“Stealth Strike”

The Trap

Traveling through hyperspace, Commander Jun Sato and Ezra Bridger are on their way to the Del Zennis system to investigate the disappearance of one of their own patrols. So far, Bridger reports nothing out of the ordinary. Just then, he senses a disturbance in the force and suspects something is about to happen. He is proven right when they are suddenly pulled out of hyperspace and captured by an unknown Imperial vessel. Commander Sato sends out a distress call, but it is cut short after they suddenly lose power throughout their ship.

Commander Sato’s distress call does get through to the Ghost crew, long enough to inform them about being pulled out of hyperspace. The rebels are puzzled because they know it’s impossible to pull a ship out of hyperspace. Sabine Wren, however, knows it is possible with gravity wells. When she was still in the Academy, she learned the Empire was developing a new cruiser with gravity well projectors powerful enough to pull a ship out of hyperspace. She suspects the vessel is still in its experimental stages and knows if the Empire follows procedure, the tests on this ship would be taking place in remote areas, probably where they lost contact with Commander Sato. Kanan Jarrus orders everyone to gear up, as he plans to lead a rescue mission. However, Hera Syndulla overrules his orders and tells him he needs to go in with Rex alone. Jarrus is reluctant to go with Rex and would rather take Garazeb Orrelios or Wren. Still, Syndulla points out that Rex’s former military experience will be invaluable in their efforts to rescue Bridger and Commander Sato, and that he can impersonate a Stormtrooper. Jarrus still refuses to work with Rex, but despite his grudge against clones, he goes ahead with Syndulla’s plan for the sake of Bridger.

Meanwhile, Bridger and Commander Sato are apprehended and brought to the bridge, where they meet Admiral Brom Titus. Commander Sato tries to convince the Admiral that they are members of the Corporate Alliance. Still, Admiral Titus sees through his lies and recognizes them both as Commander Sato and Ezra Bridger. Admiral Titus knows Agent Kallus will be pleased to hear that he has Bridger, and then orders his men to secure them.

The Jedi and the Soldier

Back on Garel, Orrelios captures two stormtroopers, and Jarrus and Rex put on their armor, as they plan to go in undercover. To help them get in, Jarrus and Rex take a stolen Imperial shuttle and bring along Chopper, disguised as an Imperial courier droid, to help them access terminals. Traveling through hyperspace, Jarrus plans to find their people and get them out of Imperial custody, but Rex insists on disabling the Empire’s new ship as well, as it could become a potential threat to the rebellion. They soon arrive at Bridger and Commander Sato’s last known position and emerge from hyperspace. They have the Empire’s new ship in sight, and they immediately receive a transmission from them. The Imperials inform them that they are in a restricted area. Still, Rex convinces them to grant permission to board by using emergency protocols he and Cody invented back in the Clone Wars. On the bridge, Admiral Titus informs Agent Kallus about his captives. He is impressed by this news but warns the Admiral not to underestimate Ezra Bridger and orders him to be locked in a secure cell under triple guard.

After landing, Jarrus, Rex, and Chopper depart from the shuttle and begin their search for their fellow Rebels. Disguised as Imperials, nobody suspects a thing. Accessing a terminal, they learn from Chopper that Ezra is being transferred to a secure cell and decide to go after him first. In the detection block, three stormtroopers escort Bridger to his cell. Upon arriving, Bridger creates a distraction by using the force to ignite his lightsaber, which is attached to a stormtrooper. Distracted, Bridger breaks free of his captors and overpowers the troopers. Then, after locking them in a cell, he spots two more stormtroopers coming right for him and immediately uses the stun gun on his lightsaber to take them out. But after he spots Chopper, he realizes the two stormtroopers are actually Jarrus and Rex. The two of them are fine, but feel a little disoriented after being stunned. Bridger tries to cover up what he just did by convincing Jarrus and Rex that they were in a big firefight, but Chopper shows them a holographic projection of what actually happened. Jarrus is shocked and dismayed that his own apprentice shot them, while Rex just laughs it off. Then, before it can become another quarrel, Bridger breaks it up and says they still need to find Commander Sato and sabotage the ship. He plans to split up. Bridger and Chopper will go to the reactor that powers the ship’s gravity well projectors, while Jarrus and Rex rescue Sato. Jarrus denies any splitting up and says they should stay together, rescue Sato, and leave, but Rex points out that Bridger is right about destroying the ship. It soon becomes another disagreement between the two, but Bridger breaks it up yet again, making himself quite clear that they are going to follow his plan. No more is sai,d and the four of them split up, with Kanan privately telling Rex that his Padawan “takes after Hera sometimes”.

Running the Gambit

Meanwhile, Admiral Titus receives word that Bridger has escaped. He gives the order to lock down all levels and secure all hangar bays. He also gave his men permission to kill on sight when they cross paths with Bridger, not wanting to prove that Agent Kallus was right about underestimating him. The ship is soon on full lockdown with stormtroopers on the lookout for Bridger. Bridger and Chopper soon reach the reactor core for the gravity wells, and Chopper already has a plan that involves using Bridger as a distraction. Bridger sneaks into the room unnoticed, but is spotted by the technicians. He makes a run for it as the technicians open fire. With Bridger distracting them, Chopper enters the scene and accesses one of the terminals. He turns off the gravity, making it difficult for Bridger to fight back. Then, after some tampering, Chopper restores gravity, causing everyone who had been floating to fall to their deaths. Bridger makes it safely, and the two of them retreat as stormtroopers enter the scene.

Meanwhile, through heavy fire, Jarrus and Rex reach the detention cell where the Imperials are holding Commander Sato and his companions. They set them free and make a run for it back to Sato’s ship. More stormtroopers show up and begin to overpower them. Rex decides to buy the others some time by holding off their pursuers, despite Jarrus’ objections. Rex seals the door and takes on the pursuing stormtroopers single-handed, but gets stunned and captured.

Rex is brought to Admiral Titus, who expresses disappointment in Rex’s alliance with the rebellion, recalling the days when his kind brought peace to the galaxy. He then offers Rex a chance at redemption: surrender all his compatriots, and he will grant him immunity and reinstatement at an Imperial training academy. But as suspected, Rex refuses, and Admiral Titus brings up the alternative: an interrogator droid programmed to kill him. Through the Force, Jarrus senses Rex’s pain and suffering and decides to rescue him while the others continue their way back to the ship. With Bridger leading the way, the Rebels get past the attacking stormtroopers and make it back to their ship.

As Admiral Titus prepares to finish off Rex, Jarrus surprises them and saves Rex while the Admiral flees from the fight. Jarrus helps Rex run through the corridors, and after ordering Bridger and Sato to launch without them, the two make their way to the escape pods. Sato and his crew depart from the Imperial ship, and after picking up Jarrus and Rex, they prepare for a hyperspace jump.

Unfortunately, they are caught in the gravity well once again and are being pulled back to the Imperial ship. However, the Imperials are too late to realize that Chopper has rigged their own weapon against them, pulling every ship in sight. The two Arquitens-class command cruisers alongside collide with the Admiral’s ship, destroying it in the process. With the gravity well gone, the Rebels are free to escape. Following their victorious escape, Commander Sato expresses his gratitude to Jarrus, Rex, and Bridger for saving him and his crew. Rex also thanks Jarrus for saving him, and before going their separate ways, they salute one another.