The believer and the mercenary

On Aldhani, Cassian Jeron Andor chats with Karis Nemik, who is anxious about the upcoming mission to infiltrate the imperial base. He confides about feeling anxious despite his faith in the Rebellion and rationalized that mercenaries like “Clem” can be useful tools in the struggle against the Galactic Empire. Andor agrees that the Empire doesn’t play by the rules because the Empire doesn’t care about them. Nemik hopes to put his ideas into action tomorrow but Andor warns him to be careful about what he wishes for. While Andor doesn’t share his idealism, Nemik is grateful he is here.

The Imperial occupation

Meanwhile, the Imperial Commandant Jayhold Beehaz briefs his fellow officers about how the Empire managed to manipulate the indigenous Dhani people by giving them false choices. He also talks about manipulating their cultural pride and stubbornness. In an attempt to discourage Dhani pilgrims from going on their religious trek, Beehaz had established shelters and taverns to discourage them from continuing their pilgrimage. Lieutenant Gorn reports that the Empire’s policy has reduced the number of pilgrims over the years from 15,000 to 60.

When Colonel Petigar asks Beehaz if they have informed the Dhani that this will be the last year that they will be permitted to travel through the sacred valley, the Commandant responds that there is no profit in that. He hopes to draw away the pilgrims to an Imperial viewing festival in the Enterprise Zone. When Petigar points out that the valley is sacred to the Dhani, Beehaz quips about recruiting the Dhani as soldiers for the Imperial Army. Petigar asks Gorn if the locals will permit them to use their valley for military purposes. Gorn concedes that the locals will have no choice. Beehaz describes The Eye of Aldhani as a beautiful sight and invites Petigar to drink. Gorn watches with trepidation.

Later, Beehaz asks Gorn what he thinks about Petigar. Gorn replies that if will be hard to charm the engineer and informs the Commandant he has brought in 30 sentries from Alkenzi and will be supervising them. Beehaz warns Gorn that everything must go perfectly tonight.

Moving into position

Meanwhile, Taramyn Barcona attempts to contact Vel Sartha (who is using the codename “Echo-One”) using a battle radio. After some tinkering by Nemik, Taramyn manages to contact Vel. While walking down the hill, Arvel Skeen tells Andor that Taramyn was a former stormtrooper and that Vel lost her family to stormtroopers. As pilgrims arrive on the route, comets begin firing through the sky, beginning The Eye of Aldhani. Lieutenant Gorn orders the garrison to welcome the pilgrims. After reaching the Aldhani Base, Andor and his fellow rebels remove their Aldhani robes and pose as Imperial Army troopers welcoming the pilgrims.

Elsewhere, the overweight Beehaz struggles to fasten a belt. He asks his wife Roboda Beehaz, who is dressing their son Leonart Beehaz for help. Though Beehaz blames the compressors for damaging his clothes, Roboda points out that he has gained weight. Leonart refuses to don his Imperial tunic but Beehaz orders his son to do so.

The ceremony

The leader of the pilgrims greets Gorn, wishing that these is still some good in him. Andor and his fellow rebels arrive at the base where Gorn assigns them with serving as bodyguards for the Commandant and his family. Meanwhile, Vel and Cinta Kaz don diving gear and swim through the river under the base’s dam. Meanwhile, Commandant Beehaz and his family receive a hide of goat skin from the leader of the pilgrims. Beehaz does not like the smell of the goat hide but complies.

While Vel and Cinta infiltrate the Imperial base, the Commandant and his family attend a ceremony with the leaders of the pilgrims. Taramyn, Andor and the rest of the rebel team stand at attention while the leader of the pilgrims begins the ceremony. he passes the goat hide to Beehaz, who passes it to his son Leonart. During the ceremony, Taramyn makes contact via comlink with Vel and Cinta. Vel orders them to go ahead with the mission.

The heist

While comets streak over the skies, Vel and Cinta abseil down the dam. Following the ceremony, Beehaz says he will pass the goat hide before departing. The leader of the pilgrims burns the goat hide. After Gorn establishes contact with Taramyn and his team, they enter the base with Beehaz and his family. Once inside, Andor seals the entrance and the rebels ambush Beehaz and his family, forcing them down to the ground at gunpoint. Colonel Petigar points a gun at Nemik and demands that the rebels release Leonart. Andor tries to calm the situation but Cinta shoots Petigar from behind, taking him out. Outside, Gor tells a soldier that he and his men can rest for the night. The pilgrims light a fire with the goat hide to mark the celebration.

Vel demands that Commandant Beehaz unlock the vault but he claims he doesn’t know. Cinta and Vel place hoods on his wife Roboda and son Leonart. Roboda implores Behz to cooperate and he reluctantly allows the rebels to enter the base. Andor and his comrades disarm the guards and Imperials technicians at gunpoint. The rebels disable all communications except the one for Alkenzi Air Base. The Imperials have their mouths and hands bound with duck tape. In the command room, Vel tells Beehaz to cooperate or they will kill his family. She promises to spare them if they cooperate.

