In the galactic year of 2 BBY, a daring operation was undertaken by Phoenix Cell: a rescue mission to extract Agent Kallus from the clutches of the Galactic Empire. Intelligence had revealed that Grand Admiral Thrawn was dangerously close to exposing Kallus's double life as the rebel informant known as Fulcrum. Ezra Bridger, accompanied by the resourceful droids AP-5 and Chopper, played a pivotal role. They orchestrated the theft of a shuttle, intentionally allowing themselves to be captured by the Arquitens-class command cruiser under the command of Lieutenant Yogar Lyste. Thrawn then summoned both Lyste and Kallus to his flagship, the Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera, for an audience. It was here that Kallus, in collaboration with the rebels, skillfully thwarted Thrawn's attempts to pinpoint the location of Chopper Base. To divert suspicion from himself, Kallus masterfully framed Lieutenant Lyste. Following the rebels' successful escape, Thrawn, along with Colonel Wullf Yularen, correctly identified Kallus as Fulcrum. However, they strategically chose to keep this revelation concealed, intending to exploit Kallus to lead them to the rebel stronghold.
The seeds of change were sown when Imperial Security Bureau (ISB) Agent Kallus encountered Garazeb Orrelios, the Lasat rebel, on Bahryn. This encounter sparked a transformation, leading Kallus to become a rebel sympathizer. Adopting the clandestine identity of Fulcrum, Kallus began secretly aiding the Phoenix Cell. His actions included leaking vital information regarding Imperial cadets seeking to defect from the Skystrike Academy. Furthermore, Kallus played a crucial role in assisting the rebels Ezra Bridger, [Kanan Jarrus](/article/kanan_jarrus], and Chopper to escape from the heavily guarded Imperial Armory Complex, along with Grand Admiral Thrawn's coveted TIE Defender project. These significant losses fueled Thrawn's suspicion that a mole had infiltrated the Lothal Sector's Command structure.
Subsequently, Kallus leaked classified details concerning Thrawn's E-XD-series infiltrator droids to the rebels Zeb, Chopper, and AP-5. This intelligence led to the destruction of an Imperial Star Destroyer. Despite this setback, Thrawn narrowed down the search area for the rebel base on Atollon to a list of 94 potential worlds. Later, he and Pryce intercepted one of Kallus's Fulcrum transmissions, confirming that a mole existed within the Sector's Command staff. They monitored Fulcrum's subsequent transmission to unmask his true identity. The classified nature of the information transmitted to the Rebel Network indicated that Fulcrum was a high-ranking Imperial officer, a spy for the growing rebellion, and a traitor to the Empire. Consequently, Thrawn and Pryce enlisted the assistance of Colonel Wullf Yularen to screen the Lothal Sector's Command staff and expose Fulcrum. The Spectres, who were monitoring Thrawn's activities, realized that he was closing in on Fulcrum's true identity.
Consequently, Ezra, accompanied by Chopper and AP-5, initiated a mission to rescue Kallus. Their strategy involved stealing a shuttle and deliberately getting captured by Kallus's Arquitens-class command cruiser, under the command of Lieutenant Yogar Lyste. The next phase of the plan involved Kanan and Captain Rex piloting a Sentinel-class landing craft to the Imperial light cruiser for extraction.
The rebels' shuttle theft unfolded as planned, and Ezra was apprehended by Yogar Lyste's stormtroopers aboard his light cruiser. AP-5 and Chopper successfully avoided capture by posing as Imperial droids who had been unwilling passengers on Ezra's shuttle. While confined in a cell, Ezra revealed the purpose of his mission to Kallus. Before they could escape the light cruiser, Lieutenant Lyste informed Agent Kallus that they had been summoned to Grand Admiral Thrawn's Imperial Star Destroyer Chimaera for a meeting. Eager to regain favor with the Empire after the embarrassment of Princess Leia's theft of three ships delivered to Lothal, Lyste ordered that Ezra, whom he mistakenly identified as a bounty hunter, be brought aboard the Chimaera as a trophy.
