Rebel Assault " Rebel Assault " is the ninth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series " Star Wars Rebels " . The episode premiered on Disney XD on November 13 , 2017 . It is also the sixty - eighth episode of the series overall . Official description . " Hera leads the rebel attack on the Imperial blockade at Lothal , with Grand Admiral Thrawn determined to stop her . " Plot summary . Strike . On board an " Arquitens " - class cruiser above the planet Lothal , part of the Imperial blockade in orbit , an officer reports to the cruiser ' s captain that they have detected something coming out of hyperspace . A squadron of T - 65B X - wing starfighter s appears , led by General Hera Syndulla and her astromech droid Chopper . Hera orders her pilots to stay with their wingmate s , as they need to protect the slower Y - wings . Cleat says that the Imperials have numbers , but they have talent , and Mart Mattin responds that that goes double for him . Chopper beeps that it ' s triple for him , prompting Hera to sigh in exasperation . She orders her squadron to lock their S - foils in attack position . On the bridge of the Star Destroyer " Chimaera " , Grand Admiral Thrawn , entering the bridge , states that the Rebels have finally come to Lothal . Commander Woldar informs the Grand Admiral that they are counting 24 ships . Thrawn orders fighters launched , and tells his best pilot , Vult Skerris , that the Rebels must not be allowed to reach the planet ' s surface . As the TIE fighters are launched , Hera tells her pilots to accelerate to attack speed , and the fighting begins . Down below , as a siren wails , the Spectres Ezra Bridger , Sabine Wren , Garazeb Orrelios and Kanan Jarrus plant explosives on the turrets of the air defenses installed to protect the Imperial Armory Complex . Zeb asks Sabine if she ' s sure that the explosives are powerful enough , and when she responds yes , he says that the towers are much larger up close . As the Rebels hide from a watching stormtrooper , Ezra contacts Ryder Azadi , who reports that his team is done planting their explosives , and says he ' ll meet them at the rendezvous . Ezra responds that they only have one tower left , and they sign off . Sabine notes that Hera will be there any minute . Up above , the X - wings shoot down many TIE fighters . Hera tells Mart , Phoenix Two , to handle a wingman , and he shoots down another TIE , which crashes into a light cruiser . She compliments him on his shot , before ordering Phoenix Four and Five , Cleat and Duke , to thin out the Imperials . Cleat confirms the orders , before she and her wingmate attack . She tells Duke to keep up , and he responds that he ' s trying . As the two pilots shoot down TIEs , Vult Skerris enters the fray in his gold - striped TIE / D Defender Elite . He tells his two wingmen to stay on him and comes in behind Duke . Cleat warns him that he ' s picked up three more , but Duke is swiftly shot down by Skerris . He then pursues Cleat and fires on her , taking out one of her engines . She reports that she ' s lost control , and Hera responds , telling Cleat to scissor right so she can cut them off . As Phoenix Four flees , Skerris shoots her down , and Hera attacks him , taking out both of his wingmen . As she flies past , Skerris realizes who she is based on the piloting skill and pursues . The turrets on Lothal begin firing , just as Zeb places the last explosives on the tower . Ezra , Sabine and Kanan pull up on speeder bike s , and upon getting confirmation that Zeb is done , Ezra tells him to hop on . Zeb responds by telling Ezra that that ' s not how this works , before yanking him out of the driver ' s seat and putting him on the back of the bike , and sitting in the seat himself . The Rebels escape , and Sabine presses a detonator , setting off the explosives and causing the towers to neatly collapse in on themselves . Governor Arihnda Pryce reports to Thrawn via hologram that her air defenses have been destroyed , and he states that it is an impressive but not unexpected level of coordination . Pryce responds that the factory is vulnerable , but Thrawn is unconcerned , stating that none of the Rebel ships will get past his blockade . Amid the space battle , Skerris pursues Hera , but is unable to land a hit . She bemoans that he is too fast , before getting an idea and telling Chopper to hang on . Hera leads the Imperial ace towards the " Chimaera " , causing Skerris to wonder where she is going . Thrawn is alerted to an X - wing approaching on an attack vector , and orders Skerris to break off . He refuses , responding that he almost has Hera in his sights . Thrawn remarks that it is unfortunate , before ordering his gunners to open fire . A subordinate expresses concern about Skerris , and Thrawn responds that the Commander is playing into Hera ' s hands before repeating the order . The " Chimaera " guns fire , bringing down both Hera and Skerris ' shields . Hera tells Chopper to tighten his bolts , before heading in . Thrawn approaches the windows and sees Hera and Skerris fly past . Hera fires upon the " Chimaera " scanning array , creating a cloud of smoke , and she closes her attack foils and flies through . Skerris loses track of her in the smoke and , due to his fighter ' s larger profile , is forced to fly around the scanning array . Hera turns her fighter around , and when Skerris appears , she fires upon him , catching him by surprise , and takes off two of his Elite ' s wings . Skerris spirals out of control , screaming , and his fighter crashes into a light cruiser . Mart , watching , is impressed and congratulates Hera . The cruiser ' s magazine is damaged by the strike , and it begins to explode and veer out of control . It crashes into a Star Destroyer , shearing off the bridge superstructure . Hera orders her fighters to make for the opening , and the Rebels race for Lothal . Crash . Thrawn , when informed by Commander Woldar of the situation , notes that it is regrettable , but " a testament to Captain Syndulla ' s skill as a combat pilot " . He orders the second wave of TIE fighters contacted , to intercept the Rebels . As Hera and her pilots enter the clouds in Lothal ' s atmosphere , Mart informs her that he is detecting enemy fighters . They are shortly attacked by a large number of TIEs , already firing their cannons . Outside Lothal City , the Spectres rendezvous with Ryder and Jai Kell , and Ezra says that they should be seeing Hera ' s force any minute now . They see trails descending on the city , which then begin to explode . Zeb asks what those are , as Ezra and Sabine look through electrobinoculars to see the Rebel fighters being shot down and destroyed . Ezra , shocked , asks about it as Sabine , horrified , confirms that it ' s the entire attack force . Thrawn is informed that the entire attack force was destroyed , but several Rebel fighters managed to crash - land in the city , including that of the Flight Leader , but the factories are undamaged . He sends out his assassin , Rukh , to capture any surviving pilots alive , with a particular emphasis on Captain Syndulla . On the burned plains , Sabine sees Imperial gunships incoming , and Kanan tries to contact Hera on his comlink . Ryder insists that they have to go before they are seen , and the Rebels reluctantly turn to leave . Kanan is the most reluctant , as he wants to go rescue Hera . Ezra promises him that they " will " find Hera , and the Rebels depart . Hera ' s fighter has crashed in an alleyway , and is on fire . Chopper attempts to wake the unconscious Hera up , eventually exiting the astromech socket and opening up the X - wing ' s canopy to revive her . She clambers out , but is injured and disoriented . Several civilians approach , and a woman warns Hera that Imperial forces are coming , advising her to cut through the market and head for the east gate . When several gunships approach , the civilians flee , and Hera hides from the spotlights . Once the transports turn away , Hera asks Chopper to try and contact Kanan and Ezra , but his transmitter was damaged in the crash . The two flee into the city . Pursuit . On the highway , the other Spectres , Ryder and Jai head away from the capital on their speeder bikes . Kanan , bringing up the rear , brakes and comes to a halt , prompting the others to stop as well . He says that he has to go back , and that he has to do this . Ezra responds that he understands , and says they ' ll see him back at base . As Kanan departs , Sabine expresses her disapproval , suggesting that they should also go and find Hera , and Ezra responds that Kanan will find her . The Rebels head off for their base . At the Imperial complex , Governor Pryce meets Rukh , who has captured one Rebel pilot , and coolly congratulates him . She orders the pilot taken away for interrogation , and is then informed that the Rebel Flight Leader ' s starfighter has been located , but the pilot and astromech are missing . Knowing that Hera is the pilot they are searching for , Pryce orders the district locked down and torn apart , building by building , until she is found . In the dark city streets , Hera and Chopper happen upon an Imperial blockade . Hera tells Chopper that if they move fast , they can get past before reinforcements arrive . Before they can do anything , however , Chopper alerts Hera to a distress beacon coming from another astromech . Following it , they find the crash site of another Rebel starfighter . Stormtrooper s confront the pilot , Mart , who is injured and being defended by his droid , R3 - A3 . The stormtroopers attempt to capture R3 , as they need his memory banks , and one snaps to just immobilize him . R3 is shot and deactivated , to Mart ' s horror . Hera , watching , tells Chopper to wait , and ambushes the driver of a nearby troop transport . As she drives up , Mart sees her at the controls , but the troopers don ' t , and wonder what the driver is doing . This gives Mart an opening to knock down one of the troopers and steal a blaster , which he uses to shoot another . The third trooper is run over by Hera , who asks Mart if he ' s okay . He responds that he ' s at least in one piece , and Hera comes over to inspect R3 . The stormtrooper Mart knocked down comes to and attempts to attack , but is taken out by Chopper from behind . Hera asks Mart if it ' s okay to remove the transmitter from the downed R3 , to replace Chopper ' s broken one , as there is no other way to get out of their situation . He gives her permission , stating that R3 would want to be able to help other Rebels , and Hera gets to work as Mart stands guard . Elsewhere , Rukh , prowling through the city , finds a scent , and sets off . At the crash site , Hera , finished replacing Chopper ' s transmitter , asks him if it works . He tries to send a signal , but the Empire is jamming everything . Hera tells him he ' ll just have to try again once they get out of the city . At this point , the Rebel trio is