It was never a secret that Andor season 2 episode 12 would lead directly into 2016 movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, the prequel that revealed how the Rebellion stole crucial Death Star plans from the Empire.

As there won’t be an Andor season 3, it marks the end of a monumental game of join the dots, in which showrunner Tony Gilroy has shown us the origins of the Rebel Alliance. From this series finale, the story will accelerate into the Rebels’ first victory over the Empire, the destruction of the Death Star, and the arrival of a kid from Tatooine who goes by the name of Skywalker.

In other words, Andor season 2 episode 12 really is making history – here’s how it kickstarts Rogue One and the epic stories that follow.

Spoilers ahead! Proceed with caution if you’re yet to watch Andor season 2 episode 12.

Rebel Alliance command

There’s some familiar Rogue One faces sitting on top table at the Rebel Alliance base on Yavin IV. And it’s not just Mon Mothma (Genevieve O’Reilly), who’s been a regular presence in the Andor season 2 story, and fellow senator (and Princess Leia’s dad) Bail Organa (Benjamin Bratt, stepping in for Jimmy Smits in the Andor season 2 cast).

There are also returns for General Davits G (Sex Education’s Alistair Petrie), and senators Tynnra Pamlo (another Sex Education star, Sharon Duncan-Brewster) and Nower Jebel (Jonathan Aris, from Sherlock and Red Eye). Admiral Raddus (a member of the same Mon Calamari species as Admiral Ackbar in Return of the Jedi) is also back in action. (Coincidentally, a spaceship bearing his name appears in The Last Jedi.)

There are also namechecks for a couple of other Rebel generals: Antoc Merrick, the X-Wing pilot played by Law & Order UK’s Ben Daniels in Rogue One, and Jan Dodonna, a character from original Star Wars movie A New Hope. Apparently they’ll be back on Yavin “tomorrow night”.

With the exception of Mothma all of the Rebel high command are sceptical about the intelligence Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) brings from Kleya Marki (Elizabeth Dulau) and the late Luthen Rael (Stellan Skarsgård) – though that’s hardly surprising, seeing as we already know they’ll soon be vetoing Cassian’s mission to recover Death Star plans in Rogue One.

Galen and Jyn Erso

The intelligence Rebel Mole Lonni Jung (Robert Emms) steals from the Imperial Security Bureau mentions Galen Erso on several occasions. A former friend of Director Orson Krennic (Ben Mendelsohn), Erso is now working (reluctantly) as the head scientist for the Death Star project. He’s based at an Imperial research facility on the planet Eadu, also referenced in the episode.

Soon after the conclusion of Andor season 2 episode 12, Rebel forces will bust Galen’s daughter, Jyn (Felicity Jones), out of an Imperial labour camp. While they remain sceptical of reports about the Empire’s superweapon, they believe she’s the best way to get to Galen – not to mention extremist Rebel Saw Gerrera, who adopted Jyn after Galen was abducted by the Empire.

The Death Star’s Project Stardust codename is a reference to the nickname Galen gave to his daughter. He also reveals that he built a weakness into the Death Star – a flaw with an exhaust port that may, perhaps, one day be exploited by a certain young Skywalker in an X-wing.

Saw Gerrera

Having learned about the Empire’s aggressive pursuit of kyber crystals (a crucial component of the Death Star’s superlasers), Rebel bad boy Saw Gerrera has relocated to Jedha. This moon is a holy site for the Jedi, a key source of kyber crystals (also found in lightsabers), and a key location in Rogue One. The moon is also mentioned in Lonni Jung’s data grab.

While Saw refuses to admit to Mon Mothma and Bail Organa that he’s on Jedha – “It’s the Empire that’s after you, Saw, not us,” chides Mothma – he’s most definitely orchestrating insurgent action against the Empire. The Empire have subsequently parked a Star Destroyer over Jedha City – a development that makes General Draven believe Cassian’s report might actually be accurate. And then there’s small matter of an Imperial defector who’s found his way to Saw’s door…

Tivik

The Rebel base receives numerous messages – at one point, three in 10 hours – from a man named Tivik on Kafrene. He insists that he’ll only speak to Cassian.

Cassian meets this Tivik (played by Daniel Mays) early on in Rogue One. A Rebel Alliance plant among Saw’s Partisans, Tivik tells Cassian that runaway Imperial pilot Bodhi Rook (Riz Ahmed) is describing the Empire’s new weapon as a “planet killer”. Tivik also mentions Galen Erso, adding veracity to Jung’s intel.

Tivik is clearly freaked out by the revelation – so much so that Cassian executes him to protect the Rebellion.

Cassian Andor

Andor creator/showrunner Tony Gilroy always said that Andor season 2 episode 12 would lead directly into Rogue One and he’s kept his word. The finale ends with Cassian (dressed as he is in Rogue One) and droid sidekick K-2SO (Alan Tudyk) departing for the aforementioned Ring of Kafrene in a U-wing.

The Rebel survivors

We know that Cassian, K-2SO, Ruescott Melshi (Duncan Pow) and the rest of the eponymous Rogue One crew will die in their mission to recover the Death Star plans from the Imperial facility on Scarif. But there are some other Rebels who live to fight another day.

The fates of Wilmon Paak (Muhannad Bhaier) and Vel Sartha (Ten Pound Poms’ Faye Marsay) remain unknown – though there’s every chance they’ll have a role to play at the battles of Hoth or Endor – but there is a neat coda for Bix Caleen (Adria Arjona).

It turns out that there was more to her decision to leave Cassian than giving him a chance to save the galaxy – she’s now gone back to Mina-Rau (the farming world from the first three episodes of the season) and had a baby. What a shame Cassian never got to meet them…

The Empire

With Dedra Meero (Denise Gough) in prison and Major Partagaz (Dalgliesh’s Anton Lesser) dead, none of the key Imperials have a “happy” ending in Andor season 2 episode 12. Even Orson Krennic, who appears to be at the peak of his ruthless powers, will soon have an ego-bruising encounter with Darth Vader. After that, he’ll be deemed surplus to Imperial requirements and left to die on Scarif.

Rogue One and every episode of Andor are now available to stream on Disney+. If you’re yet to watch the show, here are 7 reasons to tune in, even if you don’t like Star Wars.