In the year 5 BBY, Hera Syndulla, accompanied by Kanan Jarrus, and their C1 series astromech droid known as Chopper, executed a daring assault on an Imperial supply convoy. During their escape, they found themselves pursued by a squadron of four TIE/ln space superiority starfighters. The rebel crew successfully eliminated all pursuing TIE fighters, thereby achieving their mission objectives.
After the conclusion of the Clone Wars, Emperor Palpatine reorganized the Galactic Republic, establishing the first Galactic Empire. Over the subsequent years, resistance to the Empire began to coalesce in the form of an expanding rebellion, composed of various independent cells and factions. Among these was the Lothal rebels, a unit led by the Twi'lek pilot Hera Syndulla and the former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, operating from the VCX-100 light freighter named the Ghost. Their activities included various operations, such as ambushing Imperial installations and intercepting supply convoys.
In 5 BBY, the crew of the Ghost launched an attack on an Imperial supply convoy. The rebel team consisted of Hera, Kanan, and the astromech droid Chopper. Subsequent to the raid, the Ghost was chased by four TIE fighters. Hera took the pilot's seat, while Kanan took control of the Ghost's turret cannon. During the aerial engagement that followed, the TIE fighters gained an advantage over the Ghost, causing damage to the ship's deflector shield. As the chase continued, Kanan managed to destroy two of the pursuing TIE fighters.
While Chopper was following Hera's instructions to repair the shields, the TIE fighters maintained their attack, disabling the Ghost's communication system. Unable to communicate with Kanan, Hera directed Chopper to halt shield repairs and restore the ship's communications. Chopper left the cockpit and informed Kanan about the communication system repair. However, Kanan countermanded Hera's orders, instructing the droid to prioritize shield repairs and to tell Hera to "fly better."
Chopper then returned to the cockpit, relaying Kanan's message to Hera. Annoyed by Kanan's remark, Hera decided to personally take control of the aerial combat. She skillfully maneuvered the ship, shooting down one of the remaining two TIE fighters. Hera then ordered Chopper to instruct Kanan to eliminate the last TIE fighter. However, by this point, Chopper was frustrated by the conflicting orders and chose to act independently. The astromech droid proceeded to the Ghost's auxiliary ship, the Phantom, and utilized the Phantom's laser cannons to destroy the final TIE fighter.
Following the aerial battle, Kanan and Hera exchanged compliments for their contributions in destroying three of the TIE fighters. Upon Chopper's arrival in the Ghost's cockpit, the two rebels expressed their gratitude to the droid for eliminating the last TIE fighter. As the Ghost entered hyperspace, Hera instructed Chopper to repair both the ship's deflector shields and communication systems. By surviving this encounter, the Ghost and its crew were able to continue their resistance against the Empire.
This raid served as the inspiration for the plot of the Star Wars Rebels short film, "The Machine in the Ghost," which was released online and on Disney XD on August 11, 2014. This short was later adapted into other Rebels related media, including the children's book Chopper Saves the Day and a short story within Michael Kogge's chapter book Rise of the Rebels.