The campaigns of Saw Gerrera's Partisans were a series of campaigns led by Saw Gerrera and his Partisans who were loosely affiliated with the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Several of these campaigns also resulted in civilian deaths, with it eventually reaching a point where the Galactic Empire proceeded to make a propaganda poster denouncing the Rebel Alliance as a whole as being a terrorist group in response.
Gerrera's final campaign was his fight for the control of Jedha City on Jedha. Gerrera and most of his Partisans were killed when Jedha City was destroyed in the first test of the Death Star. The campaign was later used by Senator Ransolm Casterfo as an example of the so-called terrorist tactics of the Rebel Alliance.
Gerrera and fellow rebels during the Clone Wars
During the Clone Wars, the Jedi trained various militias in fighting the Separatist Droid Army. One of these militias were the rebels of Onderon led by former Senator Lux Bonteri, Steela Gerrera and her brother Saw. For three years, a civil war was fought on Onderon between the Separatist forces under King Sanjay Rash and the rebels. Together, with the aid from Jedi Commander Ahsoka Tano the rebels were able to force the Droid Army to withdraw from Onderon and Dendup was restored to the throne. Onderon then rejoined the Galactic Republic.
Following the Republic's transformation into the Galactic Empire, Saw reorganized his rebels into the Partisans. His cell was among the first rebel cells formed. When the Empire occupied Onderon, the partisans fought a platoon under ISB Agent Alexsandr Kallus, with a Lasat mercenary killing all but Kallus.
Gerrera and several of his partisans then fought the Empire in the Salient system for several weeks. Only Gerrera was able to make his escape.
By 14 BBY, Gerrera and the Partisans were engaged with Imperial forces on Kashyyyk. Using numerous Republic gunships, Gerrera's forces assaulted an Imperial Refinery from both air and ground. With the help of Padawan Jedi Cal Kestis, the attack was successful and the refinery was captured. However, an Imperial counterattack later overran the Partisans and pushed them off the planet. Though Saw believed Kashyyyk to be a lost cause, some Partisans such as Mari Kosan chose to remain and fight with the Wookiees. Unable to convince them otherwise, Gerrera and the Partisans abandoned them.
In 13 BBY, Gerrera and his partisans took in Jyn Erso when her father was taken and mother was killed. For the next eights years, Erso became one of the best soldiers of the partisans. Together, she undertook missions at Horuz and Inusagi with them. During their mission to Tamsye Prime, Gerrera and his partisans abandoned her for her safety. The Cloud-Riders, who had started their own crusade against the Empire, gave shipment of coaxium to Gerrera and Jyn in the aftermath of the showdown on Savareen.
Gerrera and his Partisans were hired by Arane Oreida to infiltrate the Sakoola blossom festival on Inusagi. The Partisans massacred the festival and the overcome involved the deaths of Maia, Governor Cor Tophervin, the Inusagi chieftess, several Imperials and many Inusagi civilians. Some of Gerrera's members left the Partisans for less extreme rebel groups.
In 3 BBY, the Partisans successfully planted a bomb in the chalet belonging to Imperial Moff Quarsh Panaka on Onoam, one of Naboo's moons. Naboo was the homeworld of Emperor Palpatine and Panaka had great personal loyalty to the Emperor. The bomb exploded and killed Panaka along with his household and came close to killing Queen Dalné of Naboo and Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan who were standing on the steps of the chalet when the bomb went off having just left a meeting with the moff to discuss the working conditions of the miners of Onoam. However, the Partisans successful killing of Panaka also indirectly saved Organa's life as Panaka had just figured out that she was the long lost daughter of Padmé Amidala and was about to inform the Emperor. Leia's adoptive mother Queen Breha Organa said that Leia was the one in the most danger, more than she could have known. Despite this, Panaka's assassination angered the other rebel leaders, including Breha, as Panaka was the highest ranking Imperial that they had hope of someday contacting and maybe even working with and with Panaka dead that option was no longer available to them.
Gerrera during his operation to investigate Geonosis
In 2 BBY, Gerrera and a team of his partisans were sent by Senator Bail Organa and Rebel Command to investigate the disappearance of the Geonosians, who had previously been under Imperial occupation. However, Gerrera's team was wiped out by repaired B1-series battle droids and droidekas. Only Saw was still alive when the Spectres arrived to get him and his information on this. With the Spectres, Gerrera learned that Empire had used poison gas to wipe all but one Geonosian, Klik-Klak out because of something the Empire was building with the Geonosians help.
At Mon Mothma's urging, the Partisans were censured from the growing Rebel Alliance. By 1 BBY, Gerrera and his partisans had indeed broken off with the Alliance and Mothma, starting their own private war against the Empire, killing civilians as well Imperials. Gerrera and Edrio undertook a mission to destroy an Imperial relay station on Jalindi. Gerrera and Edrio were successful in destroying it, the command cruiser Marauder, and rescuing Spectres Sabine Wren, Ezra Bridger, and Chopper.
Gerrera, Edrio, Wren, and Bridger then went to Faos Station to investigate an Imperial shipment. Together, they infiltrated Freighter 2716. Gerrera, Wren, and Bridger found several technicians who were being held captive. Gerrera learned from the technicians that the other cargo came from the Jedha system. He and the spectres learned that main cargo was a kyber crystal. At first, Gerrera wanted to follow the shipment to the Tonnis sector to discover what the Empire was building. However, the crystal was to be taken aboard Captain Slavin's Star Destroyer. Gerrera decided to destroy the crystal and make his escape with Edrio. Only Bridger, Wren, Chopper and the technicians survived the crystal's explosion.
Gerrera and his Partisans later traveled to Jedha, and established their base in the Catacombs of Cadera. There, they attacked several kyber shipments from the mines and Jedha City's Temple of the Kyber. A team of Partisans under Beezer Fortuna then captured a defected Imperial pilot, Bodhi Rook. During this time, one of the Partisans, Tivik, kept in contact with the Rebel Alliance and informed Rebel Alliance Intelligence Service, Captain Cassian Jeron Andor of the pilot's capture and rumors of a Imperial planet killer. However, Andor was forced to eliminate Tivik when stormtroopers found them on the Ring of Kafrene.
Beezer, Edrio, Benthic and the other Partisans brought Rook to before Gerrera. Despite Rook's claiming he was sent by Galen Walton Erso with a message, Gerrera decided to put him with Bor Gullet and torture the truth out of him. The Partisans then attacked a combat assault tank loaded with kyber crystals. After the Guardians of the Whills, Baze Malbus and Chirrut Îmwe, took the last of the escort, the Partisans then took them, Jyn Erso, and Andor back to their base. There, Gerrera showed Jyn the message from her father. At that moment, Governor Wilhuff Tarkin, ordered the Holy City to be destroyed by the Death Star. Many of the partisans, including Gerrera, were killed in the aftershock of the Holy City's destruction.
Following the Battle of Yavin 4, the Partisans under Benthic continued to fight the Empire when they continued to take the kyber crystals from Jedha.