Exploring the starship

In the past, a young Cassian Jeron Andor climbs into the docking rig of the wrecked starship on his jungle homeworld Kenari. He finds the bodies of humanoids dressed in Separatist uniforms. The young Andor enters the ship’s engine room where he touches the controls curiously. Andor sees a reflection of himself in one of the panels.

The approaching storm

In the present, Andor watches salvage workers and a shuttle dismantling a capital ship at Timm Karlo’s salvage yard. One of the workers walks to Andor. Andor tells the worker that he has some money coming today but the worker is skeptical of his ability to pay. Andor refuses to tell the worker where he is going but promises to return.

Meanwhile, Luthen Rael’s shuttle hands at the urban settlement on Ferrix. The male passenger tries to recommend a hotel and warns Rael to watch out for pickpockets. Rael is met by Bix Caleen, who tells him that their plan has been complicated by Preox-Morlana has issued a bulletin for someone matching Andor’s description. Rael is aware of the bulleting and points out that they did not mention Andor by name but are looking for someone from Kenari. Rael says that Andor’s prison record says he is from Fest, which Bix agrees.

When Rael asks if Andor has been identified, Bix says not many people know. After Bix confirms that Andor killed the two security officers on Morlana, Rael replies that they need to act fast. The two head to East lot, Building Nine where Andor is believed to be hiding. When Rael asks if she trusts Andor, Bix replies that he will be there.

In space, the Preox-Morlana Corporate Tactical Forces’ starship exits hyperspace and dispatches three Mobile Tac-Pods carrying law enforcement personnel led by Deputy Inspector Syril Karn and Sergeant Linus Mosk. B2EMO races through the streets of Ferrix.

Cassian and the scavengers

In the past, Maarva Andor, her husband Clem Andor and B2EMO undertake a mission to salvage equipment and technology from the wrecked Separatist starship on Kenari. They have twenty minutes due to the radioactive conditions. Maarva believes that there are six brand new fuel nodules within the ship. Clem thinks they should leave but Maarva wants to investigate a banging sound.

Maarva and Clem soon find the young Kenari boy wrecking equipment and screens in the engine room. Clem remarks that he likes the boy’s spirit but warns that he might not want to be here when they come to clean up. Not understanding the strangers’ language, Cassian waves his staff at them. B2EMO warns that a Republic frigate is approaching.

Maarva attempts to communicate with the frightened Cassian while Clem warns that they have nine minutes before the Republic starship arrives. In order to save the boy from danger, Maarva gets B2EMO to bring a drowser. While Clem points out that the boy’s people are on the planet, Maarva counters that his tribe have already killed a Republic officer and that the Republic would retaliate when the frigate lands. Maarva stuns Cassian with her drowser.

The manhunt

Back in the present, Karn and Mosk’s Tac-Pods approach the Ferrix settlement and land outside the scrap yard. West Team joins North Team. The workers believe the corporate soldiers are hunting for someone. Karn and his Corporate Tactica Forces enter the streets of Perrix from different sides. A team enters Maarva’s home and tells the elderly woman that they have a warrant for Cassian Andor. After restraining her, they enter the house. Elsewhere, Bix returns to Timm Karlo’s office and asks why the stuff is piled up in the alley. Timm says he forgot and gets to work.

Meanwhile, Maarva chastises Karn as his troops search her home. Karn replies that she can stop the search by helping them find Andor. Sergeant Mosk arrives with B2EMO. Karn orders his troops to pull the droid’s power supply in an attempt to force the droid’s cooperation. Maarva protests but Karn orders one of his soldiers to silence her. Cassian contacts B2EMO by comlink. Sensing something is not right, Andor cryptically tells B2EMO and Maarva that he is sorry and “to make sure that she keeps the heat.” While a soldier attempts to track Cassian’s signal, Karn and his troops notice a crowd gathering outside Maarva’s home. Karn calls East Team for reinforcements and assigns some of his men with guarding Maarva and B2EMO.

Crossing paths with destiny

Elsewhere, Rael finds Andor in an abandoned warehouse. As Karn and his troops exit Maarva’s home, they are confronted by angry residents including Wilmon, whom Karn tries to calm by explaining that they are executing a search warrant. Andor tells Rael that he plans to sell an intact Starpath unit for 40,000 credits, claiming it can track Imperial coordinates for nine parsecs. When Andor demands payment, Rael insists on trying it before asking Andor if he plans to stick around.

Meanwhile, Bix receives news from Salman Paak that several “Corpos” raided Maarva’s home. Salman also tells him about the bulletin for Andor. Bix realizes that someone has betrayed Andor and says she needs to find him. Timm tries to stop Bix from leaving, claiming that Andor can take care of himself. Bix quickly realizes that Timm betrayed Andor since he is one of the few people to know that he is from Kenari. Salman asks Timm what he has done.