fired upon by Rukh . Hera tells Mart and Chopper to run before shooting back , and the three Rebels flee with the assassin in pursuit . Mart asks Hera where they are going , and she tells Chopper to scan for the nearest sewer hatch . Once he finds the direction , Chopper leads the way through the city streets . Rukh pursues them over the rooftops . In a narrow street , Mart sees the assassin on the roofs , and shoots at him . Rukh swiftly descends to street level and attacks , quickly disarming Mart and kicking him into Hera . The assassin then fights Hera hand - to - hand , and she eventually manages to disarm him of his electrostaff . He knocks her to the ground shortly after , just as Mart comes to . Rukh reclaims his staff and activates it , raising it over Hera , only to be shocked by Chopper from behind . As Mart shoots at him , Rukh retreats to the rooftop . Mart helps Hera up , and the Rebels set off again . Interruptions . Kanan , on his speeder bike , approaches Lothal City on the highway at high speed . As he approaches , he senses a Loth - wolf standing in the road , and is forced to brake , only for the creature to vanish as he does so . Kanan is thrown off his bike , tumbling a bit before he comes to a stop . As he gets to his feet , the lights along the road begin to go out . Kanan in anger shouts for the wolf , demanding to know where it is , before making it clear that he does not have time for diversions like this as he walks back to his bike . He says that if the wolves want to help , that ' s fine , but as he grabs the handlebars of his bike he demands that they otherwise stay out of his way . Kanan turns to find the wolf sitting in front of him , and lets go of his bike , startled , as the creature growls . He asks it what it wants , and the wolf says " Dume " — Kanan ' s original name — as the two other wolves approach from behind . Kanan , removing his visor , says that he understands , and asks what he has to do . In Lothal City , Hera and Mart follow Chopper through the streets . Hera asks the droid where the sewer hatch is , and Chopper looks around the corner to discover it is guarded by stormtroopers and an AT - DP . The walker is standing directly on the hatch , and Hera sarcastically expresses frustration . Mart asks if they have any other options , and Hera responds that there is no time as Imperial forces are closing in . She says that they are going to have to get the walker to move , and spots a landspeeder parked in the street . Hera asks Mart if he ' s good at distractions , and when he expresses confusion , she says that he is now . Mart , carrying his stolen blaster , walks out into view of the stormtroopers guarding the hatch . He says that he heard they were looking for Rebel pilots , and announces that they ' ve found one . A trooper tells him not to move , and Mart shoots one of the troopers . As the Imperials return fire , Mart shoots back while running for cover . The other stormtrooper , LS - 757 , reports the rebel activity , before he and the AT - DP pursue . Hera , in a nearby street , orders Chopper to get the hatch open . The droid flies down from the roof and plugs into the port at the sewer hatch , as Hera takes the controls of the parked landspeeder . Mart hides among several large crates as the walker moves past , and the stormtrooper looks behind them . When he ' s not looking , Mart jumps him from behind and takes him out after a brief struggle . The walker begins to turn around , and Mart shoots at it . As he does , Hera approaches in the speeder and rams the walker , knocking it over . The speeder is destroyed by the collapsing walker , and Hera climbs on top of it . As the walker ' s hatch opens , Hera tells Mart to go , promising to catch up . When the AT - DP ' s driver emerges , Hera stuns him . As Mart arrives at the sewer hatch , Chopper opens it , and Mart climbs in . Hera runs toward the hatch , but as she does , Rukh approaches across the rooftops . The assassin jumps down and approaches Hera from behind , and Mart shouts a warning . Rukh jumps Hera and knocks her down , but she kicks him off . The two fight , and Hera is knocked down . Mart , watching , makes to intervene , but two hovertanks arrive , cutting off Hera from the hatch . Hera sees the tanks ' arrival , and orders Mart and Chopper to go . Mart salutes and heads down the ladder , but Chopper is reluctant , hovering in the opening . A gunship arrives , and Hera retrieves her blaster from the ground , yelling at Chopper to leave before shooting the astromech socket controlling the hatch . Chopper is forced to descend before the door closes , as stormtroopers approach . Rukh disarms Hera , before shoving her to her knees and holding his electrostaff to her back . A gunship arrives , and Governor Pryce disembarks . Hera stands , and tells Pryce that she ' s wanted to meet her . Pryce disdainfully comments on Hera ' s " small victory " before stunning her , and Hera falls to the ground , unconscious . In the sewers , Mart and Chopper follow the starbird s to a hatch , and Mart bangs on it . He hopes that it isn ' t locked . The hatch opens to reveal Kanan , who helps Mart and Chopper out . Chopper beeps , and Kanan responds that he knows she did . Mart apologizes to Kanan for not saving Hera . Kanan tells Mart that there was nothing else he could have done to help Hera , but that there is something Kanan can do . The three Rebels set off on Kanan ' s speeder bike , and a Loth - wolf watches them go .