Rhydonium heist

A heist of Rhydonium from a pipeline on a planet conducted by Wilmon Paak and Saw Gerrera's Partisans in 3 BBY.

Prelude

In 3 BBY,^[3] Wilmon Paak was sent by Luthen Rael to deliver a piece of equipment to Saw Gerrera's Partisan base on D'Qar. The piece of equipment was a complicated mechanism which would allow the Partisans to extract Rhydonium directly from a pipeline. While Gerrera examined it, Paak explained that it had everything the group needed including having eight variations and six gauges. Gerrera then assigned Pluti, one of his Partisans, to learn how to operate the device from Paak. Despite Paak's insistence that he was supposed to leave the following day, Gerrera forced him to stay with the group until Pluti learned all eight variations as to not give away what pipeline they were going to hit.^[4]

Pluti eventually approached Gerrera stating that he had learned all the variations, at least in theory, but needed more practice. Stating that if he could focus on just one of the variations that he would be confidant enough to not need Paak to go with him. Eventually convincing Gerrera to tell him that the group was planning to hit the Station Four junction of the Markez Moon pipeline. However Gerrera later learned that there was an Imperial ambush waiting for the group and Gerrera proceeded to execute Pluti in front of Paak calling him a traitor. Telling Paak that it was all on him, the group abandoned their base on D'Qar and proceeded to the actual site of the heist.^[2]

The Heist

When the group arrived at a different planet many parsecs away from Markez Moon, they proceeded to attach the mechanism to the pipeline and ran a tube from pipeline to their ships. As Paak worked the device most of the group watched from a nearby ridge except for Gerrera who stood close to Paak while telling him a story about his first encounter with Rhydonium while at a work camp in the Onderon jungle. After Paak successfully calibrated the mechanism to allow the theft it slid into the pipeline hatch cover and Rhydonium began flowing through the flexible piping. A small amount of Rhydonium gas escapted from around the tube and Gerrera approached and breathed it in deeply. Paak questioned how Gerrera could do that without wearing a breath mask. Gerrera responded that it was because he understood the toxic fuel and after an inspiring speech he convinced Paak to take his breath mask off and inhale the vapor.^[2]

Behind the scenes

The Rhydonium heist appeared, though unnamed, in "I Have Friends Everywhere," the fifth episode of the second season of the television series Star Wars: Andor released on Disney+^[2] on April 29, 2025.^[5]

Appearances

• Star Wars: Andor — "I Have Friends Everywhere" (First appearance)

Notes and references