BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE MOVIE E VENT OF 2016

US/CAN $10.99
2017
Display until
March 20, 2017
7 1

1
74808 03151
& TM 2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used under authorization.

THE OFFICIAL COLLECTORS EDITION

E XC LU S I V E PHOTO S A CONC E P T A RT
 ADVERTORIAL

THE MISSION:
COLLECT THEM ALL
THE DEATH STAR PLANS ARE HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER IN A GALAXY
FAR, FAR AWAY. IN OUR GALAXY, TOPPS CARDS ARE MUCH EASIER
TO GET YOUR HANDS ON! FEATURING CHARACTERS AND STORYLINES
FROM THE NEW FILM ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY THERE ARE
SEVEN INSERT SETS TO COLLECT!

LOOK OUT FOR:

Stickers
Blueprints

Heroes of The
Rebel Alliance

Villains of The
Galactic Empire

Character Icons
Gallery Cards
Montages
The second 5 of
15 Darth Vader
continuity cards

Plus! Look for

autographs from
the cast of the
movie and sketch
cards featuring
artwork from
some of the very
best Star Wars
artists!
 ROGUE ONE SERIES 1
TRADING CARDS ARE IN STORES NOW!
& TM THE TOPPS COMPANY, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
& TM 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved. Used under authorization.
 a FEBRUARY 2017 a
EDITORS WELCOME THIS ISSUE...
EDITORIAL
Editor Jonathan Wilkins
Senior Executive Editor Divinia Fleary 06 LAUNCHPAD
Art Editor Oz Browne
Copy Editor Simon Hugo
Editorial Assistant Tolly Maggs 14 FELICITY JONES

20 MCQUARRIES DEATH STAR

Senior Editor Frank Parisi 24 FOREST WHITAKER

Editor Brett Rector
Image Archives Newell Todd, Erik Sanchez,
Bryce Pinkos, Tim Mapp
Art Director Troy Alders
28 ALAN TUDYK
CONTRIBUTORS
Tricia Barr, Neil Edwards, Tolly Maggs May the Force be with us. 35 RIZ AHMED
Amy Ratcliffe, James Burns, Megan
Crouse, and Dan Wallace Jyn Erso, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story 42 DONNIE YEN
SPECIAL THANKS TO
Erich Schoeneweiss at Random House,
Tracy Cannobbio and Chris Argyropoulos 46 JIANG WEN

at Lucasfilm
Production Manager Obi Onuora
Production Supervisors Maria Pearson
& Jackie Flook
Production Assistant Peter James
Art Director Oz Browne
Senior Sales Manager Steve Tothill
Subscriptions Executive Ben Alvarez Turner
Direct Sales & Marketing Manager
Ricky Claydon
Brand Manager, Marketing Lucy Ripper
Commercial Manager Michelle Fairlamb
U.S. Advertising Manager Jeni Smith
Publishing Manager Darryl Tothill
Publishing Director Chris Teather
Operations Director Leigh Baulch
Executive Director Vivian Cheung
Publisher Nick Landau
DISTRIBUTION
US Newsstand: Total Publisher Services, Inc.
John Dziewiatkowski, 630-851-7683
US Distribution: Source Interlink, Curtis
Circulation Company
UK Newsstand: Comag, 01895 444 055
US/UK Direct Sales Market: Diamond
Comic Distributors
SUBSCRIPTIONS
US subscriptions: 1-800-261-6502,
email: customerservice@
titanpublishingusa.com
UK subscriptions: 0844 576 7858
email: swmag@servicehelpline.co.uk
For more info on advertising contact
A
dmit it, youve always wondered how
Princess Leia got her regal hands
on those Death Star plans. Its one of the 52 THE DEATH STAR
sagas most intriguing secrets, hidden in
plain sight, right there at the very start of the first 58 MADS MIKKELSEN
Star Wars movie. One of the greatest, most pivotal
62 CATALYST INTERVIEW
stories, left untold until now...
Who were those brave souls who defied the
67 BEN MENDELSOHN
Empire and helped give the Rebel Alliance its first
major victory against its Imperial foes? What were 74 DIEGO LUNA
the costs of their success?
Well, its time to find out as Rogue One: A Star Wars 78 BANTHA TRACKS
Story fills in that crucial little detail from the opening
crawl to A New Hope. Its really exciting to finally 81 DEATH STAR QUIZ
meet Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, K-2SO, and the rest
of the team. It feels like theyve been waiting in 84 ESSENTIAL ROGUE ONE
the wings forever, waiting for their chance to show COLLECTIBLES
the part they played in the galactic struggle!
In this issue of Insider were meeting the 90 VOICE OF THE EMPIRE
talented actors who have assembled to tell the story
of Rogue One, and showcasing some great photos
from the movie.
Weve also taken a look at the Death Star,
from the amazing Ralph McQuarrie images that first
CONTACT US Star Wars Insider is
also available online.
visualized the look of the fearsome space station to email us: To download, visit:
starwarsinsider@titanemail.com
www.titanmagazines.
some of the collectibles that it has inspired by Rogue com/digitial
visit us:
One. It might be a symbol of terror in the galaxy far, www.titanmagazines.com

adinfo@titanemail.com far away, but theres something about the Empires write to us:
UNITED STATES
STAR WARS INSIDER JAN/FEB 2017 ultimate weapon that makes us love it back here Star Wars Insider, Titan Magazines,
(USPS 003-0027) (ISSN 1041-5122) 2819 Rosehall Lane, Aurora, IL, 60503, U.S.A.
Star Wars Insider is published eight times per year (January on Earth. UNITED KINGDOM www.facebook.com/
February/ March, April, May/June, July, August/September,
Star Wars Insider, 144 Southwark Street StarWarsInsider
October, November/December) by Titan Magazines, a division Dont forget to write to us using the address on the London SE1 0UP, U.K.
of Titan Publishing Group Limited, 144 Southwark Street,
London SE1 0UP.
Contents 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM. All Rights Reserved,
right. Wed love to hear what you think of the movie! call us:
Titan Authorized User. TMN 13429
To subscribe in the U.S. please Star Wars Insider @SW_Insider
PUBLISHERS U.S. AGENT call toll free on 800-261-6502
2819 Rosehall Lane, Aurora, IL 60503. Periodicals
For U.K. and all other destinations
Postage Paid at Aurora IL and at additional
mailing offices. please call 0844 322 1280 or Visit
+44 (0) 1795 414 810 www.starwars.com
POSTMASTER
Send address changes to Star Wars Insider,
PO Box 18479, Anaheim, CA 92817-8479
U.S. subscriptions
Jonathan Wilkins, Editor
$49.99 per year; Canada $64.99
and U.K. 31.99.
U.S. edition printed by Quad.

2017 Lucasfilm Ltd. and All Rights Reserved.

Subscribe today and get an exclusive subscriber cover with
Used Under Authorization. eevery issuenot available in stores! Plus, in this months issue,
gget
e a free Top Trumps Death Star collectors case with Top Trump
cards and save up to 22% . This issue of Star Wars Insider is
also available with an exclusive cover image that is available
only at selected comic stores! See page 68 or visit:
titanmagazines.com/Insider
UU.S. GET EIGHT ISSUES, SAVING 22%, FOR JUST $49.99!
NEWSSTAND EDITION 1 NNEWSSTAND EDITION 2 SUBSCRIBERS EXCLUSIVE COMIC STORE EXCLUSIVE UU.K. GET EIGHT ISSUES, SAVING 20%, FOR JUST 31.99!
 A L L T H E C O O L N E W S F R O M T H E S TA R WA R S U N I V E R S E
by Amy Ratcliffe

ANOVOS DISPLAYS
DEATH TROOPERS
D
eath troopers are elite soldiers in Imperial
Intelligence, and when theyre not protecting and
serving, theyre traveling to far-off places like Earth.
Imposing death trooper statues from ANOVOS have
been popping up around the world at conventions and other
events. The life-size statues are ideal for creating incredible
photo memories, but what if theyre more than stationary
objects? Remember, ANOVOS did similar statues featuring
stormtroopers for The Force Awakens and they eventually
sold screen accurate, wearable armor and helmets for those
stormtroopers. Visit ANOVOS online to see if theyve followed
suit with death troopers.

6 INSIDER
HER UNIVERSE GOES
ROGUE THE HAN SOLO MOVIE
W
hether youre seeing

TAKES SHAPE AS
Rogue One: A Star
Wars Story for the
rst time or the
tenth, Her Universe has new

LANDO IS CAST
apparel inspired by the lm to
keep you looking as fashionable
as Director Krennic (okay,
maybe not as fashionable, since
his cape is a thing of beauty).
For Imperial followers, Her

W
Universe has released a Death
Star dress. The scoop-neck hile Rogue One hits cinema screens this
design features an all-over print month, plans are already underway for the
of the Death Star plans and the next Star Wars standalone movie. The as-yet-
Imperial symbol. These are the untitled Han Solo movie will feature the early
kind of plans you should pay for adventures of the sagas premier scoundrel. Naturally
instead of stealing. the lm will feature Hans second best friend (after
Her Universe didnt leave Chewbacca), the suave charmer, Lando Calrissian,
the rebels out. For those and who better to play him than Donald Glover?
pursuing more light side endeavors, they have a colorful chiffon The movie will be directed by Phil Lord and
top featuring a galactic Rebel Alliance starbird against a eld of Christopher Miller, and written by Jon and Lawrence
stars with an X-wing. The owing black shirt calls out Rogue One Kasdan. It stars Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo, and is
in text. currently slated for a May, 2018 release.
You can nd the new releases in Disney Parks (shop their app
if you cant make it to the theme parks in person).

INSIDER 7
 INTRODUCING JYN ERSO
IN (ACTION FIGURE) ACTION
F
elicity Jones had the honor of showing off the rst Jyn
Erso action gure when she took the stage during the Rogue
One panel at Celebration Europe. As soon as the toy was
revealed, Hasbro released a new Rogue One poster starring
the Jyn Erso gure on Jedha taking out stormtroopers in a erce
battle. The image was created by artist Stephen Hayford. He uses
a combination of craft and set/diorama building and photography
to tell his own stories within the Star Wars universe, and he jumped
at the opportunity to work on the Hasbro project. He received the
assignment in May, only two months before Celebration, and
completed the set in June.
Given that more details about Rogue One werent really revealed
until Celebration, Hayford had limited information to base his
diorama on. I was told I could only work from the existing trailer
and a few reference photos from the set. I was not privy to story
points or other details, which is good and bad. Bad for accuracys
sake, obviously, but good because I can still be an unspoiled fan in
the movie theater in December, he said.
He had a similar situation when he created art for Star Wars: The
Force Awakens. He said he learned lessons from that assignment:
In that project, I attempted to use my sleuthing skills in putting
together an ultimate scene. I used objects in different scenes (like
the Jakku fence line around the shipyard) to draw conclusions about
the layout of the location. In the end, I found out I was wrongI had
spent several weeks building a prop that couldnt exist in the scene
8 INSIDER
my poster was depicting. That hurt. With that experience in his
mind, he decided to play it safe and use the scene we saw play out
in the rst trailer. He made it a little different. I was given
artistic license to reverse the angle to see the more simplied part
of the set, without the Jedha skyline. I knew the focus was the
convention-exclusive gure of Jyn Erso in her Jedha outt. Her ght
scene with the stormtroopers in the alley was the perfect choice.
I received a beautiful selection of set photography, giving me
superbly detailed views of the entire alley. As a security measure
to ensure I didnt release any images, the photos were emblazoned
with my name; and they could only be viewed on a secure drive when
I was disconnected from the internet.
Every angle and pose in images like this is a deliberate
choice. Hayford drew upon the strength and determination
we saw in Jyn in the rst footage to establish an attitude for
the gure. From her subtle glances as shes brought into
the Massassi temple to her line, This is a Rebellion, isnt it?
I rebel. When we hear that line in the trailer, its as a voiceover
on top of the ght scene depicted in the poster. Shes beating
stormtroopers with a baton! And her motions are so aggressive
and follow through so complete. She is clearly going to be a
skilled and condent hero, Hayford explained. The rst batch
of reference photos I received appeared to be photos from ght
rehearsals. Seeing the control and strength in her expressions
also guided the nal stance I chose.

