Ghosts of Geonosis

"Ghosts of Geonosis" is a two-part episode and winter premiere of Star Wars Rebels. It is the twelfth and thirteenth episode of the show's third season and the forty-ninth and fiftieth episode of the series overall. The episode features the Star Wars Rebels debut of Saw Gerrera, a character featured in the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the feature film Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. The episode aired on January 7, 2017 on Disney XD.

Official description
After the legendary Saw Gerrera and his rebel squad go missing on Geonosis, the Ghost crew is sent in to investigate.

Mission to Geonosis
The episode opens with the Spectres and Rex traveling through hyperspace on the Ghost for a secret mission. Ezra Bridger is curious about their new mission. At Hera Syndulla's orders, Chopper plays a hologram correspondence with Senator Bail Organa and Commander Jun Sato. Organa wants to explain the mission personally to the rebels. He tells them that their mission is urgent because Rebel Command received a report on the apparent disappearance of the Geonosian species.

After some debate, Rebel Command decided to take a risk and investigate. When Ezra asks if they came looking for the Geonosians, Organa explains that they are going after the team that Rebel Command had sent. They lost contact with the team after they had reported sighting an energy source. Hera reports that her team saw nothing suspicious during their last trip to Geonosis. Senator Organa tasks them with recovering Saw's team and any data they had collected. When Hera asks what they are looking for, Rex tells them that they are look for Saw Gerrera. When Hera and Kanan Jarrus asks whether they are worried about what Saw found, Rex replies that they should be worried about what he did not find.

As the Ghost enters Geonosis' orbit, Hera observes that the construction modules and debris they saw the last time have disappeared. Sabine Wren is unable to trace the energy source at the coordinates where Command Sato said they would be. She also reports that she cannot pick up Saw's transmissions. Kanan explains that the Geonosis live underground and that Saw's people might be underground. Hera says let's get down and find out. The rebels fly into a sandstorm and Hera tells Chopper to man the steering vanes.

When Zeb asks Rex how it is like to come back, Rex remarks that he wish he didn't have to come back to this "dustball." Hera manages to land the Ghost in the desert. Rex briefs the team that Rebel Command says that Saw entered a structure two klicks north of their landing position. When Kanan asks Sabine about the power source, she says that it is nearby but can't pinpoint its exact location due to the sandstorm. Hera gives orders for the team to split up into two groups until they learn more about the power source. Hera sends Kanan Jarrus, Ezra, and Chopper to check out the source of Saw's last transmission. Hera tells Zeb he is staying her with the rest of the team in case the Galactic Empire returns.

Finding Saw Gerrera
Rex leads Ezra, Kanan, and Chopper into a Geonosian structure. Ezra wears his stolen scout trooper helmet to protect his eyes from the sand. When Ezra expresses awe of a Geonosian structure, Rex tells him that the "bugs" are more clever and creative than people think but warns that they are dangerous. Rex tells Kanan that he trained Saw and his sister Steela Gerrera during the Clone Wars as part of a plan to train localized militias to fight the Separatists, Steela didn't make it but Saw carried on and even started his own rebel cell after the Empire took over.

Ezra soon finds a formerly sealed passage and believes that Saw's team entered the tunnels through that way. With Chopper still not picking up Saw's signals, Kanan says they will go and have a look. The rebels climbed inside the cave which led them down a long tunnel. When Ezra asks how the Geonosians looked like, Rex replies that they looked like ugly battle droids that smelled. Ezra notices that the side passages have been blocked off and Rex thinks it was deliberate. When Ezra asks why they would do that, Rex explains that the sealed passages are blocking the outflow. He adds their only options are to go forward.

Ezra finds a helmet which Rex recognizes as belonging to Saw's team. Chopper and Ezra soon stumble on several more helmets and Rex suspects that Saw's team was attacked. Ezra asks whom while Kanan hears a cry from ahead. He senses that something is inside the tunnels and tells them that they should leave. When Kanan reiterates their mission, Kanan replies that all they found were some sealed up tunnels and rebel gear. He suspects that something is working against them. Ezra thinks they need back up and tells Chopper to call Hera but the droid is unable to send a signal since they are deep underground. Following a vote, Rex convinces the rebels to proceed with the mission and reiterates he will not abandon his friend Saw.

