Empire Day(episode)
"Empire Day"
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- "Today is Empire Day, celebrating the fifteenth anniversary of the galaxy's salvation, when our great Emperor Palpatine ended the Clone Wars and founded our glorious Empire."
- ―Imperial Holonet anchorman Alton Kastle[5]
"Empire Day" is the eighth episode of thefirst season of the animated television seriesStar Wars Rebels. It is the eighth episode of the series overall.[2]
The episode was written byHenry Gilroy and directed bySteven G. Lee. The episode was released on demand on WatchDisneyXD.com onNovember 10,2014 and premiered onDisney XD onNovember 17.
In the first of a 2-part event, theGalactic Empire celebratesEmpire Day for the fifteenth anniversary of theEmperor's rise to power. Therebels take advantage of this day and destroy anexperimental new TIE fighter, leading the Imperials to hunt for them once again. While on the run, they discover aRodian technician namedTseebo who knows vital information about the Empire—and the fate ofEzra Bridger's parents.
Official description[]
Ezra struggles with unanswered questions from the past on Empire Day -- his birthday -- while theGhost crew uncovers key Imperial intel.
Plot summary[]
Master and apprentice[]
The rebels visited the town of Jhothal.
In theLothalian town ofJhothal,Hera Syndulla,Sabine Wren, andGarazeb Orrelios walk toOld Jho's Pit Stop. Meanwhile, theJediKanan Jarrus gives hisapprenticeEzra Bridger a lesson on connecting with other beings in a nearby field. At Kanan's prompting, Ezra tells Kanan to throw a rock into the tall blades of grass which startles aloth-cat. Ezra tries to connect with the creature but it is hostile. Frustrated, Ezra toys with killing the loth-cat withKanan Jarrus' lightsaber.
Kanan reminds Ezra that the purpose of this lesson is to teach him that he is not alone but is connected to every living being in the universe. To discover that, Kanan says that Ezra must let go of his past and lower his guard; something the boy refuses to do. When Ezra says that he might never become a Jedi, Kanan asks him what is wrong. Ezra tells him that he is uneasy aboutEmpire Day. The loth-cat growls upon hearing that just as threeTIE fighters to a fly-over. Kanan and Ezra head back to Jhotal.
Old Jho's Pit Stop[]
Old Jho's Pit Stop
The three TIE fighters land in Jhothal while Kanan and Ezra head into Old Jho's Pit Stop, which is run by theIthorian"Old" Jho. ThreeTIE fighter pilots enter thecantina. Kanan cautions his apprentice not to fight. One of the TIE pilots gazes at Hera and Zeb but his colleagues call him as they search aRodian patron. The TIE pilots are looking for a Rodian fugitive whom Ezra recognizes asTseebo, a former family friend. The TIE pilots determine that the Rodian is not Tseebo and leave him alone. One of the Imperial pilots confronts Old Jho and demands that his cantina play theImperial HoloNews broadcasts all the time.
Jho reluctantly complies. The Imperial broadcasterAlton Kastle announces that today is the fifteenth anniversary of Empire Day, which commemorates the day thatEmperorPalpatine ended theClone Wars and created theGalactic Empire. He reports thatGovernorPryce has commissioned a parade inCapital City. However, the Imperial broadcast is interrupted by the self-proclaimed "Senator in Exile"Gall Trayvis, who implores the population to boycott the celebrations. After haggling with Jho, the TIE pilots leave.
Old Jho tells Kanan that the Imperials have locked down thespaceport and imposed a full planetary blockade. Sabine is relieved that the Empire is not after them for once. Kanan hints to their plan to disrupt the Empire Day celebrations. Ezra wants to be left alone and wonders why the Empire is looking for Tseebo. Ezra enters his old flat atLothalNet comm tower E-272 and touches akeycard. He experiences aForce vision of his parents talking about standing up to the Empire. Ezra realizes where Tseebo is.
Gatecrashing Empire Day[]
The Spectres blew up a prototype TIE fighter.
That night, the Imperials stage a parade ofImperial Troop Transports andAT-DP walkers through the streets of Capital City.MinisterMaketh Tua andCommandantCumberlayne Aresko have been placed in charge of organizing the festivities. Tua reacts angrily to Commandant Aresko describing the parade as a "spectacle." Minister Tua informs the crowd via ahologram that Governor Pryce is attending the festivities inCoruscant. Imperial ace pilotBaronValen Rudor is also present.TaskmasterMyles Grint tries to cheer up severalUgnaughts whileImperial Security BureauAgentKallus searches for Tseebo.
TheSpectres mingle among the crowd while Minister Tua presentsSienar Laboratory's newTIE Advanced v1, which Baron Rudor would be flying as part of the celebration. Hera and Kanan chat about their plot to blow up thestarfighter. Sabine and Zeb distract the crowd by hurling fireworks into the sky. Minister Tua mistakes them for Commandant Aresko's handiwork. Kanan sneaks under the TIE Advanced v1 to plant explosives. While sneaking away, he is spotted by astormtrooper but feints drunkenness. Ezra pretends to be Kanan's son and leads his "dad" away.
When Kanan asks where he has been, Ezra says he has been "making some connections." Kanan tells Ezra to watch just as the TIE Advanced v1's platform explodes, crippling the fighter. Minister Tua is furuous while the Spectres take advantage of the chaos to flee. Zeb toys with settling scores with Agent Kallus but Kanan tells him to take outthe Grand Inquisitor. Zeb fires hisbo-rifle but it misses and hits the wrecked TIE Advanced v1, incinerating the wreckage. The rebels flee before the Grand Inquisitor can spot them.
