Taidu Sefla

Within the Alliance to Restore the Republic's Special Forces during the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire, Taidu Sefla held the position of a human male. At one point during his time serving, Sefla contributed to a document titled "Readiness Report: Surface Vehicles," a compilation by SpecForce General Pitt Onoran that evaluated the strengths of ground vehicles used by the Alliance. Sefla specifically commented on the advantages and disadvantages of vehicles like the Kelliak Freerunner and the Arrow-23 landspeeder from Aratech Repulsor Company. This report, including Sefla's notes, was later presented to Mon Mothma, the leader of the Alliance.

By the year 1 BBY, Sefla had become a member of the Massassi Group, the most important rebel cell, based inside the Great Temple located on Yavin's fourth moon. Having achieved the rank of lieutenant by that time, Sefla was in command of a platoon of SpecForce soldiers.

In 0 BBY, thanks to the efforts of Captain Cassian Andor from the Rebel Alliance Intelligence Service, the Rebellion learned about the existence of a planet-destroying superweapon under construction by the Galactic Empire. The Alliance High Command then initiated Operation Fracture, aiming to extract Galen Erso, an Imperial engineer who had designed the weapon, to gain more information about it. Rebel forces successfully liberated Erso's daughter, Jyn, from an Imperial detention center & labor camp on Wobani and brought her to Yavin.

As the next stage of the operation, Andor, along with the reprogrammed KX-series security droid K-2SO, accompanied Jyn to the moon Jedha. On Jedha, Saw Gerrera, Jyn's former mentor and the leader of the local guerilla group known as the Partisans, had captured a defected Imperial pilot who claimed to know Galen's location. The Alliance hoped Jyn could contact both Gerrera and the pilot to find her father.

Meanwhile, Sefla received a briefing on Operation Fracture's progress and prepared to participate in the next phases. Sefla's platoon was on standby, ready to deploy anywhere in the galaxy to follow up on leads about Erso that Andor might uncover. Duty shifts ensured that two squads within the platoon were always combat-ready, while two others could be ready within an hour.

Sefla researched the potential Imperial forces that Andor's team might encounter on Jedha and presented a detailed report to General Davits Draven. Recognizing that the Empire couldn't deploy heavy vehicles in the crowded streets of Jedha City, Sefla concluded that Andor and Erso would likely face smaller vehicles like TX-225 GAVw "Occupier" combat assault tanks, All Terrain Scout Transports, TIE strikers, and a large number of stormtroopers. The lieutenant noted the presence of civilians and was also concerned about the potential presence of elite death troopers, known to accompany Director Orson Krennic, the head of the superweapon project.

Sefla also considered the possibility of Andor's mission extending beyond the city, where the rebel team might face heavier Imperial walkers like All Terrain Armored Transports or All Terrain Armored Cargo Transports. In that case, Sefla advised Andor's group to join forces with Gerrera's Partisans to fight the Imperials, even though the Alliance preferred to avoid dealing with Gerrera's group due to their disagreement with his terrorist tactics.

Andor and Jyn rescued the pilot Bodhi Rook and, along with the Guardians of the Whills Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe, escaped from Jedha before the Holy City was destroyed by the superweapon. Now knowing the superweapon's name, the "Death Star," the group went to Eadu to contact Galen. However, because General Draven's real goal was to kill Galen to prevent him from finishing the Death Star, Sefla's participation became unnecessary. Instead, a squadron of starfighters were dispatched to Eadu, destroying the Eadu Energy Conversion Laboratory and killing Galen.

Having received intelligence from Galen before his death that he had sabotaged the project, Andor's group returned to Yavin 4. There, Jyn requested that the Alliance leaders assemble a group to go to the Imperial security complex on Scarif to retrieve the Death Star plans from the data vault. These plans would help the Alliance locate the exhaust port that Galen had installed; damaging it could trigger a chain reaction that would destroy the Death Star. Jyn's proposed mission was not approved, but Andor had already started gathering rebels to follow Erso to Scarif.

Sergeant Ruescott Melshi, a friend of Andor, approached Sefla to recruit volunteers for Andor's team. Sefla agreed to join the group, which included Andor, Erso, K-2SO, Rook, Malbus, and Îmwe, as well as about two dozen SpecForce troops and regular Alliance soldiers. The team acquired as much rebel equipment as possible and boarded a stolen Imperial cargo ship, SW-0608. Adopting the callsign Rogue One, the group departed for Scarif.

Upon arriving at Scarif, Sefla and his companions noticed that a planetary shield protected the planet, with the Shield Gate space station being the only way for spacecraft to reach the surface. Since Rogue One had the stolen shuttle's Imperial access codes, they were able to pass through the shield. As the shuttle descended toward the planet, Sefla observed that the rest of Rogue One felt uneasy about the upcoming mission, particularly about being commanded by Erso, a civilian. Sefla approached her, suggesting she give an inspiring speech to the troops and granting her the brevet rank of sergeant. Although initially hesitant, Erso followed Sefla's advice, delivering a speech that boosted Rogue One's morale.

Andor's plan involved him, Erso, and K-2SO sneaking into the data vault, while Sefla and the rest of Rogue One created a distraction by engaging Imperial forces outside. Because of his friendship with Sergeant Melshi, Andor appointed him as the overall commander of the distraction team, even though Sefla, a higher-ranked officer, should have been in command according to protocol. Trusting Andor's judgment, Sefla accepted the decision and agreed to follow Melshi's lead.

Rogue One landed at Landing Platform Nine, where an Imperial inspection team boarded their shuttle. Overpowering the team, Rogue One stole their uniforms. Disguised as the inspection team, Erso and Andor entered the Scarif complex. Meanwhile, Sefla and the rest of Rogue One—except for Rook and some soldiers guarding him—left through the shuttle's bottom hatch, using periodic blasts of coolant from the shuttle's purge vents as cover.

Sefla and the rebels traveled eastward through the jungles of Scarif until they reached an Imperial complex of barracks near a hillock. Melshi distributed explosives among the team, instructing them to set demolition charges at various landing pads surrounding the Imperial security complex. After completing this task, Sefla and the team regrouped near the barracks and prepared to ambush any Imperial forces that emerged. Receiving the go-ahead from Andor, Melshi detonated the explosives. Imperial forces, responding to the attack, quickly came out of the barracks and were met with fire from Rogue One.

Surprised and disoriented by the attack and explosions, Imperial forces fell victim to Rogue One's methodical blaster fire. However, after about five minutes, the battle shifted, and Rogue One began taking casualties. When a final attempt to break the Imperial formation failed and Imperial AT-ACTs began to arrive, Melshi ordered all surviving rebel forces, including Sefla, to retreat into the jungle.

Sefla escaped from the hillock into the jungle, where he and a dozen survivors witnessed the arrival of Rebel reinforcements. The Alliance had intercepted Imperial signals about rebel activity on Scarif and sent a battle group to assist Rogue One. The rebels reinforced Sefla's team with several U-wings carrying rebel soldiers, as well as X-wings providing air support. However, the Empire then closed the Shield Gate, preventing further Alliance reinforcements and trapping Sefla and the other rebel forces on the planet.

Melshi led Rogue One and other rebel troopers to a bunker complex within the outer perimeter of the facility's Citadel Tower. Following Rook's instructions, Melshi hoped to find a master switch to link the tower with the rebel shuttle. This would allow Rook to contact the rebel fleet in orbit around Scarif and instruct them to create an opening in the planetary shield, enabling Andor and Erso to transmit the Death Star plans they had just obtained from the data vault. As the rebels approached the complex, Krennic's death troopers joined the battle, inflicting heavy casualties.

Sefla survived the enemy fire, taking cover beside the door to the bunker complex. He was joined by Malbus, Îmwe, and a gravely injured Melshi, the only survivors of the rebel team. As Sefla and Malbus exchanged fire with the surrounding death troopers, Melshi received a communication from Rook, urging him to activate the master switch.

Melshi, dying from his wound, told Sefla, Malbus, and Îmwe that the master switch was on top of a console ten meters away. Sefla volunteered to make a run for it and try to flip the switch. Emerging from cover, he ran toward the console, firing back at the Imperials, but he was shot by the death troopers and killed almost immediately.

Melshi, Malbus, and Îmwe were all killed soon after, although Îmwe managed to complete the task Sefla had attempted. With the master switch activated, Rook contacted the Rebel fleet and relayed his plan before the remaining members of Rogue One at the shuttle were slaughtered by stormtroopers. The Rebel fleet broke through the planetary shield, allowing Erso and Andor to transmit the Death Star plans. The Rebellion escaped with the plans, just as the Death Star arrived in orbit of Scarif and destroyed the research complex. The plans, for which Sefla had given his life, ultimately allowed the Rebellion to destroy the Death Star during the Battle of Yavin.

Taidu Sefla was a man with a broad dark complexion, black hair, and brown eyes. He was confident, steady, and committed to making every action meaningful. A strong and capable soldier, Sefla also displayed great heart in the fight against the Empire. His gentleness and humility impressed even the hardened warrior Malbus. Sefla valued troop morale, choosing to promote Erso to sergeant to elevate her status among the Rogue One soldiers. He followed Melshi's command on Scarif out of respect, despite outranking him. While running to the master switch, he moved with quick, brave certainty.

Sefla was a respected Alliance officer who commanded a platoon of SpecForce soldiers. Knowledgeable about the military assets of both the Alliance and the Empire, he demonstrated a talent for combat analysis, providing detailed mission reports to his commanders. These reports sometimes included opinions and ideas that went against the Rebellion's general policies. In combat, Sefla often acted as a sniper.

On Scarif, Sefla wore rebel camouflage fatigues with a blue vest featuring a yellow stripe below his right shoulder, along with a combat helmet that allowed him to blend into the jungle and beach terrain. He was armed with a standard issue BlasTech Industries A300 blaster rifle and a Neuro-Saav NT-43.3 electroscope, known for its high accuracy and range. Spare ammunition, field rations, and a survival kit were in his utility pocket on his belt. He also carried Merr-Sonn C-35 fragmentation grenades.

Lieutenant Sefla first appeared in the 2016 film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, as well as its adult and junior novelizations, all released on December 16 of 2016, coinciding with the film's release. Before his appearance, the character, played by actor Babou Ceesay in Rogue One, could be briefly seen in the film's second trailer, released on August 11, 2016. Ceesay expressed his excitement on social media upon seeing himself in the trailer, thrilled to be featured in a Star Wars film.

The character, who had only one line in the film, was not referred to by name in the film itself but was credited as "Lieutenant Sefla," with the adult and junior novelizations only using his last name. The first name "Taidu" was first established in the reference book Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide. In the Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Graphic Novel Adaptation, Sefla's sole film line is mistakenly attributed to Îmwe.