Category: Star Wars

The Ghost crew is tapped for a mission to the apparently abandoned planet Geonosis…to see what happened to the previous Rebel expedition to that planet, led by a freedom fighter named Saw Gerrera. But where their previous visit revealed useful debris scattered around the planet, and no signs of the planet’s natives, this time the debris has been cleared up, and battle droids dating back to the Clone Wars are still active on the surface. Kanan, Ezra and Captain Rex find Saw Gerrera, as well as a surviving Geonosian who panics and remotely activates the battle droids, putting Zeb, Hera and Sabine in danger. Saw is obsessed with discovering what the surviving Geonosians – presumably in hiding – are doing for the Empire, and is willing to kill to get that information.

written by Dave Filoni and Steven Melching
directed by Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa), Matthew Wood (Battle Droid Commander / Klik-Klak), Keone Young (Commander Sato), Dee Bradley Baker (Rex), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera)

Notes: The Ghost crew previously visited Geonosis in the season 2 episode The Honorable Ones. Saw Gerrera first appeared in the fifth season of The Clone Wars (A War On Two Fronts), but had also recently appeared (in, chronologically, the character’s final adventure) in the live-action film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story; he was played by Forest Whitaker in both Rogue One and his appearance in Rebels. Geonosis and its indigenous insectoid people – as well as the first hint of their massive construction project – first appeared in Star Wars Episode II: Attack Of The Clones (2002).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

An Imperial cruiser closes in on Geonosis as the battle droids and destroyer droids activated by the sole surviving Geonosian continue their attack on the surface, an attack brought to a halt by destroying the Geonosian’s remote trigger. Saw Gerrera is eager to interrogate the “bug”, though it seems more scared than aggressive, trying to protect an egg – possibly the last Geonosian other than itself. Hera maneuvers the Ghost down a tight passage from the surface to pick up Kanan and the others, and warns him against Saw’s extremist streak. Saw proves her right by taking the Geonosian hostage and trying to take command of the Ghost from Hera and her crew. With tensions among the Rebels threatening to explode into violence, they may be too preoccupied to notice that an Imperial platoon is approaching…and the stormtroopers won’t care which side of the Rebel ethical divide their targets fall on.

written by Dave Filoni and Matthew Michnovetz
directed by Mel Zwyer
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Imperial Officer), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa), Leslie L. Miller (Captain Brunson), Keone Young (Commander Sato), Matthew Wood (Klik-Klak), Dee Bradley Baker (Rex), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera)

Notes: Hera and Anakin Skywalker share similar views on the subject of sand. Saw Gerrera’s extremist tendencies are also noted by Hera; by the time of the movie Rogue One, Saw and his extremist cell are all but exiled on Jedha with no contact with the Rebellion as a whole. Saw has yet to suffer the injuries in battle that will see the loss of his legs and his dependence upon a portable source of oxygen. By the time of this adventure, it has been several years since Saw helped Galen Erso go into hiding from the Empire, and he has already rescued Erso’s daughter Jyn after the death of her parents (as seen in the “flashback” opening of Rogue One). (Neither of these characters are mentioned or seen in this episode; these notes offer chronological context.)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A pod slams into the desert near Chopper Base, and a droid emerges: not an Imperial probe droid, but something more like a protocol droid. The desert-dwelling spiders find the droid and descend upon it, rendering it harmless. Zeb and Chopper, left behind to mind the base while the rest of the Ghost crew goes on a mission, discover the droid during a perimeter sweep, taking it back to the base and reactivating it. An urgent message from Fulcrum alerts Zeb to the droid’s true origins: disguised as a protocol droid, EXD-9 is in fact a killing machine. A fierce fight ensues, but Zeb and AP-5 manage to shut down the Imperial droid…only to discover a failsafe mechanism that will detonate a proton warhead within the droid’s casing in the event that it is captured. If Zeb, Chopper and AP-5 can survive long enough, they intend to return EXD-9 to the Empire…with interest.

written by Gary Whitta
directed by Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Droid Technician #1), David Oyelowo (Agent Kallus), Stephen Stanton (AP-5 / Droid Technician #2 / Imperial Officer), David Acord (Imperial Infiltrator Droid EXD-9 / Rebel Officer #1 / Rebel Officer #2), Lars Mikkelson (Grand Admiral Thrawn)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Among the items recovered from Maul’s hdeout is the Darksaber, the weapon of the first Mandalorian Jedi that later became a symbol of power that once unified the Mandalorians. Since Sabine found it, it is expected that she will wield it to unite Mandalore once again, but she has not interest in doing so. This means she’s appalled when Kanan and Hera suggest that she take up the role that is expected of her as the finder of the blade. Kanan takes Sabine to begin her training, enlisting Ezra’s help as well, finding it difficult to teach a student with no connection to the Force. Sabine thinks the leading the Mandalorians is a task for which she’ll never be ready; Kanan realizes that forgiving herself for her own past is the task at hand.

