The Antilles Extraction

"The Antilles Extraction" is the second episode of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels' third season. It first aired on October 8, 2016 on Disney XD.

Official description
With the rebellion in desperate need of pilots, Sabine goes undercover as an Imperial cadet to recruit defectors -- including the confident and gifted Wedge Antilles.

Exposition
A Phoenix rebel transport ship carrying food supplies to starving civilians on Teralov is escorted by six A-wing fighters. The convoy is intercepted by an Imperial light cruiser which deploys several TIE interceptors. A dogfight breaks out and the TIEs wiped out the starfighters. They then proceeded to attack the transport ship despite the pilot contacting the TIEs and offering to surrender. The leading TIE pilot Captain Vult Skerris then fired a blast which hit the transport's cockpit, destroying the ship.

Sabine's call
At Chopper Base, the Lothal rebels entered the command center where Hera Syndulla informed them that they had lost the entire escort of six A-wings and all crew aboard the transport ship. Ezra asks how many pilots they still have and opines that at this rate there will be no one left to fly for the rebellion. Commander Jun Sato then replies that he has been working on a solution with Fulcrum. When Ezra asks whether it is Ahsoka Tano, Hera explains that Fulcrum is a code name the rebellion gives to their informants and that there are other Fulcrum agents.

Via hologram, Fulcrum informs them that there are Imperial cadets at the Skystrike Academy who are planning to defect to the rebellion. He tells the rebels that they require assistance to escape. Sato announces that this is enough information to act on. Hera then assigns Sabine Wren the mission and tells her that she has made arrangements to insert her into a squad of new cadets bound for the Academy. AP-5 will prepare fake credentials.

When Ezra asks why he is not involved with the mission, Sabine replies that she was a real cadet for several years. Here explains that Ezra is too well known to the Galactic Empire while Sabine is the least known among the cell. Kanan Jarrus, Ezra, and Chopper are assigned the mission of dispatching Sabine to the Skystrike Academy while Hera and Zeb will escort the new supply convoy to Teralov.

Undercover at the Skystrike Academy
Sabine travels to the Skystrike Academy in an Imperial landing craft disguised as a TIE pilot cadet. She joins a queu of Imperial cadets who have to slot their ID cards into an Imperial astromech droid. The droid rejects Sabine's card, leading the Imperial officer to hold Sabine aside for questioning. However, Sabine takes off her helmet and tells the officer to give it another try. She blows on the card and then reinserts it into the droid's processor. The officer is satisfied and allows her to proceed.

Meanwhile aboard a rebel CR90 corvette, Ezra, Kanan and Chopper receive word that Sabine "is in." Ezra is unhappy about having to sit and wait but Kanan reassures him that she will be fine. Ezra makes it clear that he doesn't like solo missions. At the Skystrike Academy, the Imperial instructor Goran addresses the cadets and tells them that only the best students will survive the Academy. He informs them of a combat practice simulation at 0600 hours before dismissing them. The cadets take off their helmets and Sabine heads back to her bunk. One cadet is looking forward to the S-40s.

The following morning, Sabine (who has the com designation TIE-SS36) is on a simulated patrol. She is contacted by her wingman TIE-SS25, who tells her she can call him Wedge. Sabine identifies herself as Rhea Thalia. Instructor Goran then reminds the cadets only to use their com numbers. For the exercise, the TIEs have to intercept and destroy four simulated Y-wings. After destroying the Y-wings, Wedge and Sabine are ordered to proceed to new coordinates and destroy a rebel transport. When Sabine protests that Imperial protocol tells them to board a vessel, Goran repeats his orders to destroy the vessel. When Sabine voices her dissent, Wedge covers for her by claiming that the intercom is faulty.

Before they can destroy the rebel transport, the two pilots hesitate and are destroyed by the VCX-100 light freighter called the Ghost. Goran orders the two cadets to edit their pods and to report for a debriefing. Skerries exits the third pod and reveals that the transport was the Ghost. He warns SS-36 and SS-25 that insubordination will get them killed in real combat. Wedge tells Sabine that she is brave in breaking protocol but she replies that she follows her gut instinct and what she thinks is right. Wedge warns her that people at the Academy don't share her viewpoint.

Later, another Imperial landing craft and two TIE escorts arrive at the Skystrike Academy carrying Governor Arihnda Pryce and the Imperial Security Bureau Agent Kallus. They are greeted by Instructor Goran who inquires about their unscheduled visit. Kallus informs the, that the ISB has information that some cadets plan to defect to the rebels. Goran protests that his cadets are thoroughly well-trained and loyal. However, Pryce insists on going ahead with the investigation. Pryde warns him to cooperate before telling Kallus that she wants to teach him something today.

Flying into a trap
While walking down the corridor, Sabine catches three cadets arguing about something risky. The cadets are Wedge and his two friends Hobbie and Rake.

Cast

 * Taylor Gray as Ezra Bridger
 * Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla
 * Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus, Imperial Technician, TIE Cadet #1
 * Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren
 * Steve Blum as Zeb Orrelios, Green Leader
 * David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus
 * Corey Burton as Bridge Officer, Instructor Goran, Rake
 * Keone Young as Commander Sato
 * Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Female Civilian, Governor Pryce, TIE Cadet #2
 * Dave Filoni as Green Five, Imperial Officer
 * Trevor Devall as Hobbie, Rebel Captain, Transport Captain
 * Mario Vernazza as Vult Skerris
 * Nathan Kress as Wedge Antilles