"The Missing Agent" is the twelfth episode of the second season of Star Wars Resistance. It premiered on television December 22, 2019 on Disney Channel.
Kaz leads a strike team to investigate a mysterious Resistance distress signal.
The episode opens in a deserted street at night. A green alien and a BB-series astromech droid are running through the streets. They flee inside a house and the green alien says they have to send a distress call to the Resistance. The droid says its dangerous in Binary but the green alien says that they must take the risk. The green alien transmits a message in a datapad just as they hear footsteps.
A laser burns through the door. The green alien and the BB astromech droid are cornered by a hulking bounty hunter who laughs and asks what do we have here. The green alien says that it is too late because they have transmitted a distress signal. The alien bounty hunter asks why he is distressed before shooting the astromech droid 2B. The green alien claims that this place would be swarming with Resistance fighters but the alien bounty hunter says it is an opportunity to make more money.
Aboard the Colossus' command bridge, Kazuda Xiono picks up a distress call on a Resistance frequency and informs Captain Imanuel Doza. Kaz says it is coming from the nearby Varkana system. Doza thinks it is a trap since it's so convenient but Kaz says that Resistance frequencies are coded and nearly impossible to duplicate so he wants to check it out.
CB-23 and Jarek Yeager volunteer to come along with Yeager saying that if it is someone from the Resistance then they need to go and help because they'd want the same if it were them. Captain Doza warns them that the mission would put the Colossus at risk since they are putting themselves at risk. Kaz says he doesn't want to put the Colossus in danger but Doza tells him he already is. Yeager convinces Doza to give them one rotation to report back but if he doesn't here from there then he should leave while Xiono tries to request one extra minute and tells Captain Doza to be certain they'll come back. Yeager tells Xiono that isn't how it works and hurry up.
The Colossus exits hyperspace in the Varkana system. Kaz and Yeager depart in a Star Commuter 2000 shuttle. They are accompanied by the Mirialan pirate Synara San, whom Kaz has enlisted since the mission involves bodily harm. Kaz replies too bad for the "bad guys." Yeager traces the signal to Vargo Spaceport and brings the shuttle into Varkana's orbit.
The shuttle approaches the spaceport, which lies on top of a plateau. Yeager lands the shuttle outside the spaceport. While disembarking, Kaz gets CB-23 to home in on the distress signal. The group enter the village with CB tracing the signal from across the village. Yeager tells Kaz to keep a low profile. Kaz boasts about his exploits as a spy but trips over a basket of fruits, annoying a local vendor. Kaz apologizes but the purple-skinned alien vendor hurls a fruit at him.
A Gran vendor named Lechee notices the Colossus visitors and calls out to them, offering to sell his goods. Yeager responds that they are not interested. The Gran takes an interest in CB-23 and offers to buy the droid but Synara tells him to let it go. Lechee lets them go but tells them that he has the best parts they can buy. Kaz tells him that they don't want to buy anything because they are meeting with a friend. Lechee tells them to come back to his ship if they change their mind. Once they have left, he pulls out his comlink and contacts an unidentified figure, telling them to keep an eye out for the offworlders and their ball droid.
CB-23 traces the signal to a house with a malfunctioning set of mechanical doors Kaz and his team realized that someone has gotten to their friend first. Synara doesn't think the First Order took their Resistance friend because they would have set up a garrison. Kaz agrees and says that the First Order would have shut the signal down. He gets CB-23 to pinpoint the source of the signal. The droid traces it to a hidden datapad with a data rod attached, which Kaz finds under the kitchen bench.
Kaz gets CB to decrypt it and learns that the guy they are looking for is named Norath Kev and he came to spy on the First Order. Kaz realizes the male Duros is a Resistance spy just like him and learns that Kev was tracking the First Order by tracing activity in the black market. Yeager tells CB-23 to download that intel. Kev had a whole list of names of people who he identified as possible First Order contacts including Leechee, the Gran vendor they encountered. Kaz and Yeager realize they have to get out of here.