The rebels venture deeper into a tunnel and reach a dead end. Ezra then sees several battle droids approaching them. The battle droids have orders to eliminate intruders and are accompanied by a droideka. A skirmish breaks out and the droids manage to corner the rebels. However, someone throws a grenade which takes out most of the battle droids. The OOM command battle droid reports that they have been outflanked before he is shot down by an unknown figure. Ezra and Kanan then destroy the droideka with their lightsabers.

The rebels' rescuer turns out to be Saw Gerrera himself. Rex greets his former comrade and the two shake hands. Rex introduces Saw to Kanan, Ezra, and Chopper. When Saw asks Kanan and Ezra if they are Jedi, Ezra replies they try their best. Saw is amazed to meet Jedi since he believed they perished during the Jedi Purge. Rex asks Saw if he found anything.

Separate missions
The scene then cuts to the sandstorm outside. Hera has sent Garazeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren to search for the power source. When Hera asks how they are doing, Sabine remarks that the sandstorm will damage her paint coat. When Hera inquires about the power source, Sabine and Zeb reply that it is nearby and big. Sabine realizes that they have found a deflector shield generator and informs a surprised Hera. Sabine reports that the shield generator is military grade and was the source of their power reading. Hera thinks that Chopper Base can make use of the shield generator and tells the rebels to take it. Hera tries to contact Kanan but can't reach him. Meanwhile, Zeb asks Sabine to ponder what the shield was protecting since they don't find a fully operational shield generator on a deserted planet. Sabine tells him to work fast.

Back underground, Saw tells the rebels that his team found an operational shield generator. Rex thinks that the battle droids are connected to it. Ezra adds that he and his group saw something. Saw tells them that his comrades were killed by a Geonosian "bug." Kanan thinks that they should return to Hera and the others. However, Saw disagrees and thinks that the "bug" is the key to finding out why the Empire wiped out the whole population of Geonosis. Saw thinks that the Empire is hiding something important and that the "bug" knows what it is.

Ezra and his comrades agree to help Saw. However, Kanan convinces them to warn Hera about the droid presence as well. Saw says that he can help with that and leads them to an air shaft that is bisected by several bridges.. Saw explains that he had tracked the "bug" here and that it is a long way down. Saw was unable to follow  the Geonosian across the shaft. Saw does not know how deep the shaft is but points out that it leads directly to the surface. Kanan realizes they can contact the Ghost using the shaft.

Kanan contacts Hera and tells her that he found Saw and warns that there are operational battle droids on Geonosis. Hera relays the warning to Sabine and Zeb, who are extracting the deflector core from the shield generator. The sandstorm has begun to clear and Zeb reports that he does not see battle droids but only a bunch of rocks. Sabine quickly discovers that the rocks are hibernating droidekas. Zeb suggests blasting the "tin cans" but Sabine warns that would only activate more droids. When Sabine inquires about using the Ghost cannons, Hera replies that the sandstorm has clogged up the barrels. When Zeb suggests abandoning the mission, Sabine responds that they can't abandon the deflector core. After some discussion, the two agree to push the deflector core back to the Ghost carefully. The two navigate their way past the inactive droidekas.

Hide and seek
Back at the shaft, Hera tells her team via intercom to leave before they wake up more battle droids. However, Saw is determined to find out who or what is controlling those droids. The rebels are being watched by an unseen figure on the other side of the shaft. At Kanan's advice, Ezra tells Chopper to use his search light to see what is on the other side. The rebels then spot a Geonosian, who activates a droid controller. The droid controller activates the inactive droidekas which begin to surround Sabine and Zeb.

Sabine warns Hera who orders Kanan and his team to return to the Ghost. However, Saw convinces the Spectres that it is better to capture the Geonosian, deactivate the droids, and find out what the Empire is hiding on Geonosis first. Kanan consults Hera and she reluctantly orders them to capture the "bug." Using the Force, Kanan helps Ezra to jump across the deep shaft. Ezra manages to land on the other side. Chopper then activates his rocket boosters under Kanan's orders and joins the pursuit. When Saw asks if the "kids" will be find, Kanan replies he has a better idea.

