Partisans The Partisans , also referred to as Saw Gerrera ' s militia , and Saw Gerrera ' s rebels were a militant insurgent group and rebel cell who enacted armed campaigns against the Galactic Empire during the Imperial Era . Led and founded by Saw Gerrera in 19 BBY , the Partisans played a part in destabilizing Gerrera ' s homeworld of Onderon from the Empire ' s occupying forces and eventually became allied with first the rebellion , and later , the Alliance to Restore the Republic . However , some , like Rebel Alliance founders Mon Mothma and Bail Organa , distanced themselves from Gerrera ' s faction due to their willingness to resort to extreme tactics , such as torture and attacks on civilian targets . By 0 BBY , the militia had very little communication with the mainstream Alliance , and Gerrera ' s militia besieged the holy moon of Jedha with the intentions of purging the Imperial occupation . However , the campaign took a major blow with the destruction of the Holy City by the Imperial Death Star battle station ' s superlaser , and the death of Saw Gerrera himself . The Partisans were also responsible for enough attacks resulting in civilian casualties that the Galactic Empire in response made a propaganda poster denouncing the Rebel Alliance as a terrorist group . The campaigns of the Partisans were later mentioned by New Republic Senator Ransolm Casterfo as an example of the Rebels ' so - called terrorist tactics during the war , and also demanded of Leia Organa to know if she condoned it or not , with Leia simply saying he did what needed to be done without saying either way regarding her views on the matter . History . Early rebellion . Following Onderon ' s Civil War and the Galactic Republic ' s transformation into the Galactic Empire Saw Gerrera reorganized the Onderon rebels into the Partisans . When the Empire sent ISB Agent Kallus and his platoon to bring peace to Onderon , Gerrera and a Lasat mercenary ambushed them . The Lasat then mercilessly executed the platoon and left Kallus alive . In 13 BBY , Gerrera then took Jyn Erso and accepted her into the partisans . By 5 BBY , Erso was one of the best fighters among the partisans . However , Gerrera was forced to abandon her due to her father , Galen Walton Erso , being an Imperial collaborator . In 6 BBY , Gerrera and his Partisans were hired by Arane Oreida to infiltrate the Sakoola blossom festival on Inusagi . The Partisans massacred the festival and the overcome involved the deaths of Maia , Governor Cor Tophervin , the Inusagi chieftess , several Imperials and many Inusagi civilians . Some of Gerrera ' s members left the Partisans for less extreme rebel groups . In 3 BBY , a member of Saw ' s Partisans planted a bomb in the chalet of Moff Quarsh Panaka , governor of Naboo , on the moon Onoam . The explosion destroyed the building and killed Panaka , but also nearly killed Prince ss Leia Organa of Alderaan , fellow rebel Bail Organa ' s adopted daughter , and Naboo ' s reigning Queen Dalné , both of whom escaped death by mere moments . Panaka ' s assassin ation caused a full lockdown of the sector and infuriated Bail , both because Panaka had been one of the select few Imperials who was neither corrupt nor cruel and because his daughter was very nearly killed . By 1 BBY , Saw Gerrera was at odds with Senator Mon Mothma , leader of the larger rebellion in terms of how the war was to be fought . The Partisans , unlike the Alliance , had very few qualms and were willing to do whatever was deemed necessary in their fight , including openly attacking and killing civilians . The Partisan leader attempted to convince the Spectres to join his cause . Soon after , he assisted the rebels in their mission to the Jalindi relay . He and Benthic took their U - wing . Gerrera dropped proton bomb s on the relay to destroy it , and rescued the Spectres from their mission . Galactic Civil War . Following the death of Gerrera , the remaining Partisans continued his extremist legacy to thwart the Empire at any cost . After the theft of the Death Star plans , the newly formed Inferno Squad was ordered to infiltrate and eliminate the surviving Partisans . When the rebellion began looking for a new base , another group of surviving Partisans were then approached by Leia , Jedi Luke Skywalker , Captain Han Solo , and Chewbacca after rescuing Partisan Ubin Des and Chulco Gi from the Imperials . The Partisans were attempting to stop the Empire from extracting more Kyber crystal s from what remained of Jedha . Des and Gi then took the " Millennium Falcon " to the Partisans ' new base on Jedha . There , they were brought before Benthic , who believed they should kill the Rebels .