Crawler Commandeers " Crawler Commandeers " is the eighth episode of the fourth season of the animated television series " Star Wars Rebels " . The episode premiered on Disney XD on November 6 , 2017 . It is also the sixty - seventh episode of the series overall . Official description . " In need of a long - range transmitter , the rebels look to infiltrate one of the Empire ' s massive ore crawler s . " Plot summary . Blocked signal . In the caves they recently discovered , the Lothal resistance sets up shop . Sabine Wren tinkers with an old transmitter , which she tells Ezra Bridger and Ryder Azadi was the best they could salvage . Despite her best efforts , she can ' t get the device to send a long - range transmission , and notes that the Galactic Empire is blocking all non - Imperial transmissions . Kanan Jarrus says that they need to get in contact with Hera Syndulla . Ezra agrees , stating that they have to be ready to help if an attack occurs . Ryder points out that the rebels are hiding in a few caves with only a few blasters , to which Ezra replies that they ' ve done more with less . Just then , Sabine picks up something nearby on the transmitter , and the rebels set out to inspect it . Attack plans . In the Great Temple on Yavin 4 , Hera attends a briefing with Mon Mothma , General Jan Dodonna , Erskin Semaj , and Bail Organa , attending via hologram . Dodonna explains that , after analyzing the TIE Defender Elite ' s flight data recorder , the Rebel Alliance now has a better picture of the fighter ' s capabilities . He states that they have yet to discover a weakness in its design . When Organa asks whether their ships are a match for it , Dodonna replies that in individual starfighter combat , the Alliance ' s fighters will be at a disadvantage . Hera states that if that is the case , the Rebels have to prevent it from being manufactured in the first place , meaning they must attack Lothal ' s factories . She adds that she has a team on the ground ready to assist . Mothma says that Hera has a point , and asks her and Chopper to wait outside while the Alliance leaders discuss it . The ore crawler . Back on Lothal , the Rebels , approaching on a landspeeder , discover a Mining Guild ore crawler , which Sabine notes is used to strip planetary surfaces of any useful materials to fuel the Empire ' s factories . Ezra states that he saw some of them burning the plains in the north , and is concerned that the crawlers have made it halfway across the planet . Zeb suggests that they hijack the vehicle and use it to contact Hera . Sabine , scanning it , tells him that he may be more right than he knows , as it has a long - range transmitter . Ryder brings the Spectres in behind the crawler on the speeder , and Sabine flies up on her jetpack . She spots a security droid , and alerts the others before landing . Sneaking up behind the droid , Sabine hits it with a paralyzing dart and heaves it over the guardrail . Ryder brings the speeder alongside the crawler , and Ezra , Zeb and Kanan hop aboard . As Ryder drives away , Sabine spots another droid exiting the crawler ' s interior and shoots it in the head , before flying to the top of the vehicle to await the guys , who are climbing a ladder . Entering the cockpit , they find Crawler 413 - 24 ' s captain , Seevor , oblivious to his surroundings while listening to music on a pair of headphones . The rebels walk up and surround him , and Zeb pulls off one of the earpieces , informing the Trandoshan that he also enjoys that song . Seevor is pulled out of his chair , and is enraged at what he assumes are pirate s . As he is restrained by Zeb , the captain hits a button on his wrist , which sets off an alarm and halts the crawler . Kanan tells Sabine to shut it off , and she races to the controls . As she works , Ezra pulls the device off Seevor ' s wrist and crushes it beneath his foot . Seevor shouts that the " pirates " do not know what they ' re dealing with , as he struggles in Zeb ' s grasp . The vehicle is contacted by Mining Guild headquarters , wondering why the alarm has been triggered . Sabine tries to figure out how to respond , as Kanan warns her they ' re running out of time and Seevor taunts them . Ezra is waved up to the comms and does a passable impersonation of the Trandoshan , claiming that the crawler is suffering mechanical difficulties . Seevor is insulted that that ' s what he sounds like , and Zeb smacks him . As Ezra attempts to persuade the Guild headquarters that sending a repair team is not necessary , as the crew can fix it themselves , Seevor yells in the background , attempting to be heard over the comm channel . Zeb knocks him unconscious , as the comms cut out . Unexpected reunion . Sabine discovers that the transmitter is older than