On the surface, Sabine and Zeb prepare for a fight with the droidekas. Hera advises the two rebels to use the deflector core against the droids. When Zeb points out that it is disconnected to the power source, Sabine replies that she can tie it to the core's power supply and minimize the field. Sabine manages to activate the deflector core before the droidekas can open fire on them. Sabine warns that it won't hold forever.

Back underground, Kanan advises Saw and Rex to blast one of the top bridges lose. He then uses the Force to create another bridge linking them to the other side. Kanan levitates the bridge so that Rex and Saw can cross. The bridge fragments but Kanan uses the Force to carry them to safety across. Once Saw and Rex have crossed safely, Kanan Force-jumps across the bridge. Despite being blind, he can use the Force to guide his senses. Rex tells Saw that Kanan is no Skywalker and Kanan replies that he heard that.

Meanwhile, Ezra and Chopper have lost the Geonosian in the underground maze. While searching the labyrinth, Ezra tells Chopper to split up so that they can cut off his escape. The Geonosian is able to run on the ceiling and outruns his rebel pursuers, who bump into each other. Meanwhile, Sabine and Zeb are under siege from the droidekas. Zeb laments that it is not good. Back underground, Ezra uses the Force to sense the Geonosian, who is hiding above them. Ezra and Chopper race after the Geonosian but he proves more than a match for them. The Geonosian is soon cornered by Saw, Rex, and Kanan. Saw shoots the Geonosian's remote, deactivating the droidekas outside. Back underground, the Geonosian is surrounded by Saw and the rebels. Saw demands that the Geonosian tell them what they were building for the Empire.

The Empire arrives
Back underground, Saw Gerrera interrogates the Geonosian about what he was building for the Empire and his role in the death of his team members. Ezra tells Saw to go easy with Kanan adding that they all have questions for him. When Rex points out that the Geonosian is unarmed, Saw replies that they can't underestimate these "things". Ezra senses that the Geonosian is afraid and Kanan tells Saw to let Ezra talk to the prisoner. Ezra reassures the Geonosian that he is not here to hurt him. After exchanging pleasantries, Ezra nicknames the Geonosian Klik-Klak.

Ezra convinces Klik-Klak to come out of his hiding spot and stops him from picking a fight with Chopper. Ezra convinces Klik-Klak to tell them what the Empire was doing on Geonosis. Unable to speak Galactic Basic, Klik Klak draws two circles on the ground. Saw doesn't know what it means but Ezra explains that Chopper had picked up an energy reading earlier. Saw thinks it is another trap but Kanan suggests that Klik-Klak has the answers they are looking for. Not trusting Klik-Klak, Saw handcuffs the Geonosian. Ezra then finds a compass-shaped object which contains a hologram of Steela. Ezra returns the object to Saw, who tells him that it is all he has of his late sister. Rex explains that Saw lost his sister during the Clone Wars to a Separatist gunship that had been created by the Geonosians.

Above Geonosis, an Imperial light cruiser arrives. The Imperial Captain Brunson thinks the proximity alert was triggered by a meteor and orders her crew to do a quick scan. One of her crew informs the captain that they are picking up life readings on Geonosis. The Captain orders her crew to deploy a recon patrol of TIE bombers to Geonosis. Meanwhile, Sabine and Zeb are loading the deflector core aboard the Ghost when Hera tells them she needs them up here. Hera reports that an Imperial light cruiser is approaching the Geonosis system. Unable to reach Kanan and Ezra's comlinks, Zeb offers to go into the cave and find them. Hera tells them not to stray too far and sends Sabine to finish storing the deflector core.