The scene was set with Jyn as the focus in Jedha. Since its
a desert planet and the gures are in the middle of a scufe, its
natural that dust would be swirling in the air. Getting it just right
was painstaking. Hayford said, Overall atmosphere, including
the rays of light poking through the overhead canopies, was
created with a fog machine.
The sand was kicked up using a can of compressed airthe
same kind used to clear dust from a cowmputer keyboardat
the characters action points.
While this all seems simple, its not. If you spray from the
easiest entry point to the diorama, the sand will go in the opposite
direction of the action. So, it took many swishing movements from
a very awkward angle, timed with the cameras shutter, to create
a more realistic effect.
If Hayford wanted to get another shot, it meant he had to reset
the stage.The gures were held in place with nails to limit the
possibility of movement between shots, he said. And I had to
re-sweep the sand of the set and dust the gures after every few
images. I live in Florida,and the early summer heat was brutal.
Every blast of air can add several ounces of sand to my sweat-
soaked self. By the end, I was like human sandpaper. I swear
I still feel phantom sand on me. But it was one of the most fun
projects Ive ever doneespecially because I feel were getting
another outstanding female character that my daughter AND
son can admire.
IN MEMORIAM
IAN LISTON
August 4, 1948 October 1, 2016
I
an Liston, the British
actor who portrayed
the heroic Rebel
Alliance pilot Wes
Janson, has passed
away at age 68. Liston
had been battling
prostate cancer for
a 12 years, taking part
in a total of seven new
DNA-based precision
cancer medicine trials
which had for a time beaten back
the disease. Much of the medication Liston used during the
past decade has now become standard treatment.
Born in Crosby, on Merseyside in England on August 4th
1948, Ian found a career on the stage beckoning, and over
the following years compiled an enviable rsum of lm
and TV projects. His television career began in 1970 with
The Breaking of Bumbo and grew to include such British
staples as Dixon of Dock Green, Z Cars, Coronation Street,
The Onedin Line, Secret Army and The Professionals. In
1979 he played Hero in a Doctor Who story entitled
The Armageddon Factor. A year later he captured two
roles in The Empire Strikes Back. Most famously he occupied
the gunners seat in Wedge Antilles snowspeeder playing
heroic Wes Janson. Ironically, in the very same action
sequence, he also played one of the AT-AT drivers steering
a walker Janson was attacking.
On lm he appeared in Richard Attenboroughs 1977 star-
studded classic A Bridge Too Far alongside fellow Star Wars
vets John Morton, John Ratzenberger, Jack McKenzie and
Garrick Hagon. In 1985 he played a co-pilot in Taylor
Hackfords White Nights alongside Mikhail Baryshnikov and
Gregory Hines. But his most beloved TV role was that of Ron
Brownlow in Midlands-based soap Crossroads between 1981
and 1985.
With a deep love for the theater, especially the uniquely
British tradition of pantomime, Liston launched the Hiss and
Boo Company in 1977. It quickly became one of the leading
providers of pantomime and variety shows to venues across
the U.K. and eventually traveled to the Middle East and
across the globe. With fresh adaptations written each
and every year, his shows included such TV, music and
entertainment stars as Todd Carty, Peter Duncan, Isla
St Clair, Rick Wakeman, Colin Baker, Wayne Sleep, and
Jimmy Cricket. The company brought the Mr. Men to the
stage for the rst time, worked with the RSC to create The
Shakespeare Revue and most notably were the original
producers of Cluedo as a stage play. Liston himself appeared
in well over 3,000 performances of Hiss and Boos Music Hall
and Variety shows as Mr. Chairman.
A lover of cricket, steam railways, and paddle steamers,
he was a proud member of the Garrick Club and The Grand
Order of Water Rats. Liston is survived by his wife Vivien.
INSIDER 9
TREAT YOUR EARS
R
ogue One: A Star Wars Story is the rst Star Wars live
action lm with a score to be composed by someone
other than John Williams. Michael Giacchino, a highly
accomplished composer with many lms and television
series to his credit, scored the music forchael Giacchino, a highly
accomplished composer with many lms and television series to
his credit, scored the music for the movie. Speaking of which,
if you enjoyed Rogue One, we recommend you check some of his
other offerings, to include Lost, Alias, Inside Out, Super 8, Doctor
Strange, and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Fun fact: Rogue One isnt the rst Star Wars title Giacchinos
composed for. He also created music for Disney Parks Star Tours:
The Adventures Continue when the attraction reopened in 2011.

WHY DOES EVERYONE WANT TO GO TO

LEGO JAKKU?
I
f youre itching to take another trip to Jakku, pack your
bags and get ready! LEGOLAND California Resort is adding
characters and vehicles from The Force Awakens to their Star
Wars Miniland next spring, just in time for the annual LEGO
Star Wars Days event March 4-5. The new Jakku-themed model
will call the center of Miniland home and feature six scenes,
characters, and vehicles from the rst 30 minutes of the 2015
blockbuster lm. You will also nd one the longest models ever
created on display as well: a 16-foot Star Destroyer! If you have
the time and are a huge fan of Star Wars and LEGO, you wont
want to miss out on this event!

UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENT, AND CIRCULATION

1. Publication Title: Star Wars Insider 2. Publication Number: 0000-3027

3. Filing Date: 10-1-16 4. Issue Frequency: Bi-monthly 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 8 6. Annual Subscription Price: $49.99 7.
Complete Mailing Address of Known Ofce of Publication: 2819 Rosehall Ln. Aurora, IL 60503
Contact Person: John Dziewiatkowski 630-841-3349 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Ofce of Publisher: 2819
Rosehall Ln. Aurora IL 60503 9. Full names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Nick Landau
Editor: Jonathan Wilkins Managing Editor: Darryl Tothill Address: 144 Southwark St., London England, SE1 0UP 10. Owner: Titan Publishing
Group LLC. Nick Landau, Vivian Cheung 144 Southwark St. London, England, SE1 0UP 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security
Holders Owning or Holding 1 Percent or More of Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status Has Not Changed
During Preceding 12 Months, The purpose, function, and non-prot status of this organization and the exempt status for federal income tax
purposes Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months 13. Publication Title: Star Wars Insider
14. Issue Date for Circulation Date Below: Jan Nov/Dec (Average No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months). Extent and Nature of
Circulation: Paid 15. a). Total Number of Copies (Net press run): 61,710 b. (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions: 5,499 (2) Mailed In-
County Paid Subscriptions Stated: 0 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Courier
Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 49,925 (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 1,000 c. Total Paid
Distribution: 56,423 d. and e. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 0 f. Total Distribution: 56,423 g. Copies not Distributed: 31,546 h. Total: 87,970
i. Percent Paid: 100 14. Issue Date for Circulation Date Below: Nov/Dec (No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date). Extent and
Nature of Circulation: Paid 15 a). Total Number of Copies (Net press run): 56,009 b. (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions: 5,183 (2) Mailed
In-County Paid Subscriptions Stated: 0 (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors,
Courier Sales, and Other Paid Distribution Outside USPS: 42,541 (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: 0 c. Total Paid
Distribution: 47,724 d. and e. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: 0 f. Total Distribution: 47,724 g. Copies not Distributed: 26,682 h. Total: 74,406 i.
Percent Paid: 100 16. N/A 17. Statement included in: Issue 170 18. Completed by: John Dziewiakowski, Publisher

10 INSIDER
 Home of the Worlds Largest Selection of Star Wars Collectibles from 1977 to Present.

Order online now at

WWW.BRIANSTOYS.COM
Hot Toys
Rogue One
Shoretrooper
Sixth Scale
(Avail 2017)
$199.99

$204.99
$149.99

$149.99

Hot Toys
$149.99
Rogue One
Death Trooper
$599.99
Specialist
Force FX Lightsabers Sixth Scale
Force Awakens Kylo Ren, Luke (ANH), Darth Vader, and Luke (ROTJ) (Avail 2017)
Anakin Skywalker

Rogue Rogue $234.99

One One
6 6
Wave 7 Wave 8
(Set of 6) (Set of 6) Hot Toys
Force Awakens
Luke Skywalker
Sixth Scale
$129.99 $129.99
(Avail 2017)
Rogue Rogue
One One
3.75 3.75
Wave 1 Wave 2
$229.99
(Set of 5)) (Set of 8)

SELL YOUR TOYS!

$49.99 $99.99 Use our easy selling tools to
turn your collection into cash!
Save 10% with Coupon Code JINGLE Thru 12/31/16, Not Valid on Pre-Orders
Find out more at
brianstoys.com/sellyourtoys
Brians Toys, Inc. web: www.brianstoys.com
W730 State Road 35 email: sales@brianstoys.com
Fountain City, WI 54629 phone: (608) 687-7572 ext. 2
fax: (608) 687-7573
USA & TM 2014 LUCASFILM LTD.

Prices and availability are subject to change. Please call, fax, or e-mail to conrm prices and availability.
WRITE IN TO STAR WARS INSIDER, AND IF WE PUBLISH YOUR LETTER WE WILL SEND YOU TWO PACKS OF TOP TRUMPS
STAR WARS CARDS FEATURING THE ORIGINAL AND THE PREQUEL TRILOGIES!
THE AMAZING STORY OF
KID KRENNIC!
Back in issue #168 we asked for
information about the mysterious
young Director Krennic, who made
a guest appearance at the Star Wars
Insider panel held during Celebration
Europe back in July. Well, the cutting-
edge cosplayer has answered our call!
I would be honored to tell you how my
dad and I made my costume,
he reports
My dad and I had help from a
professional seamstress in our area
named Donna Riggs for the cape and
jacket. She made both out of white
spandex. The jacket has snaps on the
shoulders to attach the cape to the shirt.
It also has shoulder pads to make it look
more militaristic. The cape has an
unnished seam on the back just like the
real thing. Also, on the jacket is Krennics
military badge marking him as a Director.
We got it from a man who specializes in
making replica props. It attaches to the
jacket with magnets on the back.
The boots are actual leather boots
that we ordered and the pants are just
regular black ones. The belt is a
leather strip that has Velcro on the
back. The belt buckle is chromium duct
tape with different sizes of magnets
stacked onto each other to make the
center of the buckle. The holster is an
actual handgun holster. The blaster
was inspired by the small bit of it
shown from the teaser trailer, so it
isnt completely accurate. It is just a
PVC pipe piece with a smaller piece
glued to the top to make the scope.
It is all spray-painted and has black
duct tape on it to make the different
indentations on it.
There is a funny story about how
we got the jacket and cape from the
seamstress. Donna couldnt make the
costume herself because she was too
busy with other jobs, so she hired
12 INSIDER
another seamstress. Several months
before we left for Europe, the new
seamstress had us come in for
measuring and said that she would
call us later for the nal tting. Time
went by, and nally four days before
we ew to London, she called us.
When we got there, she pulled some
haphazard pieces of clothing out of a
shopping bag.
The costume wasnt ready, but she
said that she could nish it on time. By
now, we were getting anxious. Then,
the evening before the ight, she
called my dad and said it just wasnt
going to happen. When my dad told
me, I nearly passed out. Right before
I turned to the dark side, the phone
rang again. It was Donna, the original
seamstress. She said that she would
nish the costume no matter what,
and make my dream of going to
Celebration as Orson Krennic come
true! Even though we decided to meet
at 8pm, it wasnt ready until almost
midnightthe night before we left!
This all made me appreciate going
to Celebration a lot more. And when
I got called up to the stage during the
Insider panel, it was absolutely
wizard for me!
May the Force be with you,
Nicholas Romig (Kid Krennic)
Nicholas Romig models his outfit in front of the actual Krennic costume May the Force be with you too,
at Celebration Europe! Photo: Christopher Romig Nicholas! Thanks for sharing your
amazing Celebration story!
WE WANT YOUR LETTERS!
SEND THEM TO: For more inform
information, please visit
www.toptrumps.us
www.topp p
U.S.A. Star Wars Insider, Titan Magazines
2819 Rosehall Lane, Aurora, Illinois, 60503, USA
U.K. Star Wars Insider, 144 Southwark Street,
London, SE1 0UP
Email starwarsinsider@titanemail.com
1 AUTOG
G R APP H C A R D INN E V E RY B O X !
NEW PATT T ER
R NS
S A N D PAR R A L L E L S T O C H A S E!
HIGH-EN
N D PLL AS
S T I C T EC
CHNOLOGY!

EXCL
L USIV
V ELY IN HO
O B B Y SHOP
P S D E C E M B ER
R 2 01 6 !

facebook.com/RealToppsEntertainment @toppscards @toppssports

& 2016 Lucaslm Ltd. Topps is a registered trademark of the Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Topps does not, in any manner, make any
representations as to whether its products will attain any future value. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. For a chance to get an insert, see pack for details.

topps.com/starwars
JYN ERSO
FELICITY JONES IS
JYN ERSO, A REBEL
WITH A PERSONAL
STAKE IN A SEEMINGLY
IMPOSSIBLE MISSION.

W
hen Rogue One: A
Star Wars Story was
announced on March 12,
2015, Felicity Jones was
the only actor attached
to the movie. Her name brought the lm
immediate attention well beyond Star Wars
fan circles, as she had received a special
jury prize at the 2011 Sundance Festival for
her role in the romantic drama Like Crazy,
and Best Actress nominations at the
Oscars, BAFTAs, and Golden Globes for her
portrayal of Jane Hawking in the Stephen
Hawking biopic, The Theory of Everything
(2014). In her role as Jyn Erso, she follows
in the footsteps of acclaimed, established
actors, such as Alec Guinness and Natalie
Portman, appearing in Star Wars lms
alongside breakout stars.
When she was 12 years old, Jones
starred in the British family lm The
Treasure Seekers (1996) with Keira
Knightley (who went on to play Sab in
The Phantom Menace). Since graduating
from Wadham College, Oxford in 2006, she
has worked on both stage and screen, as
well as on BBC radio, voicing Emma Carter
in the worlds longest-running radio serial,
The Archers.
After lm roles in Northhanger Abbey
(2007), Brideshead Revisited (2008), Chri
(2009), and The Tempest (2010), it was
her role as Anna in Like Crazy (2011) that
highlighted her intense ability to get inside
a characters head. An article for the New
York Times detailed how Jones spent
hours driving from pharmacy to pharmacy
to nd the precise shade of blue nail polish
she had envisioned for her character.
She even contributed pieces from her
own wardrobe to get the characters look
just right.
Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones) takes the fight to Imperial forces.

