- "I'm one with the Force. One with the Force. One with the Force."
- ―Ezra Bridger
"Gathering Forces" is the ninth episode and winter finale of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels. It is the ninth episode of the series overall.[2]
The episode was written by Greg Weisman and directed by Steward Lee. "Gathering Forces" was released on WatchDisneyXD.com on November 17, 2014, and premiered on Disney XD on November 24.
Official description[]
The Inquisitor continues his pursuit of the Ghost crew, while Ezra looks to make a connection with the Force.
Plot summary[]
Fleeing the Empire[]
The Grand Inquisitor and Admiral Konstantine pursuing the Spectres
After rescuing the Rodian Tseebo, the Spectres flee aboard the Ghost into space and are pursued by multiple TIE fighters and the Grand Inquisitor's TIE Advanced v1 starfighter. During the pursuit, Ezra Bridger and Sabine Wren grapple with Tseebo's revelation that he knew the fate of Ezra's parents. When pressed by Ezra to confirm whether his parents were dead, Tseebo pleads for Ezra to forgive him for not protecting his parents. Angered by Tseebo's role in his parents' disappearance, Ezra refuses to forgive the Rodian.
With Chopper temporarily incapacitated, Hera Syndulla summons Ezra to repair the Ghost's navigation computer. As Ezra struggles to repair it, Tseebo enters the cockpit and directly signals the hyperspace coordinates to the ship's computer, causing the Ghost to jump into hyperspace. Unknown to the Lothal rebel band, the Inquisitor had succeeded in implanting an XX-23 S-thread tracker onto the Ghost's attached auxiliary ship, the Phantom. Aboard the Imperial Star Destroyer Relentless, the Inquisitor informs Admiral Kassius Konstantine about his intention to use the tracker to track down the Ghost.
Hard decisions[]
Ezra and Kanan depart on the Phantom to lead the Empire away from Tseebo
While traveling through hyperspace, the Lothal rebel band discuss how to handle Tseebo. Due to his bitterness towards Tseebo for his role in his parents' disappearance, Ezra is unwilling to help Tseebo, instead commenting that he didn't know what to do nor did he care. Ezra's remarks prompt his master Kanan Jarrus to warn Ezra that he would never advance as a Jedi if he could not be honest with himself. Tseebo then abruptly interrupts the meeting to announce that the Imperials were tracking the Ghost. Tseebo uses his cybernetic implants to give a holographic projection of the XX-23 S thread tracker's schematics.
Under Hera's orders, Chopper scans the Ghost and detects the trackers on the hull of the Phantom. When Hera suggests dumping the Phantom in hyperspace, Kanan responds that he and his apprentice Ezra could use the Phantom as a decoy to keep the Imperials from their true target: Tseebo. While Kanan and Ezra keep the Inquisitor busy, the other Ghost crew and Tseebo would rendezvous with the mysterious rebel agent known as Fulcrum, who would then arrange for Tseebo's welfare.
Ezra's trials[]
The Grand Inquisitor facing down Kanan and Ezra
Ezra acquiesces to Kanan's plan but is uncomfortable with Kanan's choice of destination: the asteroid base PM-1203, which is home to a species of aggressive nocturnal predators known as fyrnocks. Kanan wants his apprentice to use his Force powers to bond with the fyrnocks. After detaching from the Ghost in a dangerous move, the Phantom manages to land at PM-1203. After much difficulty, Ezra succeeds in bonding with fyrnocks after confronting his worst fear: the truth of knowing what had happened to his parents. Ezra also makes peace with his fear by forgiving Tseebo, which reverberates through the Force and is felt by the Rodian, who also apologises for betraying Ezra's parents. Having made peace with his fear and resentment, Ezra is able to bond with the fyrnocks.
Shortly later, the Inquisitor lands with a contingent of stormtroopers and proceeds to march into the base, having sensed Ezra and Kanan's presence through the Force. The Inquisitor and the stormtroopers are immediately set upon by the fyrnocks, who quickly overpower the stormtroopers. However, the Inquisitor uses the Force to hurl away the fyrnocks that try to attack him. Kanan and Ezra engage the Inquisitor in a lightsaber duel but are unable to match the lightsaber skills and Force powers of the Inquisitor. In an attempt to defend his master, Ezra taps into the Dark Side and uses it to summon the mother fyrnock to attack the Inquisitor. Ezra's actions enable him and Kanan to escape the Imperials but in the process weakens Ezra, who slips into unconsciousness.
Making peace with the past[]
Ezra's belated birthday present
Meanwhile in deep space, the Ghost has arrived at their pre-arranged rendezvous point with Fulcrum: an Alderaanian blockade runner. Prior to boarding the blockade runner, Tseebo acknowledges that he had failed Ezra's parents and tells her that he had volunteered for a cybernetic implant in order to make up for the wrong he had done. He also confides in Hera that he knows the fate of Ezra's parents. Following the events on the asteroid, Kanan explains to Ezra that he had to be careful not to let his emotions lead him to the Dark Side. Back on the Ghost, Ezra receives a holodisk from Sabine containing a holographic picture of him and his parents as a belated birthday present.
Media[]
Collected in[]
Credits[]
| Cast | Uncredited cast | Crew | Uncredited crew | Special thanks |
Cast
|
Appearances[]
| Characters | Organisms | Droid models | Events | Locations |
| Organizations and titles | Sentient species | Vehicles and vessels | Weapons and technology | Miscellanea |
Characters
|
Organisms
|
Droid models
Events
Locations
Organizations and titles
|
Sentient species
Vehicles and vessels
|
Weapons and technology
Miscellanea
|
Sources[]
"Launch Pad" — Star Wars Insider 153- "Gathering Forces" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
- "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156 (reprinted in Special Edition 2016)
Notes and references[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1
"Gathering Forces" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Star Wars Rebels on StarWars.com (backup link)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8
"Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156
- ↑ Star Wars: Timelines
- ↑ Star Wars Rebels — "Gathering Forces"
External links[]
- "Gathering Forces" on the Aurebesh Wiki