Klik-Klak and the Egg
Back underground, Klik-Klak leads the rebels into his dwelling place which doubles as a workshop and a generator. When Saw points out that those droids killed his people, Ezra responds that Klik-Klak had been protecting his people and that they had come blazing with guns into his home. Rex finds a working transmitter and tries to strengthen its signal. Kanan assigns Chopper to help. Klik-Klak tries to stop Saw from rummaging through his place and keeps drawing circles on the ground. Ezra tells Saw to stop because it is Klik-Klak's home. Saw distrusts Klik-Klak due to the death of his team. Klik-Klak then shows Ezra his egg. Rex recognizes it as a Geonosian queen egg and Kanan thinks it could be the last Geonosian queen left.

At that point, Kanan and Chopper pick up a signal from Zeb through the transmitter. Having established contact with them, Zeb patches them up to Hera. Hera tells Kanan that the Empire has arrived and that they have to leave. Zeb then heads back to the Ghost. The rebels prepare to leave. Saw wants to take the Geonosian for interrogation but Ezra counters that they need to protect the Geonosian queen's egg. Kanan and Rex back up Ezra. When Saw expresses his dislike for the Geonosians, Rex reiterates that his mission was to find out what happened to the Geonosians. Ezra adds that if the egg is the last chance to protect Klik-Klak's people, then they have to help. With Saw unwilling to back down, Kanan proposes a compromise that they bring Klik-Kali for interrogation at Chopper Base and then return him and the egg to Geonosis.

When Hera inquires about their permission, Kanan replies they are heading back to the central air shaft. Zeb runs back to the Ghosf just as two TIE bombers begin strafing the ship. Hera tells Sabine to activate the shields. The bombers transmit a holographic image of the Ghost back to the light cruiser. After the crew recognizes the ship as belonging to Phoenix Squadron, Captain Brunson orders them to destroy the ship to advance their careers. The Ghost takes off with Zeb and Sabine exchanging fire with the bombers. They managed to shoot down both bombers.

Kanan tells Hera to pick them up at the central air shaft. She flies the Ghost into the air shaft. Back underground, Chopper leads the rebels out though the tunnels. Kill-Klak proposes a short cut but Saw insists in following the droid. Back in space, the officers inform Captain Brunson that the rebels have destroyed their bombers. Brunson tells them to pinpoint their last know location and pursue the rebels. Brunson thinks that the rebels had fled underground.

Questioning Saw's methods
On Geonosis, the rebels, Klik-Klak, and the egg rendezvous with the Ghost which has flown into the depths of the shaft. The rebels board the ship. Saw and Hera exchange pleasantries while Ezra introduces Klik-Klak and the egg. When Hera asks Saw and Klik-Klak what they want, Saw says he wants to interrogate Klik-Klak about what the Empire is doing on Geonosis. Ezra explains that Klik-Klak wants to stay here and then to take him deeper into the planet. Saw responds that is too bad and Kanan responds they had an agreement to take Klik-Klak back to Chopper Base for questioning.

Hera has a private word with Kanan and warns him to be careful with Saw because he has a reputation for being extreme. Kanan replies he can't blame him because of his past. The two then overhear Ezra telling Saw to leave Klik alone. Hera stood Saw from torturing Klik-Klak with an electro-shock transmitter. When Saw says that he wants to leave with Klik on the Phantom II, Sabine reminds him that he is not going anywhere because they had a deal.

When Kanan reiterates that they will question him at Chopper Base, Saw accuses him of being soft and says they lost the war because of the Jedi. When Saw shocks Klik-Klak again, Ezra lunges at him but Saw throws him off. Rex then restrains Saw and tells him he is not on command here. However, Saw fights back and points his blaster at the Geonosian queen egg. Saw replies that he has no choice.

The Imperial light cruiser approaches the Geonosian air shaft. The crew informs Captain Brunson that the ship has entered an underground air passage. Meanwhile, the rebels argue with Saw as he threatens to destroy the egg in order to get results from Klik-Klak. Ezra warns him that destroying the egg will only help the Empire to exterminate the last Geonosians. When Saw claims not to care, Rex replies that he should know how it is like to lose family. Saw replies that he lost his sister to the Separatists and his planet to the Empire. Saw says he is willing to do anything to gain victory but Ezra reiterates that he would be no better than the Empire.