When the Imperial officer Kimzi notices that the communications are down, another Imperial soldier believes that the Eye of Aldhani is interfering with the communications. Taramyn and the rebels proceed deeper into the base with the captive Beehaz. Beehaz convinces several personnel to lay down their arms and cooperate with the rebels in order to prevent further bloodshed. Skreen orders several Imperial soldiers to assist with loading the payroll register while Beehaz unlocks the vault. Since Beehaz doesn’t have full access to the vault, explosives are used to unlock the rest of the vault.

The rebels force the Imperials at gunpoint to load large cylinders containing the sector payroll onto a parked freighter. Back in the command center, Cinta dons an Imperial officer’s uniform while the intercom receives a transmission about a breach in the vault. Cinta switches off the transmitter and the lights. Outside, the pilgrims sing and worship in Dhani. The worshippers lift a dome over a pyre while watching comets fly through the sky. Suspicious about the base’s lights and transmitter shutting down, Corporal Kimzi leads several Imperial Army soldiers down a flight of stairs into the vault.

Gunfight and escape

Beehaz realizes that Lieutenant Gorn is working with the rebels and denounces him as a traitor, saying that he will hang. Gorn replies that he deserves far worse for serving Beehaz for seven years. At the Alkenzi Air Base, several TIE pilots climb into their TIE fighters. Corporal Kimzi and his men discover Gorn and his associates loading payroll cylinders into their freighter. Gorn claims that he and his men are working on a classified mission. Kimzi asks Commandant Beehaz for clarification but the Commandant collapses from an injury.

A gun battle breaks out between Kimzi’s men and the rebel infiltrators. Kimzi is killed during the gun battle. Gorn is also killed by one of Kimzi’s soldiers. Andor enters the cockpit but is attacked by an Imperial soldier, who holds him in a headlock. During the struggle, the soldier is shot by Nemik. Taramyn attempts to reach Vel but is killed by a blaster bolt. Once Kez and Skeen have boarded the freighter, Andor flies the freighter through a launch tunnel into the comet-covered night sky.

During the ascent, Nemik is crushed by several cylinders. Skeen and Vel manage to free Nemik but his leg is crushed. Kez sedates Nemik with a med-spike. Andor asks for hyperspace coordinates as they fly through the comet-covered night sky. They are pursued by three TIE fighters. Nemik guides Andor as he flies the freighter and gives him the coordinates “Vector six-five-five-five-one.” The TIEs attempt to keep up with the fleeing freighter but two of them are struck by meteor debris.

On the ground, a disguised Cinta exits the base, walking past pilgrims and Imperial soldiers who are mesmerized and awed by the comet display. In space, Andor asks Skeen and Vel where they are heading. Vel asks about Nemik’s wellbeing, promoting Skeen to ask if she is disappointed. Andor asks his question again. Vel thinks that Nemik is dying but Skeen disagrees, saying that they have a doctor built into the contingent. Skeen says that Nemik is the reason they are are here. Andor asks how they will get to the doctor.

Parting ways

Later, Nemik is treated by Quadpaw, a four-armed humanoid doctor who wears goggles on his eyes. The doctor operates on his back. Outside the hut, Skeen and Andor wait. Skeen tells Andor that the vault is worth 80 million Credits and proposes splitting the profit and hiding it. Andor realizes that Skeen is not a genuine rebel but a soldier of fortune. When Andor questions Skeen about his brother, Skeen reveals that he made up the story. Skeen suggests hiding the stolen payroll on a moon eight parsecs away and pocketing the loot. Disgusted, Andor shoots him dead with a blaster.

Despite the alien doctor’s efforts, Nemik succumbs to his injuries and dies. Vel thanks him. Andor enters the hut wielding a blaster and offers to buy the doctor’s ship for 30,000 credits. Andor reveals that Skeen is dead and that he wanted to take the money and leave them behind. Vel doesn’t believe him and describes Andor as a “disgusting bastard.” Andor demands his share of the money but offers to leave the freighter and the stolen payroll. He says that he is done and also returns the Kuati Signet. Before Andor leaves, Vel confines him to take Nemik’s manifesto.

Reverberations

At the ISB Central Office on Coruscant, Major Partagaz summons all Imperial Security Bureau personnel including Lieutenant Dedra Meero for an emergency meeting. He says that he wants every Star Sector and Planetary Emergency Retaliation plan in the building ready for presentation by midnight. At the Imperial Senate, Senator Mon Mothma urges a fact-finding committee into the blockade of Ghorman but is ignored by the other senators. Elsewhere, Luthen Rael serves a customer at Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest when he hears news about a massive rebel attack on Aldhani. In private, Rael laughs with joy at the rebel victory.