Imperial Supercommandos

The rebel group loses communication with Concord Dawn, leading Sabine, Ezra, Chopper, and their Mandalorian captive, Fenn Rau, to launch an investigation. What awaits them is a surprising and lethal new danger.

This episode begins with a rebel CR90 corvette positioned above the planet Atollon. Sabine Wren engages in a game of cubikahd against Fenn Rau, who leads the Mandalorian Protectors, with the astromech droid Chopper providing the game's visuals. Rau is held as a prisoner by the rebellion, confined to a cell under the watch of two rebel troopers. Rau observes that Sabine's gameplay is overly confident, to which she responds that it might be a strategy to mislead him. However, Rau identifies a flaw in Sabine's approach and secures a win.

Sabine instructs Chopper to reset the game board, and then attempts to convince Rau and his Protectors to align with the rebellion. Rau hesitates, believing that allowing the rebels safe passage through the Concord Dawn system is sufficient. He explains that his agreements with both the Empire and the rebellion are merely for survival, asserting that his true allegiance lies with Mandalore. Sabine pledges to persist in her efforts, and Rau expresses respect for his adversary, despite her "treacherous" history. In turn, Rau tries to persuade Sabine to join him in the fight for Mandalore. Garazeb Orrelios then interrupts their discussion, summoning Rau and Sabine to a briefing with Hera Syndulla in the war room.

Within the war room, Hera informs the Spectres and Commander Jun Sato about the loss of contact with the Protectors' base located on the third moon of Concord Dawn. Commander Sato suspects a trap set by the Protectors. Rau dismisses this, asserting the unwavering loyalty of his men. He believes something dire has occurred and proposes traveling to the Concord Dawn system to negotiate with his forces. When Zeb questions Rau's status as their prisoner, Kanan clarifies that he is a "grumpy guest."

Hera permits Fenn Rau to accompany Sabine, but stipulates that he remain restrained in binders. She also assigns Ezra Bridger and Chopper to join Sabine and Rau on a reconnaissance mission to the base. She instructs them not to land or engage with any hostile forces. Lastly, she cautions them against damaging the Phantom II.

Sabine pilots the Phantom II towards the Concord Dawn system. Ezra monitors Rau, but then approaches the viewport upon seeing the ravaged southern hemisphere of Concord Dawn. When Ezra inquires about the planet's condition, Rau explains that the Mandalorians have been engaged in warfare since before the Galactic Republic's inception. Sabine laments her people's inability to resolve their conflicts peacefully. When Ezra admits his confusion regarding the Mandalorian "thing," Sabine warns him to be wary of Rau. However, they are too late, as Rau incapacitates Ezra and stuns Sabine with a blaster.

Later, Chopper awakens Ezra by pinching his nose and playfully slapping him. Ezra tells Chopper to stop, and soon discovers that he and Sabine are handcuffed together and their weapons are missing. Chopper uses his spark projector to sever their restraints. The rebels realize they have landed on the third moon of Concord Dawn and exit the Phantom II in search of Rau. They locate him outside the ship, standing atop a cliff. Ezra uses the Force to retrieve his blaster from Rau's grasp, ordering him to turn around slowly. Sabine and Ezra approach Rau and find the Protectors' camp destroyed and its inhabitants dead. When Sabine suggests the Empire's involvement, Rau attributes the attack to other Mandalorians.

The group then investigates the Protectors' camp. Rau discovers a bloodstained Mandalorian helmet and concludes that another clan was responsible for the assault. When Ezra asks Sabine why Mandalorians would fight each other, she responds that it is complicated. Rau angrily scolds Sabine and the rebellion for his imprisonment, which prevented him from protecting his fellow Protectors. Sabine insists that she is not the enemy and that the situation is illogical. Chopper then signals to Ezra that he has detected something.

Ezra, Sabine, and Rau are then ambushed by an Imperial probe droid. Ezra struggles to restrain it with the Force, and Sabine destroys it with her blaster. Sabine warns of approaching Imperial reinforcements, but Rau declines to leave, suggesting that he will trade the location of the rebel base to the Empire for his survival. Sabine refuses to allow this and instructs Chopper to prepare the Phantom II. At that moment, Ezra spots a squadron of "flying stormtroopers" approaching. Rau clarifies that they are Mandalorians serving the Empire. Sabine urges her companions to flee.

The Imperial Mandalorians land, and their leader, a red-armored warrior, commands his troops to disperse. One Mandalorian soldier enters the Phantom II and easily captures Chopper. Ezra reveals himself by attempting to shoot the Mandalorian leader before he can spot Sabine and Rau. Sabine wants to assist Ezra, but Rau argues that Ezra's "sacrifice" will ensure their survival. Meanwhile, Ezra is cornered by the Mandalorian leader and two of his soldiers and surrenders.