However, they are cornered by the alien bounty hunter, who captured Norath. He wants to capture Norath's friends. Kaz tries to deny that they are Norath's friends but the bounty hunter doesn't care. Kaz tells the bounty hunter that he had a list of names of people who are very valuable to the First Order. The bounty hunter replies that is not what he is paid for and that it is not his problem.
Kaz hurls the datapad at the bounty hunter and Yeager shoots it in an attempt to electrocute the bounty hunter. The bounty hunter deflects it with his blaster. Synara kicks the blaster out of the bounty hunter's hand. While Kaz and Yeager retreat, Synara drives the bounty hunter away with her blaster. However, the bounty hunter attacks her with his vibro-ax and the two fight on top of the stony balcony. The bounty hunter fries Synara's blaster with his vibro-ax.
Kaz says that they have to help Synara while Yeager says that she will hold the bounty hunter off while they find a safe place to hide. Kaz, Yeager, and CB-23 retreat. Synara manages to knock the alien bounty hunter to the ground but he grabs one of her legs. The two fight and Synara manages to break away and jump over the balcony but is stung in the back by the vibro-ax The bounty hunter catches up with her but she kicks him over the balcony. An injured Synara looks over the lower balcony and walks away.
An injured Synara joins Kaz and the others in the village marketplace. Kaz asks if she is hurt. Synara says that she is fine but that the "sleemo" got away. The team regroup by several containers. Kaz asks what they are dealing with. Synara explains that they are dealing with a bounty hunter rooting out Resistance spies. When Yeager asks Synara if she thinks Norath is still alive, Synara doesn't know but thinks it is unlikely.
Kaz refuses to leave unless they can verify that Norath is alive. Captain Doza asks Yeager about the status of their mission and warns that he cannot leave the Colossus exposed in the Varkana system. Yeager tells Doza to retreat if there is any trouble but Kaz tells the Captain to trust them that they will be out of here soon.
Yeager says that they need leads. Synara suggests Lechee and Kaz thinks that the Gran vendor has some ties to the First Order. Yeager doesn't get why the First Order would bother with a small-time player like Lechee. Synara says there is little of value in this village. Yeager understands Synara's line of thought and says in times like the First Order-Resistance War a member of the Resistance carries a high value of value to the right people while Synara realizes that Lechee must have found out who Norath really was and sold him out.
While Lechee is counting his credits, he is confronted by Yeager and the others. Yeager asks him where he got that money from. The Gran tells Yeager to mind his own business. Synara disagrees and grabs a sonic blaster and points it at Lechee. Kaz confronts Lechee for exposing Norath Kev to the bounty hunter. Lechee is not intimidated and asks what he is going to do about it.
Kaz asks CB-23 to make Lechee talk. The droid flashes one of her grappling arms and scratches the side of his stony table. Lechee is not intimidated. Kaz asks Lechee what the bounty hunter did with Norath but the Gran is defiant. The droid continues scratching, annoying Lechee. Synara tells CB to stop because she too is annoyed.
Yeager threatens to rob his credit safe unless Lechee tells him what they need to know. Lechee tells Yeager that the bounty hunter took Norath to his ship and rented out a docking bay hangar in the southside. Before leaving, Synara fries his comlink to prevent Lechee from warning the bounty hunter.
Kaz and the others head to the southside hangar bay where the find the bounty hunter's ship. Yeager tells Synara to keep an eye out for reinforcements while he, Kaz, and CB-23 sneak aboard the bounty hunter's ship. They enter the ship's cargo bay. Kaz unlocks a cell and finds a bruised Norath inside. He tells Norath that they are here to rescue him and that they are with the Resistance. Norath warns them that this is trap but the ramp closes, trapping them inside the cargo bay.
