Sabine faced a friend-turned-enemy from her past, and blew up a bunch of things, in Star Wars Rebels 2×08.
The episode, titled “Blood Sisters,” kicks into gear when Sabine and her old friend Ketsu meet while trying to grab a droid holding important intelligence. Neither woman is very happy to see the other. Through the episode, it becomes clear that, like Ezra, her time with the Rebellion has changed Sabine.
But Ketsu (voiced by Firefly‘s badass Gina Torres) is still a bounty hunter, and remains focused on her target. She acts with increasing ruthlessness, and is even willing to blast Sabine’s ship and kill her friend in pursuit of her bounty.
A quick tactical shift by Sabine forces Ketsu to work at her old friend’s side. Ketsu is still bemused by Sabine’s new dedication to the selfless cause of the Rebellion – but she eventually realizes that having a loyal group of allies is just as valuable as a purse full of credits.
Overall, “Blood Sisters” is a bit disappointing as far as backstory goes. The episode is quick and funny, but like last week’s closer look at Hera, it just doesn’t offer much information. Sabine and Ketsu spend a lot of time together, but their history remains mysterious; their escape from the Imperial Academy and desire to become bounty hunters is referred to, but not elaborated upon.
Still, Star Wars Rebels 2×08 does feature some really excellent moments of humor from Chopper (who has been quite a star this season) as well as cameos from the Star Tours tour-droid and R2-D2. And with Ketsu’s return not-so-subtly suggested, perhaps a more in-depth and emotional exploration of Sabine’s life is still to come.