Emperor Palpatine‘s contingency plan in the event of his death is officially under way in Star Wars comics, granting fans the chance to finally see Operation: Cinder carried out across the galaxy. Sentinel droids are delivered to Star Destroyers of the Empire’s top commanders, containing pre-recorded messages delivered to every Imperial on board:
“Resistance. Rebellion.
Defiance
. These are concepts that cannot be allowed to persist. You are but one of many tools by which these ideas shall be burned away.”
So far in the Star Wars universe, the idea of a formal Rebellion and a structured Resistance were eventually made real, and claimed as names for entire movements. These two concepts have opposed Palpatine thus far, and I think the Defiance is the next major threat to Emperor Palpatine’s plans.
First Came Rebels, Then Came Resistance, Next Comes… Defiance?
Emperor Palpatine Predicts the Next Threat To His Empire With Operation: Cinder
The new tease makes its appearance in The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising (2024) #2 by creative team Alex Segura, Leonard Kirk, Rachelle Rosenberg, and Joe Caramagna. The goal of Operation: Cinder was clear, and brutal: destroy Imperial worlds to punish the Empire for failing to prevent their Emperor’s death, while destroying enemy worlds, and rich planets, to maintain power over the galaxy. Pre-recorded messages were sent to the Star Destroyers of the Empire’s top commanders, drawing out the most ruthless Imperials to build a new empire, while Palpatine builds his own backup with the Sith Eternal on Exegol.
The sentinel droids carrying Emperor Palpatine’s pre-recorded messages were sent out almost immediately after his death, as if he predicted he was going to die, and the droids were on their way before the Battle of Endor concluded. It is possible to see the future using the force, though it is flawed, but Palpatine has been known to use this ability of foresight. I believe the most notable line from his message is not only identifying traits he will not allow, but also the name of the group that will become the next big threat to his plans.
Will The Defiance Rise as The Next “Good Guys” In a New Era of Star Wars?
The Alliance to Restore the Republic, better known as the Rebel Alliance, is the first group to rise up against Emperor Palpatine, becoming the heroes of the original trilogy. The Resistance were the heroes of the sequel trilogy, formed as a secret branch of the New Republic military that opposed the First Order when they began to pose a threat to the galaxy. By the end of The Rise of Skywalker, the Resistance foil Palpatine’s second plan after his resurrection.
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A new era of Star Wars is beginning with Rey’s Jedi Order, and there’s a chance the “Defiance” Palpatine mentions in his message could be the next group of heroes that save the galaxy, but I’m not convinced sure that’s the case. The common factor between the concepts Palpatine cannot allow is that they each pose a serious, direct threat to his plan. So practically speaking, I don’t see why Palpatine would be concerned with heroes who will not unite until after his mission is ended. There is only one person Palpatine could describe as the Defiance: Moff Adelhard.
The Defiant Imperial is a Bigger Threat to Palpatine Than Any Rebellion or Resistance
Gallius Rax describes Moff Adelhard as living in a state of denial, continuing to operate as if the Emperor were not dead. Unlike the elements of the Empire who followed Palpatine’s contingency plan with Operation: Cinder, Adelhard instead lies to his soldiers and the people of the Anoat sector that their Emperor is alive, and the Rebellion has lost the war. He uses manipulation tactics to maintain the power he once had as long as he can, as he fears losing it. Just like the Rebellion and the Resistance, Adelhard opposes the Emperor’s plans.
I doubt that the dividing factions of the empire won’t end up clashing in the near future, as even though Adelhard is not a “good guy,” he is the biggest threat to Operation: Cinder as he defies the vision Palpatine had for the Empire once he was no longer a part of it. Gallius Rax tells Rae Sloane that Adelhard is being dealt with, so there is bound to be a conflict between both factions of the Empire as Rax and Sloane eliminate the defiance that Palpatine stated could not be allowed to persist.
I believe Palpatine predicted exactly how Adelhard and other power-hungry Imperials would react to his plan for a post-Emperor empire. Which is why Operation: Cinder was designed to root out only the most ruthless Imperials, a group to which Adelhard does not belong. As much as I’d like to see Adelhard become a founding member of the First Order, he just isn’t what Palpatine had in mind for his new Empire.
Find out how Rax and Sloane deal with the defiant imperial in The Battle of Jakku – Insurgency Rising #2, available now from Marvel Comics.