Jones won more widespread recognition
in 2014 with roles in both The Amazing
Spiderman 2 and The Theory of Everything.
While it was her co-star in the latter lm,
Eddie Redmayne, who won the Academy
Award for his portrayal of theoretical
physicist Stephen Hawking, Jones erce
yet understated performance as his wife
Jane (author of the memoir on which the
lm was based), provided the crucial
counterpoint to his emotional spiral as
he struggled with motor neurone disease.
In 2016, Jones has already been seen
in Inferno, the latest installment of
Dan Browns Robert Langdon franchise,
in which she saves the world as Dr. Sienna
Brooks alongside Tom Hanks. Shortly
after Rogue One, she will feature in two
very different lms: emotional family
fantasy A Monster Calls with Star Wars
veteran Liam Neeson; and heist movie
Collide, alongside Anthony Hopkins and
Ben Kingsley.
At Wadham College, Jones studied
English and wrote her degree thesis on
Virginia Woolf. On Woolf, she told The
Hollywood Reporter, I liked that she gets
in the minds of people, and that
contradiction between what people are
thinking and how theyre behaving, which is
obviously what were exploring all the time
as an actor. In the same interview, she
revealed that she has created a Jyn Erso
scrapbook for Rogue One, and that her main
inspiration came from watching hours of
music videos, particularly those by Florence
and the Machine.
Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Rogue
One director Gareth Edwards revealed what
appealed to him about Jones acting. You
can just hang the camera on Felicity and not
say a word, and you can feel her having a
million different thoughts. You get interested
You can just hang the
camera on felicity and
feel her having a million
different thoughts.
in what shes thinking and whats going on.
She can be very observant within a scene. It
doesnt always have to be about her directly,
but were experiencing it through her. She
just has that knack for pulling you in.
In summer 2016, at Celebration Europe,
Jones gave fans a glimpse into Jyn Ersos
motivation, saying, I feel theres one major
difference between Jyn and other Star Wars
heroes [such as] Rey and Luke. Shes not a
character asking, Who am I and where did
I come from? Rather, Jyn knows where
she came from, and that propels the story
and her journey.a

16 INSIDER
 Under arrest.
Jyn Erso captured
by the Empire.
COMBAT ASSAULT TANK
Imperial stormtroopers on patrol on Jedha.
Vincent Jenkins, Concept Artist.
ROGUE ONE CONCEPT ART
MCQUARRIES
DEATH STAR
20 INSIDER
 The rebel Y-wings commence
attack on the Death Star.

RALPH MCQUARRIES ART DEPICTING

THE DEATH STAR IS SOME OF THE MOST
EVOCATIVE IN HIS OEUVRE. A LAVISH
NEW BOOK, STAR WARS ART: RALPH
MCQUARRIE OFFERS THE MOST
COMPLETE LOOK AT HIS INCREDIBLE,
PEERLESS LEGACY.
INSIDER 21
In addition to concept art, McQuarrie also designed toy packaging for Galoob, including this preliminary
illustration for the Death Star Action Fleet set.

This piece, showing

Han and Luke escorting their
prisoner to the detention
block, subtly suggests the
spherical shape of the Imperial
battle station.
An interior view from an Imperial
cockpit as a TIE pilot hones in on
the rebel Y-wings.

One of the many cavernous docking

bays of the Death Star.

The cold corridors of the Death Star, as

populated by lightsaber-wielding Imperial
stormtroopers described in earlier drafts of
The Star Wars screenplay.
SAW
GERRERA
ACADEMY-AWARD WINNING
ACTOR FOREST WHITAKER
PORTRAYS AN INSURGENT
WHO PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN
THE REBELS MISSION...
H
ow many actors can say they have
won the Academy Award, BAFTA,
Golden Globe Award, National
Board of Review Award, and
Screen Actors Guild Award? Not
many, and Forest Whitaker won them all
for his portrayal of Idi Amin in The Last
King of Scotland (2006). Known for
immersing himself in his characters,
in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Whitaker
assumes the role of Saw Gerrera,
a character created by George Lucas and
rst introduced in the animated television
series The Clone Wars.
An anti-Separatist freedom ghter on his
home planet Onderon, Gerrera was trained
in insurgency tactics by Anakin Skywalker
and his Jedi apprentice Ahsoka Tano. By
the time of Rogue One, Anakin has become
Darth Vaderand Gerrera is also part-
machine as he continues to oppose
oppression and tyranny in the galaxy.
Forest Whitakers breakout role was
as the football player Charles Jefferson
in Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982).
A string of guest appearances on
television shows followed, including
Cagney & Lacey (1983) and Hill Street
Blues(1984).
He also appeared in several television
movies, from The Grand Baby (1985) to
Last Light (1993), and the mini-series North
& South (1985) and its sequel.
A string of hit lms from 1986 to 1988 Forest Whitaker
helped make Whitaker a household name as Saw Gerrera.
including Martin Scorseses The Color of
Money (1986, with Paul Newman and Tom
Cruise), Oliver Stones Platoon (1986) and
Good Morning, Vietnam (1987 with Robin
Williams), and Clint Eastwoods Bird (1988).
Whitakers work in The Color of Money and
Bird cemented his reputation for throwing
himself completely into characters.
whitaker noted that he
Whitaker learned pool for his role as
hustler Amos in The Color of Money and
watched the clone wars
took alto saxophone lessons in preparation
for playing Charlie Bird Parker.
episode with saw gerrera
He continued to work steadily in lm
throughout the 1990s, in roles as varied as
to prepare for the role.
Diary of a Hitman (1991), The Crying Game
(1992), Ready to Wear (1994), and Smoke
(1995). For his role in Ghost Dog: The Way
of the Samurai (1999), as a mob hitman
following the bushido code, Whitaker In addition to his award-winning the Year, and won numerous acting awards
steeped himself in Eastern philosophy performance in The Last King of Scotland, for portraying Cecil Gaines in Lee Daniels
and took up meditation. (2006), in recent years Whitaker has continued The Butler (2013). In addition to Rogue One,
Also in the 1990s, Whitaker decided his success in numerous mediums. He this year Whitaker portrays Colonel Weber
to take a turn at producing and directing. He narrated the Twilight Zone (2002) television in Arrival, a science-ction lm that also
produced and co-starred in A Rage in Harlem series for UPN, co-starred with Jodie Foster stars Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner.
(1991) and made his directorial debut for the in Panic Room (2005), and directed Katie At Celebration Europes Rogue One
HBO movie Strapped (1993). The rst feature Holmes in First Daughter (2004). He was a panel, Whitaker noted that he watched
lm he directed, Waiting to Exhale (1995), regular on the acclaimed FX television series The Clone Wars episode with Saw Gerrera
was based on the Terry McMillan novel The Shield (2002-2008), and received a 2006 to prepare for the role. This comes as no
of the same name, and he also directed Primetime Emmy nomination for a recurring surprise, considering the lengths he has
Whitney Houstons music video for the role playing stroke-victim Curtis Ames on gone in the past to prepare for previous
movies theme song, Exhale. In 1998 he the hit show ER. (1994-2009). He produced roles, which is to say by any means
directed Sandra Bullock and Harry Connick, Fruitvale Station, directed by Ryan Coogler necessary, a sentiment he certainly
Jr. in Hope Floats (1998). which won the 2014 AFI Award for Movie of shares with Gerrera. a

26 INSIDER
The Official Rogue One: A Star Wars
story Souvenir Special!

a Go behind-the-scenes with the 100-page essential

guide to the movie event of 2016.
a Packed with exclusive photos, amazing concept art.
a three collectable covers: heroes cover, villains cover and
an exclusive death trooper cover (comic stores only).

IN STORES NOW AND AVAILABLE ONLINE:

TITANMAGAZINES.COM/ROGUEONE
& TM 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd.
28 INSIDER
 ALAN TUDYK IS THE
IMPERIAL-DROID-TURNED-
REBEL-ALLY, K-2SO!
M
any fans of science ction on the
big and small screens remember
being introduced to American
actor Alan Tudyk as Hoban Wash
Washburne in Joss Whedons
short-lived Fox television series Firey (2002-03),
and its companion lm Serenityy (2005). Other
audiences met him in television comedies, where
he starred as Dr. Noah Werner in Suburgatory
(2011-14) on ABC and as broadcaster Reagan
Biscayne in Newsreaders (2014-15) on
Comedy Centrals Adult Swim. Younger
Star Warss fans will be delighted to
learn that he also provides voices
for animated Disney lms,
including King Candy in
Wreck-It Ralphh (2012),
the Duke of Weselton
in Frozen (2013), Alastair Krei in Big Hero 6 (2014),
and Hei Hei in Moana a (2016). Less familiar to most
people, however, is just how extensive and varied
Tudyks resum really is, beyond his best-known
roles. Born and raised in Texas, Tudyk attended
college there before studying drama at the famous
Juilliard School in New York City. Over the past two
decades he has appeared in dozens of lms, from
the biopic of baseball legend Jackie Robinson, 42
(2013), to the Western remake 3:10 to Yuma a (2007);
and from the comedy Knocked Up p (2007) to the
action-packed Transformers: Dark of the Moon
(2011). He has lent his voice to a number of
animated television shows including Oliver Queen/
Green Arrow in Young Justice e (2010-2013), Ludo/
King Buttery in Star vs. The Forces of Evill (2015-),
as well as numerous guest appearances in other
well-known series. In videogames, he has supplied
his talents to the likes of Halo 3 (2009) and Call of
Duty: Advanced Warfare (2014), and reprised the
role of Green Arrow for both Injustice: Gods Among
Us (2013) and Innite Crisis (2015).
For all his subsequent success, Tudyk has never
forgotten the fans who fueled his rise to stardom
INSIDER 29
as Wash. Along with Firefly and Serenity
co-star Nathan Fillion, Tudyk created, executive
produced, wrote, and directed all 13 episodes
of the web series, Con Man, which launched
online in September 2016. The series was
loosely based on Tudyks experiences at
fan conventions in the years since Firefly.
To cement his and Fillions relationship with
their fans, the pair crowdfunded the project
on Indiegogo, raising more than seven times
their targeted amount within a month, breaking
crowfunding records in the process.
In Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Tudyk
returns to space adventure in front of the
camera. In a motion-capture role, he plays
K-2SO, an Imperial security droid who has
been reprogrammed by Cassian Andor (Diego
Luna) to serve the Rebel Alliance. The droid
is over seven feet tall, requiring Tudyk to
wear special stilts throughout lming built
by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM). The devices
did not limit his performance, however
special effects supervisor Neal Scanlan
called the character, the rst droid with
athletic prowess.
Perhaps even more distinctive than
K-2SOs physicality, however, is his personality.
According to Tudyk, the droid has no lter
and can say insulting things very casually if he
thinks theyre true. Describing a brief clip from
the lm shown at Celebration Europe, Tudyk told
StarWars.com, Felicity Jones character hands
me a bag and I stand there holding the bag for
just a moment, and I just drop it, because Im not
into holding her bag. Its safe to say Star Wars
fans have never seen or heard a droid
quite like this one before! a
 Cassian Andor
(Diego Luna), Jyn Erso
(Felicity Jones), and
K-2SO (Alan Tudyk).
ROGUE ONE
A rare moment of contemplation for the team
before they embark on their mission.
Jon McCoy, Storyboard Artist.
ROGUE ONE CONCEPT ART
 FROM THE CREATORS OF STTAR WARS INSIDER
COMES A NEW BOOK PACKED WITH EXCLUSIVE
PHOTOS, INTERVIEWS, FEATURES AND MUCH
MORE FROM THE OFFFIC
CIA
AL MAGA
AZIINE!

FE
EATURIN
NG
Fantastic interviews with Daissy Riddley,
Mark Ham mill, and Siimonn Pegg !
Amazing features about the original
Staar Warrs trilogy, Dark Horse Comics,
ON SALE Star Warss: The Clonne Wars, and
NOW! unreleased action gures!

VO
OLU
UMEES 1 - 3 ALLSO
O AVAILA
ABLE!
FOR FANS FROM
ALL CORNERS OF
THE GALAXY!
FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT: TITAN-COMICS.COM
& TM 2016 Lucaslm Ltd.
BODHI
ROOK
RIZ AHMED DONS
A FLIGHT SUIT TO
PLAY AN IMPERIAL
DEFECTOR FIGHTING
FOR THE REBELLION!
Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed), a crucial
member of Rogue One.

B
ritish actor Riz Ahmed is a relatively new
face in Hollywood, but his rise has been
meteoric. After appearing alongside
Jake Gyllenhaal as a news stringer in
Nightcrawler (2014), he played a social
media CEO caught up in the clandestine world of
Matt Damons eponymous former government agent
in Jason Bourne (2016). His critically acclaimed
breakthrough, however, was on TV, as the star of
HBOs eight-part miniseries The Night Of (2016),
a New York City crime drama about a Pakistani-
American college student accused of murder.
Born in 1982 in London, Ahmed graduated
from Oxford with a degree in Philosophy, Politics,
and Economics and studied acting at the prestigious
Royal Central School of Speech & Drama, which
counts Laurence Olivier, Judi Dench, Jason
Isaacs, and Carrie Fisher among its alumni. His
breakout role came in the docudrama The Road to
Guantanamo (2006), which chronicles the detention
of three British citizens at Guantanamo Bay, and won
the Independent Spirit Award for Best Documentary
Feature at the Sundance Film Festival. In the years
immediately following, his lm work went on to
attract further critical nods, with three nominations
for Best Actor at the British Independent Film
Awards, as well as plaudits for his roles on stage
and TV.
In addition to acting, Ahmed is an accomplished
rapper, having released the albums MICroscope
(2012) and Englistan (2016) under the name Riz MC.
With the American rapper Heems, Ahmed also
performs as the Swet Shop Boys, whose album
Cashmere was released in October this year.
Like many of the projects hes been involved with,
Ahmeds musical subject matter frequently includes
themes pertaining to racism and social injustice.
In Rogue One, Ahmed plays Bodhi Rook, an
Imperial pilot who defects and joins the Rebellion.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Ahmed

INSIDER 37
 Bodhi Rook in
action on Scarif.

in our world, bodhi

would be a truck driver.
a long-distance truck
driver.

was keen to point out that Rook differs from some

other Star Wars pilots.
Bodhi is a cargo pilot, he said. In our world,
Bodhi would be a truck driver. A long-distance
truck driver. Addressing the Imperial logo Rook
continues to wear on his ight gear, he remarked
that, Its to remind you of where [he came] from,
remind you where [his] debts are... it reminds you
of what [hes] done. This sets the tone for the
choices Rook must make in the lm, and like all
the characters on Rogue Ones rebel team, he has
a complex past and a lot of baggage and history.
Appearing on stage with the rest of the cast at
Celebration Europe in July, Ahmed wasnt afraid to
reveal his humorous side. When asked why he was
excited to be part of a Star Wars lm, he explained:
They attract the best talent across the board
And also Alan, earning a laugh and a bow from
co-star Alan Tudyk. Speaking of Rooks past, Ahmed
noted that, Bodhi is a pilot and he works for the
Empire to earn a living. You know, people work at big
organizations and they dont agree with everything
they do.
When confronted with the true colors of the
Empire at Jedha, that kind of makes him
question his career counselor. Bodhi may not be
able to nd as much humor in his circumstances as
Ahmed does, however. In Entertainment Weekly,
Kathleen Kennedy described Rook as a little tense,
a little volatile. Fans will learn soon how Rook
handles the pressure when hes striking back
against the Empire!