AP-5 and Chopper persuaded Lieutenant Lyste to allow them aboard by claiming to possess incriminating testimony against the bounty hunter. Upon boarding the Chimaera, Ezra was imprisoned in a cell within Detention Block B7. While AP-5 and Chopper transmitted a warning to Kanan and Rex regarding the revised plan, Kallus and Lyste met with Thrawn and Colonel Yularen in Thrawn's Office. They were informed about the investigation into Fulcrum, who was revealed to be not only a spy providing information to the Phoenix Squadron but also a traitor within the Imperial ranks. As part of the investigation, Yularen interrogated several members of the Sector Command staff. Kallus also learned that Thrawn was nearing the discovery of the rebel base on Atollon.
Following the meeting, Kallus devised a plan to mislead Thrawn into believing that Lieutenant Lyste was Fulcrum. He convinced the inexperienced Imperial officer that Governor Arihnda Pryce was suspected of collaborating with the rebels. While conversing with Lyste, Kallus subtly switched their code cylinders. He then instructed Lyste to spy on Governor Pryce. Executing his plan, Kallus freed Ezra from his cell and reunited with Chopper and AP-5, who required a new set of clearance codes for Kanan and Rex to land on the Chimaera. Kallus and AP-5 persuaded Ezra to assist them in infiltrating Thrawn's Office to delete Atollon's location and obtain the necessary clearance codes.
Implementing their strategy, Kallus and his Rebel allies secured an Imperial officer's uniform for Ezra. Ezra then employed a Jedi mind trick to convince the stormtrooper guarding Thrawn's Office that he was Lieutenant Lyste, granting him access to the room. Meanwhile, Thrawn, accompanied by Governor Pryce and Colonel Yularen, visited Ezra's cell only to discover that the prisoner had escaped. Yularen also discovered that Lyste's code cylinder was the last one used to open the cell, leading the Imperials to suspect Lyste as the traitor. Back in Thrawn's office, Kallus deleted Atollon's location from Thrawn's star chart while Chopper acquired the clearance codes.
Thrawn returned to his office before the rebels and Kallus could escape. To create a diversion, Kallus programmed the Grand Admiral's DT-series sentry droids to assassinate Thrawn. While Thrawn and his stormtroopers battled the rogue sentry droids, the rebels and Kallus made their escape. Thrawn managed to disable the sentry droids by blasting them and caught a glimpse of Ezra fleeing the room, mistaking him for Lieutenant Lyste. Convinced that Lyste was Fulcrum, Thrawn contacted Yularen and instructed him and Governor Pryce to proceed to the hangar.
By this point, Rex and Kanan, disguised as stormtroopers, had successfully landed their shuttle aboard the Chimaera. Recognizing the two visiting stormtroopers as rebel infiltrators, Governor Pryce attempted to arrest them, but Kanan and Rex retaliated. Kallus and his rebel allies reached the hangar, where they were joined by an unsuspecting Lieutenant Lyste. Lyste stunned Governor Pryce and attempted to assist the stormtroopers, only to realize they were rebel infiltrators. Kallus then tackled Lyste to the ground while the rebels fled aboard the shuttle. At the last moment, Kallus chose not to escape, believing that he could better serve the rebellion as an Imperial insider, now that they had framed Lyste.
Upon Colonel Yularen's arrival, Kallus accused Lyste of being the rebel spy. Despite Lyste's vehement denials, he was taken into custody. Publicly, Thrawn and Yularen accepted Kallus's explanation that Lyste was Fulcrum. Governor Pryce, having been stunned by Lyste, required little persuasion. After Kallus and Pryce had departed, Grand Admiral Thrawn and Colonel Yularen discussed their investigation into Lyste. Both men concluded that Lyste was innocent and that Kallus had framed him to conceal his own identity as Fulcrum. Despite this revelation, Thrawn decided to refrain from taking action against Kallus, intending to manipulate him into revealing the location of the rebel base to the Empire.
The events surrounding the rescue of Alexsandr Kallus form the narrative core of the Star Wars Rebels Season Three episode "Through Imperial Eyes," which premiered on February 26, 2017.