Kindred

The Rebel group seeks to relocate both a stolen Imperial hyperdrive and a flight data recorder from Lothal, all while the enigma surrounding the loth-wolves intensifies.

Hera Syndulla approaches Kanan Jarrus as he meditates close to the Rebels' encampment. She informs him that the others have already departed to retrieve the hyperdrive, expressing her surprise that he did not join them. He replies that the Spectres seem to consistently find their way back to Lothal. Hera notes that the planet is the homeworld of Ezra Bridger, to which he has a deep connection. Kanan remarks that they were drawn to Lothal even before their encounter with Ezra. Hera questions if he's implying their meeting with Ezra was predetermined, to which Kanan offers an ambiguous response.

At the wreckage of the TIE Defender Elite, Governor Arihnda Pryce communicates with Grand Admiral Thrawn via hologram, reporting that the area is secured, but the prototype's flight data recorder and hyperdrive are missing. Thrawn deduces that the Rebels are likely attempting to return the recorder to Rebel Command, and Pryce suggests that, due to the hyperdrive's size, the Rebels likely concealed it nearby. Consequently, the Grand Admiral informs Pryce that he is dispatching specialized assistance to locate the Rebels. She asserts that she doesn't require aid, but he retorts that the Rebels' presence on Lothal and the prototype's theft, recent failures on her part, demonstrate her need for it. Thrawn announces that his agent, Rukh, will arrive soon.

Nearby, Ezra and Jai Kell, disguised as [scout troopers](/article/scout_trooper], stealthily navigate the rocky terrain. Garazeb Orrelios, waiting with a speeder bike, inquires if Ezra has located the hyperdrive, to which the Padawan replies that it was hidden in darkness. A white Loth-cat appears, perched atop a rock, and Ezra informs Zeb that he will follow it. Despite Zeb's skepticism, they dislodge the rock, revealing the hyperdrive behind it. They pause as an Imperial gunship flies overhead. It lands at the crash site, where Governor Pryce greets the sole passenger, identifying him as Rukh, Thrawn's assassin. The Noghri inhales the air, detecting the scent of Lasat nearby, and noting that he is not alone. He sprints towards the Rebels' location.

Observing through electrobinoculars, Jai alerts Ezra to an impending problem. Spotting Rukh approaching, Ezra instructs Zeb to handle the hyperdrive while he addresses the situation. Lowering their visors, Ezra instructs Jai to follow his lead, and they confront the assassin. Ezra attempts to deceive Rukh by posing as scout troopers who have completed searching the area, but Rukh sees through the ruse and strikes Ezra aside. In the ensuing confrontation, Ezra employs the Force to hurl Rukh into a rock, separating him from Jai. Eventually, they escape on a speeder bike, pursued by Rukh, as Governor Pryce and several stormtroopers arrive as support. The Imperials begin to spread out in search of Zeb, who is concealed atop one of the rock spires with the hyperdrive. Spotting the Imperial Troop Transport, Zeb decides to commandeer it, leaping down and ejecting the driver before fleeing, forcing Pryce to evade. Zeb contacts the base camp, reporting the acquisition of the hyperdrive. When Hera inquires about Ezra, he assures her that Spectre 6 is unharmed.

Ezra and Jai are chased by Rukh and two scout troopers into a labyrinth of rock spires. The Noghri assassin closes in on their bike and attacks with his electrostaff, which Ezra deflects with his lightsaber. Ezra asks Jai if the bike can accelerate further, to which he replies negatively. Rukh is forced to veer off course to avoid a boulder, launching a tracking device that attaches to the back of the Rebels' bike. Unaware, Ezra and Jai continue their escape deeper into the maze. Rukh persists in his pursuit, alongside the two scout troopers, and Ezra plants a detonator on a partially-collapsed rock spire as they pass beneath it. The resulting explosion eliminates one of the scout troopers, forcing the other to halt. Rukh, trailing behind, navigates his bike over the obstruction, and Ezra manages to shoot and disable the assassin's vehicle before he and Jai escape. The assassin is left clinging to a rock spire, glaring as the bike speeds away.

At the Rebel camp, Sabine Wren expresses confidence in her ability to install the hyperdrive on Ryder Azadi's U-wing, but acknowledges the potential for malfunction due to the ship's age. Hera affirms her faith in Sabine's capabilities. As Sabine departs, Kanan approaches Hera, questioning if she believes she has contributed sufficiently to the Rebellion. She responds that perhaps she will, once the Empire is defeated and the galaxy is liberated. He asks if she has considered her future plans, to which she admits she hasn't. Kanan suggests that this implies she hasn't considered them together, and Hera reminds him that they've discussed this. As they lean in, Ryder interrupts, alerting the camp to an approaching troop transport, prompting Hera to investigate. Kanan is left visibly frustrated. Ryder, Sabine, and Hera aim their blasters at the transport's door as it opens, narrowly avoiding hitting Zeb as he emerges. He sheepishly admits he should have disclosed his theft of the transport. Ezra and Jai then arrive on their bike, and Sabine begins installing the hyperdrive.

Meanwhile, Rukh informs Governor Pryce of the Rebel camp's location, transmitting his coordinates. She informs the assassin that reinforcements are en route. At the camp, Sabine, while installing the drive, estimates a fifty percent chance of success. Simultaneously, Ryder reports approaching Imperials, prompting the Rebels to prepare for battle, with Hera instructing Sabine to proceed as far as possible given the limited time. The Rebels hasten to evacuate the camp. As Hera prepares to depart, she finds Kanan in the U-wing's hold. He begins to voice his concerns, but Hera abruptly kisses him. At the barricades, Sabine nudges Zeb to witness this, eliciting smiles from the other Rebels. Breaking apart, Hera and Kanan briefly touch foreheads before he disembarks from the U-wing. She bids him, "May the Force be with you." The ship departs with Hera and Chopper onboard.

Aboard one of the approaching tanks, Rukh asserts to Pryce that he could have eliminated all the Rebels himself, to which she coldly responds that she is unimpressed based on his performance thus far. They observe the U-wing's departure, and Pryce contacts Thrawn to inform him of the escaping Rebel vessel. Ryder informs Jai that they will make contact once they reach safety, and Jai escapes in a landspeeder loaded with crates. As the Imperials close in, Zeb inquires about their escape plan, and Ryder suggests utilizing the troop transport. However, it is promptly destroyed, leaving the Rebels with only a speeder bike, prompting Zeb to question how many of them can escape on it. The Rebels seek cover behind stacks of crates as the Imperial tanks advance, and Ezra hears howling. He spots several Loth-wolves running through the rocks, drawing the others' attention to them. Ezra suspects that they know the way out, recalling their previous assistance, and suggests following them. Ryder expresses skepticism, but Zeb suggests that unusual occurrences are often a positive sign. As he follows the Spectres into the rocks, Ryder wonders how they have survived for so long.

Informed of the Rebels' flight, Pryce coldly remarks that there is no escape for them. Rukh insists that he can handle the Rebels himself, but she retorts that they have already evaded him once, so she will handle it her way. She orders approaching TIE bombers to obliterate the mountains. Within the rocks, the Rebels reach a clearing where three wolves, including the white one Ezra previously encountered, await them. Ezra asks if it knows the way out, but the wolf remains unresponsive, instead focusing on Kanan. He steps forward, and the wolves proceed into a tunnel beneath a rock at the back of the clearing. The rebels follow. Inside the tunnel, Sabine and Ezra observe cave paintings depicting people following wolves. Entering a larger area, Ezra instructs Sabine to extinguish her flashlight. The three wolves await them. The ground begins to tremble from the bombing raid, and the white wolf offers Ezra its tail. Ezra accepts it, instructing the others to join hands. As they comply, Ryder expresses doubt in the plan's efficacy. The wolves guide the Rebels into a tunnel, which begins to glow like hyperspace. As the crew follows, the wolves appear to enter the World Between Worlds, demonstrating their ability to traverse space.

Above Lothal, Hera is pursued by TIE fighters amidst the Imperial blockade. Chopper beeps, and Hera replies that she is not concerned about the fighters, but rather the potential destruction by the Star Destroyers. Aboard the Chimaera, Thrawn is informed by an officer that Hera is trapped, heading towards the construction modules. Hera directs her ship towards the hangar bay of one module, where stormtroopers gather to fire upon her, and instructs Chopper to calculate their hyperspace jump. The ship jumps to hyperspace through the bay, engulfing everything inside in flames from the force of its passage, and the officer nervously informs Thrawn that Hera has escaped.

The Rebels awaken inside a cave, disoriented. The wolves wait as they venture outside to assess their location. Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Ryder find themselves on a ledge carved high into the side of a mountain, with a circular canal visible in the distance. Sabine performs calculations and informs Ezra that they have traveled from the northern hemisphere to a location in the southern hemisphere, on the opposite side of the planet. When questioned about his knowledge of the wolves' capabilities, Ezra admits he didn't know.

Ezra returns to the cave and finds Kanan with the white wolf. Kanan asks Ezra to describe what he sees, and Ezra notes that the location resembles the Lothal Jedi Temple, with cave paintings that narrate a story. His master concurs, wondering about the story's meaning, and Ezra suggests that it depicts people arriving from space and following the wolves. He further speculates that these people are Jedi. Kanan asks the wolf why it aided them, and the wolf responds with "Dume," shocking him. Ezra recalls the wolf uttering this before and questions its significance. Kanan reveals to his apprentice that "Dume" is part of his birth name, Caleb Dume. He removes his visor and touches the wolf, sensing it, and informs Ezra that the wolves are deeply connected to the Force, specifically to Lothal. Kanan suspects that the Empire is inflicting something even worse upon Lothal than the rebels are aware of. The wolf vanishes into the wall, fully revealing the cave painting. Ezra reiterates Kanan's previous statement about how, "All the paths are coming together." Kanan corrects him, expressing uncertainty about the destination of that path. Ezra asks Kanan if he believes Hera escaped safely, and he affirms his belief that she did. At the Great Temple on Yavin 4, Hera lands the U-wing near the Ghost, greeted by Mon Mothma and Erskin Semaj, who are pleased to receive the Defender Elite's flight recorder.