written by Dave Filoni
directed by Steward Lee
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios), Kevin McKidd (Fenn Rau)

Notes: The Darksaber was found in the Nightsisters’ temple on Dathomir in Visions And Voices, but made its first appearance in the second season of The Clone Wars (The Mandalore Plot, 2010). It appeared in six further Clone Wars episodes, as well as a short series of Dark Horse comics based on unproduced scripts for a never-made seventh season of The Clone Wars.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Sabine returns to Mandalorian territory to the kind of welcome she expects – the moment she identifies herself, her vehicle is shot down. Her mother gives her a chilly reception, her brother only slightly warmer, and soon it becomes apparent to Sabine that her mother has sold her out to Gar Saxon, the Mandalorian governor loyal to the Empire. The Darksaber, which everyone had hoped would rally Mandalorians behind Sabine, is handed to Saxon; Ezra throws his lightsaber to Sabine to even the odds. Even if she can use all of Kanan’s training to survive the duel with Gar Saxon, can she deal the death blow required of the victor by Mandalorian custom?

written by Christopher Yost
directed by Mel Zwyer
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Kevin McKidd (Fenn Rau), Ray Stevenson (Gar Saxon), Dave Filoni (Mandalorian Warrior), Ritesh Rajan (Tristan Wren), Sharmila Devar (Ursa Wren)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

A stolen shuttle blasting its way out of Lothal is quickly captured by an Imperial Star Destroyer. The pilot is taken into custody by Agent Kallus, who is stunned to see that it’s Ezra Bridger, though he doesn’t reveal this to his superiors. During a closed-door “interrogation”, Ezra reveals that the Rebellion has reason to believe that Kallus’ transmissions as “Fulcrum” have gotten the attention of the Empire, and Kallus’ collusion with the Rebels is on the verge of being discovered. Ezra’s mission: to break Kallus out and get him to safety. Grand Admiral Thrawn arrives to continue his own investigation into the “Fulcrum” problem, raising the stakes considerably for any plan to escape the Empire with Kallus in tow…and worse yet, Kallus thinks he can do more to help the Rebellion from inside the Empire. Whoever “Fulcrum” may be, Thrawn is counting on them to make precisely that decision…

written by Nicole Dubuc & Henry Gilroy
directed by Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Dee Bradley Baker (Admiral Konstantine / Rex), David Oyelowo (Agent Kallus), Stephen Stanton (AP-5 / Pilot / Thrawn Trooper #2), Tom Kane (Colonel Yularen), Stormtrooper #3), Liam O’Brien (Deck Officer / Imperial Tech / Lt. Lyste), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelson (Grand Admiral Thrawn), David Acord (Stormtrooper #1 / Stormtrooper #2), Dave Filoni (Thrawn Trooper #1)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

The Ghost lies in wait, powered down until spotted by an Imperial probe, which they then pursue and destroy just as a small force of Rebel ships arrive. Only now do Hera, Ezra and Zeb learn their orders: to transport Senator Mon Mothma, who now has a target on her back after speaking out in no uncertain terms against the Emperor’s tyranny, to a remote outer rim planet called Dantooine. There, Mon Mothma intends to transmit a message to the other disparate Rebel cells, inviting them to join an alliance of Rebel groups. The Emperor has naturally dispatched Grand Admiral Thrawn to make sure that Mon Mothma never gets there, and Thrawn has brought a new secret weapon with him.

written by Matt Michnovetz
directed by Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Steve Blum (Zeb Orrelios / Alton Kastle / Probe Droid), Dee Bradley Baker (Admiral Konstantine / Gold Four), Josh Brener (Erskin Samaj), Bonnie Wold (Gold Five), Yuri Lowenthal (Gold Leader), Phil LaMarr (Gold Three), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Gold Two / Governor Pryce), Lars Mikkelson (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Matthew Wood (Imperial Officer), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Mario Vernazza (Vult Skerris)