Imperial entanglements
Chopper then enters the room to warn that the Empire has found them. When Saw says they have to leave, Ezra replies that they can't take Klik-Klak because he belongs to Geonosis. Hera warns that they can't let the Empire capture them while Sabine warns they are being cut off. The Imperial light cruise deploys a squad of Jumptroopers to board the Ghost. Saw agrees to help the Spectres repel the boarders in order to buy time. He also returns the egg to Klik-Klak. Hera tells Sabine and Klik-Klak that their plan is to go down deeper into the depths of Geonosis.

Ezra, Kanan, Rex, Zeb, and Saw exchange fire with the Jumptroopers on top of the Ghost as it descends into the shaft. A few of the Jumptroopers land and the rebels fight them hand to hand. Rex uses the turret cannon to blast several of the troopers. As the Ghost descends underground, the remaining Jumptroopers hurl detonators but Saw kicks them off. Ezra uses the Force to hurl other detonators into the sky. Sabine then flies out of the Ghost with her jetpack and takes on a pair of rocket troopers who have set up position on a cliff. She uses her grenades to kill the troopers. When Sabine returns to the Ghost, Ezra tells her that he wants a jetpack.

When Captain Brunson learns about the loss of the Jumptroopers, she orders her crew to open fire. Deep down, Saw asks how much farther it goes. Sabine says not much farther and that Chopper is picking up something. When Saw remarks that they are risking their lives by spending more time down there, Hera tells him to trust Klik-Klak. After reaching the bottom of the shaft, the rebels and Saw disembark and find several canisters. Sabine recognizes them as belonging to the Imperial weapons division. Rex then points out that the Empire exterminated the Geonosians with these chemical weapons. Ezra comforts Klik-Klak.

Freeing Klik-Klak
Saw realizes that Ezra was right that Klik-Klak belonged on Geonosis. Saw frees the Geonosian and tells the rebels that those canisters are all the proof they need to convince the Imperial Senate that the Empire wiped out all the people of Geonosis. Even though they were enemies, Saw concedes that the Geonosians deserve the same chance to rebuild as everyone else. The rebels allow Klik-Klak to go deeper underground with his egg. Rex compliments the Geonosians for being a resourceful species.

Under Hera's orders, the rebels load some of the canisters as proof for the Senate. Meanwhile, Captain Brunson's crew inform her that the rebels must have descended deeper into the planet. She then orders the light cruiser crew to collapse the Geonosian structure on top of them in an attempt to bury them alive. The light cruiser bombards the air shaft, causing it to collapse. The rebels and Saw flee aboard the Ghost and fight their way out of the shaft. The rebels fire all their guns and use proton bombs to blast through the light cruiser. In the process, they lose their poison canisters. Brunson survives but her light cruiser is badly damaged.

Debriefing
After escaping into space, Hera, Kanan, Ezra, and Saw inform Senator Organa and Commander Sato that the Empire exterminated the Geonosians in order to conceal some unknown project. Hera informs her superiors that all they were able to recover were images of the canisters used by the Empire to poison the Geonosians. While the images are frightening, Bail says that they would not be enough to sway the Imperial Senate. However, he believes that they can be used to sway more systems to the rebel cause. Sato reassures that their mission was a profound success because they rescued Saw and obtained a deflector core.

Ezra adds that they helped give Klik-Klak and his people another chance. Saw cautions them that they still do not know what the Empire was building on Geonosis. Kanan reassures that they will find out soon. After Saw leaves the room, Kanan warns his apprentice that not all of their allies share the same values and reasons for fighting against the Empire. Hera replies they should be content that Saw is not the Empire.

Development
"Ghosts of Geonosis" is the first Star Wars Rebels episode to air after the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, allowing it to tie directly into the feature film. In doing so, the production team chose to introduce Saw Gerrera to the show. The character was originally introduced in the fifth season of the television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and he was brought into live-action for Rogue One. The episode shows Gerrera and the crew of the Ghost investigating Geonosis. Although the characters will not yet know it, they will be on the trail of the Death Star that the Alliance to Restore the Republic ultimately learns about in Rogue One. Forest Whitaker, who portrayed Gerrera in the film, reprises his role for the episode, which helps bridge Gerrera's characterization in The Clone Wars and Rogue One.