A confrontation, or skirmish, took place between a band of villagers and forces of the Galactic Empire on the planet of Vyndal. This incident happened five years prior to the well-known Battle of Yavin. The Imperial forces, under the command of the Grand Inquisitor, were actively searching for the Jedi Kanan Jarrus. Jarrus had been taken in by the villagers after his arrival on Vyndal. The Imperials initially approached Yeleb, the protector of the villagers. Yeleb falsely stated that they had not encountered Jarrus. Detecting the deception, the Inquisitor commanded his stormtroopers to set the village ablaze, hoping to force Jarrus out into the open. This action led to both Jarrus and Yeleb launching an attack. During the conflict, Yeleb sustained a fatal wound. Consequently, Jarrus chose to flee through the village, diverting the Imperials away from the other villagers. Jarrus then boarded one of the Imperials' Gozanti-class cruisers, setting it on a course to leave the planet before disembarking. The Imperials pursued the departing vessel, mistakenly believing Jarrus was still on board.
The Jedi known as Kanan Jarrus was compelled to make an emergency landing on the planet Vyndal. This occurred five years before the Battle of Yavin when his shuttle, the Phantom, was attacked by TIE/ln space superiority starfighters belonging to the Galactic Empire. After losing consciousness, Jarrus was discovered by a couple of local villagers. They brought him back to their village and provided care until he recovered. Subsequently, Jarrus was presented to Yeleb, the village's protector, who was falsely presenting himself as a Jedi. Jarrus exposed Yeleb's deception, leading the protector to initially attack him in response to the accusation. After Jarrus evaded the attacks and rescued a villager from a falling tree limb, Yeleb revealed his past. Shortly after, the pair heard the sounds of two Gozanti-class cruisers landing. Using macrobinoculars, they observed the Grand Inquisitor and a minimum of six stormtroopers disembarking. Jarrus cautioned Yeleb about the danger posed by the Inquisitor, but the protector insisted on proceeding with his plan to deceive the Imperial.
The Imperials had arrived on the planet in search of Jarrus. Consequently, when the Inquisitor met with Yeleb, he provided a false statement, asserting that Jarrus was not present in the village. His intent was to persuade the Imperials to depart. However, the Inquisitor detected the falsehood and instructed his troopers to begin a thorough search of the village. They started burning down the houses in an attempt to draw Jarrus out. As the troopers began to move out, Jarrus initiated an attack on the Inquisitor. Yeleb soon joined him in the fight. Simultaneously, outside, at least three of the villagers launched an assault on the troopers. They defended their homes by throwing rocks at them. The Inquisitor employed the Force to forcefully remove Jarrus from the battle, which allowed him to inflict a fatal wound on Yeleb. Witnessing Yeleb's fall, Jarrus diverted the Inquisitor's attention by fleeing toward the Gozanti cruisers. As he moved toward the ships, he passed the stormtroopers and managed to deflect one of their blaster bolts back at them. He then boarded one of the cruisers and programmed it to take off, before exiting the vehicle unnoticed through the front. Believing that Jarrus was escaping the planet, the Inquisitor ordered his troops to board the remaining cruiser and pursue the departing vessel.
After the Imperials had left, Jarrus and the villagers went back to Yeleb, who was dying as a result of his injuries. The Jedi reassured the protector that his people were safe and that his life had been lived nobly. Appreciative of the kind words, Yeleb then passed away. The villagers requested that Jarrus take Yeleb's place as their protector, but he declined. He explained that he needed to assist others against the Empire elsewhere in the galaxy and that the villagers were capable of surviving on their own.
The initial appearance of the skirmish was in "The Fake Jedi," a comic strip that was featured in the third issue of the Star Wars Rebels Magazine 3. Martin Fisher was the writer of the issue, and Bob Molesworth provided the illustrations.