Notes: This episode brings Hera’s Rebel cell into contact with characters from the original trilogy, including Jon “Gold Leader” Vander (Star Wars, Rogue One) and Senator Mon Mothma (Return Of The Jedi, Rogue One). Furthermore, Genevieve O’Reilly, who played Mon Mothma in Rogue One and in scenes cut from Star Wars Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, provides the character’s voice here. The three-winged TIE Defender prototype was first revealed in An Inside Man. This episode ends with the formation of the Rebel fleet proper as seen in later live-action films in the Star Wars saga.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

AP-5 and Chopper (in the guise of an outdated Imperial droid) are assigned to infiltrate an Imperial installation to read the Empire’s data stores; Wedge acts as their chauffeur in a stolen Imperial shuttle (and puts up with their banter). But Grand Admiral Thrawn has studied Hera’s Rebel cell closely and has circulated a warning about Chopper; Imperial data gatherers are not only aware of him, but eagerly await him connecting to the data net so they can hack him and take him over. Despite Chopper’s stubborn resistance, he is reprogrammed remotely to act as a spy for the Empire. Only AP-5 suspects anything is amiss…but no one’s listening to him.

written by Brent Friedman
directed by Steward Lee
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla / Inventory Droid / Imperial Technician 2), Steve Blum (Zeb / Stormtrooper), Stephen Stanton (AP-5 / Imperial Technician 1 / TIE Pilot), Josh Gad (Controller), Nathan Kress (Wedge Antilles)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Ezra awakens to the sound of the holocron recording of the Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and then has a vision of Maul bellowing Kenobi’s name. Ezra tries to convince the others that this must mean Kenobi is alive and in danger, but Hera isn’t convinced, and is more focused on preparing for an attack on Lothal. Ezra takes matters into his own hands, stealing an A-Wing and heading for Tatooine. Almost immediately upon landing, Ezra figures out that it’s a trap, but it’s too late – his fighter is attacked by Tusken Raiders and destroyed. The trap, however, has not been laid for Ezra; he’s merely the bait. Maul plans to use the wayward Jedi apprentice to lure Kenobi out into the open for a final duel. Kenobi does indeed help Ezra, but he has no intention of ending the rivalry with Maul on the disgraced Sith Lord’s terms.

written by Dave Filoni & Henry Gilroy
directed by Dave Filoni
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Steve Blum (Zeb), James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi hologram), Sam Witwer (Maul), Stephen Stanton (Ben Kenobi), Dee Bradley Baker (Rex / Rebel Crewman)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Grand Admiral Thrawn arrives on Lothal with word that various Rebel cells are joining forces to attack and destroy the TIE Defender factory on Lothal. Using a bugged mouse droid, Agent Kallus listens in and tries to warn the Rebel fleet that Thrawn is expecting them…only to discover that Thrawn is expecting him as well. Following the direction of Kallus’ transmission, Thrawn brings a fleet of Imperial Star Destroyers to the Rebels’ meeting place, cutting off their escape. Kanan goes to the desert to demand help from the Bendu, while Ezra and Chopper alone must convince Mon Mothma to commit the rest of the Rebel fleet to reinforcing the forces gathered by Hera, Captain Sato, and General Dodonna. Mon Mothma, however, is unwilling to put all of the Rebellion’s assets on the front line, leaving Ezra to seek help elsewhere.

written by Steven Melching
directed by Justin Ridge
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Steve Blum (Zeb / Commander Woldar / Rebel Officer), Dee Bradley Baker (Admiral Konstantine / Rebel Crewman / Rex), David Oyelowo (Agent Kallus), Tom Baker (Bendu), Keone Young (Commander Sato), Michael Bell (General Dodonna), Mary Elizabeth McGlynn (Governor Pryce / Rebel Pilot #1), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Stephen Stanton (Grand Moff Tarkin / Imperial Officer), Dave Filoni (Green Leader), Genevieve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Clancy Brown (Ryder Azadi / Rebel Pilot #2), Nathan Kress (Wedge Antilles)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Sabine’s family narrowly escapes the fate that befalls many Mandalorian warriors on the field of battle, their deaths caused by a weapon that Sabine designed before leaving Mandalore. The Empire has taken control of the weapon, which renders Mandalorian armor brittle to the point of uselessness, but the leader of House Saxon receives orders from Thrawn to take Sabine alive to further refine her creation. Sabine, however, has no intention of being taken prisoner either dead or alive…but she has to risk it to join a Mandalorian task force on a mission to destroy the weapon before it can be used again.

