The rebels lit the sky on fire in the Star Wars Rebels season finale, but they attracted powerful enemies in the process.
All in
After stealing an Imperial shuttle, the crew of the Ghost hashes out their plan to rescue Kanan from Tarkin’s Star Destroyer.
Ezra reveals the existence of the stolen TIE fighter, which they will use to infiltrate the Imperial fleet – even though Sabine has painted it with elaborate graffiti. Hera gives everyone a chance to back out of the crazy mission, but everyone is on board.
Still running
The Inquisitor continues to torture Kanan physically and mentally, taunting him with the memory of his master sacrificing her life for his during Order 66.
The Inquisitor calls Kanan a coward. “You couldn’t save your master then, and you can’t save your followers now,” he sneers.
After Ezra senses Kanan on the Star Destroyer, Hera sends over “Sabine’s present” – the GraffiTIE, rigged with an EMP that cuts the power and knocks out a bunch of stormtroopers. The crew sneaks onto the ship, leaving Chopper on the Ghost.
But Tarkin is very smart, so the Imperials recover disconcertingly quickly as reinforcements arrive. Freaked out by what he sees, Chopper contacts Fulcrum while the crew is accosted and Ezra is forced to get to Kanan alone. He frees his master and helps him out of the torture cell.
Nothing to fear
Unfortunately, they walk right into the Inquisitor’s trap. Kanan recovers super quickly and starts fighting and shooting with Ezra’s lightsaber/blaster. Ezra Force-grabs Kanan’s lightsaber from the Inquisitor, and the duel breaks out in earnest.
The fight is pretty damn cool, but it doesn’t go too well for the Jedi. Within moments, the Inquisitor catches Ezra off guard and he falls off the high platform into the bowels of the ship.
Kanan is devastated, and for some reason, the Inquisitor doesn’t kill him right then and there. Instead, he gives the Jedi the chance to get to his feet.
“That was a mistake,” Kanan rasps.
“Why?” asks the Inquisitor. “Because you have no one left to die for you?”
“No,” says Kanan, grabbing his own lightsaber in addition to Ezra’s. “Because I have nothing left to fear.”
And then, holy crap, does this fight begin.
Destruction
Hera, Sabine, and Zeb evade stormtroopers and race for the bay where the GraffiTIE is still parked. Hera can’t reach Ezra, who, it turns out, has landed on a lower deck which Kanan apparently couldn’t see from above.
Roused by the frantic calls on his com, Ezra watches Kanan battling the Inquisitor in awe. Kanan says that the Force is stronger than fear and breaks the whirling lightsaber; the pieces land on an engine below, which explodes, rocking the Star Destroyer.
The Inquisitor dangles above the explosion. “You have no idea what you have unleashed here today,” he tells Kanan. “There are some things far more frightening than death.”
And he totally lets go and falls into the inferno.
Sky on fire
Kanan is shocked, but relieved when Ezra arrives back on the deck. Master and padawan escape in the Inquisitor’s TIE, while Tarkin is urged to evacuate the ship.
Hera, Sabine, and Zeb race out of the hangar in the GraffiTIE. Hera tries to contact Chopper, but he doesn’t answer; the two Rebel TIEs meet in the void above Mustafar, desperately dodging Imperials.
Just in time, Chopper hops out of hyperspace in the shuttle – and he has an entire fleet of blockade runners with him. The rebels escape into hyperspace as Tarkin’s Star Destroyer burns; peering back on another shuttle, the Grand Moff looks almost disconcerted.
Fulcrum
The crew of the Ghost reunites on the transport; Hera and Kanan hug and it’s the best thing ever.
The crew crosses over to their ship and Chopper projects a hologram from Senator Bail Organa, who commands other rebel cells; Sabine, Ezra, and Zeb are all shocked to learn that they are part of a larger rebellion.
Which, incidentally, is being led by Ahsoka Tano – the true identity of Fulcrum. She came to rescue the crew to preserve the message of hope they gave to the galaxy; according to Ahsoka, this is a new beginning for everyone.
What comes next
But every silver lining has a cloud. Agent Kallus greets Tarkin with the news that there is unrest on Lothal, and the Empire is appearing weak.
“Not to worry, Agent Kallus,” Tarkin says. “The Emperor has sent an alternative solution.”
And Darth Vader strides off the ship.