Ahsoka season 1 episode 3 recap: Red tape bureaucracy

This article contains major spoilers for Ahsoka Epsiode 3, “Time to Fly.”

Ahsoka Episode 3 opens with the titular character’s ship zipping through hyperspace. Inside, the droid Professor Huyang is running through lightsaber techniques with Sabine Wren. Ahsoka Tano enters the training space, wanting to try a new technique, which Huyang disagrees with.

Regardless, Ahsoka tells Sabine that she must open her mind to wield the Force. Handing Sabine a training helmet that covers her eyes, Ahsoka begins a new lesson, training Sabine to use her other senses, like her hearing, to find her opponent.

The Padawan becomes increasingly frustrated as Kevin Kiner’s inquisitive music builds with Ahsoka circling Sabine and taking little hits with their wooden practice sabers. Finally, Ahsoka takes out Sabine’s feet.

Ahsoka gazes down, saying, “Anger and frustration are quick to give power, but they also unbalance you.”

With that, they go at training again, and the episode title is revealed to be “Time to Fly.”

The episode shifts to the New Republic fleet, where Hera Syndulla prepares to meet with Chancellor Mon Mothma and several senators. One is Hamato Xiono, the father of Kazuda Xiono, a lovely Star Wars Resistance Easter egg.

Hera and Mon Mothma open with pleasantries, with Mon mentioning Hera’s son Jacen Syndulla. Senator Xiono wishes to start the meeting, and Hera summarizes the attack on the Corellia shipyards in Episode 2, “Toil and Trouble.”

Some senators blow off the Imperial activity as outliers, but when Hera mentions Grand Admiral Thrawn, the tension rises in the room. Hera wants a task force to search for proof of Thrawn. Senator Xiono thinks Hera wants to make another attempt to find Ezra Bridger.

Hera calls out Hamato for never serving in the war, declaring she fought Thrawn and knows he’s no ordinary officer. She wants to prevent another war if he returns. Mon temporarily dismisses Hera as the senators discuss. When Hera steps outside, Jacen and Chopper hurry up to greet her.

Back with Ahsoka and Sabine, the Padawan wants to hurry through her training because, well, Sabine was stabbed two episodes ago from lack of training. Sabine is frustrated she can’t use the Force like Ahsoka can. Ahsoka says it takes time because everyone has the Force inside of them, echoing what Obi-Wan Kenobi told Luke Skywalker in A New Hope. While some people have natural talent, it still takes discipline and training. She advises Sabine to start small with her work.

Ashoka settled into the cockpit with Huyang, who again repeats what he told Sabine last episode: The Mandalorian would not have been accepted by the Jedi Order. Ahsoka says she doesn’t need Sabine to be a Jedi; Sabine only needs to be herself.

Hera calls them with the bad news that the Senate did not approve their mission. The news worsens as the ship enters the Denab system, where the baddies jam all their comms.

They drop out of hyperspace and are immediately attacked by Shin Hati, the mysterious Inquisitor Marrok, and their associates. A battle breaks out as Ahsoka crams in lessons for her Padawan. But nothing is working, so Ahsoka tries a new plan:

She lets Sabine lead, telling the Master what is needed in the situation.

Master and Padawan begin to work in sync and take out the enemy ships one by one. As they circle the planet, the Eye of Sion comes into view, which is the massive ship being built by Morgan Elsbeth to retrieve Thrawn.

Shin calls to Morgan, who prepares to fire on Ahsoka. Sabine notices the baddies have broken away and runs up to the cockpit to help Ahsoka fly. It’s tense as Huyang scans the Eye of Sion for whatever data they can get.

When his scan is complete, Morgan gets a direct hit on the ship, taking out Huyang and their vessel’s ability to fly. Shin and Marrok close in as Sabine races to get up and running.

That is because Ahsoka dons a space suit and leaps out into the vacuum of space to defend the ship. Ahsoka buys Sabine just enough time to fix their vessel and fly again. Sabine gets to show off her piloting skills as they sink down into the planet’s atmosphere.

Suddenly, a pod of Purrgil emerge from the clouds, providing Sabine and Ahsoka needed cover in the dogfight with Shin and Marrok. Sabine slips away temporarily as Huyang boots back up again.

They set down on Seatos under the cover of trees to hide from Shin and Marrok. Huyang runs through the data he gathered about the Eye of Sion. The group deduces that this massive hyperspace ring could jump to other galaxies following the paths of the Purrgil, like the ones they just saw.

Meanwhile, Baylan Skoll sends his assailants to hunt down Ahsoka and Sabine in the forest, which is where the episode ends.