38 INSIDER
 COMPLETE YOUR COLLECTION!

PPS PPS
#158 #159 #160 TO T 1 #160 TO T 2
D S SE D S SE
CAR CAR

RS RS
LLECTO LLECTO
#161 #162 CO CE COVER #162 CO ER COVER #163
RESISTA
N RD
FIRST O

#164 #165 #166 #167

ION ION
LEBRAT LEBRAT
#167 CE E COVER #167 CE E COVER #168 #169
DARK SID ID
LIGHT S

MORE AVAILABLE ONLINE, VISIT:

TITANMAGAZINES.COM/INSIDER DER
OR CALL USA: 1 800 261 6502 Canada: 818-487-4575 UK/EIRE/AUS/NZ: 01795 414 810
& TM 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd.
SUBSCRIBE TO STAR WARS INSIDER

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
SAVE UP TO 22% ON THE COVER PRICE AND GET
A FREE HASBRO STAR WARS BLACK SERIES TITANIUM VEHICLE!

WORTH
$6.99

SIGN UP TODAY AND GET ALL THIS:

A FREE Black Series Titanium Vehicle!
A EXCLUSIVE COVER with every issue!
A SAVE UP TO 22% on the cover price!
A FREE DELIVERY to your mailbox!

& 2016 Lucaslm Ltd. 2016 Hasbro. All Rights Reserved.

*Free Hasbro Black Series Titanium Vehicle is only valid with U.S. and Canadian print subscriptions. Offer valid until supplies
last and are subject to availability. Vehicles vary from the models shown above and are shipped at random. Free delivery for
U.S. orders only. Canadian price includes $15 shipping and handling. Rest of the World prices include additional postage and
 SUBSCRIBE TO STAR WARS INSIDER

EXCLUSIVE COVER!

BACK
ISSUES
AVAILABLE
ONLINE!

WORLDWIDE SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE!

GET 8 ISSUES for just $49.99, saving 22%!
GET 8 ISSUES for just $64.99, saving 22%!
GET 8 ISSUES from just $75, saving 10%! (gure not included)

SUBSCRIBE TODAY BY VISITING:

TITANMAGAZINES.COM/SW170
OR CALL 800-261-6502
CHIRRUT
MWE
INTERNATIONAL
SUPERSTAR DONNIE
YEN AS THE
SPIRITUAL WARRIOR
FROM JEDHA.
F
or Donnie Yen, Star Wars is
a family affair. With a little
help from Disney, who provided
the fabric, and the Bullet Films
costume design team in Hong
Kong, Yens son James dressed up as
chirrut cant see,
his character, the blind warrior Chirrut
mwe, for Halloween. Not to be outdone,
but he can feel with
Yens daughter Jasmine cosplayed as a
stormtrooper, with Yen proudly sharing his heart and believes
a picture on Instagram. Chirrut may not
have Force abilities in the movie, but no in the force.
doubt the Force is with Yen and his family.
Born in Guangzhou, China, Yen moved
to Hong Kong as a child and then to
Boston when he was 11. His mother is
a grandmaster in Fu Style Wudang Quan
and Tai Chi, and Yen also studied many in, produced, and choreographed Flash Point reputations from libelous falsehoods using
other forms of martial arts, including (2007), for which he won the award for Best available legal remedies.
Karate, boxing, and Taekwondo. In the Action Choreography at the Golden Horse For Rogue One, Yen brings to the table
2008 international box ofce smash Ip Film Awards and an acting award at the Hong not only the diversity of his heritage and
Man, Yen starred as the Wing Chun Kong Film Awards. Not limiting himself to acting background, but also his commitment
grandmaster Yip Man, famed as the action roles, Yen appeared in the romantic to playing the rst major Star Wars lm
instructor of the legendary martial artist comedy series Alls Well, Ends Well in 2011 character with a physical disability. Chirrut
and actor Bruce Lee. The movies success and 2012. mwe is a staff-wielding spiritual warrior who
and Yens performance have been credited Yen has also used his success to support is also blind. At the Rogue One panel at
for the rise in popularity of Wing Chun in charities. In 2015, he brought donations and Celebration Europe, Yen shared his take on
the years since its release. Yen is not just gifts to refugee camps in Thailand. He is also his character: Chirrut cant see, but he can
a martial artist however. He is also a pianist an ambassador for the international charity feel with his heart and believes in the Force.
and breakdancer. Free the Children. After winning a defamation As the trailers demonstrate, Chirruts
Yen rst broke into the lm industry lawsuit, he founded Yens Honour Protection blindness is no impediment to his
in 1984 when he earned the leading role Fund, to empower celebrities to defend their heroism against the Empire.
in Drunken Tai Chi. Following Tiger Cage
(1988), he played Commander Lan in
Once Upon a Time in China II (1992), starring
another martial arts legend, Jet Li. Yen
and Li appeared together again in the lm
Hero, which was nominated for Best Foreign
Language Film at the 2003 Academy
Awards. After playing Chen Zhen in the
television series Fist of Fury (1995), Yen
reprised the role in Legend of the Fist: The
Return of Chen Zhen (2010).
For those not familiar with Yens foreign
roles, you may recognize him from the
U.S. releases of Highlander: Endgame (2000)
and Blade II (2002), where he had brief
cameo roles. In a more substantial role,
Yen played the villain Wu Chan in Shanghai
Knights (2003), opposite Jackie Chan and
Owen Wilson. And when hes not acting
in front of the camera, Yen is often invited
by Hollywood to choreograph action
sequences, like he did for the espionage
thriller Stormbreaker (2006). Hes even
been known to lend his martial-art skill to
videogames as he choreographed the ght
animations for Onimusha 3 (2004). And if
that still isnt enough, Yen founded Bullet
Films, where he produced and directed
Legend of the Wolf (1997), and then produced
Ballistic Kiss (1998).
While expanding his global presence,
Yen has continued to take leading roles in
Hong Kong cinema, including the wuxia epic
lm Seven Swords and the crime drama lm
SPL: Kill Zone, both featured at the 2005
Toronto International Film Festival. Yen acted

44 INSIDER
Chirrut mwe faces a stormtrooper squad on Jedha.

Chirrut and Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) after a fight.

Chirrut mwe (Donnie Yen) meets

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones).
 BAZE
MALBUS
THE ACCLAIMED
ACTOR, WRITER
AND DIRECTOR
JIANG WEN
TAKES AIM AS A
GUN-TOTING
WARRIOR WITH
A MISSION!
Baze Malbus (Jiang Wen) and Chirrut mwe (Donnie Yen):
key players in the fight against the Empire!
baze malbus is a pragmatist
wholike han solo
prefers a good blaster
at his side.
B
aze Malbus made an
unforgettable rst impression in
the trailer for Rogue One:
standing in front of a downed
X-wing, heavily armed and clad in
red armor while blasting stormtroopers.
He may be the muscle in the ght against
the Empire, but dont let that fool you.
The renowned Chinese actor who plays
him, Jiang Wen, is also an internationally
respected screenwriter and director, with
a career reaching back to the early 1980s.
Devils on the Doorstep, a black comedy he
co-wrote and directed, won second place in
the 2000 Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix,
and as a result of that movie, TIME Asia
has described him as a real-life rebel.
A graduate of the Central Academy of
Drama, Chinas premier acting school,
Jiangs breakout role in his home country
came in the award-winning Hibiscus Town
(1986), a chronicle of one womans life
48 INSIDER
during Chinas Cultural Revolution.
Though he has mostly worked on the big
screen, his rise to fame really took off with
a role in the television show A Native of
Beijing in New York in the early 1990s.
Around the same time he wrote and
directed his rst movie, In The Heat Of
The Sun (1994), praised by Variety for
its well-observed characters.
Shot in black and white, Devils on the
Doorstep (2000) was only the second movie
Jiang directed, and initially ran to three
hours. Conventional wisdom suggested it
could not succeed: not only because of its
length and styling, but also because it was
set against the backdrop of the Second
Sino-Japanese War, causing discomfort for
both the Chinese Film Board and his
Japanese producers, who tried to curb
Jiangs vision. However, the nished lm
was met with acclaim, and Jiangs
uncompromising vision in the face of
doubters might remind western
moviegoers of some of Americas best-
known cinematic rebels, such as George
Lucas and James Cameron.
As the 21st century got underway, Jiang
starred in a string of Chinese movies
before a return to writing and directing
with the romantic fantasy The Sun Also
Rises (2007). In 2009 he was one of 11
directors to contribute to the anthology
movie New York, I Love You, along with
Natalie Portman and Mira Nair (Queen of
Katwe). For his segment of the lm, Jiang
directed Hayden Christensen. He then
went on to write, direct, and act in Let the
Bullets Fly (2010), an action comedy that
became Chinas highest grossing domestic
 Baze in the heat of battle on the war-torn streets of Jedha.

lm ever, holding the record for two years. A former Guardian of the Whills,
At Londons Celebration Europe in Baze has rejected his faith.
summer 2016, fans got their rst hints
about the character of Baze Malbus and his
camaraderie with Chirrut mwewhom he
is defending in that memorable trailer clip.
While mwe, played by legendary Hong
Kong martial arts actor Donnie Yen, is
deeply spiritual and a believer in the Force,
Malbus is a pragmatist wholike Han
Soloprefers a good blaster at his side,
backed up with a healthy dose of bravado.
Asked for a description of his character,
Jiang answered, Baze has a gun. He has a
huge gun. When the Empire comes calling
on the planet Jedha, you can be sure hes
going to use it! a
U-WING
The Rebel Alliance UT-60D, also known as the U-wing,
serves as a transport/gunship.
Ryan Church, Concept Artist.
ROGUE ONE CONCEPT ART
52 INSIDER
 THE MILLENNIUM FALCONS APPROACH
TO THE DEATH STAR IS ONE OF THE STAR
WARS SAGAS MOST DISTINCTIVE SCENES.
AMY RATCLIFFE LOOKS AT WHAT WE KNOW
OF THE IMPERIAL BATTLE STATION, SO FAR...

T
he Death Star. The mighty battle station constructed
by the Empire at Emperor Palpatines behest was the
ultimate weapon. The concept of a weapon the size of
a moon capable of wiping out entire planets was so
appealing, the Empire returned to the Death Star playbook for
a second try after the rst attempt met an explosive end. Hey, wouldnt
you? Though the weapon was meant to instill fear across the galaxyand
it accomplished the objective by targeting and blowing up Alderaanthe
Death Star actually brought destruction to the Empire. When the Rebel Alliance
exploited a weakness and turned the weapon into an expensive reworks show,
it marked a turning point in the Galactic Civil War. The Empire lost millions of
soldiers and years of work and resources in a single blow.
Given the monstrous size of the Death Star, you can imagine the number of materials and
people involved in its construction. Stories published in recent years have lled in the gaps
since the space station was rst mentioned in the opening crawl of A New Hope: During the
battle, rebel spies managed to steal secret plans to the Empires ultimate weapon, the Death
Star. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story delves into how those spies get their hands on the plans, while
countless comics and books have given glimpses of what went into building such a devastating
creation. Here is a small glimpse at the history of the ultimate power in the universe.

