Ruescott Melshi Ruescott Melshi was a human male sergeant in the Alliance to Restore the Republic Special Forces during the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire . A close friend of Alliance Intelligence Captain Cassian Andor , Melshi was a veteran soldier and a respected commander , leading his troop s by personal example . In 0 BBY , when the Alliance learned about the existence of the Empire ' s Death Star superweapon , Melshi led a rebel extraction team during the rescue of Jyn Erso — daughter of Galen Erso , the Death Star project ' s chief engineer — from a labor camp on the planet Wobani . After Erso ' s liberation , the Alliance employed her to make contact with her father , discovering that he had deliberately left a crucial weakness in the Death Star ' s design as an act of sabotage . In an effort to retrieve the Death Star ' s schematics needed to pinpoint that weak spot , Melshi helped Andor assemble a ragtag group of volunteers dubbed " Rogue One . " The squad then set off on a mission to the Imperial security complex on the planet Scarif , where the plans were being stored . During the subsequent battle on the planet , Melshi and the rest of Rogue One successfully obtained the Death Star plans , but they all gave their lives to ensure the mission ' s success . Biography . Early Alliance service . Ruescott Melshi was a human male member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic during the early days of rebellion against the Galactic Empire . An experienced soldier and infiltrator , Melshi served as a sergeant in the Pathfinders branch of the Alliance Special Forces . During his time with the rebels , Melshi became a good friend of Captain Cassian Andor , a member of Alliance Intelligence . As an infiltrator , Melshi often had to perform dirty work in the name of the Rebellion . At one point , Melshi served together with Lieutenant Caluan Ematt on Gaulus . Sharing his expertise with other members of the Rebellion , Melshi also made additions to a , writing a section on various Imperial stormtrooper variants and describing the distinctive features of each of those branches . By 0 BBY , Melshi was a member of the Massassi Group , the largest rebel cell operating from the Great Temple on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin . By that point , the sergeant was considered one of the Alliance ' s seasoned veterans . Rescue of Jyn Erso . In 0 BBY , Andor received intelligence that the Empire was building a superweapon with enough firepower to destroy a planet . The Alliance , in an attempt to make contact with the weapon ' s leading engineer , Galen Erso , decided to locate his daughter , Jyn . The rebels uncovered recent arrest files on Erso indicating that she was being held inside Imperial Detention Center & Labor Camp LEG - 817 on the planet Wobani under the alias " Liana Hallik . " Having verified that information , General Davits Draven approved the formation of Extraction Team Bravo , a rapid - response team of marines led by Melshi and consisting of two other rebel trooper s as well as K - 2SO , a reprogrammed Imperial KX - series security droid . The extraction team used a U - wing starfighter designated " Bravo One " to reach Wobani , timing their arrival to coincide with the moment when Erso was being transport ed on a workers ' convoy . With great risk to themselves , the team overtook and boarded one of the Empire ' s HCVw A9 turbo tank s that held the captive Erso . Melshi and his men took out two stormtrooper guards , after which the sergeant unlocked Erso ' s stuncuffs , informing her that she was being rescued . However , when another prisoner asked Melshi to unbind him , Erso took advantage of the distraction , punching Melshi in the face and grabbing a nearby shovel . Erso knocked out Melshi and his companions with the shovel before rushing from the tank , only to be intercepted by K - 2SO outside . With Erso taken into custody , Melshi and the extraction team returned to " Bravo One " and left the planet . However , the team experienced a technical malfunction with the U - wing ' s navigation computer , rendering them unable to make the jump to hyperspace and forcing them to take refuge inside an asteroid field in the Wobani system . The situation necessitated K - 2SO to call for assistance from the Alliance Fleet , which quickly responded by sending Red Flight , a group of four T - 65B X - wing starfighter s , to assist Melshi ' s team and provide escort until the rebel CR90 corvette " Vigilant " arrived to pick up the team . However , as soon as the " Vigilant " arrived in the system , an " Imperial " - class Star Destroyer emerged from hyperspace , destroying the corvette and catching " Bravo One " with a tractor beam . While Red Flight fought off the Star Destroyer ' s complement of TIE fighters , K - 2SO was able to repair their craft ' s navigation computer . Red Flight then destroyed the Star Destroyer ' s targeting array , momentarily disabling the tractor beam and allowing Melshi ' s team to make the jump to hyperspace . Breaking the rules . Safely arriving on Yavin 4 , Melshi escorted Erso to a meeting with the Alliance High Command , keeping her in binders and warning her not to try to