Operation Handoff was the name given to a rebel initiative aimed at safeguarding Senator Mon Mothma, who had publicly spoken out against the rule of Emperor Palpatine, and transporting her to the planet Dantooine. This endeavor was a catalyst for the formal unification of various rebel factions into the Alliance to Restore the Republic, and it involved a clash in the Archeon Nebula between forces of the Galactic Empire and rebel groups such as Phoenix Cell and the Massassi Group in 2 BBY, during the early rebellion against Imperial control.
Hera Syndulla and her team, known as the Spectres, were deployed by Phoenix Squadron to intercept and neutralize a tactical infiltration pod that had been dispatched to locate Mothma. Subsequently, they rendezvoused with Mothma's personal shuttle, the Chandrila Mistress, and her protective escort from Gold Squadron, a component of the Massassi Group. Following a brief engagement with Imperial warships, the rebel forces navigated the treacherous Archeon pass within the Archeon Nebula, a hyperspace route they hoped would deter Imperial pursuit. However, they were tracked by a cutting-edge TIE/d "Defender" Multi-Role Starfighter accompanied by TIE/IN interceptor escorts. The rebels successfully evaded their TIE adversaries and two Star Destroyers, under the command of Governor Arihnda Pryce and Admiral Kassius Konstantine, by launching proton torpedoes into the nebula's gas clouds, causing damage to the pursuing Imperial vessels.
Mothma was successfully transported to Dantooine by the rebels, where she delivered a speech to the galaxy, formally declaring open rebellion against the Empire. This declaration prompted numerous rebel cells to converge and unite, ultimately forming the Rebel Alliance, which would eventually play a pivotal role in overthrowing the Empire and establishing the New Republic.
After the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine declared himself Emperor, transforming the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire. As years passed, the Empire's governance became increasingly autocratic and oppressive towards the citizens of the galaxy. Senator Mon Mothma emerged as a prominent critic of the Emperor's dictatorial policies within the Imperial Senate. Disheartened by the pervasive corruption within the Senate and its inability to curb the Empire's excesses, Mothma relinquished her senatorial position and aligned herself with the growing rebellion against the Empire across the galaxy.
Following the tragic Ghorman Massacre, Mothma delivered a powerful address condemning the Emperor's actions against Ghorman, branding him a "lying executioner." Consequently, the Empire labeled her a traitor, forcing her into hiding, and the Imperial Security Bureau issued a galaxy-wide alert for her capture. ISB operatives also investigated Cantham House on Coruscant, the site of the Cantham House meetings, based on their suspicions, and interrogated Leia Organa and others present. Under the directives of Senator Bail Organa, Phoenix Leader Hera Syndulla and her Spectres rebel unit were tasked with meeting Mothma's freighter and its Y-wing escorts in a remote location. Due to the sensitive nature of the mission, the Spectres received limited information about the vessel and its occupants.
As the Spectres awaited the arrival of the freighter aboard the Ghost amidst the remnants of two former Confederacy navy warships, their presence was detected by a tactical infiltration pod. The pod was piloted by an E-XD-series infiltrator droid, a component of Grand Admiral Thrawn's initiative to identify and eliminate rebels within the sector. After a brief pursuit, the Spectres successfully destroyed the infiltration pod, but were unable to prevent the droid from transmitting its findings to the Empire. Shortly thereafter, Mothma's shuttle and its escort arrived.
Following the docking of Mothma's Chandrila Mistress with the Ghost, the Spectres were introduced to the former Senator's aide Erskin Semaj and Gold Leader Captain Jon Vander. After a short disagreement, the Spectres initiated the refueling process for Mothma's Y-wing starfighters. While refueling the fifth fighter, the rebel ships were ambushed by TIE fighters that had been launched from an Arquitens-class command cruiser and a Gozanti-class cruiser, both of which had recently entered the area from hyperspace. After Gold Two sustained injuries, Spectre Ezra Bridger took her place and piloted her Y-wing.