INSIDER 53
 The Death Star in orbit over the moon of Jedha.
AN IDEA IS BORN
Palpatine was evil. His lust for ultimate
power thrusts the galaxy into two different
wars and had a disastrous effect. However,
Palpatine was a skilled planner. He was
patient beyond belief; he excelled at playing
the long game. The rst look at his plans
for the Death Star came all the way back
in Attack of the Clones, 22 years before the
Battle of Yavin. See? Long game. In the lm,
Poggle the Lesser handed over the Death
Star design to Count Dooku on Geonosis for
him to deliver the plans to his master. The
Geonosians were responsible for crafting
the initial blueprint. Poggle told Dooku,
The Jedi must not nd our designs for the
ultimate weapon. If they nd out what we
are planning to build, were doomed.
The top secret project began then,
kept hidden from even the Jedi. The
Clone Wars werent even over, but
54 INSIDER
Palpatine felt rather condent about
the outcome.
WHOS THE BOSS?
Not to keep referencing the immense
size of the Death Star, but given its mass,
the fact that the project was kept under
wraps from all but the necessary parties
is remarkable. The sheer amount of raw
material that had to be brought to the
table was one consideration. The Empire
used their people where they could, but it
wasnt always possible. They had a lot of
mouths to keep quiet.
As the Emperor had a full docket
leading a double life as Palpatine and
Darth Sidious and also manipulating the
rest of the known universe, he had to
appoint a right hand man to oversee the
Emperor Palpatine, the master planner. project. As we learn in the novel Tarkin, by
James Luceno the Emperor initially thought
 The planet-shattering superlaser is fitted onto the Death Star.
The rebels plan their action.
Dodd Rancit was the right person for the
job. He served under Republic Intelligence
during the Clone Wars and worked with
Captain Wilhuff Tarkin at the time. When
the war ended, Rancit moved to the Galactic
Empire and his rst assignment was on
Sentinel Base, an outpost supporting
construction of the Death Star. He didnt
last. He was removed from the project and
appointed as the head of the freshly created
Navel Intelligence Agency.
The responsibility for overseeing the
Death Star shifted over to Moff Tarkin.
Ever the overachiever, Tarkin had suggested
the symbol of power to Palpatine during the
Clone Wars. Tarkin faced challenges in his
post at Sentinel Basesabotage, shipment
delays, and supply shortages all led to
missed deadlinesbut he proved his merit.
He navigated the problems and kept creation
of the battle station more or less on track
for three years. Palpatine rewarded Tarkin,
promoting him to Grand Moff.
Then there was Orson Krennic, the
brutal and ambitious director of Advanced
Weapons Research for the Empire.
His obsession with the completion
of the Death Star drove him to enlist
his old friend, the scientist Galen Erso,
whose brilliant mind was an important
cog in the battle stations constuction.
LOCATION,
LOCATION, LOCATION
Where do you stage the construction
site of the most giantic weapon in the
galaxy? Darth Sidious chose the space
above Geonosis because access to the
planet was restricted to all but a few.
It ensured no passersby would wander
in and discover the project.
The project unfolded in secrecy for
years above the planet. The Empire used
beings much like they used supplies.
The novel Star Wars: Aftermath, by Chuck
Wendig, revealed Wookiee slave laborers
were among the aliens forced to operate
equipment utilized in the enterprise.
While the space station came together in
Geonosis orbit, the Empire had to staff
off-world manufacturing facilities to
create the multitude of parts and pieces
needed to complete the weapon. They
used a system of stations and depots to
make the supply line difcult to trace.
To maintain secrecy from the prying
eyes of the Senate and such tireless
rebels as Saw Gerrera, the Death Star was
moved from Geonosis to Scarif in the years
before A New Hope. When the crew of the
Ghost travels to Geonosis in the episode
the Honorable Ones from Star Wars
Rebels Season Two, they nd remnants of
construction modules. The Imperials and
the Death Star were gone, and furthermore,
no life remained on Geonosis. The Darth
INSIDER 55
Vader comic, issue #4 provided illumination
on that front: the Empire sterilized the entire
planet and killed the Geonosians except
for a single queen. The move ensured the
Geonosians wouldnt discuss the behemoth
being built in their space.

MATERIAL NEEDS
Scrolling through a datapad to look at
the supply list for the Death Star would
probably take a while. The incredible
volume of even basic materials such as
metals required exploiting planets around
the galaxy. The Empire swooped into
places such as Lothal to ravage natural
resources. The galaxy paid a heavy price
for the Death Star.
As tricky as it might have been to
gather everyday materials, it was even
more difcult to nd the key component
for powering the Death Stars superlaser:
kyber crystals. The Force-attuned crystals
are best known for powering lightsabers,
but theyve played a role in making
superweapons for time immemorial.
Legends say ancient Sith used the
large kyber crystals for that purpose.
The unnished Clone Wars arc Crystal
Crisis on Utapau made mention of this,
and one was shown in the Star Wars
Rebels Season Two nale, Twilight of
the Apprentice. The Sith temple in the
episode had an intact version of one of
those superweapons.
Palpatine and the Empire scoured the
galaxy for kyber crystals, tapping into
every promising origin point. Crystal
Crisis illustrated Palpatines desperation
to get the materials. They did nd an easy
to obtain store on Ilum. The Jedi Order
traveled to the planet for a ritual wherein
younglings searched for the crystals to
make their lightsabers. But only a year
after the Empire started, theyd drained
the resources of Ilum. In the young adult
novel Ahsoka by E.K. Johnston, it is
revealed that the Empires invasion was
so complete the destruction was visible
from space.
The rebels hampered the Empires Darth Vader, the Emperors lethal enforcer.
efforts to attain kyber crystals when they
could. They didnt know precisely what
the Empire intended for the crystals, but overlooked. With the technical all but took his wrath and laid it bare
they suspected it involved weaponry. The readout of the battle station in in Vaders direction.
Ghost team stopped an Imperial convoy their hands at the base on Yavin 4, The rebels hard-won knowledge
moving crystals in the Star Wars Rebels the rebels examined the plans about the thermal exhaust port almost
Season One episode Breaking Ranks. thoroughly and spotted a aw in wasnt enough to win the day. The rebel
the Death Stars design: the thermal attack on the Death Star over Yavin 4

A FAILED EXPERIMENT
All the hard work and careful engineering
was successful; the weapon functioned
as it was intended. Tarkin executed a
successful test upon Alderaan. However,
one small piece of the station was
exhaust port.
Whats surprising is that something
this detrimental wasnt addressed.
All we know is that the Emperors
disappointment in the error was
palpable in the Star Wars and Darth
Vader comics, which were set after
the events of A New HopePalpatine
saw many casualties, and the small
target made the mission extremely
difcult to complete. Thankfully
Luke Skywalker, aided by the Force,
was able to nd his target as the
Empire prepared the nal coundown
to obliterate the Rebel Alliance, once
and for all.

56 INSIDER
GO BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE MOVIE
EVENT OF 2016 WHEREVER YOU ARE!

DONT MISS
THE ESSENTIAL
GUIDE TO
THIS YEARS
UNMISSIBLE MOVIE

GET IT
DELIVERED TO
YOUR FAVORITE
DIGITAL DEVICE AND
DELVE DEEPER INTO
ROGUE ONE!

INCLUDES
BOTH
VARIANT
COVERS!

AVAILABLE DIGITALLY TODAY!

Search Star Wars Insider
on the app store.

& TM 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd.

GALEN ERSO
MADS MIKKELSEN PLAYS THE ROLE OF A BRILLIANT
SCIENTIST AND UNWILLING PARTICIPANT IN THE
CREATION OF THE DEATH STAR.

58 INSIDER
 At home Mikkelsen is
something else: a star,
an axiom, a face of the
resurgent Danish cinema .
A
fter being named Best Actor at
the 2012 Cannes Film Festival
for his role in Danish lm The
Hunt, Mads Mikkelsen was
proled in the New York Times.
In the Hollywood blockbuster universe,
it read, Mikkelsen has become a reliable
character actor with an intriguing mug.
At home he is something else: a star,
an axiom, a face of the resurgent
Danish cinema.
Mikkelson studied ballet at the
Balettakademien in Gothenberg, Sweden,
and spent 10 years as a professional dancer
before attending Denmarks rhus Theatre
School in 1996. His movie debut came in the
same year, when he played a drug dealer in
the Danish lm Pusher. Over the next
decade, Mikkelson earned recognition in
Europe for roles in diverse Danish movies
such as Bleeder (1999), Flickering Lights
(2000), and Shake It (2001). Awards and
nominations followed for his work in Open
Hearts (2002), and The Green Butchers
(2003), with his reprisal of the drug dealer
role in Pusher II (2004) winning several Best
Actor awards.
Mikkelsen combined these projects with a
long-running TV role as a police ofcer in the
Danish series Unit 1 (20002004). When this
concluded, he joined Jerry Bruckheimers
big-screen re-imagining of King Arthur,
playing Tristan alongside Star Wars alumni
Joel Edgerton as Gawain. In 2006, he played
Le Chiffre in Daniel Craigs debut as James
Bond, Casino Royale, and the lead in After
The Wedding, which earned him the award
for Best Actor at the Palm Springs
International Film Festival. Other notable
roles followed, including Igor Stravinsky in
Coco Chanel & Igor Stravinsky (2009),
Rochefort in The Three Musketeers (2011),
and Johann Friedrich Struensee in A Royal
Affair (2012).
For all this, it is Mikkelsens magnetic
personality as serial killer Hannibal Lecter
that has most captured imaginations in
America and made him a bona de
Hollywood star. Describing the eponymous
gure at the bloody heart of Hannibal
(2013-2015), the actor told U.K magazine
ShortList: For me, hes the fallen angel:
Satan on Earth, a man who sees beauty
where the rest of us see horror. Or, at least,
thats what I based him on. For an actor
whose range spans from heroic knight to evil
incarnate, it is impossible to make any
assumptions based on Mikkelsens casting to
play Galen Erso, the scientic genius caught
up in the Empires Death Star project. The
actor gave fans at Celebration Europe a little
hint, saying that he invented something so
beautiful, so fantastic, that it might change
the universe. Beyond that, his character
remains one of the mysteries of Rogue One.
Mikkelsen ends 2016 with roles in two of
the years biggest movies, with Marvels
Doctor Strange, in which he plays the mystic
villain Kaecilius, gracing theaters shortly
before Rogue One. Speaking to Esquire, he
maintained that there was no point focusing
on the expectations that come with such
major franchises, saying: Thats too much
pressure. You just have to think, Oh, this is
cool. I like it. Lets go for it! a
 BEGINNINGS
MUCH-LOVED STAR WARS AUTHOR JAMES LUCENO RETURNS TO THE SAGA WITH
STAR WARS: CATALYST. INTERVIEW BY MEGAN CROUSE.

G
alen Erso is working on a project
he thinks will be used in
peacetime, but we know that hes
toiling on the terrible Death Star.
Did you do any particular research into
historical examples of people who
worked on large-scale weapons projects
in the real world in order to get inside
his head?
I did a lot of reading about the Manhattan
Project, which seemed the obvious
equivalent. Many of the key scientists
and researchers knew full well that they
were working on a nuclear ssion weapon
an atomic bombbut others working
at heavy water or particle collider
installations were unaware of what their
research was ultimately contributing to.
The project was widely dispersed and
information was provided on a need-to-
know basis. I found some interesting
stories there, as well as in Germanys
attempts to create a bomb and perfect
the rocket. But in fact I was more
interested in the nature of manipulation
and self-delusion, which steered me
to Antonio Salieri and Mozart, Iago
and Othello, and to some extent
the Watchmens Dr. Jon Osterman
Doctor Manhattanespecially the way
he is depicted in the lm adaptation.

We also see a bit of Jyn Erso, although

shes just a baby when she rst meets
Krennic. Did you have any particular goals
in writing the beginnings of her story?
Jyn is an infant when Orson Krennic
rst meets her, but she is almost
ve years old by the time Catalystends,
and her earliest memories provide an
impetus for whats to come in Rogue One.
Her experiences with her parents
some of them near fatalplay
an important role in who she is
as an adult, and inform many of her
decisions and actions.

62 INSIDER
Galen Erso (Mads Mikkelsen).
 orson krennic is both
his harshest critic and
most steadfast admirer.
Galens wife Lyra Erso will also make her
debut appearance in the novel. What does
she bring to Catalyst?
Galens love of scientic research is second
only to his love for his family, and Lyra is
not only the one who keeps him grounded,
but acts as a kind of sounding board
for his theories. She is also a staunch
supporter of Galens refusal to take part in
military research. An explorer of remote
worlds, with ample survival skills, her
inuence on Jyn cannot be overstated.
Most of all, Lyras relationship with Orson
Krennic is almost as important as Galens
relationship with the Imperial Director of
Special Weapons, and she plays pivotal
roles in both the novel and the lm.
What was it like to bring Ben Mendelsohn
into the story as Orson Krennic?
As I did when writing Tarkinand
researching the various roles Peter
Cushing played through his long lm
career, I binge-watched a host of Ben
Mendelsohn movies. He is featured
in way more lms than I initially
realized, and I had a great deal of fun
screening everything from The Big
Steal to The Dark Knight Rises and
trying to imagine Ben starring as the
young Orson Krennic in Catalyst.
Youve often gotten inside the heads
of villains in your books. Did you aim
to make Krennic sympathetic, or
feared, or a bit of both?
Krennic is cut from a different cloth
64 INSIDER
than most Star Wars villains. He isnt
a Sith Lord like Palpatine or Plagueis,
an enforcer like Maul, or a crippled,
fallen Force-wielder like Vader. He
lacks the diabolical imperturbability
of Tarkin and the penetrating
perception that characterizes Thrawn.
He is instead a masterful wheeler-dealer,
capable of changing strategies on the
y to realize his goals. His innate
volatilityeven when up against people
capable of crushing or demoting him on
a whimgives him a brazenness that
hasnt been seen before. Like many in
the early days of the Empire, he is eager
to elevate himself and gain entry
to the Emperors inner circle, but he
actually derives more satisfaction from
outwitting adversaries than garnering
praise. He is both his harshest critic
and most steadfast admirer.
Although Catalyst sets up a Rebellion-
era story, its set during Chancellor
Palpatines senate term during the
Clone Wars. Did you have to make any
particular adjustments in order to show
the difference between the two eras?
The novel begins shortly after the start of
the Clone Wars, but ends in the third year
of the Empire. As with Tarkin, the time
span allowed me to delve more deeply into
that important period of transition, during
which the Emperor is slowly rolling out his
plan to dominate the entire galaxy. Fear
of the military is on the rise, and of course
the Death Star is under construction.
INSIDER 65
 STAND OUT
FROM THE CROWD WITH
ON SALE
NOW!

