In the year 3 BBY, the Ghost's crew found themselves in a trap: an ambush set by the Galactic Empire. This took place within an Imperial construction module orbiting Geonosis. The rebels had boarded the module to investigate intelligence suggesting the Empire was constructing something above Geonosis. Unbeknownst to them, this was the Death Star, a heavily armored [battle station](/article/battle_station] with the power to destroy entire planets, which had already been relocated. Upon entering the module, the rebels were swiftly confronted by Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau and a contingent of stormtroopers. The rebels fought to retreat back to the Ghost, but Garazeb Orrelios became engaged in a one-on-one fight with Agent Kallus. As the Ghost departed, Orrelios made for an escape pod, only to be followed by Kallus, who also boarded the same pod.
A firefight erupted between the Ghost and Imperial forces outside the module, damaging the escape pod and causing it to crash onto Bahryn, a frigid, icy moon of Geonosis. To survive, Orrelios and Kallus were compelled to cooperate. This experience led them to gain insight into each other's backgrounds and motivations, prompting Kallus to begin questioning the harsh realities of serving the Empire.
In 3 BBY, amidst the Galactic Civil War between the Galactic Empire and the burgeoning rebellion, rebel intelligence indicated that the Empire was engaged in a construction project in orbit around the planet Geonosis. This was the same world where the Clone Wars had begun many years prior. Several Imperial construction modules were positioned in Geonosis's orbit, which had once supported the construction of the [Death Star](/article/ds-1_orbital_battle_station]. This was a heavily armored [battle station](/article/battle_station] capable of planetary destruction, though the rebels were unaware of this. The station was moved after the Empire's rise, and the population of Geonosis was destroyed.
The Ghost's crew, aligned with the rebellion, journeyed to Geonosis to investigate these intelligence reports. They discovered the construction modules and correctly inferred that the project must be of immense scale to warrant construction in space rather than on the planet's surface. Through Padawan Ezra Bridger's connection to the Force, the rebels also discerned that there was no remaining life on the planet. To delve deeper, the rebels boarded one of the construction modules.
Upon docking with the construction module, four rebel crew members—Bridger, the Jedi Kanan Jarrus, Lasat warrior Garazeb Orrelios, and Mandalorian warrior [Sabine Wren](/article/sabine_wren]—left the ship. Captain Hera Syndulla, the crew's leader, stayed behind to ensure the Ghost was ready for a quick departure if needed. Captain Rex also stayed behind. As the rebels proceeded through the module, intending to examine the primary databanks for information on the Empire's construction, they were detected by an Imperial astromech droid. This droid was part of a trap orchestrated by Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau, who had lured the rebels to the station to ambush them.
Just as the rebels began to suspect a trap, the droid sealed the blast doors behind them, separating them from the Ghost. Kallus then revealed himself, accompanied by numerous stormtroopers. While most rebels engaged the stormtroopers, Orrelios confronted Kallus in a personal duel. The two had a long-standing animosity, as Kallus was involved in the destruction of Orrelios's people and planet. Jarrus contacted the Ghost to report the situation, prompting Rex to order the rebel astromech droid C1-10P ("Chopper") to assist the rebels. Chopper located the Imperial astromech droid, forced it aside, and began opening the doors. The Imperial droid retaliated but was ultimately defeated when Chopper electrocuted it. This allowed most of the rebels to return to the Ghost. However, Orrelios remained locked in combat with Kallus, urging the others to leave while he sought an escape pod. Syndulla complied, and the Ghost departed the module, passing three All Terrain Defense Pods stationed outside the facility.
Orrelios boarded a pod, but Agent Kallus followed, and their struggle continued as the escape pod launched from the station. En route to Geonosis, three TIE/ln space superiority starfighters attacked the Ghost. The Ghost successfully defended itself, while Orrelios and Kallus fought aboard the escape pod. Their struggle damaged the craft, altering its course and sending it towards Bahryn, an icy moon of Geonosis. The pod crashed beneath the moon's surface, while the Ghost destroyed the Imperial forces.
The crash on Bahryn resulted in Kallus breaking his leg. Orrelios and the injured agent discovered the craft's [transponder](/article/escape_pod_transponder], but the signal was too weak to penetrate the ice. They needed to reach the surface to transmit a distress signal, uncertain of who would arrive first: the rebels or the Empire. They also faced the threat of rapidly dropping temperatures and ice creatures called bonzami. As they struggled to survive, Orrelios and Kallus began to understand each other, recognizing that they were both warriors fighting for their beliefs. Kallus also revealed that his role in the fall of Lasan was exaggerated and that his actions were based on the horrors a Lasat mercenary once inflicted on his unit on Onderon—leading him to believe that Lasats were dangerous. They finally escaped by climbing a pillar that supported the ice, evading two bonzamis in the process. Once on the surface, they transmitted their distress signal.
The Ghost located Orrelios the following morning. Orrelios offered Kallus fair treatment if he chose to join them, but Kallus decided to risk waiting for the Empire. They bid farewell, having reached an understanding, and Kallus witnessed the warm welcome Orrelios received upon returning to the Ghost. In contrast, Kallus received a cold reception upon being rescued and returned to a Star Destroyer. Admiral Kassius Konstantine ignored his rescue and safe return, and Kallus retreated to his quarters alone.
Kallus's growing sympathy for the rebels soon led him to assist their cause. He became a Fulcrum agent, providing Phoenix Squadron with Imperial intelligence, including information about potential defectors Wedge Antilles, Derek Klivian, and Rake Gahree at the Skystrike Academy, as well as reports on Grand Admiral Thrawn's search for Phoenix Squadron's base. During the [Battle of Atollon](/article/battle_of_atollon], after his rebel allegiances were exposed, Kallus defected from the Empire and joined the Rebel Alliance at their base on Yavin 4.
The ambush on the Imperial construction module was featured in "The Honorable Ones," an episode from the second season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. This event served as the foundation for the story between Garazeb Orrelios and Agent Kallus, intended to illustrate different perspectives on the conflict between the rebellion and the Empire and challenge the accuracy of perceptions about one's enemies.