Kanan contacts Hera to arrange their rendezvous but Hera reports back that the Empire has blocked the streets. Ezra leads them to hisformer family household while Zeb makes arrangement to rendezvous with Hera in the market. Kanan and the rest head to Ezra's place and make arrangements to give Hera their new rendezvous coordinates. Meanwhile, Agent Kallus demands schematics of the city's sewer systems while the Grand Inquisitor issues orders to lock down Capital City. A furious Minister Tua demands that the rebels be punished. However, Kallus responds that their priority is the Rodian, Tseebo.
Facing the past[]
Tseebo, an old friend of Ezra's parents
Later that night, Ezra and the others reach the old Bridger household, which the Empire has designated off-limits. Kanan realizes that this used to be Ezra's home. Ezra finds a fearful Tseebo hiding in the basement. Tseebo mumbles while Ezra introduces Tseebo to Kanan. Sabine realizes that the Imperials have fitted Tseebo with anAJ^6 cyborg construct. Sabine explains that low-level workers are increasingly having their personalities sacrificed for productivity. Ezra explains that Tseebo went to work for theImperial Information Office after the Empire took his parents away. Ezra adds that he has been living on his own since the age of seven.
When Tseebo mumbles, Sabine explains that Tseebo is detailing Imperial fighter deployments on Lothal. Kanan realizes that Tseebo has information the Empire doesn't want to get out. Sabine tries to access the information while an upset Ezra heads downstairs. Tseebo says that Ezra is the son ofEphraim andMira Bridger and was born fifteen years ago to thisday. Sabine realizes that Empire Day falls on Ezra's birthday. Ezra touches aholodisk from aholotransmitter and experiences a flashback of Tseebo imploring Ezra's father not to put his son at risk. Mira says they are fighting for Ezra's freedom but Tseebo believes that the war cannot be won.
Sabine finds Ezra in the basement and he tells her that his folks used to make underground broadcasts urging the people of Lothal to resist the Empire. Ezra is still upset. Sabine manages to use Ezra's parents' tools to activate Tseebo'sholo-emitter, which starts to display classified Imperial information including Imperial specs on the new TIEs andwalkers, schedules of troop movements, tactics, strategies, and a five year plan for Lothal and every other world in theOuter Rim. Ezra remarks that the information is causing Tseebo's brain to shorten out. Kanan realizes that they need to smuggle Tseebo off-world due to the secrets inside his head. Sabine adds that the Empire has now deployed forces to look for Tseebo.
Escaping with Tseebo[]
Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint manned the roadblock.
Outside the Bridger household, anImperial combat driver orders men to do a door-to-door search. Sabine ambushes twostormtroopers, shooting one and knocking out the other with her fist. Kanan forces his way inside an Imperial Troop Transport and tosses the driver out. Ezra leads a disoriented Tseebo aboard the Troop Transport. Later, Commandant Aresko and Taskmaster Grint are commanding a roadblock at the main gate leading to the southern highway. Agent Kallus orders Aresko not to let anything through. Sabine drives the Troop Transport towards the Imperial roadblock.
Commandant Aresko orders his men and the AT-DP walkers to open fire on the hijacked transport. One of the walkers tries to crush the rebels' transport but Sabine ploughs through Aresko's transport, overturning the walker and wrecking the transport. The rebels flee on the highway with Kallus' Troop Transport and two614-AvA speeder bikes in hot pursuit. Viacomlink, Kallus informs theGrand Inquisitor that the rebels have broken through the main gate and are heading south. The Grand Inquisitor and two TIE fighter pilots climb into a waiting TIE Advanced v1 and two TIE fighters.
Back on the southern highway, one of the Imperial combat drivers uses a grenade to blow open the left door of the Spectres' Troop Transport. The combat driver attacks Ezra but Kanan fights back. The man throws Kanan to the floor and tries to apprehend Tseebo. However, Kanan usesthe Force to hurl the driver at the the second combat driver, knocking out the second bike.
The Spectres escaped aboard theGhost.
Kallus orders his drivers to get him closer to the hijacked Troop Transport, and climbs on top of his Troop Transport and leaps onto the hijacked vehicle. Kallus' transport shoots at theGhost when it appears, but Chopper uses the ship's rearcannons to shoot at the pursuing Troop Transport, overturning it. Zeb opens theentry ramp and shoots Kallus off the transport. Kallus manages to cling to the back of the transport and attempts to shoot the rebels as they transfer Tseebo and themselves onto the Ghost. The rebels escape and Kallus, via comlink, informs the Grand Inquisitor that Tseebo is aboard theGhost.
Into space[]
After extracting Kanan and his group, theGhost flies into the skies of Lothal but are pursued by the Grand Inquisitor and his TIE escorts. While manning the rear cannon, Chopper is struck by a blast and knocked out. Zeb rushes to man the rear gun. Before Sabine can head to the nose gun, Tseebo tells Ezra and Sabine that he knows what happened to Ezra's parents. The screen then pans out with the message "TO BE CONTINUED...", setting the stage for the events of Part 2, "Gathering Forces."
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Sources[]
"Launch Pad" —Star Wars Insider 153- An 'Empire Day' to Remember onStarWars.com(backup link)
- "Empire Day" Episode Guide | Star Wars Rebels onStarWars.com(backup link)
- "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" —Star Wars Insider 156(reprinted in Special Edition 2016)
- Beat the Tatooine Heat with StarWars.com's Summer Viewing Guide onStarWars.com(backup link)
- Secrets from the Set ofAndor Season 2: Week 1 Trivia onStarWars.com(backup link)
Notes and references[]
External links[]
- "Empire Day" on theAurebesh Wiki