escape again . After delivering his captive , Melshi also made sure to inform Lieutenant Voren Na ' al that despite her young age , Erso should not be taken lightly , telling the lieutenant about Erso ' s ability to overpower trained Alliance trooper s during her escape attempt on Wobani . The Alliance recruited Erso on a mission to locate her father , a task that she completed . Through Galen , Jyn learned that the Imperial superweapon project was named the " Death Star " and that her father had secretly sabotaged the project . Galen had placed a crucial weakness in the station ' s design that could be taken advantage of in order to destroy the superweapon . However , the only way the Alliance could identify that weak spot was by obtaining a copy of the Death Star ' s technical readouts , which were being kept inside a secure vault in the Imperial security complex on the planet Scarif . Jyn attempted to persuade the Alliance High Command to assemble a strike team to retrieve the plans , but the rebel leaders vetoed the mission . However , before the official decision was even announced , Andor had started assembling a volunteer force to accompany Erso to Scarif . Melshi was approached by his friend and was asked by Andor to form an infiltration team , an offer he enthusiastically accepted . Melshi hastily began assembling a team among the SpecForce commando s , making it clear that the mission was voluntary and those who joined were disobeying orders . Melshi was grateful when more than a dozen commandos volunteered for the mission — including the Drabatan warrior Paodok ' Draba ' Takat and a higher - ranking officer , Lieutenant Taidu Sefla — as well as some non - SpecForce soldiers , such as Corporal Stordan Tonc . Melshi and his recruits joined a team consisting of Andor , Erso , K - 2SO , defected Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook , and the Guardians of the Whills Chirrut Îmwe and Baze Malbus to form a squad of over two dozen men . After appropriating as much rebel equipment as it could , the team — taking on the callsign Rogue One — boarded a stolen Imperial cargo ship , " SW - 0608 " , and departed for Scarif . Battle of Scarif . An important Imperial location , Scarif was protected by a planetary shield , with the orbit al Shield Gate space station providing the sole means of entry . Since Rogue One was in possession of the stolen shuttle ' s Imperial access codes , the rebel infiltrators were able to pass through the Shield Gate . As the shuttle approached landing pad nine of the Imperial security complex , Andor and Erso instructed the members of Rogue One in their plan . Melshi , Pao , Îmwe , and Malbus were to go with the main rebel team , which was supposed to provide a distraction and draw out as many Imperial forces from the complex as possible , allowing Andor , Erso , and K - 2SO to sneak inside the data vault and steal the Death Star plans . Due to his complete trust in Melshi ' s skills , Andor assigned him as the overall commander of the rebel forces instead of the highest - ranking officer , Lieutenant Sefla . After the shuttle landed , an Imperial inspection team boarded it , but the rebels , hidden inside a cargo compartment , overpowered them . Andor and Erso disguised themselves with uniforms taken from the Imperials and left the ship . Leaving five men aboard the shuttle with Rook , Melshi took the rest of the rebel troop s and sneaked away through the shuttle ' s bottom hatch , using cover provided by blasts of coolant that spewed from the shuttle ' s purge vents per standard Imperial landing procedures . As instructed by Andor , Melshi led his troops into the jungle s of Scarif eastward from the shuttle , until they reached a small hillock near some Imperial barracks . Distributing demolition charges among his team , Melshi had his troops set explosives on the various landing pads outside of the complex while Îmwe and Malbus dispatched any stormtroopers who posed a danger to the infiltrators . After planting the charges , the team reassembled at Melshi ' s position at the barracks , taking cover and preparing for an ambush of Imperial forces . When Andor , Erso , and K - 2SO entered the Imperial complex , Melshi received contact from Andor , who gave him the go - ahead to detonate the explosives . Melshi triggered the bombs , and the explosions on multiple landing pads led the Empire to believe that it was being attacked by multiple groups of rebels at once ; Rook added to the confusion with false reports of rebel activity via radio . Responding to the attacks , the Imperial garrison rushed from the barracks , right into the path of Rogue One ' s fire . Due to the surprising nature of Melshi ' s attack , the battle at the barracks initially went in the rebels ' favor . However , as Imperial reinforcements began to arrive in great numbers , Rogue One took heavy casualties . Melshi ' s troops attempted to hold their ground at the hillock , but the stormtroopers took a spearhead formation in an attempt to break their defense . In the heat of the battle , Melshi spotted a brief opportunity to break the Imperial formation . The sergeant ordered his forces into attack , and Rogue One destroyed a number of Imperials with a well - aimed shot from a missile launcher . However , Rogue One failed in its last - ditch attempt and had to retreat into the jungle , as the Empire threw all of its forces , including AT - ACT walkers and TIE strikers , at the rebels . Last chance for victory . Meanwhile , the Rebel Alliance fleet — having intercepted Imperial communications regarding rebel activity on the planet — arrived at Scarif to assist Rogue One . The Alliance was able to reinforce Melshi ' s squad on the surface with a number of U - wings carrying rebel troopers , while X - wings from Blue Squadron provided air support . The Empire quickly responded by closing the Shield Gate , effectively trapping the rebel forces on the surface and preventing them from contacting the rebel fleet . Melshi and a dozen survivors from the battle at the barracks emerged from the jungle onto the beach of Scarif , where they witnessed the arrival of rebel reinforcements , who successfully destroyed several AT - ACTs . In the midst of the continuing battle with Imperial forces , Melshi was contacted by Corporal Tonc — one of the troopers left behind at the shuttle with Rook — through the long - range communications booster that the sergeant carried . Tonc and Rook informed Melshi that he needed to locate something called a " master switch " in order to link up the Imperial complex ' s massive Citadel Tower with Rook ' s shuttle . Doing so would allow Rook to contact the rebel fleet in space and instruct them to create an opening in the planetary shield , enabling Andor and Erso to transmit the Death Star plans to the rebel ships . Rook instructed Melshi that the master switch was located inside a bunker complex within the outer perimeter of the Citadel Tower . Following Rook ' s instructions , Melshi led the remainder of Rogue One — partially reinforced by arriving rebel troops — to the Citadel Tower . While the team was approaching the bunker complex , elite Imperial death trooper s joined the fight , killing rebel soldiers one by one . As he was trying to help a wounded rebel to safety , Melshi himself was hit by enemy blaster fire . Gravely injured , he was forced to take cover at the door of the bunker complex . The only ones who made it to the bunker alongside Melshi were Îmwe , Malbus , and Lieutenant Sefla . Melshi was contacted by Rook , who informed him that Andor and Erso had successfully retrieved the Death Star plans ; now the rebels desperately needed to turn the master switch , which Melshi spotted located at a workstation ten meter s away from the bunker , directly in the line of fire of the death troopers . Sefla attempted to make a run for it , but he was immediately gunned down by the enemy soldiers . A few moments later , Melshi succumbed to his injury and died as well . However , Îmwe was able to activate the master switch , before he and Malbus also met their ends at the hands of the death troopers . With the link between the Citadel Tower and Rogue One ' s shuttle established , Rook successfully contacted the rebel fleet , telling them about his plan to transmit the Death Star plans before being killed . The Alliance Fleet successfully destroyed the Shield Gate , allowing Andor and Erso to beam the Death Star plans to the rebel ships . Meanwhile , the Death Star arrived in orbit and fired its superlaser , destroying the Imperial security complex and killing any remaining rebel forces still on the surface of the planet , including Andor and Erso . Legacy . The Battle of Scarif was the first major engagement of what came to be known as the Galactic Civil War , and the successful extraction of the Death Star plans by Melshi ' s team allowed the Rebel Alliance to destroy the battle station shortly afterward during the Battle of Yavin . Lieutenant Ematt felt sorry for Melshi ' s passing , believing that the sergeant had met his end too early . Decades later , when Ematt — now a major in the Resistance against the First Order — obtained a copy of Melshi ' s article on stormtroopers , he fondly remembered the fallen sergeant . Personality and traits . Ruescott Melshi was a tall , light - skinned man with brown eye s , black hair — which he kept almost completely shaven — and a stubble of facial hair . An experienced SpecForce soldier and a veteran member of the Rebellion , Melshi had done some dirty work for the Alliance in his time . Overall , the sergeant considered the Alliance Special Forces to be superior to its Imperial equivalent , and he believed that the SpecForce ' s successes would be a major contributing factor in defeating the Galactic Empire . The sergeant led his soldiers by example and never asked his troops to do something he was unwilling to do himself . When assembling his team to go Scarif , Melshi made sure to choose only volunteers , thoroughly explaining all dangers and repercussions of the upcoming mission . He cared for his fellow soldiers , trying to get a wounded rebel to safety on Scarif while being shot at by enemy troops . Due to his attitude , the troops under Melshi ' s command were ready to follow his orders unconditionally . Melshi was close friends with Cassian Andor , readily accepting his request to accompany him to Scarif , unafraid of the consequences of disobeying