Recently apprehended Imperial sympathizer (and ally of the missing Grand Admiral Thrawn), Morgan Elsbeth, is being transported back to the New Republic for trial. Unexpectedly, a shuttle of former Imperial design drops out of hyperspace. Its occupants identify themselves as Jedi and claim they are here to see the prisoner. The captain of the New Republic transport, skeptical, welcomes the “Jedi” aboard with a full security contingent. While his two visitors prove not to be Jedi, they are still well versed in the ways of the Force; they draw lightsabers, kill the captain, and make quick work of his security detail. They eventually accomplish their goal: freeing Morgan Elsbeth and escaping.
The former Jedi apprentice who captured Elsbeth in the first place, Ahsoka Tano, investigates the ruins of a temple, following up on information Elsbeth gave her under interrogation. She cautiously activates a series of puzzle-like pedestals until she finds what she has been looking for: a star map that will supposedly lead her to the whereabouts of exile Imperial Grand Admiral Thrawn. Though most in the New Republic believe Thrawn fell in the final battle to free Lothal, Ahsoka has run across rumors that he still lives and may be trying to rebuild his power base, and ultimately reconstitute the Empire. Ahsoka’s rendezvous with the Republic cruiser reunited her with General Hera Syndulla. When told that the map has been found, Hera’s thoughts turn immeidately to finding their lost comrade, Jedi apprentice Ezra Bridger. She also recommends that Ahsoka find Sabine Wren, another former Rebel, because she’ll need backup if she’s now hunting down Thrawn, Elsbeth, and two Force-wielders trained in the use of the dark side. But Sabine doesn’t want to be found. She has set up shop in Ezra’s abandoned home in a communication tower on Lothal, having begun training in the ways of the Jedi under Ahsoka, but never finished that training. Ahsoka needs Sabine’s more artistic eye to help decode the locked map to Thrawn, and against Ahsoka’s express instructions, Sabine takes the map and returns home with it. This leaves her without protection when Elsbeth’s Force-wielding enforcers track her down.
written by Dave Filoni
directed by Dave Filoni
music by Kevin Kiner
additional music by Sean Kiner, Deana Kiner, and David G. Russell
“Igyah Kah” written by Kevin Kiner, Ludwig Goransson, Deana Kiner and Noah Gorelick / vocals by Sarah Tudzin
Cast: Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka Tano), Natasha Liu Bordizzo (Sabine Wren), Mary Elizabeth Winstead (General Hera Syndulla), Ray Stevenson (Baylan Skoll), Ivanna Sakhno (Shin Hati), Diana Lee Inosanto (Morgan Elsbeth), David Tennant (Huyang), Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger), Mark Rolston (Captain Hayle), Shakira Barbera (First Office Jensen Corbyt), Clancy Brown (Governor Ryder Azadi), Matt Law (Captain Porter), Bonnie Wild (Navigator Droid), Kat Kuei Chen (Helm Officer), P.J. Johal (Comms Officer), Helen Sadler (HK Assassin Droid Leader), David W. Collins (Home One Comms Officer), Vinny Thomas (Senator Jai Kell), Michele Weaver (Lieutenant Callahan), Chris Bartlett (Navigator Droid performance artist), Paul Darnell (Marrok performance artist), Barry Lowin (Home One comms officer performance artist), Nicole Botelho (Home One power droid performance artist), Leeanna Vamp (Lothal Protocol Droid performance artist), Terri Douglas (additional voices), Robin Atkin Downes (additional voices), Michael Ralph (additional voices), Sam Witwer (additional voices), Matthew Wood (additional voices), Shelby Young (additional voices)
Notes: Perhaps more than any other live-action Star Wars series to date, Ahsoka is steeped in lore from The Clone Wars and especially Rebels, and effectively serves as the fifth season of the latter series, picking up many of its loose ends, and as with the final season of Rebels, Ahsoka also inherits the character of Grand Admiral Thrawn, originally created by author Timothy Zahn in the early ’90s trilogy of post-original-trilogy novels still held dear by many Star Wars fans of a certain age. Ahsoka’s apprehension of Morgan Elsbeth and her quest to find Grand Admiral Thrawn were first seen in The Mandalorian (The Jedi, 2020), as was Ahsoka’s reluctance to take on an apprentice of her own. Returning actors from the various animated series include David Tennant, who voiced Huyang in the fifth season of The Clone Wars, and Clancy Brown, now playing his Rebels character of Governor Ryder Azadi in live action. Lars Mikkelsen, who voiced Thrawn in Rebels, plays that character in live action here as well, though he does not appear in the first episode. There are also some
familiar names credited as “additional voices”.
Irish-born actor Ray Stevenson, who plays Baylan Skoll, died in 2023 prior to the premiere of the series; the episode is dedicated to his memory.
LogBook entry by Earl Green