In the Name of the Rebellion

"In the Name of the Rebellion" is a two part episode that served as the third and fourth episodes of the fourth season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. The episode premiered on Disney XD on October 23, 2017. It is also the sixty-second and sixty-third episodes of the series overall.

Official description
Saw Gerrera returns, determined to uncover an Imperial secret -- no matter the cost.

Welcome to Yavin 4
The Gauntlet drops out of hyperspace, flying toward the planet Yavin and its fourth moon. Onboard, Sabine Wren notes that they are almost there. Ezra Bridger wonders what the rebels at Yavin 4 will be like, and Kanan Jarrus responds that they are a lot more equipped than Phoenix Squadron was. He states that Hera Syndulla told him that all of the surviving members of the squadron are part of this unit now. Chopper beeps irately, and Kanan sternly tells the astromech droid that per Hera's orders, he is getting an oil bath when they arrive, whether he likes it or not.

Landing at the Great Temple, they are greeted by fellow Spectres member Garazeb Orrelios, who welcomes them to the moon. Sabine jokingly asks Zeb if he's gotten weaker while she was away, and he starts to show the new arrivals around. Kanan asks where Hera is, and Zeb explains that she's on a supply mission. Ezra marvels at all the different kinds of ships, and Zeb tells him there are rebel cells here from all over the galaxy, before pessimistically noting that it still isn't enough to defeat the Galactic Empire. In response, Ezra says that if they can help Ryder Azadi and Lothal, that's good enough for him. An alarm sounds as they run into Rex, who greets them. Ezra asks him when Hera's supposed to get back, and Rex, noticing something in the sky, points and tells Ezra that she's arriving now, coming in hot with what's left of her squadron.

Hera's squadron, composed of BTL-A4 Y-wing assault starfighter/bombers, hurtles toward the base as Rex and various ground personnel converge on the area. She reports that she's coming in for an emergency landing, and orders Wedge Antilles to dump fuel from his starfighter. All of the Y-wings are trailing smoke, and the others dump their fuel as well. Hera extends her landing gear. As the landing area is cleared, Hera's fighter makes a hard landing, stopping short of where the other Spectres are waiting. A trooper opens up the hatch of the Y-wing to help Hera out. As she sets foot on the ground, Chopper rolls up and beeps. Hera, not initially noticing him, responds that her astromech didn't make it. When she registers Chopper's presence, she hugs him and tells him she could have used him on that run. Wedge and two other pilots approach, asking if Hera is all right. Hera tells Wedge that what happened wasn't any of their fault, reassuring the pilots that if it wasn't for their skills, things would have been worse. She tells the pilots to go clean themselves up.

Kanan, approaching, remarks that he's seen worse landings. Hera is happy to see the other Spectres, and is surprised that Sabine came back to the Rebellion instead of staying with her family on Mandalore. Sabine responds that her family here needs her more. The Spectres are happily reuniting when they are interrupted by Alexsandr Kallus, who states that he finds the reunion "nice", but notes that it is now time to get back to work, as Mon Mothma requests their presence.

Briefing
In the main briefing room, Mothma congratulates Hera on her heroic actions in saving her squadron. Hera responds that all she wants to know is what went wrong, and Mothma replies that Bail Organa, attending the meeting by hologram, might have the answer. Organa displays a hologram of an Imperial base, explaining that it is the Empire's new relay station on Jalindi. General Jan Dodonna says that he hates to admit it, but Saw Gerrera's intel was right after all. Rex wonders how Saw's ragtag group has better intel than the Alliance, and Kallus angrily responds that it's because Gerrera has absolutely no qualms about how he gets it. Ezra notes that Saw has gotten results, and Mothma sternly replies that the Alliance does not mistreat their prisoners. In response, Ezra wonders how the Rebels are supposed to do missions with the relay station operational. Kallus has an idea, and suggests tapping into the station's transmissions to eavesdrop on them, so the Rebels can reroute their operations to avoid Imperial fleets. Mothma likes the plan, and Hera states that her crew is up to the task. When Dodonna asks whether her ship can go undetected by the Empire, Hera responds that they don't call it the Ghost for nothing. Mothma assigns the Spectres the mission.

