Star Wars: Andor Episode 4 Drops a Sneaky Reference to the Death Star

09/28/2022 01:48 pm EDT

Star Wars: Andor Episode 4 opened the scope of the series up to a much wider perspective – including introducing us to what the workings of the Empire truly look like from the inside. In "Aldhani" part of the storyline is dedicated to introducing Imperial officer Dedra Meero (Denise Gough), a high-ranking and promising officer of the Imperial Security Bureau. Dedra's storyline includes taking us into an Imperial officers' meeting procedures – a scene which includes a nod to how the Death Star is quietly becoming a reality that will terrorize the galaxy. 

WARNING: SPOILERS FOLLOW! 

During the Imperial officers' meeting in Andor Episode 4, one of the security issues that must be addressed is added security resources needed in the Abrion sector of the Outer Rim Territories. Major Partagaz (Anton Lesser) demands to know the reasoning for the increased security focus, and an officer explains that they are "proactive measures" for "an increase in construction shipments going to Scarif..." 

Andor Episode 4's Death Star Reference Explained

This small mention in the Imperial Security Officers' meeting is a brushstroke meant to remind fans of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story that while Cassian Andor is first finding his place as a Rebel spy, Orson Krennic is hard at work building the Death Star, with brilliant scientist Galen Erso forced to bring the nightmare weapon to life. It's an accurate detail to include; Andor's clear starting point in 5 BBY must coincide with the Death Star's creation if the TV series is to successfully synch with the beginning of Rogue One. 

What Is Scarif? 

Scarif was a remote planet in the Abrion sector of the Outer Rim Territories. The Abrion sector was a key junction point, as it was a convergence of multiple hyperspace routes through the Outer Rim. Scarif was, therefore, a place that was accessible enough for the Empire to move the necessary resources for building the Death Star – but still remote enough that no one came looking at what Krennic and co. were actually building there until it was nearly too late. 

The final act of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story sees Cassian Andor (Diego Luna), Jyn Erso (Felicity Jones), and their team of Rebel spies infiltrate Scarif in order to steal the Death Star plans containing the energy core weakness Galen Erso built into it. While Cassian and Jyn do manage to get the plans transmitted to the Rebel Alliance, they both die on Scarif when Grand Moff Tarkin uses the Death Star to annihilate the planet and all traces of the Empire's work there. 

So, in Andor Episode 4 we truly begin to the hands of fate working that will eventually bring Cassian to his ultimate destiny: giving it all to truly make a difference in defeating the Empire, even if he dies fighting those bastards. 

Star Wars: Andor streams new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+. 

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