direct orders of the Alliance command . Andor , in turn , placed his complete trust in Melshi , assigning him as the overall commander of the Rogue One team , even though he was not the highest - ranking officer present on the mission . Although Melshi himself was on Scarif in violation of the Alliance ' s command authority , the sergeant did not appreciate it when those under his command disobeyed his orders . When the Guardians of the Whills refused to take explosives and instead chose to pick off patrolling stormtroopers , Melshi was displeased with their disobedience but allowed them to proceed with their own plans . After being hit with a shovel by Jyn Erso on Wobani , Melshi held a grudge against her . Recognizing her ability to disable trained Alliance soldiers , he kept her in binders all the way to Yavin 4 . Upon arrival at the rebel base , he made sure to warn fellow rebels of the danger that she presented . He was acquainted with the Iakaru cover - fire specialist Bistan , finding him crazy but trusting in his ability to cover even the most dangerous of landings . While serving on Gaulus , Melshi also met Lieutenant Caluan Ematt , who fondly remembered the sergeant after his death , calling him an " old nek " and lamenting his passing . Skills and abilities . Sergeant Melshi was a combative and practical commander who never shied away from improvisation when presented with a difficult mission . Melshi displayed an affinity for combat tactics , realizing that since the Empire heavily outnumbered the rebels on Scarif , their only choice was to attack in such a way as to appear more powerful than they were . During the battle at the barracks , Melshi was also able to see an opening for a counterattack and tried to exploit it to regain the advantage in the fight . Seeing rebel forces arriving to assist Rogue One on Scarif , Melshi was grateful for the help , but he also predicted the immediate Imperial response , realizing that the Empire would close the planetary shield to cut off the rebels . As an infiltrator and a member of the Pathfinders , Melshi was an expert at wilderness fighting while camouflaged , which worked to his advantage in the jungles of Scarif . When Bodhi Rook tried to explain to Melshi the importance of the master switch , the latter was fairly confused with the terminology ; a soldier first and foremost , Melshi had little knowledge of communications technology . Equipment . As a SpecForce soldier , Melshi carried a variety of specialized equipment while on duty . When the sergeant was performing the extraction of Jyn Erso on Wobani , he was almost completely covered in gear . During the Battle of Scarif , Melshi was armed with an A - 300 blaster rifle with a collapsed barrel and carried a long - range communications booster . A headset comlink repeater and ear piece were attached to his headgear , and he was also equipped with a comlink and a pair of quadnoculars . Melshi was responsible for handling the demolition work on Scarif , distributing the explosives and being the one to pull the trigger . Behind the scenes . Ruescott Melshi first appeared in the 2016 " Star Wars Anthology " film " " , in which he was portrayed by actor Duncan Pow . Melshi was first revealed in the second trailer for the film on October 13 , 2016 . In the film , the character was addressed only by his last name ; the first name " Ruescott " was established in the , as well as the books " " and " " , all released simultaneously with the film on December 16 , 2016 . Actor Duncan Pow described the experience of playing Sergeant Melshi and being a part of the " Star Wars " universe as a " dream come true . " He praised the overall filming experience as an amazing chance to live out his childhood dreams . With regard to the filming of the Scarif scenes — which were shot on the — Pow especially remembered the hot climate . Pow has been following the portrayal of Melshi in other media adaptations of " Rogue One " , and he is aware of the first name of his character . Inconsistencies . The adult and the of " Rogue One " give conflicting information with regard to the exact circumstances of Melshi ' s death . In the adult novel , Melshi succumbs to the blaster shot wound he received earlier and dies at the bunker doors . In the junior novel , more than four people reach the bunker doors . After Sefla unsuccessfully tries to reach the master switch , Melshi — seeing as there are no more volunteers to complete the mission — makes his own attempt to run for it rather than ordering one of his own men to do so . He makes it slightly farther than Sefla before he is gunned down by the enemy . Since his death in the film occurs off - screen , it is impossible to determine which variation of his death is canon ical . This article currently follows the adult novel ' s depiction of events . Another contradiction is presented in the book " " , which does not mention Melshi at any point . Instead , the book states that Lieutenant Sefla commanded the rebel troops on the ground during the Battle of Scarif . However , other sources , such as " Star Wars : Rogue One : The Ultimate Visual Guide " , have established that Melshi was the commander of ground forces despite being outranked by Sefla .