As the briefing breaks up, Ezra is left asking when they're going to help Lothal, as his people were promised support. Hera tells him that now is not the time, and Mothma takes Ezra aside to talk to him. She explains that she understands how he feels, as her homeworld of Chandrila is also suffering under the rule of the Empire. Mothma states, however, that there are thousands of planets suffering under the Empire's rule, and that the Alliance has to see the bigger picture. She also reminds Ezra that Thrawn's recent attack was proof that the rebels are not yet ready to wage open warfare against the Empire. Ezra reluctantly accepts her point.

Opposing viewpoints
After dark, Ezra finds Kanan meditating outside of the temple. As he walks outside, a white-and-green astromech droid follows him briefly. Kanan asks Ezra what's wrong, and Ezra explains that he thought coming to the Rebellion's main base would mean they could help his planet even faster, but now it seems farther away than ever. In response, Kanan tells Ezra to sit down and find his centre. After a short time, Ezra tells Kanan that although he knows that Saw is extreme, from what happened on Geonosis, it seems to him that Saw is the only rebel leader who doesn't care about all of the politics. Kanan reminds Ezra that what is really important is how they choose to fight, not just what they choose to fight for.

Just then, the white-and-green astromech projects a giant image of Saw, who addresses the members of the Rebel Alliance. He states that the rebels are now aware of the threat the Jalindi relay poses, and paints the leaders of the Alliance as cowards who won't do what it takes to win. A technician asks Mothma, approaching, if he should shut down the transmission, but she tells him not to as she wants to speak with Saw. When he sees her, Saw tells Mothma that her Rebellion doesn't have the will to win against the Empire. Mothma states that she will not be lectured on military strategy by a criminal, which Saw laughs off as he points out that the Empire sees them both as criminals. In response, Mothma retorts that the Partisans target civilians, kill surrendering enemies and break every rule of engagement, pointing out that doing so makes them sink to the Empire's level. Saw calls out Mothma's burst of passion, stating that this is the leader the Rebellion needs and wondering where this was earlier. He tells her that when the Rebellion is destroyed, and the Empire's reign across the galaxy is unopposed, she can at least be content knowing that she played by the rules. Mothma orders the technician to shut the transmission off, and orders the audience back to their duties. As everyone else walks away, Ezra is left standing by himself, pensive.

Jalindi
Onboard the Ghost as it travels through hyperspace, Hera and Kanan outline the plan: the ship will pass high over the relay as Ezra, Sabine and Chopper drop onto the dish, not using their rockets until the last minute in order to avoid detection. After they've installed a spike to tap into the dish's transmissions, the Ghost will come in low to pick them up. When she asks for questions, Ezra notes that this operation won't really hurt the Empire. Sabine points out to Ezra that that was a comment, not a question, but agrees that he has a point. Hera responds that if they destroy the relay, the Empire will just build another. Ezra protests the mission again, and she sharply rebukes him, pointing out that their orders are not up for debate. Hera, sitting in the cockpit by herself, is approached by Kanan, who asks her what's on her mind. She admits that she agrees with Ezra, as after what happened to her squadron, all she wants right now is to hurt the Empire the same way they keep hurting the Rebels. Kanan responds that that's Gerrera talking, not her, and that he's confident she will do the right thing. Hera says that she's not sure what the right thing is anymore. The Ghost drops out of hyperspace above Jalindi, and Kanan reminds Hera to scramble the ship's signature so the Imperials won't detect it.

