Krennic's Bad Batch Cameo: Project Stardust & Death Star Timeline Explained (2024)

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2, episodes 15 & 16

Star Wars: The Bad Batch's season 2 finale featured a surprising cameo by Ben Mendelsohn's Orson Krennic, reporting on the status of Project Stardust. The epic two-part finale of Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2 saw Clone Force 99 attempt to infiltrate a high-ranking Imperial Summit, one at which major figures in the Empire convened to discuss development of their superweapons and top secret projects. The Bad Batch had learned Dr. Hemlock, the scientist running cloning experiments, was in attendance. There were far more dangerous figures in attendance, though.

One of these was Commander Krennic, reporting in on the progress of Project Stardust. Krennic was introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, played by Ben Mendelsohn, and he was the man in charge of the Death Star project shortly before the events of the first Star Wars movie. The surprising cameo tied Star Wars: The Bad Batch's season 2 finale into wider galactic events, a smart narrative choice that served to increase the sense of tension in the tragic two-parter.

Related: Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2 Ending Explained

Project Stardust Was The Power Source For The Death Star's Superweapon

It's difficult to precisely place Star Wars: The Bad Batch in relation to the prequel trilogy, but it's clear no more than a couple of years have passed since Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Given that's the case, some viewers may be surprised to learn the Empire had already completed the framework for the Death Star by this part of the Star Wars timeline. As revealed in James Luceno's novel Catalyst, Palpatine tricked the Republic into beginning construction of the Death Star during the Clone Wars, tricking them into believing the Separatists were building their own battle-station. It's entirely possible he even began work on the second Death Star during the Clone Wars too.

There was just one problem; Republic scientists struggled to find a power source for the Death Star's superlaser. Step forward Orson Krennic, an ambitious bureaucrat who had once befriended a scientist named Galen Erso; Galen was trying to figure out how to deal with energy problems across the galaxy by tapping into the resonant power of crystals, particularly the kyber crystals safeguarded by the Jedi. Krennic brought this to the attention of Palpatine's aide Mas Amedda, and manipulated Galen into joining the Death Star project - lying to him about the true purpose of his research. Buoyed by this success, Krennic was placed in charge of research into creating a power source for the Death Star. It was named "Project Stardust," Galen's nickname for his daughter Jyn.

Galen Erso Left Project Stardust Soon After Star Wars: The Bad Batch Season 2

Orson Krennic used Galen Erso's research to rise through the ranks of the Empire. Roughly two years after the fall of the Republic, though, Erso began to be suspicious. Galen fled with his wife and daughter Jyn, and progress on Project Stardust stalled. Other scientists were unable to replicate his work, with a number of disasters when attempts to use kyber crystals led to spectacular explosions. Krennic's star, which had been shining so brightly in the Empire, lost its luster; it took him four years to track Galen down, and press him back into service for the Empire. It's quite possible The Bad Batch season 2's cameo shows Krennic just before his fall from grace.

Ironically, Galen drew on a contact in the nascent rebellion to help him escape - the same Saw Gerrera who attempted to launch a terrorist attack at the Imperial Summit on Eriadu in Star Wars: The Bad Batch season 2's finale. Saw's bombing was an inconvenience to the Empire, but the assistance he provided to Galen slowed development of the Death Star down by a decade. It was probably the most effective thing he did in his entire campaign against the Empire.