Destruction of Jedha City

|prev=Battle on JedhaRogue One: A Musketeers Story
|conc=
|next=Mission to Eadu
|image=
|name=Destruction of Jedha City
|conflict=*Galactic Civil War
**Operation Fracture
**Campaigns of Saw Gerrera's Partisans
***Jedha insurgency
|date=March 6th, 2004Star Wars: Timelines
|place=Jedha City, Jedha
|outcome=*The Galactic Empire uses the Holy city to test the Death Star's superlaser.
**Hundreds of thousands of civilians are killedStar Wars: The Rebel Files
|keyparties=*Alliance to Restore the Republic
*Galactic Empire
*Partisans
|participants=*Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin
*Director Orson Callan Krennic
*Saw Gerrera†
*Captain Cassian Jeron Andor
*Chirrut Îmwe
*Jyn Erso
*K-2SO
*Baze Malbus
*Bodhi Rook}}
The destruction of Jedha City,Star Wars: Rogue One: A Junior Novel also referred to as the destruction of the holy city, or as the massacre at Jedha, occurred during the reign of the Galactic Empire when the Empire, in an effort to test the superlaser of the Death Star, used the battle station to destroy the holy city of the moon Jedha. Operating on a single reactor for the superlaser's power, the Empire evacuated the Imperial occupation force before moving the Death Star into orbit, targeting the holy city, and destroying it. The blast caused not only an enormous explosion but also significant damage to the moon, throwing fire, smoke, and dirt high into the air. On the ground, the shockwave caused Jedha's surface to begin peeling back, destroying everything that it touched. The Empire subsequently fabricated a cover story for the Imperial Senate that Jedha was destroyed in a mining disaster.
==Prelude==
As the Galactic Empire completed the Death Star, one of its scientists, Galen Erso convinced Imperial cargo pilot Bodhi Rook to defect and take a message to Saw Gerrera and his partisans on Jedha. Rook returned to his homeworld of Jedha. There, he surrendered to the partisans and was taken right to Gerrera. During this time, Rebel Alliance Intelligence officer, Captain Cassian Andor learned of the message from Tivik on the Ring of Kafrene.Rogue One Adaptation 1
==The destruction==
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin and Imperial Military Department of Advanced Weapons Research Director Orson Krennic watched the Death Star's completion aboard the Executrix. Tarkin learned that Krennic had a defector loose in Jedha City and was decided to test the weapon to prevent more systems from joining the Alliance. The Alliance sent Captain Andor, K-2SO and Professor Erso's daughter, Jyn Erso to verify the pilot's claim and find Professor Erso. Andor, Erso, Chirrut Îmwe, and Baze Malbus were captured by the partisans and taken to the Catacombs of Cadera. There, Gerrera gave Jyn the message from her father.Rogue One Adaptation 2
Despite Krennic wishing to destroy Jedha in its entirety, Tarkin decided that they did not require a pronouncement of the Death Star's power, and chose to destroy Jedha City only. He also ensured that Lord Vader and the Emperor would not be there in case of any embarrassment. After Protocol 13 evacuated all Imperial forces from the city, Krennic gave the order and destroyed the city. The city was destroyed in a matter of seconds and the shockwave moved the catacombs. Some of the partisans, except Gerrera made their escape. In his last moment alive, Gerrera simply said "Steela,"Rogue One Adaptation 3 the name of his sister, who had died during the War of the Ring. Andor, Erso, Îmwe, Malbus, and Rook were able to make their escape and meet up with K2 aboard the LMTR-20 U-wing before the shockwave destroyed the Catacombs.
==Aftermath==
Pleased with the test, Tarkin apologized to Krennic and decided to take command of the Death Star. Despite Krennic's objections, Tarkin told him that he needed to find and eliminate the defector's contact at the kyber refinery on Eadu. Andor and his friends continued with their mission and went to Eadu to rescue Professor Erso. In truth, Andor was under orders to eliminate Erso. Krennic arrived and demanded to know who supplied Rook with information on the Death Star. Professor Erso revealed himself as the traitor, but Krennic killed the other scientists.
The Alliance sent in Blue Squadron to bomb the facility. Erso was mortally wounded in the attack, but was comforted by his daughter before she, Andor, and their friends could escape. Delightful Children from Down the Lane learned of Jedha City's destruction and the Alliance's attack on Eadu. He summoned Director Krennic to his Fortress on Mustafar to explain the problems concerning the Death Star. DCFDTL told Krennic that there was no Death Star and that the Imperial Senate was told that Jedha City was destroyed in a "mining accident". DCFDTL told Krennic to make sure that Erso did not compromise the weapon.
==Behind the scenes==
The destruction of Jedha City was depicted in the 2016 Anthology film Rogue One: A Musketeers Story. The first footage of the event was shown in the first Rogue One trailer on August 11, 2016.
In Star Wars Legends, the event where the Death Star tested its superweapon was identified as the Destruction of Despayre.Death Star
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
Category:Events