In the cargo hold, Ezra responds to Chopper's beeping by telling him that although he doesn't need a jetpack, he likes wearing one. Sabine reminds Ezra that he can't activate his rocket too early, or they'll be detected by the station. When Ezra asks about activating his rocket too late, Sabine quips that she enjoys abstract art, but has no desire to be it, before jumping out. Ezra flips down the visor of his helmet and leaps out as well, with the grumbling Chopper following a moment later. The trio freefall towards the relay, with Sabine counting down the metres as they go. Zeb is worried about them, and Kanan reminds him that they need to go in fast so they're not detected. Ezra, Sabine and Chopper activate their jets after passing the five-hundred-metre mark, but they are still falling very fast, and Ezra worries that they are going to crash. Sabine and Ezra land near the edge of the dish, and continue sliding down towards the centre. Inside the relay station, the officer monitoring communications notices a brief disruption in the signal, due to the impact of the rebels landing on the dish. Told to grab onto something, Ezra snags one of the smaller antennae, and catches Sabine as she slides past. The two are then forced to quickly dodge Chopper as he tumbles past, before the astromech droid face-plants into the main antenna and topples backwards onto the deck, causing another disruption in the signal. Ezra and Sabine run over to check on him, and after being righted Chopper begins to complain, which prompts Sabine to state that he's fine.

As the trio are about to get to work on the dish, Zeb tells Kanan and Hera that an Imperial light cruiser has arrived. Ezra, Sabine and Chopper are quickly forced to rush to the other side of the antenna to hide from the cruiser's line of sight, and Ezra reports that he doesn't think the cruiser saw them. Sabine opens a panel, and she and Chopper get to work. She tells the droid to tap into the secondary comm relay, and the two install the spike. They are promptly regaled with a transmission from the commander of the cruiser, the Marauder, asking for docking clearance. Sabine realizes that they've accidentally tapped into the main comm channel, and orders Chopper to put the ship through to the station so the Imperials don't realize something is wrong. Ezra has a different idea, and asks Chopper to put him through. Affecting an accent, Ezra claims to be the commander of the station, and tells the Marauder that they weren't expected for another rotation, and that since their early arrival is causing them problems, if they couldn't come back tomorrow. The Marauder captain demands to know who he is speaking to, and Ezra claims that he is "Commander Brom Titus". In response, the officer incredulously demands to know if this is some kind of joke, as he is Brom Titus. Ezra quips that this is typical of their luck, just as the dish begins to tilt. As Ezra yells for Chopper to fix it, he and Sabine slide into view of the Marauder bridge, where Titus wonders what he's looking at. Handed a pair of electrobinoculars, Titus is incensed to see Ezra waving at him, recognizing the boy from their previous encounters, and demands someone get him the station's commander.

Complications
Sabine contacts Hera for a pickup, explaining that they've been seen. She tosses Ezra some detonators, so that the rebels can salvage something from this mission. Stormtroopers emerge onto the dish, and Ezra and Sabine fight them. Ezra tells Sabine to plant the detonators while he fights the troopers. As Sabine is forced to go prone on the deck while dodging blaster bolts, Ezra orders Chopper to realign the dish, and the troopers are thrown off balance, sliding backwards. Onboard the Marauder, Titus is informed of a small ship approaching, and orders the ship's weapons be prepared and their new fighters launched. As the Ghost approaches, Zeb is alarmed to report two TIE Defenders being launched from the cruiser, forcing Hera to break off her approach. She orders Zeb into the turret. On the dish, Ezra orders Chopper to tilt it again, and Ezra and Sabine slide towards the edge, followed by the stormtroopers. Sabine catches a handhold on the strut supporting one of the small secondary dishes, and catches Ezra before he slides off the edge, as the stormtroopers hurtle past.

Meanwhile, the Ghost flies through the red rock pillars, pursued by the Defenders. Zeb helpfully points out that they are not normal TIEs, but "the nasty ones". Hera tells him to concentrate his fire, as their shields won't last forever, and Zeb retorts that she should tell them that. In response, Hera points out that she is still the better pilot. Kanan asks her if she wants to test that, and when Hera asks him what he's thinking, he tells her to fly into the fog. Zeb asks how Hera is supposed to see down there, and Kanan responds that she doesn't, because he will. Hera says that she must really trust Kanan to go through with this, and he responds that he knows she does. The Ghost dives into the fog, and Kanan begins to give Hera directions through the pillars. One of the Defenders soon crashes, unable to navigate.

