Jun Sato

"You and your crew have proven invaluable to our fleet, Captain Syndulla."

- Commander Jun Sato, to Hera Syndulla

Jun Sato was a human male who commanded the Phoenix rebel cell, a resistance group that operated against the Galactic Empire in the years prior to the Battle of Yavin. He and his cell, which included a group of A-wing starfighters known as Phoenix Squadron, were affiliated with the larger rebel movement operated by Senator Bail Organa. At the recommendation of Senator Organa, Sato welcomed the Lothal rebels into his fleet, and the two cells fought side by side in a number of engagements. Sato lost his command ship, Phoenix Home, after it was destroyed by the Sith Lord Darth Vader, after which Sato transferred his command to the CR90 corvette Liberator.

Siege of Lothal
"I believe it could be worth the risk."

- Commander Jun Sato approves the Lothal rebels' mission to assist Minister Maketh Tua on Lothal

Commander Jun Sato led the Phoenix rebel cell during the Age of the Empire. He and his forces were part of the larger rebel movement that was loosely organized by Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan, Senator Mon Mothma of Chandrilla, and Commander Ahsoka Tano, the latter of whom operated as a rebel informant under the codename "Fulcrum." Several years prior to the Battle of Yavin, Tano led forces from the Phoenix cell to the assistance of the Lothal rebels, who mounted a mission to rescue their captive leader, the Jedi Kanan Jarrus, from Imperial custody over the planet Mustafar. After the rescue, Sato welcomed the Lothal rebels into his fleet, after they were highly recommended by Senator Organa and Commander Tano.

As part of the rebel fleet, the Lothal rebels, aboard their ship the Ghost, carried out a number of attacks against Imperial targets, securing fuel for Phoenix Home and the CR90 corvettes that it led. After one such attack, in which the Lothal rebels led the Phoenix cell's group of A-wing fighters, known as Phoenix Squadron, in an attempt to steal Imperial shield generators, Sato commended the Ghost crew for their work. Captain Hera Syndulla of the Ghost regretted being unable to secure the shield generators for the fleet, but they had secured additional fuel to maintain Phoenix operations. It was then that the crew's astromech droid C1-10P, nicknamed "Chopper," arrived in the Phoenix Home command center carrying a message from Lothal. The transmission was from Maketh Tua, a minister in Lothal's Imperial government, who requested that the rebels help her defect from the Empire in exchange for valuable intelligence; the secrets she was willing to share included the names of rebel sympathizers on Lothal and nearby worlds, as well as the true reason for the Empire's presence on Lothal. Commander Sato believed that the mission was worth the risk and allowed the Ghost crew to return to Lothal to help Minister Tua.

The rebels' return to their former world led to the Siege of Lothal, as Agent Kallus of the Imperial Security Bureau and Darth Vader, a Dark Lord of the Sith, pursued the rebels on the Outer Rim planet. The rebels escaped Lothal aboard a stolen shuttle after the Empire assassinated Tua, implicating the rebels in the crime, and they returned to Phoenix Home. Once there, they realized that the Empire had placed a tracking device on the shuttle. Their warning to Commander Sato came too late, however, as Darth Vader arrived alone in his TIE Advanced x1 starighter. Sato ordered Phoenix Squadron to engage the Dark Lord, but Vader was the superior pilot and destroyed most of the squadron. Vader's attack led to Phoenix Home suffering critical damage and, despite the suggestions of Captain Syndulla&mdash;who, along with her crew had boarded the Ghost to engage Vader&mdash;Sato at first refused to abandon the command ship. Once it was apparent that Phoenix Home was lost, Commander Sato changed his mind and ordered an evacuation. He and his crew escaped as a fleet of Star Destroyers jumped into the area, and the Ghost provided enough of a diversion so the crew could board the rest of the fleet and jump into hyperspace.

Rebel expansions
Though the Phoenix cell suffered a significant defeat at the hands of Darth Vader, Sato and his crew survived, and the fleet rendezvoused at a location they had dubbed as Safe Haven. As a result of the loss of Phoenix Home, Sato transferred his command to the CR90 corvette Liberator, though he felt that it hampered the fleet's ability to fight the Empire. Ezra Bridger then suggested that they find a place to hide. Though Sato agreed with the young Jedi's suggestion, everyone argued that they don't know of a secure location to put up a base of operations. Tano then spoke up, claiming to know a friend who knew the locations of bases in the Outer Rim that would suit their purpose, and sent the Ghost crew to make contact. The crew eventually returned with Tano's friend, clone trooper Rex, who agreed to join the rebels.

Sometime later, Sato lent Phoenix Squadron and the CR90 corvette Transport 1 to a mission that involved delivering supplies to the famished people of the planet Ibaar, which had been decimated by an Imperial blockade. The initial attempt to break the blockade failed, as Transport 1, which was carrying the supplies, was destroyed. In addition, Phoenix Leader of Phoenix Squadron was killed during the combat. The survivors of the mission, including the crew of the Ghost, rendezvoused with the rest of the rebel fleet and met with Sato to discuss their options in regards to Ibaar. Rex suggested that the seek out an engineer named Quarrie, who had an experimental starfighter on hand that could change the course of the growing conflict. However, Quarrie happened to be located on the planet Shantipole. Two Phoenix Squadron pilots voiced their concerns for the plan, as Shantipole was known to be a "one way trip" for unskilled pilots. In response, Ghost crewmember and ex-Jedi Kanan Jarrus volunteered Captain Syndulla to go on the mission, as she was the rebels' best pilot. Sato agreed to the plan, and Syndulla, along with two of her other crew members, departed for Shantipole. However, Jarrus and Bridger stayed behind to use the Ghost for a second run against the blockade, which would would happen if Syndulla was deemed to be taking too long.

