiction over the case. Meero says that she does not want to spark Blevin’s interest. Later, Rael’s Fondor Droid Mod flies Rael’s ship to Coruscant. In private, Rael dons a grey wig and ornate purple clothes with rings.

Back on Aldhani, Vel briefs Andor about the history of the Aldhani highlands; explaining that the Empire relocated the Aldhani to a free-enterprise zone in the lowlands. Andor drinks water from a creek. Elsewhere, Meero confronts Blevin for refusing to turn over information relating to the Ferrix incident. Blevin insists that the Ferrix incident falls under his turf but Meer counters that the theft of the Starpath unit gives her jurisdiction in the case. Blevin denies her request a second time and attempts to pull rank. Meero replies that she will refer the matter to Partagaz.

While Vel and Andor continue their travels, a sleeping rebel named Karis Nemik is approached at gunpoint by another man named Arvel Skeen, who chides him for falling asleep on guard duty. The two soon spot Vel and Andor approaching through a pair of macrobinoculars. The other rebels are unnerved by the presence of the newcomer “Clem.” Vel apologizes for not introducing “Clem” earlier and claims that he will give them “critical redundancy” in all areas. Vel introduces Andor to her comrades Skeen, Taramyn Barcona, Nemik, and Cinta Kaz. Tamaryn is uncomfortable about “Clem”‘s presence but Vel orders her underlings to make him feel welcome.

Intrigue on Coruscant

Elsewhere, the former Preox-Morlana Deputy-Inspector Syril Karn visits his mother Eedy Karn on Coruscant. She slaps him before embracing him. Back on Aldhani, Cinta treats Andor’s arm injury. Tamaryn objects to “Clem”‘s presence but Vel insists that she trusts “Clem.” On Coruscant, Luthen and his assistant Kleya meets with Senator Mon Mothma at his ornate gallery. After exchanging pleasantries and talking about art, Luthen and Mothma get down to business. Mothma confides that she suspects she is being spied upon. She also tells him that she has recruited a new ally. Luthen tells Mothma that he can trust her and Kleya.

Senator Mothma arrives home and discusses arrangements for a dinner party with her husband Perrin Fertha. Mothma is uncomfortable with some dinner guests Mas Amedda and Sly Moore that her husband invited. Mothma suggests that Perrin invite some guests from Ghorman since the Empire cut off their shipping lanes yesterday. Mothma is upset that her husband invited these guests and wants to call off the party. Perrin grumbles about everything being “boring and sad.”

Planning a heist

Meanwhile on Aldhani, Vel’s rebels are joined by one of their garrison contacts Lieutenant Gorn. Gorn is suspicious of “Clem” and tells Vel that an Imperial engineer is visiting from Coruscant. Later, Vel briefs her rebel team about the Imperial air base at Alkenzi, which is located near the sacred river of Nasma Klain. She uses a model The Aldhani Garrison is a depot for supplies, weapons, and the Imperial sector payroll. Vel explains that the base contains a runway that leads underground. The vault containing the payroll is located beneath the runway. The garrison is defended by forty troops.

Gorn briefs the team about an Aldhani ceremony known as the Eye of Aldhani. Thousands hike from all over the land to view a meteor shower. Gorn says that he has seen it twice and tells “Clem” that it something he will not forget. Karis explains that the Eye of Aldhani is not really a meteor shower but is a recurrent band of crystalized, noctilucent microdensities. He explains that they are billions of crystals that explode when the planet Aldhani orbits through an asteroid belt, describing it as a thing of beauty. Karis believes that they can use the meteor shower as a distraction for their heist. Vel explains that the meteor shower is scheduled to happen in three days time. Andor is skeptical but Vel believes her plan will work.

The emerging Rebellion

Lieutenant Meero brings her case to Major Partagaz, stating that the Starpath unit recovered on Ferrix was traced to the theft from a base in her sector. When Partagaz accuses her of stirring intra-office friction, Meero theorizes that the Starpath heist is part of a conspiracy to steal Imperial equipment for an organized Rebellion. She cites three previous case files that suggest a pattern. Partagaz dismisses Meero’s concerns on the grounds of what he regards as insufficient evidence and orders her that she stick to her sectors. Partagaz reminds her that two of her reports are overdue and tells her to focus on enforcement issues including boosting incarceration numbers.

Tamaryn briefs “Clem” about the Rono freigher specs and the base layout. Before “Clem” can eat, Vel orders him to let Cinta check her wounds and to memorize the specs and layout by morning. Vel goes on watch duty.