During the ensuing dogfight, Mon Mothma's shuttle suffered critical damage, forcing the former Senator and her crew to evacuate to the Ghost. Meanwhile, Ezra and Gold Squadron utilized their ion cannons to disable the light cruiser before launching a bombing run, inflicting significant damage. The rebels then made a jump to hyperspace. Given Mon Mothma's desire to reach Dantooine for a crucial rebel gathering, Hera agreed to guide her through the Archeon pass, a hazardous route within the Archeon Nebula.
In the meantime, Grand Admiral Thrawn dispatched Governor Arihnda Pryce and Admiral Kassius Konstantine with orders to apprehend the rogue Senator. Thrawn's strategy involved deploying Commander Vult Skerris, a TIE fighter pilot, in the prototype TIE Defender alongside two TIE interceptors to force Mon Mothma and Hera Syndulla's ships into the open. Pryce and Konstantine, meanwhile, were positioned on the opposite side of the nebula aboard two Imperial Star Destroyers to intercept and capture the Ghost, which was carrying Mothma.
Commander Skerris soon caught up with the Ghost and its Y-wing escort. The TIE Defender and its interceptor escorts were equipped with deflector shields that provided protection from the nebula's radiation. Skerris managed to shoot down the Y-wing fighters Gold Three and Gold Four. In an attempt to evade Skerris, the Ghost and its three remaining Y-wing escorts ventured deeper into the Archeon pass. Garazeb Orrelios, operating the Ghost's rear cannon, was unable to penetrate the Defender's robust shield. Skerris then acquired a lock on the Ghost, but Gold Five intercepted the shots with her Y-wing, saving the freighter at the cost of her own life.
Unable to outrun the TIEs, Hera instructed her crew to divert power to their deflector screens, and brought the group in close to a forming star. The intense heat of the protostar destroyed one of the TIE Interceptors. The second fighter was damaged and attempted to retreat, but Zeb destroyed it with his cannon. As the Ghost flew closer to the star, it began to sustain hull damage from the extreme heat. With his shields failing, Skerris was forced to disengage. Ezra and Jon agreed to delay the TIE Defender while Hera piloted Mothma and the Ghost out of the nebula.
Upon exiting the Archeon Nebula, the Ghost was intercepted by Pryce and Konstantine's Star Destroyers. Pryce demanded Mon Mothma surrender to the Empire. While Mothma distracted Pryce with a list of demands, Hera and Chopper worked to repair the ship's hyperdrive. Pryce rejected Mothma's demands, and Konstantine activated the Star Destroyer's tractor beam projector. The Ghost was pulled towards the Star Destroyer's hangar.
Meanwhile, Ezra and Jon managed to evade the TIE Defender after a prolonged pursuit. As Ezra led Skerris on a chase, Jon fired his ion cannon at the TIE Defender, temporarily disabling it and causing it to crash into the nebula. The rebel Y-wings managed to escape before Skerris regained control. Ezra and Jon exited the Archeon Nebula just in time to prevent the Ghost from being pulled into Pryce's Star Destroyer. Under Hera's orders, Ezra and Jon fired their proton torpedoes into the nebula. The resulting explosion engulfed Pryce's two Star Destroyers, causing significant damage to the Imperial ships. With the tractor beam disabled, the rebel ships jumped into hyperspace.
The Spectres' actions during the skirmish in the Archeon Nebula earned them the respect of Mon Mothma, Captain Vander, and Gold Two. Upon arriving over Dantooine, Mon Mothma delivered a broadcast urging the galaxy to rise up against the Empire. This broadcast was observed by rebels across the galaxy, including Ryder Azadi and his cell on Lothal and members of Phoenix Cell at Chopper Base on Atollon. Shortly thereafter, the Ghost and its Y-wing escorts were joined by a rebel fleet that emerged from hyperspace. These events ultimately led to the formation of the Alliance to Restore the Republic and marked the commencement of the Galactic Civil War.
Operation Handoff was initially depicted in the Star Wars Rebels Season Three episode "Secret Cargo," which was first broadcast on March 4, 2017 on Disney XD. The name "Operation Handoff" was first used in Star Wars: The Rebel Files.