STAR WARS INSIDER...

1A4G8
ES! SPECIAL EDITION 2017
P
ING
F E A T U RS I V E
EXCLU IEWS TO FIND OUT MORE VISIT:
I N T E RDVE P T H TITANMAGAZINES.COM/STARWARSINSIDER
& IN- URES!
FEAT & 2016 Lucasfilm Ltd
ORSON
KRENNIC
ACCLAIMED ACTOR
BEN MENDELSOHN
PLAYS THE HEARTLESS
DIRECTOR TASKED
WITH COMPLETING
THE DEATH STAR.
 Director Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn)
I like the idea that
bens character was much
more working class.
T
o understand Australian actor
Ben Mendelsohns commitment
to getting into character, you
need look no further than his
appearance at this summers
Rogue One panel at Celebration Europe in
London. Unlike his co-stars, who walked
out from backstage wearing their own
clothes, Mendelsohn entered the venue by
marching through the audience in his full
Director Krennic costume, anked by a
pair of menacing death troopers! In true
Star Wars spirit, the Director wears not
only an Imperial uniform but also a
full-length cape. Unlike Darth Vaders
deathly black, however, Krennics cape is
white, suggesting a different type of villain.
I like the idea that Bens character was
much more working-class, director
Gareth Edwards told USA Today, adding
that Krennics success comes from
sheer force of personality and ideas.
This air for making an impression
seems to describe the actor just as
much as the character.
Though not widely known in the United
68 INSIDER
States until recently, Mendelsohns
extensive body of work reects the
commitment and dedication with which he
has honed his craft. Working in Australian
television and lm in the 1980s, he quickly
drew attention for his role in The Year My
Voice Broke (1987), earning an Australian
Film Institute Award for Best Supporting
Actor. Over the following decade he took
starring roles in a series of Australian
lms, including Cosi (1996) and Idiot Box
(1996), and earned further award
nominations for The Big Steal (1990),
The Efciency Expert (1992), and Metal
Skin (1994). He appeared in the American
survival thriller Vertical Limit (2000),
before returning to Australia to take the
lead in Mullet (2001). His movie career
progressed in tandem with his TV work,
which included guest stints on Farscape
(1999-2003) and Girls (2012-) in the U.S.,
as well as acclaimed roles in Love My Way
(2006-2007) and Tangle (2009) in Australia.
Mendelsohns breakout role for U.S.
audiences happened in the Netix original
series Bloodline (2015-), a Florida Keys
Krennic strides through the Scarif base.
 krennic is smarter,
er,
st
i think, than most
rs.
of his predecessors.
ve.
Hes more inventive.
thriller about the demons that shake a family
to its core. As Danny Rayburn, the troubled
brother among four siblings, Mendelsohn
garnered Best Supporting Actor nominations
at the Critics Choice and Golden Globe
Awards, and a win in the same category at
the 2016 Primetime Emmys.
Described as a cruel but brilliant man
who has staked his reputation on the
delivery of the functional battle station
to the Emperor, Director Orson
Krennic should be the role that makes
Mendelsohn a household name. His
iconic look has already been a big hit
with fans before he even hit the screen
(see page 12).
One intriguing aspect of his storyline
was revealed in the tie-in book Catalyst:
A Rogue One Novel: Krennic has a
connection to Jyn Ersos parents that
dates all the way back to the Clone Wars,
when Galen Ersos scientic expertise
70 INSIDER
was already highly prized.
ed. Krennic, too,
seemingly relies far more re on brains than
he Empire.
brawn in his service to the
Out of costume and no o longer in
character, Mendelsohn conrmed to
ope that Director
fans at Celebration Europe
Krennic stands out from previous Imperial
Star Wars villains. He iss smarter, I think,
than most of his predecessors,
essors, the actor
explained. Hes more inventive.
nventive.
Longtime Industrial Light & Magic
visual effects guru John Knoll, who pitched
the standalone story thatt grew into Rogue
One, likewise told Entertainment
tainment Weekly,
The bad guy is a lot morere terrifying when
hes really smart, and really
eally effective.
With a similarly brilliant
ant and cunning
adversaryGrand Admiral ral Thrawn
appearing in the latest season of Star Wars
Rebels, there is far moree than just military
might bearing down on the rebels in their
darkest hours!
AT-ACT
AT-ACTs (All Terrain Armored Cargo Transport) on Scarif.
Tom Tenery, Concept Artist.
ROGUE ONE CONCEPT ART
CASSIAN
ANDOR
DIEGO LUNA PORTRAYS
A REBEL CAPTAIN WHO
EMBARKS ON A DEADLY MISSION.
C
assian Andor is an intelligence
ofcer and rebel leader who is noted
among his troops for diverse skills
and abilities. Choosing Diego Luna
for the role in Rogue One, therefore,
seems to be a perfect match. The Mexico-
born actor is also a producer, director,
narrator, lm festival organizer, and human
rights advocate. Yet, for all his
accomplishments, Luna told an enthusiastic
audience at this summers Celebration
Europe that he was excited to work on
Star Wars specically because of the fans
and their energy.
Born to British costume designer Fiona
Alexander and Mexican set designer
Alejandro Luna in 1979, Diego began his lm
career as a child, appearing in Antonieta
(1982). Ten years later he joined the cast of
Mexican telenovela El Abuelo y Yo (1992-),
then moved on to the soap opera El Premio
Mayor. In 2001 he joined his El Abuelo y Yo
co-star Gael Garca Bernal in the Alfonso
Cuarn-directed road movie Y Tu Mam

the heroes
have no
powers. what
they have is
conviction.

Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones)

Tambin, which broke Mexican box ofce and Cassian Andor (Diego
records and earned Golden Globe Luna) on Jedha.
nominations for Best Original Screenplay
and Best Foreign Language Film.
This success led to Lunas rst Hollywood
lm roles, cast alongside Jon Bon Jovi in
Vampires: Los Muertos (2002), Salma Hayek
in the Oscar-winning Frida (2002), and Kevin
Costner in Open Range (2003), before starring
in the Dirty Dancing re-imagining, Havana
Nights (2004). In the following years, Luna
continued to work frequently in front of the
camera while also developing his lm
production company, Canana Films. A
partnership with Garca Bernal and producer
Pablo Cruz, the company soon began to make
its mark in Mexico with a series of socially
conscious lms. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Luna
continued to push boundaries with roles such
as Jack Lira, the troubled boyfriend of gay
rights activist Harvey Milk, in the critically
lauded biopic Milk (2008).
In 2010, Katy Perry fans were introduced
to Luna as The One That Got Away in her Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) with K-2SO.
video for the song of the same name, while in

76 INSIDER
 2013, sci- acionados got to know him as
Julio, a friend of Matt Damons lead character
Max, in Elysium. Luna then stepped back
behind the camera to direct the biopic Csar
Chvez (2014), about the American labor
leader, and to voice one of the two leads
alongside Zo Saldana in the animated
lm The Book of Life (2014). His most recent
movie before Rogue One is The Bad Batch
(2016); and in 2017 he will feature in
Ferdinand, the animated tale of a bull; and
the rebooted Flatliners.
In addition to acting, producing, and
directing, Luna also helps curate the
wide-ranging Ambulante Documentary
Film Festival. The event, which takes place
in Mexico and California, aims to bring
documentary lms to new audiences. He
also has worked with the human rights
organization Washington Ofce on Latin
America to challenge arms trafcking and
to honor the journeys made by immigrants.
In a recent interview with the Mexican
edition of Vanity Fair, Luna described Cassian
Andor as someone who is used to always
being in the ght, something which the
magazine compared to the actors own
fearlessness to express his views on any
social issue during press conferences.
Luna has also drawn comparisons between
Rogue One and his own experiences. The
characters are very similar to us, he says.
These heroes have no powers. What they
Cassian Andor (Diego Luna)
have is a conviction and desire to change
on the battlefield.
reality. It is a social movement. a

INSIDER 77
 THIS EDITION WE MEET SOME YOUNG FANSAND A BEARDED
DRAGONWHO JUST LOVE STAR WARS !
BEARDED DRAGON
Here is my Bearded Dragon,
Jagger, and his collection of
various Star Wars itemshe
even has his own Tauntaun!
Alan Summers, by email

THE DARK LORD OF THE

CRIB?
Here is my grandson Leonardo
Rodolfo Marquez Santos dressed
as Darth Vader for Halloween!
He is just over one year old. His
parents wanted to dress him as
the greatest Sith Lord! This has
made me very happy as I have
been a Star Wars fan ever since
I was 10 years old. My grandson
is the next generation,
May the Force be with him...
forever!
Leonardo Rodolfo Y
Juan Carlos, Mexico
City

78 INSIDER
THE LEGEND OF JEDI BRADY
I just wanted to take a moment to share
a great event we recently participated
in for the Make-A-Wish foundation.
A 7-year-old boy named Brady who
suffers from a rare form of Leukemia
had a dream to become a Jedi and defeat
Darth Vader and his Legion. With the help
of the MAW foundation, the 501st Legion
Florida Garrison Everglades Squad,
The Rebel Legion Ra Kura Base and the
Magic City Jedi, we made his wish come
true! Between the various groups, there
were more than 50 of us who attended to
bring Bradys dream to life. It was such
an amazing experience, and seeing
everyone come together to make it all
happen was epic to say the least. The
camaraderie and teamwork in the Star
Wars fan and costuming community is the Raymond F. Kravis Center for and the Empire was defeated. The crowd
simply fantastic! the Performing Arts. He delivered cheered with relief and pride for their West
the holocron and underwent advanced Palm Beach Jedi Knight. In a ceremony
Heres how it all played out Jedi training. He also used the Force to following the battle, a police sergeant and
levitate bricks. Then he was anointed the mayor were there to present Jedi
In a galaxy far, far away (West Palm an ofcial Jedi Knight by Master Jedi Knight Brady with the key to the city.
Beach) there is a 7-year-old boy named Brown. Right at that moment, R2-D2 Bradys mother said, I dont have
Brady who is battling Leukemia. More arrived with the ominous news that words really. I knew it was going to be
than anything in the universe, he wanted Darth Vader was invading CityPlace to amazing but feeling the love and support is
to become Jedi Brady. Rey from Star look for the holocron. really what warmed my heart as a parent.
Wars: The Force Awakens delivered a Jedi Brady was rushed away in the
holocron to Bradyit had secret plans SWAT truck to an epic battle between Wish Granters: Caroline Mantel &
and he had to keep it safe. good and evil. The battle was long and Pamela Syx. Referred by Danielle Treu,
On the day of the event, Brady was hard, but Jedi Brady was victorious. his mother. Wish granted in honor of
escorted in a West Palm Beach Police Darth Vader was overpowered, the Mindy Brown.
Department SWAT truck to the Jedi holocron was safely returned to the rebel Jason Poulin, TI-6276, 501st Legion,
Temple which was hidden deep within ghters, the Death Star was destroyed Florida Garrison, Everglades Squad

INSIDER 79
A MUST-HAVE
FOR WHOVIANS!
THREE STUNNING DOCTOR WHO COLLECTIONS!

The Doctor Who comic fans EACH VOLUME

COLLECTS 5
have always deserved! ISSUES FOR ONLY
PROJECT FANDOM $1$22.9.9599
CAN
!

ISBN:
97817 ISBN:
85851 97817 ISBN:
087 85853 97817
517 85854
286

IN THE TWELFTH DOCTOR VOLUME 4!

STORE!S THE ELEVENTH DOCTOR VOLUME 5!
NOW THE TENTH DOCTOR VOLUME 5!

AVAILABLE NOW IN PRINT AND DIGITALLY

A
WWW.TITAN-COMICS.COM
.
BBC logo BBC 1996. Doctor Who logo BBC 2009. Dalek image BBC/ Terry Nation 1963. Cyberman image BBC/Kit Pedler/Gerry
TITAN Davis 1966. K-9 image BBC/Bob Baker/Dave Martin 1977. Licensed by BBC Worldwide Limited.
TERROR
TEST!
TELL US ALL YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EMPIRES
ULTIMATE WEAPON AND SEE IF ITS ENOUGH TO
WIN YOU A PLACE IN THE EMPIRE! QUIZ COMPILED
BY GRAND MOFF TOLLY MAGGS
 5 How many individual beams make up the composite
blast in the rst Death Star?

1 On which planet were the Death Star plans delivered

NAME THESE DEATH STAR

to Darth Sidious?

OFFICERS!
We require the full name and rank for a point!

6 7 8

9 10
2 In which detention cell was Princess Leia held during
her captivity on the Death Star?

11 How did Darth Vader describe the Death Star

when addressing Admiral Motti?

3 What powers the Death Star superlaser? 12 Who nearly destroyed the Death Star prior to Luke
Skywalkers direct hit on the thermal exhaust port?

4 What kind of steel was used to make the hull of the

Death Star? 13 Who stealthily deactivated the tractor beam on
the Death Star?

82 INSIDER
14 What did Luke mistake the Death Star for when he
saw it for the rst time?

15 Who is the commander of the rst Death Star? 18 What moon was the Death Star attempting to destroy
immediately prior to its own destruction?

19 What is the real name of the droids found on the Death

Star that are commonly referred to as Mouse Droids?

