Scrambling charge

A scrambling charge was a device that blocked a communications system from receiving and transmitting data. It could be set to activate after a certain time from its placement had passed, making it harder to be detected.

In 5 BBY, a scrambling charge was used during the heist on the Imperial dam on the planet Aldhani; rebel operatives Vel Sartha and Cinta Kaz planted a charge at the dam's comms tower to take out the base's communications and isolate it from the nearby Alkenzi Air Base. However, the sabotage was discovered by Corporal Kimzi, the communications officer on duty, leading to a firefight between Sartha and Kaz's fellow rebels and Imperial Army troopers.

Description

A scrambling charge^[3] was a handheld, box-shaped device used to jam communications systems, preventing them from receiving or broadcasting signals. It worked by being attached on the comms system it was meant to disrupt by means of a magnet; it would then be set to detonate on a countdown, making it easier for saboteurs to leave the area so as to not be detected. Four blue lights on the frame of the device functioned as a status indicator; when all four lit up, the charge detonated, creating sparks in the devices around it and shutting them down.^[1]

History

In 5 BBY,^[4] while on a mission to infiltrate the Aldhani dam, headquarters of the Galactic Empire's presence on the planet Aldhani,^[2] spymaster Luthen Rael's rebel network operatives Vel Sartha and Cinta Kaz used a scrambling charge to take out the facility's communications. After their fellow rebels Karis Nemik, Arvel Skeen, Taramyn Barcona, and hired gun Cassian Andor secured the base's commandant, Jayhold Beehaz, and^[1] his^[5] family as hostages, Sartha and Kaz detonated the charge in the comms tower to isolate the facility from the nearby Alkenzi Air Base in preparation for the heist. Sartha used the fact to threaten Beehaz, mentioning that although Imperial comms did not work, theirs did.^[1]

Despite the rebels' planning, the communications officer on duty, Corporal Kimzi, discovered the malfunction earlier than expected and traced it to the communications frequency used by the infiltrators. After overhearing their conversations, Kimzi eventually led a security squad of Imperial Army troopers to their location and engaged them in a firefight, resulting in their death and the rebels' escape.^[1]

Behind the scenes

A scrambling charge appeared, albeit unidentified, in "The Eye,"^[1] the sixth episode of the first season of the Disney+ live-action television series Star Wars: Andor, which aired on October 12, 2022.^[6] It was later identified in the corresponding episode guide posted on StarWars.com.^[3]

Appearances

• Star Wars: Andor — "The Eye" (First appearance)

Sources

• "The Eye" Episode Guide | Andor on StarWars.com (backup link) (First identified as scrambling charge)

Notes and references