The crew of the Ghost had nowhere to hide, while dark secrets were exposed on the truly epic Star Wars Rebels season 2 premiere.
Saviors
After working with the Rebel Phoenix Squadron to liberate some Imperial cargo, the crew of the Ghost receives a terrified call for help from Minister Tua. Her inability to find the Rebels on Lothal has garnered Darth Vader displeasure, and she is being transported to Grand Moff Tarkin “to account for [her] failure.”
Tua promises to reveal Rebel contacts as well as “the true reason the Empire came to Lothal,” in exchange for rescue. With Commander Sato’s approval, the crew agrees to extract her from their planet.
Meanwhile, Kanan is increasingly unhappy with their position among the Rebel fleet, and wants the crew to break off on their own again. His disregard for command structure irritates Hera, who finds purpose in the regimented support of the Rebels.
“I survived one war,” he admits to Hera. “I’m not ready for another one.”
Ezra observes this exchange, troubled.
The trap
As the crew heads down to Lothal in a dinky shuttle, Ezra experiences an odd sense of cold. On-planet, he quickly has other things to deal with.
Kanan snatches a Storm Trooper’s armor to create a distraction, but this turns out to be the least of the Ghost crew’s problems. During the rescue, Ezra orders Tua onto the shuttle – which explodes, killing the minister.
The crew manages to escape, but the damage is more than done. The rebels are immediately, and publicly blamed for Tua’s murder — because Vader planned the entire thing.
In other words: Oh, this is bad.
Attempting to find a ship off Lothal, the crew infiltrates the suspiciously nearly empty Imperial complex. Sabine finds shield generators, desperately needed by the Rebel fleet, and the crew begins to make their escape on an Imperial shuttle.
But then Kanan feels the cold, and Vader strides into the hangar.
Lucky to crawl away
Kanan knows instantly that they are absolutely doomed. The fight basically like an adult messing around with boring action figures — the best Kanan can do is distract Vader long enough to stop him from decapitating Ezra. Even Force-pushing burning Walkers on top of Vader is barely enough to slow him down.
In other words: Super, super bad.
The crew ultimately does manage to escape but Vader is still several steps ahead. He orders Tarkintown burned, to exploit the compassion of the Rebels.
Regrouping on the shuttle, Kanan introduces Ezra to the concept of the Sith; he tries to impress on his apprentice that you do not fight Sith Lords, you will totally die, but it’s unclear if Ezra really gets the message.
That guy
Inspired by Sabine’s comment that the crew will have to smuggle themselves off of Lothal, Hera turns to Lando for help. Lando is off-planet, but cuts a deal with the crew for half of their precious shield-generators.
Ezra spots the wreckage of Tarkintown. Overwhelmed with helplessness, Ezra tries to think of ways to fight this incredible evil.
“I’m not afraid,” he tells Kanan.
“That’s what worries me,” his master mutters.
The crew leaves Lothal in the Imperial shuttle, launching multiple transponders with the same frequency along the way. Sabine’s plan works — albeit barely — and Hera throws the shuttle into light speed just as the Imperials realize what’s going on.
But it turns out that Vader planned this too. The shuttle bears a tracking device that will lead the Empire right to the Rebels.
“Have my ship prepared,” Vader orders.
In other words: THIS IS TERRIBLE.
Survivors
Chopper locates the tracker as the Ghost crew returns to the Rebel fleet. Before they can jump away, a single TIE fighter screams through space toward them – Darth Vader, all on his own.
As Vader carves through Phoenix Squadron like cheese, Hera and the crew join the fray in the Ghost. Ahsoka Tano tags along.
In spite of their efforts, Vader takes out the shields and hyperdrive on Sato’s command ship. “Who is this guy?” Sabine cries.
Ahsoka decides to find out. She and Kanan use the Force together to sense the power of their attacker, as Ezra recognizes the horrible sense of cold from Lothal.
“The fear, the anger, the hate,” he marvels. “It’s the Sith Lord we faced!”
Ahsoka has come to the same conclusion — but with a horribly personal edge. Her eyes widen as she senses the dark figure in the TIE fighter. She screams in anguished recognition, fainting against Kanan.
“The apprentice lives,” Vader murmurs.
In between
As Star Destroyers close in on the fleet, Sato abandons his command ship. The Rebel fleet jumps away, and Hera leads Vader’s ship between the Star Destroyers, right into the grip of their tractor-beam…
…and sends the Ghost leaping into hyperspace, leaving Vader pinned between his own fleet.
In the lull after the battle, Ahsoka asks Kanan and Ezra about the Sith Lord they faced. Kanan and Ahsoka agree that they have not felt a presence as virulent as Vader’s since the Clone Wars – but when Ezra asks if she knows who it is, she says she does not.
“But I do know that he will be coming,” she says.
Ezra, of course, wants to fight, but Kanan tells him that the greater courage is knowing when not to fight. Hera offers her support, but Ahsoka turns toward space, isolated by her unthinkable – and all too probable — suspicion.
Masters
Vader has his own suspicions to deal with. He tells the Emperor that the Lothal rebels are broken — but Sidious knows that his true triumph lies elsewhere.
“I believe the apprentice of Anakin Skywalker lives,” Vader admits, “And is in league with these rebels.”
The Emperor is thrilled at this prospect — the apprentice could lead them to other missing Jedi. Vader himself is eager to find Kenobi, but the Emperor cautions patience, and orders Vader to send another Inquisitor to hunt down Skywalker’s apprentice and her Rebels.
“As you wish, my master,” Vader murmurs.
In other words: Literally, this could not get any worse… or any more awesome.