20 Who was the sole Imperial survivor of the Battle of Yavin?

16 SCORING
What is the name of the main weapon used to
defend the Death Star from small ghters?

16-20 STRONG. You would

20. Darth Vader
19. MSE-6-Series Repair Droid
make a ne military historian. In 18. Yavin 4
fact, would you like to assist in 17. Dianoga
building a second Death Star? 16. Turbolasers
15. Grand Moff Tarkin

12-15 ABOVE AVERAGE.

Another year at the academy
and you might just pass muster.
9-11 AVERAGE. Much more
study required. If servants of
the Empire were all like you,
wed probably be defeated by
a bunch of teddy bears.
14. A small moon
13. Obi-Wan Kenobi
12. Red Leader, Garven Dreis
11. As a Technological Terror!
10. General Hurst Romodi
9. Chief Moradmin Bast
8. Colonel Wullf Yularen
7. General Tagge
6. Lieutenant Shann Childsen
5. 8
4. Quadanium steel

17
3. Kyber crystals
What is the name of the creature that lurked
within the trash compactor? 0-8 WEAK. We foresee 2. 2187
1. Coruscant.
a career in the Imperial ANSWERS
Sanitation Corps.

INSIDER 83
a ROGUE ONE
ON SEPTEMBER 30TH A PLETHORA OF NEW STAR WARS PRODUCTS
WERE RELEASED FOCUSING ON ROGUE ONE: A STAR WARS STORY.
COLLECTING EXPERT JAMES BURNS SHARES 10 COLLECTIBLES
YOULL WANT TO OWN!

DISNEY ELITE SERIES

RIES METAL FIGURES
Disney Store rst introduced their six-inch scale Elite Metal Series Figures at D23 Expo in 2015, and they became an overnight
success. Since then weve seen gures from the whole saga, as well as new gures from The Force Awakens, and now Rogue One.
There are eight new fantastically detailed metal gures available including Jyn Erso, Cassian Andor, and a Death Trooper.
Available: Now
Price: $26.95 each

84 INSIDER
COLLECTIBLES

CARTAMUNDI ROGUE
ONE PLAYING CARDS
The new playing cards from
Cartamundi feature character
names, ships, and scenes from
Rogue One. Theyre printed on high
quality card, and are available with
or without an embossed collectors
tin. Available: Now
Price: $2.95 Standard Tuck Box
(Hot Topic, Games by James and
GameStop), $4.99 Collectors Tin
(Think Geek, Kohls, Calendar Club
and GameStop)

INSIDER 85
 HASBRO ACTION FIGURES
HOT TOYS SIXTH SCALE DARTH Action gures in the 3 scale have been with us since the early

VADER COLLECTIBLE FIGURE

Hot Toys brings us its sixth-scale interpretation of the iconic
gure as seen in Rogue One. This movie-accurate collectible
comes with a brand new body and numerous accessories.
Available: Q1 2017
Price: $249.99
years of the Star Wars saga, and the trend continues with new
waves of gures from Rogue One, Star Wars Rebels and more.
The Jedha Revolt 4-Pack features Jyn Erso, Saw Gerrera, Imperial
Hovertank Pilot and Edrio Two Tubes!
Available: Spring 2017
Price: $24.99, individual 3 gures from $7.99 each

FUNKO WOBBLERS
Funko introduce an all-new bobblehead line with an anime and
manga-inuenced style, replacing the old Wacky Wobblers.
The rst character to be brought to life in the Wobbler line is
the Scarif Stormtrooper, along with Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor.
Hopefully more characters will follow in 2017.
Available: Now
Price: $9.99 each

86 INSIDER
GENTLE GIANT
SHORETROOPER
MINI BUST
The shoretrooper has been
replicated as a limited edition
1:6 scale mini bust.
Available: Q1 2017
Price: $120

INSIDER 87
 MATTEL HOT WHEELS
DEATH STAR REVOLUTION
RACE TRACK
Inspired by the Death Star assault at
the end of A New Hope, the Hot Wheels
Death Star Revolution Race Track comes
with two Carships: an X-wing and TIE
ghter. The intertwining powered track
enables you to thrust the Carships
individually around the track at amazing
speeds. Additional Carships are available
separately.
Available: Now
Price: $49.99

VANDOR TIN TOTE AND PRINTED GLASSWARE

Vandor offers a large retro tin tote featuring artwork from Rogue One, perfect for storing all manner of
Star Wars collectibles. A two-piece set of 16oz laser-printed glasses feature images of the Imperials
and rebels respectively.
Available: Now
Price: From $12.99 to $29.99

88 INSIDER
LEGO REBEL U-WING
FIGHTER (#75155)
LEGO have done an excellent job at
bringing the ghter to life with this
659 piece set. Its also the only set
to feature a Jyn Erso minigure.
Available: Now
Price: $79.99

INSIDER 89
 EXCLUSIVE FICTION

THE

VOICE
OF THE

EMPIRE
A STAR WARS STORY
BY MUR LAFFERTY
WITH ART BY JASON CHAN
 D
ont say a word. Stone-faced HoloNet News editor
Mandora Catabe didnt say it out loud, but the
message was clear. Calliope Drouths eyes icked
from Mandora, seated at her desk, to the man
standing behind her, smiling widely, hands clasped behind his
back. Mandoras face was set, grim, her eyes xed on Calliopes.
Thats an Imperial smile. Calliope had hoped to be called in
to hear about the promotion shed asked for, but that hope
died when she saw Mandoras face.
Calliope, sit down, Mandora said, indicating the chair
opposite her desk. This is Eridan Wesyse. I wanted to tell you
rst: Im retiring, effective immediately, and Mr. Wesyse will
be your new editor-in-chief.
Where Mandora was small and shrewd, suspicious of
anyone and everyone, Eridan looked as if he would always
listen sympathetically, smile kindly, and report whatever t
the kind of story he wanted to tell; Calliope knew the type.
She nodded. Shed seen the man around, doing Imperial
PR. Nice to meet you, sir, she said. Ive seen you at some the press in a direction Calliope didnt want to go. She opened
events, havent I?
He nodded, smiling wider. You do have good eyes, he
said. Mandora said youd be my star reporter. Yes, Ive done
some work for the Empire, and I will continue to as Mondoras
replacement. You see, the Empire wanted to have a tighter
he paused, searching for the word, connection to HNN. Well
want to keep on all of the loyal staff, though, so you shouldnt
worry about your job.
Calliope couldnt help glancing at Mandora.
No, Im the only one leaving. I was already contemplating
my retirement, Mandora said, her eyes indicating no such
thing. The Empire just made me an offer I couldnt refuse.
How generous, Calliope said, her mouth going dry. What
plans do you have for HNN, Mr. Wesyse?
Were going to start by giving you a promotion! he said.
Were promoting you to Senior Reporter and calling you the
Voice of the Empire. We were so impressed with your work on
the Wookiee threat.
Calliope froze. Her piece on the Wookiee threat had been
heavily edited by Imperial censors, removing the main point of
her story entirely and nearly causing Calliope to quit.
Based on your noteworthy history with HNN, Wesyse
continued, its obvious we want to promote you. Its quite an
honor to be the one person on camera that countless citizens
will watch to get their news!
That is an honor, Calliope agreed, using the smooth
voice she used on sources she knew were lying. Thank you
for the promotion. Im looking forward to the new direction
you will take us in, Editor Wesyse.
She wanted to take Mandora aside and ask her what was
going on, why was this happening, but Mandoras normally
animated face was set, which scared Calliope more than
anything.
As our newly appointed Voice of the Empire, were
throwing you at your rst story, actually, Wesyse continued.
You are to cover the Imperial Ball tonight. We got you an
invitation, which was no easy task. He paused here, as if to
give her a chance to thank him, but she pulled out a small
keyboard and started taking notes, nodding for him to
continue. You are to go and interview the dignitaries, report
what people are wearing, mention how good the food is, and
so on. Your job is to show the Empire in a way the public
doesnt get to see it. Make it more accessible. By giving them
the inside view, the Empire becomes their Empire.
Understand?
Before Calliope could protest that investigative journalism
was her preferred area of news, Mandora pushed something
across the desk at her. Im giving you Zox. I wont need it
after I retire. Its yours now. She patted the little droid, an
92 INSIDER
elderly X-0X unit about the size of her hand. Its been very
good to me, and I know it will serve you the same way.
The droid was dome-shaped, and its original color was
probably red or orange, but it was hard to tell as the paint had
worn off with age. It extended three spidery legs and rose
from the desk, wobbled, and fell over on its side. It beeped
plaintively until Mandora righted it.
It will probably be better on your shoulder, now that
I think about it, she said, smiling fondly at Zox and ignoring
Calliopes confusion entirely.
But X-0X doesnt transmit, it only records, Calliope said.
Why cant I take one of the newer droids?
Wesyse frowned. Unfortunately, the military did a recall
of all of the transmitting droids reporters were using. Turns
out there were some technical problems.
Calliope wanted to laugh, but her spine had turned to ice.
Did he know how transparent he was being? Stiing the press
by removing their ability to transmit video feeds would drive
her mouth, but Mandora interrupted her.
Anyway, Im retiring and it needs a good owner. I know
you will treasure it as much as I always have. She gave it
another push, her steely blue eyes locking onto Calliopes.
Take the droid.
Calliopes mind raced as she put her hand over the small
dome. They were balanced on the edge of something very
sharp now. Thank you, Mandora. Ill treasure it.
Much of the HNN staff had plans to go to the terrace of the
HoloNet News building to watch the Empire Day parade
below. Thousands of ofcers and soldiers marched by, anked
by the Empires machines of war. They were followed by small
vehicles showing off the new Imperial TIE striker, designed
for both suborbital ight and atmospheric ight, using state
of the art technology in navigation and speed.
Calliope shook Mandoras hand, wishing she could talk to
her and nd out what was really going on. She waved to her
coworkers and left during the parade. She was hardly dressed
for an Imperial Ball, as she had been expecting an average
day at the ofce, and had to rush home to change.
Calliope spared a look over her shoulder as the new TIE
ghters were displayed to the crowds. She had hoped to do
a story on them, but doubted shed ever get the chance now
if she were doing shallow interviews of famous people.
Calliope rummaged in her closet for her few pieces of
fancy clothing. She had reported from the front lines of wars,
from the bridges of starships, from high atop a tree as she
reported a raid on a droid manufacturing plant. Shed endured
a broken arm, several burns, and one cut on her cheek, which
she refused to surgically remove, as it was a reminder to all
about how seriously she took her job.
And now she had to pull out the ivory gown that she had
worn to her sisters wedding. She had to admit it was
beautiful, woven with smart strands of synthetic ber that
gave off shimmers of different colors depending on the angle
of the light on the dress. The ivory contrasted well with her
dark skin and delicate features, although accessorizing with a
rusty droid would be challenging.
Finally dressed, she put X-0X on her shoulder. It beeped
inquisitively at her. Its beep was more like a strangled chirp:
this droid had been around for decades, and her boss had
never replaced it.
Why Mandora insisted I bring you, Ill never know, she
said, and then stopped abruptly. X-0X whirred in a way that
sounded much like the newer, sleeker droids, and its
scratched ocular lens glowed. Had it been modied?
A hologram appeared in front of Calliope. Mandora paced
within the small circle of X-0Xs beam, showing nally the
energy and erceness that Calliope had expected.
Calliope. I dont have much time. As of right now, the
Empire is taking over HNN. Im out, but you can still stay in.
They will censor you. They will silence you. They will enrage
you. Mandora stopped and jabbed her nger at Calliope,
spitting out one word per jab. But I need you to stay where you
are.
The hologram began pacing again, a few steps to keep
within the ability of X-0X to record. This will be my last
message to you. Im leaving Coruscant. The ght against the
Empire is bigger than we ever expected, and Im going to help
them however I can.
Against the Empire? Calliope whispered. Shed found
evidence of resistance while researching some of her stories,
but Mandora had stopped every attempt to report on them.
They didnt have enough to broadcast yet, shed said.
You have a few choices. Im sure if you do what Eridan
Wesyse wishes you to, you will be rewarded. Voice of the
Empire. The Empire does appreciate loyalty. But youre better
than that. Youre smarter than that. And my... friends could
use you. The second option available to you is dangerous and,
she paused and smiled, subversive.
Calliope listened to the second option, hope and
excitement blossoming within her. This was the kind of
reporting she could get behind.
X-0X clung to her gown, and she
didnt even mind it crushing the Calliope kept watching
fabric. It burbled and beeped at her
as she approached the Imperial
the new man entering
Palace. What exactly did she do to the roomtall, pale with
modify you, anyway? she asked. It a long white cape that
remained silent.
Calliope walked past the dozens shone in the light.
of Imperial guards, and then the
helmeted troopers, who always
made her shiver. She showed her
press credentials and invitation to the stern-faced guard at
the top of the staircase. He frowned, casting a suspicious eye
on X-0X. That a recording droid?
It is, she said, smiling. Its vintage, mostly for show. Its
here with HNN Editor-in-chief Eridan Wesyses blessing.
Recognizing the name, he gestured her through.
She thought of the impoverished people on far-off systems
and wondered who among them would want to know which
designer a diplomat from Alderaan would be wearing. But she
went dutifully to nd out.
Oddly enough, Alderaan had sent a junior diplomat who
looked as if his suit was very uncomfortable. She joined him at
the bar.
You look like this is your rst Empire Day, she said to
him, smiling. Im Calliope Drouth, HoloNet News.
His pale eyes scanned hers, and he swallowed. Pol
Treader. I recognize you. And what youre really asking is why
Alderaan sent someone so young to such an important day.
She laughed. If youre going to succeed in diplomacy,
youre going to have to be much less direct. She took the
drink offered by the bartender.
Diplomacy isnt my usual job title, Pol said, pulling at his
waistcoat. Im here as a favor to the Organas. They couldnt
make it.
That was interesting. Why not?
He shrugged and looked irritated at her. They dont tell
me things like that. Im just an assistant in antiquities. He
wandered away.
Who did your suit? she called after him, but he was gone.
She stopped herself from chasing after Mr. Antiquities as
someone new swept into the room. All eyes xated on the
newcomer, and some young Imperial ofcers at the bar began
whispering in hushed tones. Calliope edged closer to them.
I dont believe you, one said to the other. She was tall,
nearly two meters, with the same dark skin as Calliope.
Her companion was shorter and pale, his cheeks ruddy
from already enjoying the owing alcohol. Fine, dont believe
me, he said. Doesnt make it any less true.
You were there, with him? For Project Celestial Power?
she asked.
He shushed her frantically, his head swiveling around to
see who had overheard. Calliope kept watching the new man
entering the roomtall, pale, with a long white cape that
shone in the light. Everyone seemed fascinated with him, but
he only gave attention to the high-ranking Imperials drinking
from thin utes in the corner.
Yes, I was with him, now be quiet about it. If were
overheard I could be demoted! He ngered his insignia of
rank on his chest. And I just got this.
Yes, you said so. About ve times, his companion said,
sounding bored.
Calliope looked at their uniforms as if for the rst time,
and approached. The pale ofcer looked worried, but stood
his ground.
Calliope Drouth, HoloNet
News, she said. Everyone is
impressed with that man who just
came in, but I cant place him. Who
is that?
That is Commander Krennic,
the tall woman said. Hes the
architect behind some of the
Emperors greatest projects.
All classied, I would expect,
Calliope said, smiling.
Of course, the pale ofcer said.
I would love to nd out more
about him, Ofcer... she raised her
eyebrows and waited for him to supply his name.
Tino. Ofcer Tino, he said. He indicated his
companion. Thats Ofcer Wick.
Ofcer Wick bowed, looking amused. Calliope decided she
liked her.
Ill get the next round, she said. Incidentally, what do
you two think of the fashion here tonight?
Once she had the ofcers talking, Calliope managed to steer
the conversation toward the various dignitaries aunting
themselves in the ballroom.
Now, that is Ambassador Oaan from the third moon around
Jaatovi, Wick said. The ambassador was tall and thin with long
black hair cascading down her back, moving with grace through
the crowd. She reached Commander Krennic and began
speaking with him.
She is so subtle she could step through a lightning storm and
not get zapped, Wick said. Id watch out for her.
Or interview her, Calliope said, winking. She took a testing
step away from her new friends, and they began protesting.
You cant leave, you just got here! Tino said. You can talk
to her later!
Everyone likes the woman buying the drinks, Mandora had
always told her, and she returned to them and got another round.
If she could make these ofcers feel they owed her something, so
much the better.
Calliope pointed to Tinos mark of rank. It looks as if you
made an impression on Commander Krennic, she said,
INSIDER 93
 handing the bartender credits for the drinks. It sounds like
hes doing highly classied things. You could be heroes and
few would ever know. What does that feel like?
Tino nished his drink in one gulp and focused on
Calliope, blinking a few times. His eyes fell on the silent droid
on her shoulder. Hes already a war hero, he conded. I-I
cant tell you why.
Of course you cant, Calliope said, nodding. Thats not
the actions of an ofcer whos caught the commanders eye.
Speaking of which, where did he get that amazing cape?
Shed guessed right; neither ofcer felt like following her
lead about fashion. Wick brought up how she could be
transferred to Tinos ship.
We need scouts more than anything, he said. Hows
your tracking?
Wick made a face. Im a pilot. I havent spent time in any
terrain but a city since I was a child.
What do you need with scouts? Calliope asked. Ill bet
94 INSIDER
the Emperor is looking for a place to spend a holiday! She
tapped on X-0X and frowned when it did nothing. Then she
pulled her small keyboard from her bag and began typing.
Where is he looking to vacation?
Tino frowned. No, its not like that. Whod want to spend
time on Jedha for fun, anyway?
Whod want to scout there? Calliope said. She got
another round of drinks. Tino excused himself to visit
the lavatory.
Wick sighed when he was out of earshot. That guy. A
screw-up through the academy. I carried him, you know. And
then luck hit him and missed me, and hes under Krennic and
Im, well... She looked down at her empty glass and Calliope
gently removed it and put a full one there.
Im doing shuttle runs, she nally said.
Shuttle pilots can scout, Calliope said. You have a wider
view of the terrain. You need to seize opportunity, tell them
why they need you. Youve got hot hands at the helm,

