Mercy Mission ( short story ) " Mercy Mission " is a canon short story by Melissa Scott that was published on October 6 , 2015 as part of " The Rise of the Empire " paperback compilation . The story is set between " Lords of the Sith " and " Tarkin " , and features Twi ' lek pilot Hera Syndulla as its protagonist , serving as a prequel to her canonical debuts in the novel " A New Dawn " and the animated TV series " Star Wars Rebels " . Publisher ' s summary . " Years before she led the crew of the " Ghost " , Hera Syndulla was a young pilot looking to make a difference in the galaxy . Hera sets out with Goll — a close ally of her father , Cham Syndulla — on a dangerous mission to help the citizens of her homeworld , Ryloth , now languishing under the might of the Empire . " Plot summary . Following the defeat suffered by the Free Ryloth movement , Hera Syndulla and the Karthakk Group travel aboard the YT - 209 freighter " Eclipse " to smuggle a shipment of gattis - root extract to Ryloth . For the mission , Hera is accompanied by former Free Ryloth leader Goll , the ship ' s human captain Krysiant Rheden , " Clinician " Trae Baratha , the Nikto gunner Ul ' ligan , and the Sephi gunner Eira Tay . Due to the mission ' s sensitivity , Hera has to leave her C1 - series astromech droid Chopper behind aboard the " Ghost " . The Empire has rationed the supply of gattis - root extract in order to ferret out fugitive Free Ryloth insurgents . Due to the dangerous nature of the mission , the Karthakk Group members man the ship ' s weapons . Upon entering the Ryloth system , their ship , which is posing as the freighter " Tirion " , is scanned by an Imperial cruiser and cleared for entry . Despite her strained relationship with her father Cham Syndulla , Hera had volunteered for the mission . To mislead the Imperial space flight control , Hera and the rebels decide to cut the Imperial auto - control system once they have reached the right altitude . This would trick the Imperials into thinking that their ship has crashed and enable them to smuggle their stash to the city of Lessu . After reaching Marker 210 , Hera and Krysiant Rheden disengage the auto - control system . Their actions create a power glitch in the Imperial space flight control system . Moff Delian Mors , the Commander of the Imperial Forces on Ryloth , learns about the disappearance of the " Tirion " and dispatches a flight of V - wing starfighters under Lieutenant Niol to investigate . Three Imperial V - wings intercept the " Eclipse " but the rebels shoot down the enemy starfighters following a brief dogfight . However , the " Eclipse " engines , long - range sensors , and the main transmitter are damaged . Captain Rheden is also injured . After some deliberation , the rebels decide to continue their supply mission and to stop the ship somewhere for repairs . Approaching Lessu , Hera lands the " Eclipse " in an abandoned commercial landing zone to the city situated beyond the viewing range of the Imperial monitoring stations . There , the rebels deliver their supplies and complete their repairs . After learning that the unidentified freighter has landed on the outer surface of the city , Moff Mors orders Imperial starfighters to intercept the ship . However , the " Eclipse " succeeds in delivering its supplies and manages to flee into hyperspace . In response , Moff Mors orders a full lockdown of the city and places a bounty on the freighter , the cargo , and its eventual recipients . Having completed their mission , Hera sets the " Eclipse " on course for Manda . Hera and the mixed Twi ' lek and Nikto crew reflect on the solidarity between the two subject peoples . Goll also compliments Hera for her leadership skills . Continuity . The Del Rey press release announcing the story stated that " Mercy Mission " bridges the gap between " Lords of the Sith " and " Tarkin " . Both novels take place five years after the founding of the Empire , in 14 BBY . However , in the story itself , Moff Delian Mors reminisces about the Emperor ' s visit the year before , which was shown in " Lords of the Sith " . This comment suggests that contrary to the press release , the short story actually takes place in 13 BBY .