Andor is fast approaching, and it will tell the story of Cassian Andor in the formative years of Rebel Alliance . Audiences have been given a significant amount of information ahead of its release. Tony Gilroy explained that Andor’s story will start with the destruction of his home world, Fest.
It’s yet to be revealed how Andor’s home will be destroyed, however this article will put forward three theories to explain the planet’s destruction.
Theory 1 – The Empire obliterates the planet
The first way the Fest could be destroyed is perhaps the most obvious – the Empire did it. But it’s unclear why they might commit such a horrible act. Well, it’s possible that Fest was a member of the Confederacy of Independent Systems (CIS) (Andor himself is a Separatist and in Legends Fest was home to Separatist activity), and decided to keep fighting the Empire. Even after the Clone War, there were Separatist enclaves that kept fighting the Empire, for example in the Western Reaches. The Empire heavily punished these worlds for this insurrection.
While this might play out in the show as a traditional ground battle with stormtroopers carelessly destroying homes on the planet, a better (and frankly cooler) way this could be achieved is through orbital bombardment. The Empire might decide that it doesn’t want to get tied up in a lengthy campaign, and opt for complete annihilation. It would show the devastating power of the Empire, not only scaring nearby systems but also making Andor think there’s no point in fighting back. Of course, Andor and likely a small band of refugees would either escape or survive, but Fest would be uninhabitable, preventing them from going back.
Theory 2 – The Empire mines Fest for resources
Another way Fest might meet an untimely end is if the Empire destroys the planet through excessive mining. The book Catalyst shows readers that the Empire has an insatiable need for resources, primarily for the Death Star but also for the Imperial Navy and Army. It’s possible that the Empire might locate a valuable resource on Fest, and either forcibly relocate its citizens to other parts of the galaxy, or into work, or leave them to fend for themselves.
Catalyst also shows the harm extensive mining can do to a planet. The Empire mined the worlds of Wadi Raffa and Samovar to exhaustion, rendering them uninhabitable. If Fest suffers a similar fate, it could help set up a deeper exploration into how the Death Star was built. This would help tie Andor to the Catalyst book, and link all of the projects in the Rogue One timeline together.
Theory 3 – The Empire didn’t destroy Fest, the Republic did
This final theory suggests that Fest was already destroyed by the time of the Empire. As with the first theory, this assumes that Fest is part of the CIS and, the Republic sends the clone army to liberate the planet. The fighting between the clone and droid army becomes extremely fierce and destroys homes, infrastructure, and everything that the citizens need to survive on the planet. This forces the citizens to flee their homes and become refugees. It also would be a great point to show Andor fighting alongside Separatists, something that the show needs to explore.
This theory would explain why we see clone troopers in the trailer, and also be a shocking way to begin the series. The transformation from Republic to Empire began long before Palpatine’s declaration, and this would be a great way to show that. It would show the Clone war from the Separatists perspective, something that’s rarely shown. And finally, It would help set up Andor’s cynical outlook – for if a democratic government shows so little care for the people it claims is liberating, Andor would lose faith in any government. Indeed, he might see what the Empire is doing on a galactic scale is similar to what the Republic did to his home, and conclude there’s no way to fight back.
While Andor’s home could be destroyed in any number of different ways, one of three theories suggested would be an extremely compelling start to the show, and help link in with the wider themes that the show is exploring. The prior two in particular help to link the show to other Star Wars events and media, firmly placing it in the Star Wars universe. No matter how Andor’s home is destroyed, audiences are bound to see the full horrors of the Empire on display.