right? Wick nodded, realization dawning on her face.
Youve got sharp eyes, right? Sharper than Tifinos?
Much sharper, Wick scoffed.
Then you tell your superiors that shuttle pilots can be
just as good at scouting as troops on the ground. Better.
You can see lights, smoke, the movement of groups. The
Empire needs you to look for hidden enemies.
Wick had been nodding fervently at her, and then
frowned and stopped nodding. No, theyre not looking for
enemies. Theyre looking for some kind of crystals. What
were they called? Cyder? Kyber? Hyper? Something like
that. Anyway, Tifinos team just found a huge stash of them.
Thats what got him his new rank.
And you carried that guy! Calliope said, eyes wide
with outrage.
And I carried that guy, Wick said firmly, nodding. They
clinked glasses and drank.
Tifino returned with a confused smile. Wait, I want in,
You may just miss something
that could make your career.
Or you could be lucky enough
to miss something that could
destroy your career.
what are we toasting?
To Wicks future, Calliope said, raising her
glass again.
Who carried you through the Academy, Wick reminded
him. Who may just be the next hot officer to find the
commander some of those fancy crystals!
Tifino looked meaningfully at Calliope, who listed
toward the wall and fiddled with X-0X, which was still
unresponsive. Wick waved a hand, dismissing her. Shes
as drunk as we are. Besides, her recording droid died a
while back. She gulped and stood a little straighter,
looking at Calliope. You arent going to mention this,
are you?
Depends, she said. Are you going to tell me who
made the commanders cape or not? Because thats the
story Im chasing.
They laughed, and Calliope mock frowned at them. No,
really. If I dont report that, Im going to get into serious
trouble with my new editor. Everyone on Coruscant is going to
want one!
The ofcers laughed, and Wick launched into a very funny
joke about bartenders on planets with high seawater content.
Suddenly, X-0X gave a strangled chirp and tumbled off of
Calliopes shoulder. It landed hard on its dome and bounced a
meter away. Calliope went to retrieve it, and as she reached
out, a black boot settled gently on the droids still-rolling body
and stopped it. She straightened and looked up into the face of
Commander Krennic.
Is this yours? he asked, picking the silent droid up
swiftly. Calliope groaned inwardly.
Yes, its not the most reliable, Calliope said, glaring at
the little droid. She looked up and met Krennics eyes, blue
and searching. She held out a gloved hand and he looked at it
for a moment, and then shook it instead of giving X-0X back.
So she introduced herself instead. Commander Krennic, its
an honor. Im Calliope-
He scrutinized the droid. Drouth, yes, with HoloNet
News, he said. I was under the impression we would supply
our reporters with better equipment.
Actually we just heard the military recalled our newer
droids. Anything to serve the Emperors cause, but that leaves
us with, well, she indicated X-0Xs sorry state.
How old is this droid? he asked.
I dont know, she said. It was a gift from my former
editor. I keep it mainly for nostalgia purposes. And recording,
when it works.
Nostalgia and connections to loved ones, he mused.
Some would consider it a weakness.
While others would consider it a comfort, she said.
He smiled slightly. I would denitely think the inability to
record things is a weakness for a reporter. You may just miss
something that could make your career. Or you could be lucky
enough to miss something that could destroy your career.
Calliope thought of the data that Mandora had sent her.
She hadnt erased it from the droid yet; and now it was in
Krennics hands.
She smiled back at him. I try not to rely on it too much.
INSIDER 95
 Then how will you gather your information to report on the
Imperial Ball? he asked. Surely youre missing all of the gossip
by ddling with a broken droid.
Im getting gossip at the bar, sir, she said. I just found
out your tailors name. Do you know that youre setting
fashion trends?
Krennic focused on the ofcers behind her, who were frozen
at attention. Tino, he said. Are you making the most of your
shore leave?
Tino nodded, unable to speak.
Good. He looked down at X-0X, held in his long, gloved
ngers. If youd allow me to borrow this droid, Ms. Drouth, he
said. I know some tinkers who can x it right up.
Calliope knew that if she protested too much, shed make
herself look suspicious. She glanced back at Wick and then
looked meaningfully at Krennic. Come on, she mouthed. Nows
your chance.
Wick swallowed and then lunged forward, stumbling slightly.
Commander, she stammered, putting a hand on his white coat
and then pulling it off as if she just remembered herself. Ofcer
Ianna Wick, sir, and I wanted to make my case for joining your
next mission.
Krennic frowned at her, and opened his mouth, but Wick
forged on ahead, Im a shuttle pilot, best in my class at the
Academy, and Tino said you needed scouts-
Calliope had no love for the Empire, but shed developed a
soft spot for Wick. She prayed the Imperial wouldnt blow it by
saying too much in front of Calliope. Lucky for all involved,
X-0X chose that time to come back online, its sensor glowing
again and beeping in a confused way. It buzzed, vibrating in
Krennics hand.
There you are, Calliope said, interrupting Wick. She reached
up and took the droid from the distracted Krennic, who frowned
at her. Hes working now, sir. Thanks for your offer, but you have
more important things to do at this ball. Like listen to this young
woman discuss her career with you. She made a play of looking
96 INSIDER
Calliope knew that if she
protested too much, shed
make herself look suspicious.
She glanced back at Wick and
then looked meaningfully
at Krennic.
around the room and focusing on the miserable nobody from
Alderaan. I see an ambassador I need to talk to, I hope you
both have a lovely evening. She nodded to them both, passed
behind Krennic, and then gave Wick a thumbs up. The woman
smiled at her before making her case to the stern
commander.
She did carry Tino, after all, Calliope muttered to
herself. She put X-0X on her shoulder where it gripped her as
tightly as it had before. Lets circle the room once or twice
and then get you home and into a good oil bath that will scrub
you clean of everything.
Calliope faced the camera, smiling with experienced ease
as the transmission to countless planets concluded. She
deftly doublechecked the monitor to ensure her hands were
still visible in the feed.
We here at HNN hope you enjoyed your Empire Day. Last
night, I was afforded an inside look at the elegance and nery
of the Imperial Palace ball. The monitors showed the footage
X-0X had gotten before it had malfunctioned, panning around
the room and focusing on the well-dressed dignitaries. I can
report that the fashion of Coruscant is going to be taking its
lead from the attendees! From the sharply dressed dignitary
from Alderaan to the elegant dress uniforms of the upper
echelon of the Imperial Forces, these attendees showed more
than their diplomatic and military might, but also their fashion
sense. Our Imperial Forces are, well, a force to be reckoned
with, both on the battleeld and in the ballroom! You can nd
some of the superstar tailors who dressed our dignitaries
listed on your screen. Youd better get your call in soon! This
is Calliope Drouth, your voice of the Empire.
The light above the camera died, and Calliope sat back
and sighed, forcing her shoulders to loosen. Eridan Wesyse
hurried up to her, beaming. Even better than your script, so
vivid! he sang. Im going to put you on all the society
stories! He frowned. I would have liked more interviews
with the whos-who of the Empire, though.
My droid malfunctioned halfway through the night,
Calliope said truthfully. I did what I could.
He clapped her on the back and rushed away to converse
with another reporter. She nally unclasped her hands. I got
away with it.
Now the question was, would anyone hear her true report?
Mandoras message had included a le on code phrases and
cyphers, which Calliope had used to carefully select the words
in her transmission. The position of her hands during the
broadcast would clue the subversives in to which algorithm
to run on her seemingly vapid report. With any luck, they
would be on their way to Jedha within the hour. Calliope didnt
know what kyber crystals were, but if they were important
enough for Krennic to go after, they had to be important The events of this story tie in with
enough to report. Star Wars Catalyst: A Rogue One novel
If what Mandora said was true, Calliope was one of many by James Luceno, and Rogue One: A Star Wars
spies, gathering information against the Empire. Story novelization by Alexander Freed available
She thought of Ofcers Wick and Tino: possibly invisible now from Del Rey Books.
heroes in the Empires eyes. She knew how that felt now.
No one would ever know her work, not if she did her job
right. No one but X-0X, which sat on her desk in her ofce,
beeping quietly to itself.
She was growing fond of the little nuisance.

INSIDER 97
THE SAGA CONTINUES....

NEXT ISSUE
THE ROGUE ONE
CAST SPEAKS OUT!
The cast of the movie share
their thoughts on
the making of
the movie!

Subscribe today at www.titanmagazines.com U.S. 866-205-0034 U.K. 0844 322 1280

U.S. NEWSSTANDS: FEBRUARY 06 U.K. NEWSAGENTS: FEBRUARY 20

 SER IES ONE
TRADING CARDS

90 CHARACTER & STORY CARDS!

7 INSERT SETS TO COLLECT!
LOOK FOR SKETCH CARDS & AUTOGRAPHS FROM THE CAST!
IN STORES DECEMBER 2016

facebook.com/RealToppsEntertainment @toppscards @toppssports

& 2016 Lucaslm Ltd. Topps is a registered trademark of the Topps Company, Inc. All rights reserved. Topps does not, in any manner, make any
representations as to whether its products will attain any future value. NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. For a chance to get an insert, see pack for details.

topps.com/starwars