Concealed at the corner of a building, Sabine wishes to help Ezra, but Rau argues that their only advantage lies in the Imperial Mandalorians' ignorance of their location. When Sabine points out that Fenn possesses Ezra's lightsaber, he suggests that not having it might actually protect him. He then guides Sabine to a secure location outside the camp, where they can observe the Imperial Mandalorians' movements.

The Imperial Mandalorian leader orders his men to search the area for the others. When Ezra asks his identity, the commander removes his helmet and introduces himself as Gar Saxon, the Imperial Viceroy of Mandalore. One of Saxon's men lands the Phantom II in the center of the devastated camp and escorts Chopper off the shuttle. Inside a hut, Saxon interrogates Ezra, demanding to know the number of his companions. Ezra claims to be a lone scavenger, accompanied only by his droid, much to Chopper's annoyance.

Another Mandalorian warrior reports that there is no sign of other rebels at the base. Saxon believes that his rebel prisoner is lying. Ezra denies being a rebel, claiming affiliation with Hondo Ohnaka's crew. Saxon responds that the Empire is aware of the rebels' use of Concord Dawn as a route to bypass Imperial sector patrols. When Ezra feigns ignorance of the rebellion, Saxon reminds the boy that he is dealing with an experienced Mandalorian warrior, not a naive Imperial Academy recruit. Ezra claims ignorance of Mandalore's affiliation with the Empire. Saxon orders his men to search the Phantom II and threatens to use Chopper for target practice to force the boy's cooperation.

Sabine and Rau survey the building where Ezra is being held. Rau suggests sacrificing the "pawn," but Sabine retorts that Ezra is not a pawn and is capable of defending himself. She emphasizes the importance of preventing the Empire from acquiring the Phantom II, as it contains the coordinates to the rebel base on Atollon. Rau is hesitant to assist the rebels but recognizes Saxon as a member of the "treacherous" House Vizsla, the same house as Sabine. Rau views Saxon as a traitor and collaborator with the Empire. Rau blames the rebels for his predicament. Sabine persuades Rau to help her reclaim their ship and rescue the others. Rau's primary motivation is revenge against Saxon. Sabine emphasizes her focus on protecting her friends, not seeking revenge.

Back at the hut, Saxon and his men fire blaster shots around Chopper, startling the droid. To protect Chopper, Ezra identifies himself as Lando Calrissian. Saxon senses the boy's deception and states that every lie contains a grain of truth. Saxon adds that the rebel has revealed what he needed to know. Sabine and Rau eavesdrop on the interrogation from outside. Fenn instructs Sabine to set the frequency to 337. When Saxon orders his subordinate to destroy the droid and extract its memory circuits, Ezra reveals that he was sent by the Protector, Fenn Rau.

Saxon asks Ezra about Rau's location, but the boy claims ignorance. Saxon admits to attacking the Protectors' camp to eliminate Rau and allowing the rebels to pass through the Concord Dawn system to lure Rau back. Saxon then grabs Ezra by the neck and lifts him, demanding that Ezra lead him to Rau. Sabine and Rau overhear everything and remove their helmets. Rau realizes that Saxon intended to kill him regardless, and that the rebels saved his life. He then proposes a truce with Sabine. He will secure the ship while Sabine frees Ezra and Chopper.

Enacting their plan, Sabine and Rau ambush and subdue one of Saxon's Super Commandos. Sabine steals a jetpack from the unconscious guard, and Rau takes his blaster rifle. Rau then sneaks aboard the shuttle and engages in a fistfight with the guard, emerging victorious. Back in the hut, Saxon throws Ezra around, but he maintains his ignorance of Rau's location. Frustrated, Saxon attempts to shoot Chopper with his blaster. However, Ezra uses the Force to deflect Saxon's blaster bolts twice. At that moment, Saxon realizes that Ezra is a Jedi.

Sabine then throws in a smoke grenade, and leads Ezra and Chopper out of the building. When Ezra asks what took her so long, she replies that she was using strategy. Saxon puts on his helmet while the Spectres rush back to the Phantom II, only to witness Rau stealing it. When Ezra sarcastically asks how her strategy is working out, Sabine admits that it is "not so great." The three rebels are then surrounded by Gar Saxon and his Imperial Mandalorians. Rau flies away with the Phantom II and heads into space.

Ezra ignites his lightsaber. Saxon recognizes Sabine and mentions how she joined Phoenix Cell. Saxon's men aim their blasters at the three rebels. Saxon claims that Sabine's mother relented after her daughter fled the [Imperial Academy](/article/imperial_academy_of_Mandalore] on Mandalore and disgraced her family name. He remarks that she could have been wearing the same armor as his warriors had she stayed on the right track. Sabine responds that she prefers her colorful armor to the Imperial Mandalorians' stark white armor.

Saxon says that he will not kill her out of respect for her mother, and claims that the Empire will make Mandalore greater than ever before. Sabine retorts that Saxon is the only Mandalorian who's gotten stronger under the Empire. In exchange for sparing her life, Saxon demands that Sabine deliver Fenn Rau and surrender. Sabine feigns surrender and removes her helmet despite Ezra's protests. Sabine passes the helmet to Chopper and quietly instructs him to send feedback to frequency 337 on her mark. Sabine kneels while Ezra deactivates his lightsaber. When Saxon approaches Sabine and demands her allegiance, she calls him a fool and tells Chopper to send feedback to the Mandalorians' helmets. This disorients the Mandalorians, causing them to writhe in pain. Sabine retrieves her blasters and puts on her helmet, which Chopper throws to her.

Sabine grabs Ezra and tells him to hold on as she flies away on her stolen jetpack. As the Imperial Mandalorians recover, Chopper activates his rocket and follows. Saxon orders his men to capture the rebels alive. Meanwhile, in space, Rau is about to jump to hyperspace in the Phantom II, but hesitates. Back on the third moon of Concord Dawn, Ezra asks Sabine about her plan while in mid-flight. Sabine says that the Imperial Mandalorians must have landed a starship nearby and tells Chopper to locate it. Ezra tells Sabine to hurry up because her "evil cousins" are catching up with them.

The Imperial Mandalorians pursue the rebels with their jetpacks. The rebels flee into a canyon, with Ezra struggling to hold on to Sabine. At Sabine's request, Ezra uses his lightsaber to deflect the Mandalorians' blaster bolts. Ezra narrowly avoids hitting a rock after having his feet dragged through a pool of water, and tells Sabine she is flying too low. One of the Mandalorians closes in on Sabine and Ezra. Sabine drops Ezra on the top of a pinnacle and he jumps onto the pursuing Mandalorian. He uses his lightsaber to damage the Mandalorian's jetpack, causing the man to fall. Ezra and Sabine then leap from opposite ends of the canyon and grab each other.

Saxon orders one of his three remaining men to circle around and cut the rebels off. The rebels fly into a narrower part of the canyon, and Sabine throws a grenade at a nearby pinnacle, taking out one of their pursuers. Saxon and another Imperial Mandalorian zoom in on Sabine and Ezra. They open fire, causing Ezra to lose his grip. He lands on Chopper, who beeps in annoyance. Ezra quickly apologizes to Chopper. Sabine then shoots down another Mandalorian warrior with a blaster, causing his jetpack to explode.

The rebels, with Ezra on top of Chopper, race Saxon to his ship. Chopper tells them the ship is up ahead on a plateau. Before they can steal the ship, the Mandalorian Saxon sent around to cut them off shows up and shoots at them, causing Sabine to drop her blaster knocking Ezra out of the way. The three rebels crash land on the plateau. Saxon and the remaining Mandalorian warrior then prepare to execute the rebels; with Saxon ordering the warrior to kill Ezra while he finishes off Sabine. Before they can kill the rebels, Rau arrives in the Phantom II, announcing to Saxon that the rebels are under his protection. When Saxon disagrees, Rau blasts him with the ship's frontal cannons.

The Spectres flee aboard the shuttle's rear ramp. Ezra manages to board the shuttle, while Chopper lands himself into the ship's astromech socket. However, Saxon grabs Sabine and the two struggle. Meanwhile, Rau shoots the remaining Mandalorian warrior and blows up Saxon's ship with the Phantom II's laser cannons. Sabine manages to damage Saxon's jetpack and flies toward the Phantom II. Despite Saxon shooting her jetpack, Sabine barely manages to board the ship with Ezra's help.

Saxon can only stand and watch as his ship burns in the background. When Sabine confronts Rau about his change of heart, Rau tells her that he realized that she was willing to die for her friends even though they were not Mandalorians. He praises Sabine for not forgetting the "old ways," telling her that she has earned his respect. Ezra tells them not to take it the wrong way, but remarks that the Mandalorians are "crazy." Rau laughs, and responds that he is crazy enough to join the rebellion. Sabine welcomes him to the "family" as the Phantom II flies away from the Concord Dawn system.