Andor shows Rael the Starpath unit. Rael asks Andor how he obtained the unit and ponders with three possibilities. The first possibility is that Andor is an Imperial spy, the second is that he is fronting for the true seller, and the third is that Andor is being genuine. Andor reiterates his demand for payment, prompting Rael to reiterate his question. Rael is aware of Andor bribing quartermasters before they scrap. However, the Starpath unit is far too valuable for that.

Rael asks Andor how he obtained the Starpath unit. Andor claims that he stole the Starpath unit himself but Rael does not believe him due to the tight security at the Imperial Naval Base in Steergard. Andor is evasive but Rael offers to give him another thousand credits if he tells him how he got the box. Andor claims that all it takes to steal from the Empire is getting a uniform and impersonating an Imperial personnel. He mocks the complacency and arrogance of the Empire. Rael agrees, saying that the Empire doesn’t think about them.

Andor wants to count the money but Rael talks about the costs of resisting the Empire. Rael then mentions that he is aware that Andor’s adoptive father Clem was hanged by the Empire. Rael invites Andor to join him, prompting Andor to ask at gunpoint how he knows so much about him. Rael wants to talk with Andor but warns that the Corporate Tactical Forces are on their way to arrest him for murdering the two security officers. Rael tells Andor he sees potential in him. Andor demands to know who he is, prompting Rael to point out that they do not have a lot of time to escape. Andor asks why he would choose to go with Rael. Rael responds by presenting Andor with the opportunity of fighting back.

Escaping the warehouse

Back on the streets, several residents including Salman, Wilmon, and Brasso begin banging objects in order to intimidate the Corpos. Several businesses close down their rollers. Andor demands to know who Rael is and asks whether he is an Imperial spy. Rael explains that special people are hard to find and that he came to save him from the pyre. Rael asks Andor to trust him and crushes Andor’s comlink, warning him never to carry anything he cannot control. The two sense movement around the warehouse and realize that they are surrounded.

Meanwhile, corporate troopers from North Team apprehend Bix in the streets of Ferrix. East Team sets up a perimeter around the warehouse on Rix Street where Andor and Rael are. Their leader contacts Karn, who orders them not to engage until he has arrived. Since Rael’s ship is 40 klicks away, he and Andor decide to escape on a speeder bike. Rael has also planted snap charges on the door as a preemptive escape measure. The charges succeed in taking out some of the corporate soldiers but others charge in. A gun battle ensues and the two men are also forced to dodge falling objects. Several of the corporate soldiers are wounded by falling chains and objects.

Despite Rael’s objections, Andor attempts to retrieve the Starpath box, dodging debris and enemy fire. Rael shoots a corporate soldier attempting to gun down Andor. The two men escape several falling chains and objects. Andor is upset about failing to retrieve the box but Rael thinks that escaping is more important. While Karn contacts North Team for help, Bix attempts to escape but is restrained by an officer. Timm confronts the North Team soldiers and attempts to aid Bix but is shot dead by a trigger happy trooper. The team leader orders the soldier who shot Bix to return to the pod and summon air support. Bix weeps for her dead boyfriend.

On the run

Karn and Mosk learn from the surviving member of East Team that Andor and Rael are approaching their direction. A corporate trooper enters a shop, prompting three aliens to flee. Meanwhile, Maarva notices that the two corporate troopers guarding her are unnerved by the clanging sounds and hints of a coming reckoning. One of the soldier tells her to shut up. Maarva says that when it stops, they will want to fret. One of the soldier asks what will happen. Andor and Rael encounter the fleeing aliens.

While Corporate Tactical Forces converge around the town center, Andor ambushes a Corporate trooper and forces him to surrender his comlink, which he destroys. Andor demands to know how many troops there are while Rael urges him to kill the man. The trooper reports there are twelve men and two officers. Elsewhere, the Corporate soldier who shot Timm returns to his Mobile Tac-Pod and attempts to fly the ship away. However, the ship has been tied to a large piece of wreckage, which causes the ship to lose control and crash into the wreckage.

While Andor and Rael search for charges, a Corporate trooper finds his comrade, whom Andor have gagged and bound. They appear to escape in a blue landspeeder. Corporate soldiers shoot the stolen speeder, causing it to crash. However, they quickly discover it was a decoy with Andor and Rael escaping on a speeder bike. Rael sets the wrecked speeder to explode. Mosk attempt to contact their comrades in North Team while Karn attends to the wounded and dead comrades.

As Andor flees with Rael on a speeder bike, a tearful Maarva experiences a flashback of her and Clem carrying their adoptive son Cassian from the wrecked Separatist starship on Kenari. B2EMO looks up to her with his sensors flashing sadly. Salman and Wilmon free a grieving Bix while Brasso drinks sadly. As Andor and Rael fly over fields, a shell-shocked Karn is roused by Sergeant Mosk who tells him they need to leave. While the young Cassian meets his adoptive parents in the cockpit in the past, Andor leaves with Rael on his starship.