Speaking over the intercom, the bounty hunter "welcomes" the Resistance operatives aboard. Synara realizes her friends are in trouble. Norath apologizes for their trouble and tells Yeager and Kaz that he was tracking shipments and materials that the First Order moves through black market channels after being asked about his mission. Kaz deduces that Lechee double-crossed Norath. Norath says that greed got the better of him. Norath had compiled a list of First Order sympathizers and dealers but sighs that it lost, thinking he has failed. Kaz reassures Norath that CB-23 has the list, delighting the Resistance spy because there's still a chance.
The alien bounty hunter enters the ship's cockpit and removes his mask. He contacts Commander Pyre via holoprojector and asks what the bounty hunter's report is, the alien informs him that he has snagged three more members of the Resistance and says that his usual rate applies. Pyre thanks the alien bounty hunter, who is revealed to be the Iktotchi Ax Tagrin, for his services to the First Order's cause. Ax calls him a tin can and tells him to save it or his price goes up and says that he serves the winning side who right now is them. He sends Pyre coordinates and says if he the prisoners then he'll have to come to the Iktotchi. When the Commander asks if they're worth his time Ax says to tell him because he thinks it's some kind of cell with Norath as one, there's some kid named Kaz, and an old man. Commander Pyre says that they will meet him at the rendezvous point shortly.
As Ax fires up the engine, Norath warns them that they have to get out of here. Kaz and CB-23 try to find a way out while Synara tries to shoot at the cockpit. However, it is armored and Ax waves to her as he takes off into the skies. Synara spots a speeder bike. Meanwhile, Kaz tries to figure a way out to bring the ship down or prevent Ax from rendezvousing with the First Order. He and Norath manage to open a panel. Yeager quips that Kaz is a good at bringing ships down. While Kaz removes the batteries, CB-23 plugs into the network terminal to override the system. This causes an alarm to flash.
Ax presses a button which electrocutes the computer, driving Kaz and Norath away. Kaz tells CB-23 to let go however the ball droid persists, causing the ship systems to overheat. Ax rushes out to confront the prisoners while one of the ship's fuses blow up, causing the ship to descend. Synara follows them in her speeder bike and watches the ship plummeting towards the ground.
Ax's ship ploughs through a pillar of rock before crash-landing on the rocky earth. Kaz, Yeager, and CB-23 are alright but Norath has sustained injuries to his head and leg. Kaz helps an injured Norath out of the ship while a damaged CB-23 rolls along. Kaz reassures her that they will get her fixed.
However, Ax has survived the crash and watches them from the top of his ship. He follows them and Yeager shoots at him while telling the others to take cover. Ax and Yeager engage in a gun battle with Yeager taking shelter behind a rock. Kaz grabs a metal tool and attacks Ax from behind, knocking the blaster out of his hand. However, Ax is resistant to Kaz's attacks and knocks him to the ground.
Yeager shoots at him but Ax knocks his blaster out of his hand and charges at him with his vibro-ax. The two engage in hand to hand combat. Ax gains the upper hand and holds the vibro-ax over Yeager's head. He tells Yeager to surrender so that he can get paid.
However, Synara arrives on her speeder bike and attacks him with her blaster. He deflects her blaster with his vibrio-ax and they engage in hand to hand combat. Synara tells Kaz to contact Captain Doza for an evacuation. Kaz and Naroth prepare to leave on Synara's speeder bike but Ax hurls his vibro-ax at them, narrowly missing them.
As the two race away, Kaz spots CB. Yeager grabs Ax's vibro-ax and aids Synara in the fight against Ax. Despite their combined efforts, they are unable to match Ax's strength and endurance. Deciding to finishing them off, he charges at them with his vibro-ax. However, he strikes his ax against something that triggers an explosion.
Kaz and Norath spot the explosion while riding away on their bike. Kaz contacts Yeager but hears no response and fears for the worse. Returning to the village, Kaz contacts Captain Doza to request an evacuation. However, Captain Doza says that the First Order has already arrived. The Thunderer exits hyperspace and dispatches several fighters and a transport. Kaz and Norath agree that this day keeps getting worse and worse as the episode comes to an end.