In a nutshell, Operation Cinder is what happened after the cameras stopped rolling at the end of Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. After the fall of both Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) and Darth Vader (physically portrayed by David Prowse and Sebastian Shaw and voiced by James Earl Jones), the Empire doesn't just curl up and waste away immediately. Instead, they launch Operation Cinder: the Emperor's contingency plan, designed to make sure that if he dies unexpectedly, both his enemies and the Empire will perish as well.
The dramatic and devastating military operation takes place mere weeks after the Battle of Endor. With a series of climate-disrupting satellite arrays, the Empire targets a number of planets, most famously Palpatine's own homeworld, Naboo. The satellite attacks cause the planets' climate systems to go haywire and tear through their ecosystems with extreme electric storms and other highly destructive weather events. The operation lasts for at least three months and causes an unknown (but presumably massive) amount of casualties. Fortunately, the New Republic ultimately wins the raging Galactic Civil War and is able to stop the Empire from using the mayhem to retreat to the Unknown Regions to rest and rebuild.
So far, Operation Cinder has only appeared in video games, comics, and assorted tie-in material. With a simple toast on The Mandalorian, this terrible — and, let's face it, movie-worthy — Star Wars event has now officially entered the main franchise. Efficient man, that Mr. Mayfeld.