written by Christopher Yost
directed by Saul Ruiz
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus / Lead Viszla Warrior / TIE Fighter Pilot), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (Alrich Wren), Katee Sackhoff (Bo-Katan Kryze), Andrew Kishino (Captain Hark / Lead Kryze Warrior), Kevin McKidd (Fenn Rau), Lars Mikkelsen (Grand Admiral Thrawn), Dave Fennoy (Kryze Pilot / Lead Eldar Warrior / Stormtrooper), Bonnie Wild (Lead Rook Warrior), Dave Filoni (Lead Wren Warrior), Tobias Menzies (Tiber Saxon), Ritesh Rajan (Tristan Wren), Sharmila Devar (Ursa Wren)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Kanan, Sabine, Ezra and Chopper, fresh from Mandalore, return to the center of Rebel operations on the fourth moon of Yavin…just in time to see Hera, Wedge and other Y-Wing pilots make a barely-survivable emergency landing after a vital mission collapsed due to bad intel. With the Ghost crew reunited, Mon Mothma gives them new orders to modify an Imperial relay station, allowing the Rebellion to listen in. On the eve of the mission, Saw Gerrera transmits a hologram to Mon Mothma, challenging her authority in public: like it or not, war with the Empire is coming…and playing by the rules of engagement will get the Rebellion nowhere. When the relay station mission goes awry, and Saw intervenes, Ezra and Sabine suddenly have a new mission.

written by Gary Whitta
directed by Sergio Paez
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Rebel Officer), Phil LaMarr (Bail Organa / Stormtrooper), Derek Partridge (Commander Brom Titus), David Acord (Edrio Two Tubes), Michael Bell (General Dodonna), Dee Bradley Baker (Imperial Bridge Officer / Rex), David Oyelowo (Kallus), Genevienve O’Reilly (Mon Mothma), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera), Nathan Kress (Wedge Antilles)

Notes: Edrio Two Tubes, introduced in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (taking place several years after this episode), gets his chronological introduction here, as does the U-Wing fighter first seen in that movie.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Obsessed with his suspicion that the Empire is trying to prepare a superweapon capable of wiping out all resistance, Saw Gerrera enlists the help of Ezra, Sabine and Chopper to infiltrate what he believes to be an Imperial freighter, though it looks like a civilian cargo ship. Once inside, the rebels discover a cargo container full of prisoners, all of whom are experts in building reactors, but that’s not the main cargo. An enormous Kyber crystal is being kept barely stable in the cargo hold, guarded by a squadron of Death Troopers. Saw decides this is proof he was right all along, and risks everyone’s lives to deny the Empire its prize.

written by Matt Michnovetz
directed by Bosco Ng
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by David Russell, Sean Kiner, and Dean Kiner
based on original themes and music by John Williams

Cast: Taylor Gray (Ezra Bridger), Vanessa Marshall (Hera Syndulla), Freddie Prinze Jr. (Kanan Jarrus / Death Trooper #2 / Stormtrooper #2), Tiya Sircar (Sabine Wren), Steve Blum (Zeb / Stormtrooper #1 / Stormtrooper #5), Andre Sogliuzzo (Captain Slavin / Stormtrooper #3 / Stormtrooper #6), Jennifer Hale (Commander DT-F16 / Prisoner #2), Stephen Stanton (Death Trooper #1 / Imperial Officer #1 / Stormtrooper #4), David Acord (Edrio Two Tubes), David Shaughnessy (Imperial Captain / Imperial Officer #2 / Mich Matt), Dave Filoni (Prisoner #1), Forest Whitaker (Saw Gerrera)

Notes: More Rogue One elements make their first animated appearances here, including Death Troopers and a mention (but not a sighting) of Director Orson Krennic, the Imperial officer in charge of construction the Death Star, whose superlaser is indeed powered by enormous Kyber crystals in Star Wars lore, and the Kyber crystal is being transported to the Empire from Jedha (a planet which will become the Death Star’s first target in Rogue One). The lateral shock wave of the crystal’s explosin would appear to be a visual reference to a much-derided effect first seen upon the Death Star’s demise in the 1997 “Special Edition” theatrical re-release of Star Wars. Kyber crystals, now frequently mentioned in Star Wars media, originated as a rejected plot element of the first film, only to resurface in the first non-film Star Wars novel, Splinter Of The Mind’s Eye (1978), as the “Kaiburr Crystal”.

LogBook entry by Earl Green