Gathering Forces

"Gathering Forces"

"Gathering Forces" is the ninth episode and winter finale of thefirst season of the animated television seriesStar Wars Rebels. It is the ninth episode of the series overall.^[2]

The episode was written byGreg Weisman and directed bySteward Lee. "Gathering Forces" was released on WatchDisneyXD.com onNovember 17,2014, and premiered onDisney XD onNovember 24.

Official description[]

The Inquisitor continues his pursuit of theGhost crew, while Ezra looks to make a connection with the Force.

Plot summary[]

Fleeing the Empire[]

After rescuing theRodianTseebo, theSpectres flee aboard theGhost into space and are pursued by multipleTIE fighters andthe Grand Inquisitor'sTIE Advanced v1starfighter. During the pursuit,Ezra Bridger andSabine 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.

WithChopper temporarily incapacitated,Hera Syndulla summons Ezra to repair theGhost'snavigation computer. As Ezra struggles to repair it, Tseebo enters the cockpit and directly signals the hyperspace coordinates to the ship's computer, causing theGhost to jump into hyperspace. Unknown to the Lothal rebel band, the Inquisitor had succeeded in implanting anXX-23 S-thread tracker onto theGhost's attached auxiliary ship, thePhantom. Aboard the ImperialStar DestroyerRelentless, the Inquisitor informsAdmiralKassius Konstantine about his intention to use the tracker to track down theGhost.

Hard decisions[]

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 masterKanan 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 theGhost. 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 theGhost and detects the trackers on the hull of thePhantom. When Hera suggests dumping thePhantom in hyperspace, Kanan responds that he and his apprentice Ezra could use thePhantom as a decoy to keep the Imperials from their true target: Tseebo. While Kanan and Ezra keep the Inquisitor busy, the otherGhost crew and Tseebo would rendezvous with the mysterious rebel agent known asFulcrum, who would then arrange for Tseebo's welfare.

Ezra's trials[]

Ezra acquiesces to Kanan's plan but is uncomfortable with Kanan's choice of destination: the asteroid basePM-1203, which is home to a species of aggressive nocturnal predators known asfyrnocks. Kanan wants his apprentice to use his Force powers to bond with the fyrnocks. After detaching from theGhost in a dangerous move, thePhantom 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 ofstormtroopers 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 theDark 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[]

Meanwhile in deep space, theGhost has arrived at their pre-arranged rendezvous point with Fulcrum: anAlderaanian 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 theGhost, Ezra receives aholodisk from Sabine containing a holographic picture of him and his parents as a belated birthday present.

Media[]

Collected in[]

• Star Wars Rebels: Complete Season One

Credits[]

This media's Credits list is incomplete. You can help Wookieepedia byexpanding it.

Appearances[]

Sources[]

• "Launch Pad" —Star Wars Insider 153
• "Gathering Forces" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels onStarWars.com(backup link)
• "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" —Star Wars Insider 156(reprinted in Special Edition 2016)

Notes and references[]

External links[]

• "Gathering Forces" on theAurebesh Wiki

Season One Shorts:1 ·2 ·3 ·4 1–2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 ·14 ·15 Season Two 1–2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 ·14 ·15 ·16 ·17 ·18 ·19 ·20 ·21–22 Season Three 1–2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12–13 ·14 ·15 ·16 ·17 ·18 ·19 ·20 ·21–22 Season Four 1–2 ·3–4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 ·12 ·13 ·14 ·15–16 Episode adaptations Rise of the Rebels ·The Rebellion Begins Droids in Distress ·Ezra's Duel with Danger ·Battle to the End Pris au Piège ·Un Nouvel Allié ·Le Choix d'Ezra ·Une Pilote Hors Pair L'avenir de la Force ·La Quête d'Ezra ·Retour aux Sources Comics Magazine strips(1 ·2 ·3) ·Animation magazine strips ·Dark Horse TPB Webcomic(1 ·2 ·3) ·Adventures 7 ·Adventures 8(Volume 3) Cinestory Comics Spark of Rebellion ·Path of the Jedi ·Maul Grand Admiral Thrawn ·Ahsoka Servants of the Empire Edge of the Galaxy ·Rebel in the Ranks Imperial Justice ·The Secret Academy Young readers Sabine's Art Attack ·Zeb to the Rescue ·Ezra and the Pilot ·A New Hero The Secret Jedi ·Hera's Phantom Flight ·Kanan's Jedi Training ·Always Bet on Chopper Storybook Library Chopper Saves the Day ·Property of Ezra Bridger ·Ezra's Wookiee Rescue ·Art Attack The Inquisitor's Trap ·TIE Fighter Trouble ·Entanglement ·Who Are the Rebels? Short stories "Rebel Bluff" · "Entanglement" · "The Machine in the Ghost" · "Her Smile" "The Heist" · "The Newcomer" · "The Trap" · "The Escape" · "The Rescue" Reference books The Art of ·The Visual Guide ·Visual Guide: Epic Battles Rebel Adventures(Meet the Rebels ·Rebel Power! ·Darth Vader, Rebel Hunter!) Beware the Inquisitor! ·Fight the Empire ·Head to Head ·Annual 2015 ·Annual 2016 Activity books Super Solve It ·Draw ·3D Activity Book ·Jumbo Coloring and Activity Book Story and Activity Book ·Rebels to the Rescue! ·Ultimate Factivity Collection Transfer Activity Book ·Look and Find Sticker books Ultimate Sticker Collection ·Rebel Adventures ·Rebels Versus Empire Secrets of the Rebels ·Deadly Battles Video games Ghost Raid ·Rebel Strike ·Team Tactics ·Recon Missions ·Roblox Event ·Club Penguin Event Strike Missions ·Special Ops ·Chopper Chase ·Imperial Heist ·Scene Maker HoloNet News 1 ·2 ·3 ·4 ·5 ·6 ·7 ·8 ·9 ·10 ·11 Other material Ezra's Gamble ·Rebel Journal by Ezra Bridger ·Sabine My Rebel Sketchbook Rebels Recon ·The Ultimate Guide ·Battle Plans from Darth Vader ·Toy line ·German audio dramas
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