Gathering Forces

"Gathering Forces" is the ninth episode and winter finale of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. It is the ninth episode of the series overall.

The episode was written by Greg Weisman and directed by Steward Lee. "Gathering Forces" was released on WatchDisneyXD.com on November 17, 2014, and premiered on Disney XD on November 24.

Official description
The Inquisitor continues his pursuit of the Ghost crew, while Ezra looks to make a connection with the Force.

Fleeing the Empire
Gathering Forces occurs immediately after the events of Empire Day. After rescuing the Rodian Tseebo, the Spectres flee aboard the Ghost into space and are pursued by multiple TIE fighters and the Grand Inquisitor's TIE Advanced v1 starfighter. During the pursuit, Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren grapple with Tseebo's revelation that he knew the fate of Ezra's parents. When pressed by Ezra to confirm whether his parents were dead, Tseebo pleaded for Ezra to forgive him for not protecting his parents. Angered by Tseebo's role in his parents' disappearance, Ezra refuses to forgive the Rodian.

With Chopper temporarily incapacitated, Hera Syndulla summoned Ezra to repair the Ghost's navigation computer. As Ezra struggled to repair it, Tseebo entered the cockpit and directly signaled the hyperspace coordinates to the ship's computer; causing the Ghost to jump into hyperspace. Unknown to the Lothal rebel band, the Inquisitor had succeeded in implanting an XX-23 S-thread tracker onto the Ghost's attached auxiliary ship, the Phantom. Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless, the Inquisitor informed Admiral Kassius Konstantine about his intention to use the tracker to track down the Ghost.

Hard decisions
While traveling through hyperspace, the Lothal rebel band discuss how to handle Tseebo. Due to his bitterness towards Tseebo for his role in his parents' disappearance, Ezra was unwilling to help Tseebo; instead commenting that he didn't know what to do nor did he care. Ezra's remarks prompted his master Kanan Jarrus to warn Ezra that he would never advance as a Jedi if he could not be honest with himself. Tseebo then abruptly interrupted the meeting to announce that the Imperials were tracking the Ghost. Tseebo used his cybernetic implants to give a holographic projection of the XX-23 S thread tracker's schematics.

Under Hera's orders, Chopper scanned the Ghost and detected the tracker's on the hull of the Phantom. When Hera suggested dumping the Phantom in hyperspace, Kanan responded that he and his apprentice Ezra could use the Phantom as a decoy to keep the Imperials from their true target: Tseebo. While Kanan and Ezra kept the Inquisitor busy, the other Ghost crew and Tseebo would rendezvous with the mysterious rebel agent known as Fulcrum, who would then arrange for Tseebo's welfare.

Ezra's trials
Ezra reluctantly acquiesced to Kanan's plan but was uncomfortable with Kanan's choice of destination: the asteroid base PM-1203, which was home to a species of aggressive nocturnal predators known as fyrnocks. Kanan wanted his apprentice to use his Force powers to bond with the fyrnocks. After detaching from the Ghost in a dangerous move, the Phantom managed to land at PM-1203. After much difficulty, Ezra succeeded in bonding with fyrnocks after confronting his worst fear: the truth of knowing what had happened to his parents. Ezra also made peace with his fear by forgiving Tseebo, which reverberated through the Force and was felt by the Rodian, who also apologized for betraying Ezra's parents. Having made peace with his fear and resentment, Ezra was able to bond with the fyrnocks.

Shortly later, the Inquisitor landed with a contingent of stormtroopers and proceeded to march into the base; having sensed Ezra and Kanan's presence through the Force. The Inquisitor and the stormtroopers were immediately set upon by the fyrnocks, who quickly overpowered the stormtroopers. However, the Inquisitor used the Force to hurl away those fyrnocks that tried to attack him. Kanan and Ezra engaged the Inquisitor in a lightsaber duel but were unable to match the lightsaber skills and Force powers of the Inquisitor. In an attempt to defend his master, Ezra tapped into the Dark Side and used it to summon the mother fyrnock to attack the Inquisitor. Ezra's actions enabled him and Kanan to escape the Imperials but in the process weakening Ezra, who slipped into unconsciousness.

Making peace with the past
Meanwhile in deep space, the Ghost had arrived at their pre-arranged rendezvous point with Fulcrum: an Alderaanian blockade runner. Prior to boarding the blockade runner, Tseebo acknowledged that he had failed Ezra's parents and told her that he had volunteered for a cybernetic implant in order to make up for the wrong he had done. He also confided in Hera that he knew the fate of Ezra's parents. Following the events on the asteroid, Kanan explained to Ezra that he had to be careful not to let his emotions lead him to the Dark Side. Back on the Ghost, Ezra received a holodisk from Sabine containing a holographic picture of him and his parents as a belated birthday present.