Star Wars Rebels Recap: A Princess On Lothal

Elaine Tveit

In the tenth episode of season two of Star Wars Rebels, the Ghost crew are brought reinforcements by a new and royal ally.

Season 2B of Star Wars Rebels premiered last night with an episode showcasing the show’s characteristic fun, charm, and character development…and also a cameo from a familiar princess.

Leia Organa is escorting a trio of cruisers Lothal, where the Ghost crew is ready and waiting to pick them up and take them to join the rebel fleet. The problem: The Empire is not yet aware that Leia, only fifteen or sixteen years old at this time, is not a loyal Imperial citizen. When the Empire secures the cruisers, which are supposedly carrying supplies for the stricken people of Lothal, Leia and the rebels have to hatch a plan to get them released and to the fleet, without revealing Leia’s true allegiance.

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The episode begins with Ezra Bridger still in grief over his parents. In the last episode, titled “Legacy,” the former governor of Lothal, Ryder Azadi, who was imprisoned with the Bridgers for supporting them in their treasonous messages denouncing the Empire, explained to Ezra that the Bridgers were killed in a mass escape attempt. Azadi himself was able to escape and hide out on Lothal. Ezra is still brooding over this news, to the worry of Kanan and Hera.

While Kanan, Ezra, and the ever-grumpy but faithful Chopper are still with Azadi at his hideout, Hera sends a message to Kanan telling him of a new opportunity: Senator Bail Organa is sending them three cruisers to Lothal reinforce the rebel fleet. That means it’s up to the Ghost crew to pick them up.

Kanan hopes the mission will be good for Ezra. He also takes a moment to encourage Azadi to rejoin the fight against the Empire, but the former governor has had enough of prison. Finally, the master and the apprentice Jedi don their stolen stormtrooper and Imperial cadet gear, and head to the Imperial landing field. Chopper stays with Azadi and The Phantom, the dinghy-like ship which attaches to The Ghost.

Next: The Rebels Meet The Princess

When the three cruisers arrive, Ezra and Kanan discover that the leader of the escort is none other than the no-nonsense, quick-witted teenage Princess Leia Organa. Organa immediately recognizes the rebels, and tells them to put their helmets back on “and shut up.” Ezra is more than slightly annoyed by the ease with which she orders them around; but her ability to command is once again called into action when Lieutenant Lyste, formerly Task Master Lyste, grounds her cruisers with gravity locks to prevent them being stolen by the rebels.

Leia’s original plan was to have the rebels steal the cruisers, which will complete her mission but allow Alderaan’s loyalty to the Empire to remain unquestioned. But she takes the news of her ideas being dashed in stride. She orders the lieutenant to give over his shuttle to her, under the pretense of delivering supplies to the people of Lothal, and takes Kanan and Ezra along, still in their stormtrooper and cadet disguises, as “escort.”

Once they’re in the air, Leia voices her concern that her plan of having the rebels steal the cruisers was ill-conceived; she was not expecting the ships to be grounded. Kanan, however, thinks it was a good plan, but they need to come up with a new idea if they’re going to get the cruisers out of their gravity locks and past the noses of the ever-watchful Imperials.

Suddenly, Ezra receives a signal from Chopper; he and Azadi have been captured by Stormtroopers. Kanan lands the shuttle in the area where a group of stormtroopers are guarding Azadi, Chopper, and The Phantom. Still in their disguises, Kanan and Ezra, along with the Princess, head outside to talk to the Imperials, the leader of whom says they have orders to execute one of their captives (Azadi) immediately.

Fortunately, help is on the way. Hera, Sabine, and Zeb come swooping in on the Ghost, dispatch the stormtroopers, and take Kanan, Ezra, and Leia aboard as “prisoners,” leaving Leia’s facade of loyalty to the Empire intact. Chopper pilots The Phantom, and they all meet aboard The Ghost in the safe airways above the clouds.

Next: Kanan Goes Jedi On An AT-AT

Now that there’s a lull in the mission, Ezra’s feelings of grief for his parents return. Kanan tells Leia about Ezra’s parents, and how hard it is for someone so young to be a part of this fight. Leia says she knows the feeling, and goes to talk to Ezra at Kanan’s prompting. She finds Ezra looking at the holopicture of his parents, and he wonders out loud if the fight for freedom is worth it. Leia says she has those same doubts every day, but she feels like since she can fight, she has to “for those who cannot.” She adds that she thinks Ezra is the same way.

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Ezra is inspired by their conversation, and shuts down the hologram to join the others at the holotable. At the holotable, Sabine has brought up a layout of the Imperial security surrounding the landing field where the cruisers are stationed. The cruisers are guarded by two AT-ATs and a garrison of troops. The Ghost crew is at first disheartened by the prospect of facing such a massive force, but Leia once again provides inspiration for action. The rebels begin to form a plan as each of them volunteers an idea.

Azadi knows how the gravity locks work, as he helped put them together when he was still a prisoner of the Empire, so he offers to disable them. Hera will provide air support from The Ghost, while the others hold off the stormtroopers and pilot the cruisers as Azadi frees them.

Everything starts out according to plan. Leia, Kanan, and Ezra distract the stormtroopers at the landing field while Azadi, Sabine, and Chopper go to work on the gravity locks. Hera and Zeb manage to wound an AT-AT using The Ghost‘s turret lasers. Sabine and Kanan pilot the first two cruisers; but before Kanan boards his, he takes out an AT-AT’s legs with his lightsaber (incidentally, that sequence showing off Kanan’s Jedi prowess ends on an interesting riff of “Rey’s Theme” from the Star Wars: The Force Awakens soundtrack).

Leia is awestruck, and Ezra tries to amaze her further by disarming the stormtroopers about to gun down Azadi with the Force. Leia is impressed (mostly) and then uses one of the guns Ezra retrieved to shoot the remaining stormtroopers. Azadi then boards the final cruiser and uses it to take out the second AT-AT.

With the last cruiser ready to go, Leia gives Ezra permission to stun her with his lightsaber, to make it look like she was as much a victim of the rebels’ theft as her fellow Imperials. Lieutenant Lyste helps her up, and is immediately an object of the princess’s well-practiced ire. She pretends to be upset at Lothal’s lack of Imperial competence, and threatens to inform the Senate of their inadequacy. Lyste quickly offers to compensate Alderaan for the loss of the cruisers, and Leia once again demands an Imperial shuttle on which she can return to her home planet.

Meanwhile, the rebels successfully unite the cruisers with their new rebel owners. Azadi, who is still with them, informs them he has had a change of heart; he wants to return to Lothal to continue the fight against the Empire from there.

With new allies and new ships, the rebels have won another day.

Next: Take A Behind The Scenes Look At The VFX Of The Force Awakens

Check Dork Side next week for a recap of Star Wars Rebels season two, episode 11: “The Protector of Concord Dawn”!

Elaine Tveit

Hello, there! My name is Elaine, and as you can probably tell by my presence on Dork Side, I am a big fan of Star Wars. You will probably find me talking about anything and everything in that galaxy far, far away that sparks my interest, from the films to the literature to the music, and beyond. In addition to being co-editor of Dork Side of the Force, you can also find me at Culturess.com, where I am a contributor.