After waiting for Syndulla's return, Sato believed that enough time had passed, and loaded the Ghost with Ibaar's supplies. Rebel forces clashed again with the blockade. Despite the rebels' efforts, the Imperial vessels began to pin the rebel ships together. However, Syndulla finally returned behind the controls of Quarrie's experimental fighter and led the rebels to victory. After departing Ibaar, Sato was introduced too Quarrie, who had come along to join the rebels. Sato had been informed by Senator Organa that a friendly manufacturer had agreed to build more of Quarrie's fighters to support the growing rebellion with. Recognizing Synduall's piloting expertise, he promoted her as the next Phoenix Leader.

Escaping the Imperial Interdictor
Following the disappearance of a rebel patrol in the Del Zennis system, Jun Sato and the young Jedi rebel Ezra Bridger traveled on his CR90 corvette to investigate. Commander Sato had taken Bridger aboard for the mission at the recommendation of the former Jedi Ahsoka Tano, a prominent leader of the Rebel network. While traveling through hyperspace, Ezra sensed a disturbance in the Force. Immediately, the corvette was pulled out of hyperspace and cornered by an Imperial Interdictor, a new prototype warship equipped with gravity well projectors. Before the ship's power systems shut down, Sato managed to send a distress transmission that was picked up by the crew of the Ghost.

Sato's corvette was then pulled into the ventral hangar of the Imperial Interdictor and boarded by Imperial forces. Commander Sato and Ezra were then brought before the ship's commanding officer, Admiral Brom Titus. Sato tried to convince Titus that he and his crew were members of the Corporate Alliance. However, this tactic failed since Titus quickly recognized his prisoners as Commander Sato and Ezra Bridger respectively. Knowing that his colleague, the Imperial Security Bureau agent Kallus, was looking for Ezra, he ordered his men to secure the prisoners.

Commander Sato and his crew were confined in a detention cell while Bridger was led by three stormtroopers to a secure cell. However, Ezra managed to escape and link up with a rescue mission sent by Phoenix Leader Hera Syndulla. This rescue mission consisted of the Jedi Kanan Jarrus, the former Clone trooper Rex, and the astromech droid Chopper. While Chopper and Ezra went to sabotage the Imperial Interdictor's gravity well projectors, Kanan and Rex managed to rescue Sato and his crew from their detention cell. Together, they made their way back to Sato's CR90 corvette but were pursued by stormtroopers.

During the fighting, Rex stayed behind to hold off the stormtroopers and was captured. Shortly later, they were rejoined by Ezra and Chopper. Sato and the other rebels then managed to board the CR90 corvette while Kanan went back to rescue Rex. After Kanan and Rex escaped the Imperial Interdictor in an escape pod, Commander Sato prepared to make a jump into hyperspace. However, they were pulled out of hyperspace again by the Imperial Interdictor, which had been joined by two Arquitens-class light cruisers. Fortunately for Sato and the rebels, Chopper had sabotaged the Interdictor's gravity well projectors; causing the light cruisers to collide with the Interdictor. Commander Sato and his ship then managed to escape into hyperspace. Grateful to his rescuers, Sato thanked Kanan, Rex, and Ezra for rescuing him and his crew.

Escape from Garel
Due to an accidental leak by Ezra Bridger on Takobo, the Seventh Sister and the Fifth Brother learned that the Phoenix rebel cell was hiding on Garel. The two Inquisitors informed their Imperial colleagues Agent Kallus and Admiral Kassius Konstantine, who sent an Imperial fleet from Lothal to attack Garel City. During the escape, Jun Sato was with the former Clone Captain Rex when their CR90 corvette was caught in the tractor beam of the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless, Konstantine's ship. However, Phoenix Leader Hera managed to free Sato and Rex by using the Ghost to ram into the Star Destroyer's tractor beam projector. This enabled Commander Sato and the remaining ships to escape into hyperspace.

Personality and traits
"I will not abandon our command ship!"

- Commander Sato, during Darth Vader's attack on the fleet

Jun Sato was a human male with brown-but-greying hair and brown eyes. He was a by-the-books commander, operating his cell using military protocols. He was grateful that the Ghost had become part of his fleet and felt that the rebels had proven invaluable to the rebellion's cause, though he also believed that the Lothal rebels lacked effective discipline. During Darth Vader's assault on the Phoenix fleet, Sato at first refused to allow his crew to abandon Phoenix Home, as he was unwilling to lose his own command ship. Once he realized that the ship was lost, however, he regretfully agreed with Captain Syndulla's advice to order his crew to evacuate the ship.

Behind the scenes
Commander Jun Sato was a character created for the second season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. He made his first appearance in Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal, the television movie that kicked off the show's second season. The character was first revealed in Rebels Recon, a behind the scenes video series hosted on StarWars.com, for the first season finale "Fire Across the Galaxy." The video provided concept art for Commander Sato, as well as for Phoenix Squadron and the entire Phoenix rebel cell.

His name is derived from Japanese film director Jun Fukuda and composer Masaru Sato, who worked together on the Godzilla series, including Dave Filoni's favorite film, "Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla".

Appearances

 * Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal