A brief conflict, a skirmish, unfolded in 2 BBY on Krownest. Involved were rebel forces, members of the Mandalorian Clan Wren, and Imperial Supercommandos. Leading the Supercommandos was Viceroy Gar Saxon, a Mandalorian himself. This clash occurred during a mission undertaken by Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian warrior and rebel, along with Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, and Padawan Ezra Bridger. Their goal was to enlist Clan Wren into the rebellion's ranks. Ursa Wren, Sabine's mother and the clan's leader, initially betrayed the rebels to Viceroy Saxon. However, Saxon's declaration of Clan Wren as traitors ignited a battle between the clan and his Super Commandos. The Super Commandos were ultimately defeated, and Sabine triumphed over Saxon in a one-on-one fight. After Ursa killed Saxon, Sabine chose to remain with her family. Her aim was to aid Clan Wren in reuniting the Mandalorian people, utilizing the Darksaber she possessed as an age-old symbol representing Mandalorian unity.
During the era known as the Age of the Empire, Clan Wren held a position as one of the significant Mandalorian clans. They were under the command of Gar Saxon, the Viceroy of Mandalore. Saxon governed his people on behalf of the Galactic Empire. Sabine Wren, then an Imperial cadet, discovered the Empire's construction of weapons designed to oppress the Mandalorian people. She voiced her opposition to the Empire. Lacking support from her family, Sabine fled the Imperial Academy of Mandalore and later became a member of the Spectres rebel cell, a component of the broader rebellion against the Empire.
Sabine's actions negatively impacted her family's standing with Viceroy Saxon. As a consequence, Saxon imprisoned Sabine's father on Mandalore, holding him as a hostage. Furthermore, he forced Sabine's older brother, Tristan Wren, into service within his Imperial Super Commandos. [Ursa Wren](/article/ursa_wren], Sabine's mother, was permitted to continue her leadership over the Wren Stronghold on Krownest, conditional on her and her family's loyalty to Saxon. For several years, Ursa refrained from seeking out her daughter to avoid endangering her.
In 2 BBY, Saxon attempted to enlist Sabine into his service on the third moon of Concord Dawn. However, she resisted him and escaped with assistance from the Spectres and Fenn Rau, the former leader of the Protectors'. Later that year, Sabine acquired the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber, on Dathomir. Encouraged by Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and Fenn, Sabine agreed to learn how to wield the Darksaber. Her aim was to sway the Mandalorians to support the rebellion.
Sabine, accompanied by her fellow Spectres Kanan, Ezra Bridger, and Chopper, along with Fenn Rau, journeyed to the snowy, forested planet of Krownest aboard the Phantom II shuttle. As they entered Krownest's atmosphere, Sabine attempted to contact her family but discovered her communications were being jammed. The Phantom II was attacked by a squadron of Clan Wren warriors led by Sabine's brother, Tristan. Tristan's warriors damaged the Phantom II's main thrusters, forcing Sabine to crash-land the shuttle on the snow.
After landing, Sabine, along with Ezra and Kanan, went to greet the Mandalorians, while Fenn hid inside the ship with Chopper. Shortly after, Tristan and his men arrived. A brief firefight broke out when Ezra ignited his green lightsaber. However, Tristan ordered a ceasefire after recognizing Sabine's voice. After exchanging greetings, Tristan escorted the visitors to the Wren stronghold, where Ursa Wren was waiting.
Ursa was initially displeased to see her daughter Sabine and ordered her warriors to detain the visitors. However, Sabine convinced her mother that they needed to talk and showed her the Darksaber. Ursa reluctantly agreed to grant Sabine and the Jedi an audience but ordered them to surrender their weapons. Once inside, Ursa briefed her daughter about the gravity of her past actions and stressed the importance of preserving Clan Wren. Following an argument about the Protectors, Ursa summoned her daughter for a private meeting.
In private, Ursa chastised Sabine for endangering her father and their family's fortunes. She also questioned Sabine's claim to the Darksaber because she had not taken it from Maul by besting him in combat. Ursa also refused her daughter's request to aid the rebellion, fearing the retribution of the Empire. Sabine in return criticized her mother for siding with the Empire and Saxon and putting politics above family. The conversation was interrupted by a hologram meeting between Ursa and Viceroy Saxon. While Ursa conferred with Saxon, Sabine and her brother Tristan sparred for recreation.
In private, Viceroy Saxon informed Ursa that he would be coming to apprehend the Jedi Kanan and Ezra. He also promised to "take care" of Ursa's family. Unknown to Ursa and Saxon, they were being spied upon by Fenn Rau, who subsequently recovered Kanan and Ezra's weapons. Kanan then requested an audience with Ursa Wren to discuss a possible alliance between Clan Wren and the rebellion. Fearing trouble with Saxon and the Empire, she turned down Kanan's requests. Ursa was even more troubled to learn from Ezra that Sabine had fought with Saxon earlier. She then apologized for having to turn them over to Saxon.
Shortly later, Saxon arrived with his Super Commandos and proceeded to take Kanan and Ezra into custody. Sabine tried to intervene Saxon revealed that Ursa had made a bargain with him in order to protect Sabine. Ursa then demanded that Saxon uphold his side of the bargain but the Viceroy decided to exterminate Clan Wren for consorting with the enemy. Before Saxon could order his men to attack the Wrens, Fenn Rau burst into the throneroom with his jetpack and threw the lightsabers to their Jedi owners.
A battle ensued and the Wrens managed to defeat Saxon's Super Commandos with the help of the Jedi and Fenn. Sabine then took on Saxon in a lightsaber duel. After blasting their way out of the stronghold, the two landed on a nearby ice lake and parried with their blades. Sabine borrowed Ezra's lightsaber while Saxon wielded the Darksaber. During the fight, Saxon flew his jetpack and attempted to shoot Sabine. Sabine deflected his blows with her Personal Combat Shield and managed to damage his jetpack, forcing Saxon to fight on the ground.
After parrying with their blades for a second round, Sabine managed to knock the Darksaber out of his hand. She then held the Darksaber and Ezra's lightsaber above Saxon's neck and demanded that he yield. Refusing to surrender to Sabine, Saxon demanded that she execute him per the Mandalorian tradition. However, Sabine refused to strike him down since she no longer believed in striking down unarmed opponents. Saxon then tried to shoot her but Ursa shot Saxon in the chest, killing the Viceroy.
The Krownest mission achieved its goal of helping Sabine begin to mend her relationships with her estranged mother, Ursa, and brother, Tristan. While Sabine chose to remain with her family to assist in reunifying the Mandalorians, the rebellion gained Clan Wren as a potential ally. Fenn Rau also decided to stay with his Mandalorian brethren to support Sabine and Clan Wren. Meanwhile, the other Spectres departed Krownest on the Phantom II. Gar Saxon's death created a power vacuum within Mandalorian society. Sabine and Fenn hoped to reunify the Mandalorians and align them with the rebellion. However, Sabine felt she wasn't the leader Mandalore needed and pledged to help find Mandalore's true leader. Following the death of Gar Saxon's brother and successor, Tiber Saxon, Sabine passed the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze.
The Krownest skirmish serves as the central plot point in the Star Wars Rebels episode "Legacy of Mandalore," which premiered on Disney XD on February 18, 2017.