On the Marauder, an officer reports that another ship has arrived, and is moving into attack position. The ship, a U-wing, fires upon the cruiser, taking down its deflector shields. Titus retorts that they still have weapons, and orders the cruiser brought around to deal with the new attacker. Sabine wonders who that is, and Ezra responds that although he doesn't know, they're his new favourite. The ship pulls up as Ezra and Sabine run towards it, and a door opens to reveal Saw Gerrera, to Ezra and Sabine's surprise. He gives them a heads up, and begins pushing bundles of proton bombs out the door onto the dish, warning that he's set the bombs on a short fuse. Ezra and Sabine shrug, and accept Saw's offer of a lift, Ezra contacting Chopper to tell him to come along. The trio board Saw's U-wing, which flies away. The stormtroopers on the dish see the explosives, and one orders the others to run for it. Titus, on his cruiser, orders his crew to pursue the fleeing rebel transport, but it is too late as the bombs go off, destroying the Jalindi relay. The Marauder is caught in the shockwave and blows up as well, killing Titus.

The Ghost, returning after having dealt with the second Defender, witnesses the explosion. Hera is shocked, wondering if Ezra and Sabine were responsible, and contacts them. She's relieved when Ezra reports that they're safe, but her relief is dampened when Saw tells her they're on his ship. As the Ghost and the U-wing flee Jalindi, Hera tells Saw she's coming alongside to pick up her people. Just then, a Star Destroyer drops out of hyperspace and launches TIE fighters, prompting Saw to respond that there's no time, so they'll have to leave. He asks Ezra and Sabine if they're coming along, and Ezra points out they don't really have another option right now. Saw suggests to Edrio that Ezra and Sabine might like "fighting with a real army for a change." After Saw's U-wing jumps to hyperspace, Kanan asks Hera if she's worried about where Ezra, Sabine and Chopper are going. She responds that she's not worried about where they're going, but who they're going with, before the Ghost jumps into hyperspace.

Saw's mission
In hyperspace, Saw tells Ezra and Sabine that they should thank him. He asks them if they would rather run Mon Mothma's errands, or do something that would actually make a difference. Ezra and Sabine are interested, and Sabine compares it to what they did on Mandalore recently. Saw explains that's why he needs their help. The two are surprised, and Saw explains that ever since their trip to Geonosis, he's been investigating why the Empire wiped out the population of an entire planet, and what they are hiding. He brings up a hologram of Faos Station, and explains that he has intel that the Empire is secretly moving cargo through the station. Ezra and Sabine agree to help with the mission. Chopper thinks this is a bad idea, but Ezra tells him he's outvoted.

Upon arriving, Sabine is skeptical that there's anything odd going on at the station, as there's no sign of the Empire at all. Saw points out that the Empire is hiding things in plain sight. Noticing that there are a lot of droids, Sabine tells Chopper he's due for a paintjob. Saw tells Edrio to bring the U-wing in for landing.

As Saw, Ezra and Sabine disembark, Chopper is reluctant, disliking his new black-and-yellow disguise paintjob. Sabine comments that she thinks she likes it better than his usual orange. Arriving at a cargo bay, Saw points out Freighter 2716, and tells them they'll get onboard by hiding in a cargo container, a strategy Ezra and Sabine are familiar with. The disguised Chopper tows the crate onboard. Once safely inside one of the freighter's cargo holds, the three climb out of the container. Saw contacts Edrio and tells him his tracker has been activated, and to wait for transmitted coordinates for a pickup. The freighter jumps into hyperspace, and Edrio follows shortly after in the U-wing.

Secret cargo
Checking out the contents of the cargo hold, Saw finds a datapad stating that the crates present are full of shipbuilding materials, which he notes are used to build the Imperial Navy. He sees this as proof that the Empire is building something. Sabine points out that the materials could have come from Corellia or any other planet with shipyards, and Saw retorts that they still have more holds to check. Ezra asks the others if they can hear "singing", and Sabine tells him they don't hear anything. Exiting the hold, they narrowly avoid a couple of stormtroopers, and Sabine remarks that Saw could be on to something after all.

Saw orders Chopper to hack into the ship's manifest, and the droid discovers that there is an Imperial shuttle in hold 12, which prompts Ezra to remark that this further confirms the freighter is not a civilian ship. Chopper also finds that the ship's destination is the remote, empty Tonnis sector, which Saw suspects would be the perfect place to hide something. Ezra points out it could just be the location of a rendezvous. Chopper reveals that hold 17 is a restricted area, and Saw announces that they will go there. Arriving at the door, Ezra warns Saw not to start a commotion to try and get in, as it will draw unwanted attention. When Saw asks if he has a plan, Ezra responds that he has a droid. Inside, the stormtroopers on guard hear banging at the door, and open it to find Chopper in the hall. They order him to leave, and Chopper shocks the lead trooper. The troopers charge into the hall to deal with the droid, where they are ambushed by Saw, Sabine and Ezra. The three rebels drag the unconscious troopers back into the cargo bay, and Saw speculates that the cargo container prominently placed in the bay has what he's looking for. Opening it, Sabine instead finds a group of prisoners. Ezra suggests that the prisoners must be what the Empire was guarding, but Saw points out that the Empire has prisoners everywhere. One of the prisoners, Mich Matt, states that he heard some of the stormtroopers talking about the Jedha system, and suspects that whatever cargo they're searching for probably came from there. Matt explains that he used to be a technician for Coruscant's central power generator, and that the Empire tried to hire him away from his job. When he turned down the offer, as he didn't want to leave his family, the Empire took him anyway. He explains that all of the prisoners are power and reactor technicians.

Ezra states that they have to get the prisoners to safety, but before anything can be done, Chopper alerts them to another patrol of stormtroopers, and Ezra gets all of the prisoners to retreat back into the container as the rebels hide. One of them, a Theelin man, is seen by the troopers as he gets inside the crate, and the troopers open the door and drag him out. They demand to know who let the prisoners out and where the other guards are, but are swiftly ambushed by the rebels, who stun them and add their bodies to those of the troopers already inside the crate. Ezra reiterates that they have to get the civilians out of the line of fire, and Saw suggests that they get the prisoners to safety via the shuttle in hold 12, but Sabine points out it will be guarded. She suggests using the escape pods, and that the rebels sabotage the ship's hyperdrive to make the ship drop out of hyperspace so they can fly away. Ezra, Sabine and Saw leave to do this, while Chopper takes the prisoners to the escape pods. The two groups sneak through the ship, dodging stormtroopers. As the prisoners get inside two escape pods, the Ithorian tells Chopper that he's a very good droid.

As Sabine and Saw sneak past a door, Ezra hears the singing again, coming from behind it, and the three decide to investigate. Sabine opens the door to be confronted by a death trooper, which Saw quickly shoots. She throws some smoke bombs, and the rebels charge in. As the rebels begin picking off the death troopers in the fog, one of Saw's blaster shots strikes the bay's mysterious cargo, prompting the troopers' commander, DT-F16, to order her subordinates to retreat. She is the only one who manages to escape, as the rebels take down the others. Ezra is concerned about the remaining death trooper, but Saw tells him not to worry about them, as he suspects he's found the cargo he was looking for. The carbonite freezing the cargo evaporates, and the contents shock the rebels: a giant kyber crystal. Ezra notes that this is what he heard singing, like the crystal in his lightsaber did when he found it. Sabine warns them to put their blasters away, as its large size will make it unstable.

DT-F16 informs the ship's captain, Wells, that rebels under the command of Saw Gerrera have taken possession of the crystal, and to alert Director Krennic. She orders the captain to send her all onboard security personnel and purge all of the escape pods. Chopper notices that the pods are being jettisoned, and orders the prisoners out of their pods. They are confused, as Chopper orders them back to the cargo hold where they were being held. Matt quips that he doesn't think this is a very good rescue, and Chopper rolls into his leg. Saw insists that they have to let the freighter reach its destination, so they can find out what the Empire was planning to do with the crystal. He suspects that, given the technicians taken prisoner, the Empire is attempting to weaponize kyber crystals. Ezra and Sabine argue that the prisoners' wellbeing is more important, and Ezra asks Saw to guard the crystal while he and Sabine deal with the hyperdrive. Arriving at the engine room, Ezra and Sabine swiftly deal with the guards. As Sabine prepares to drop the ship out of hyperspace, Saw appears and stuns her and Ezra, declaring that nothing will stop him from finding out what his enemies' plans are.

Rendezvous
Commander DT-F16 and her stormtrooper reinforcements enter the cargo bay where the crystal was being kept to find it missing. She contacts the captain, who begins to say something, and the commander cuts him off, stating that she knows that if the crystal is lost it's both of their heads for it. She is informed that the ship has lost contact with the engine room, and starts to make her way there. In the engine room, Sabine and Ezra wake up, finding themselves handcuffed. Sabine tells Ezra that this is what his "friend" did, and Ezra asks Saw why he did this, and why he's brought the kyber crystal into the engine room. Saw explains that he's convinced that the Empire is building a superweapon, and that they have to find out what it is. Realizing that the ship is about to drop out of hyperspace, Saw tells Ezra and Sabine to look on the screen, but it shows only empty space and a single Star Destroyer.

Saw states that he is willing to go to the lengths he does to ensure he is always the victor, and explains that he lost everything, including his planet. He ignites Ezra's lightsaber and stabs it into the hyperdrive, before shooting at the other section of the drive, causing the crystal to begin to absorb energy. Onboard the Star Destroyer, Captain Slavin is informed that there are rebels trapped aboard the freighter, and he orders a boarding party sent to secure it. Saw's U-wing, piloted by Edrio, arrives, prompting Slavin to open fire, but he orders his gunners to stop when the transport nears the cargo ship, as it is too dangerous to fire at it with the crystal aboard. In the engine room, Ezra and Sabine manage to persuade Saw to release them, but turn down his offer of a ride. DT-F16 and several stormtroopers arrive, but two of the troopers are electrocuted by the energy discharges from the crystal, prompting the commander to retreat and order the ship abandoned. Saw bids them farewell, hoping that they will meet again, before heading for his ride. Ezra asks Sabine if she can stop Saw's bomb from going off, and she responds in the negative, stating that the crystal will just absorb energy until it discharges, which will be soon.

Saw and Edrio flee on the U-wing, and a bridge officer reports to Slavin that scans show that the kyber crystal was not on board the rebel ship. Slavin orders the freighter secured. As Ezra and Sabine flee down the corridors, Ezra orders Chopper to contact Hera and get the prisoners to the shuttle, regardless of the guards. In hold 12, Chopper and the prisoners approach the Lambda-class shuttle, and Matt claims to the guards that Chopper was ordered to evacuate them. One of the stormtroopers states that the shuttle is reserved for the commander, and Chopper swiftly takes both troopers out. The prisoners board the shuttle. At this point, DT-F16 and her remaining troopers arrive, and attempt to take back the shuttle. Fortunately, Sabine and Ezra are right behind them, and they quickly take out the commander and her soldiers, escaping on the shuttle with the prisoners.

Ezra tells Sabine that he's picking up a massive energy reading from the freighter. Sabine realizes that it's too late to escape into hyperspace, and decides to put the Star Destroyer between their shuttle and the kyber crystal. As the shuttle flies past the bridge, Slavin recognizes it as the commander's shuttle and wonders where she's going. He is then informed that the Star Destroyer is detecting something going critical on board the freighter, and all Slavin can say is "Oh no." The crystal explodes, destroying both the freighter and Slavin's Star Destroyer. On the shuttle, Sabine puts all power into the shields, but the shockwave of the explosion fries the shuttle's engines. Shortly after, the Ghost arrives to pick them up. Seeing the wreckage, Hera wonders what Ezra and Sabine did, and Zeb comments that the pair can't go anywhere without blowing something up.

In hyperspace, Hera tells the prisoners that they'll be taken home, and Matt informs her that they've decided to join her cause. He explains that they figured that since the Empire was so eager to use their skills, they'd be better put to use for the Rebellion. Hera thanks them. Kanan is unsettled by what the Empire could be doing with the crystals, noting that this is the second time that the Spectres have destroyed a giant kyber crystal to keep it out of the Empire's hands. Sabine asks him if it really is possible to weaponize them, something about which Kanan is unsure. Ezra darkly suggests that the Empire may already be on the verge of winning a war that most of the Rebel Alliance doesn't believe exists.