she had thought , and works to get enough power to it . She discovers a signal coming from the back , in the reactor room , and Kanan and Zeb go to check . Zeb dumps the unconscious Seevor on the floor , and Kanan warns Ezra and Sabine to watch him while exiting . Kanan and Zeb head over to the processing room , and Kanan tells Zeb to check the upper level while he searches below , and jumps down . In the smoke and steam from the machinery , Kanan senses presences and reaches for his blaster . However , he quickly realizes that they are slaves , and moves his hands away from his weapons as he tells them he ' s not there to hurt them . As the slaves approach , dropping the tools they were holding as makeshift weapons , Cikatro Vizago emerges , to Kanan ' s considerable surprise . The Devaronian crime lord boastfully states that he told the other slaves that the rebels would be coming to rescue them , and that the foreman is no match for a Jedi . Kanan is startled at the mention of a foreman , at which point the individual in question , a large , powerfully - built Trandoshan , emerges and attacks the Jedi Knight with an electro - whip . He pulls out his lightsaber , and as the whip wraps around the blade , Kanan tells Vizago that he hopes so . The foreman pulls hard enough for Kanan to lose his grip on his weapon , and it clatters to the floor . In his second attack , the foreman attacks Kanan with the whip and shocks him unconscious . Before he can do anything else , Zeb , pointing his bo - rifle at the Trandoshan , growls for him not to move . In the cockpit , Sabine , still working on the transmitter , suggests to Ezra that he should check on Kanan . Ezra responds that he doesn ' t need to , just as Seevor comes to . As the captain begins issuing threats , once again , Sabine asks Ezra if he can get him to shut up . Ezra promptly locks Seevor in a closet , as the captain continues to vehemently protest the hijacking of his crawler . The foreman quickly ascends to the upper level using his whip and attacks Zeb . The large Trandoshan is a more difficult opponent for the Lasat warrior than the scrawny Seevor . Zeb attempts to strike the foreman with his rifle ' s electrostaff mode , but it is unsuccessful . Eventually , the fight heads to the outside catwalk . The foreman eventually grabs Zeb and tries to throw him off the crawler , but Zeb uses his prehensile feet to pull the foreman over , leaving both combatants dangling from the guardrail . As the fight continues , Kanan , having come to , runs outside on the lower catwalk , and Zeb tells him that he ' s up there . Kanan heads back inside to get upstairs . Eventually , the foreman gets his whip around Zeb ' s wrist and shocks him with it . Zeb withstands the shock , and eventually dislodges the foreman ' s grip from the catwalk , leaving him dangling by the handle of his whip , attached to Zeb ' s wrist . The foreman soon loses his grip on the whip handle and falls to his death . As Zeb ' s one - handed grip on the catwalk begins to slip , Kanan arrives just in time and pulls him up , commenting that the Lasat is " very " heavy . Striking a blow . On Yavin 4 , Hera is waiting outside the briefing room with Chopper . Mothma comes out and tells her that they are still debating it , as there is another concerning matter . The Empire has activated Protocol 13 , the evacuation of all Imperial personnel . Hera responds that this means the Rebels don ' t have any more time to waste . She storms into the briefing , as Organa tells her that it is private . Hera tells the Alliance leaders that this isn ' t an issue that they can afford to delay on , and that she has a team on Lothal that are ready and waiting to assist the attack . She states that this is the time to strike a blow to the Empire and remind them that the Rebellion will not surrender or give up . In response to her speech , Mothma agrees , and tells Hera that permission for the attack is granted . Complications . Vizago is somewhat disappointed that the Rebels did not come specifically to rescue him . Sabine calls everyone up to the cockpit , as she ' s spotted incoming trouble : two Imperial gunships . Ezra quickly suggests that the rebels pretend everything is business as usual , stating that the slaves should go outside and seem to be still at work . He has Zeb , who is still in possession of the foreman ' s whip , put on a spare work helmet and pretend to be the slave driver . Vizago is pressed into impersonating the captain when the Imperials call , and claims that the crawler is suffering mechanical problems , resulting in them having lost all of their clearance codes . The Imperials respond that they are still coming aboard for an inspection , and the gunships land on the top deck , where Zeb and the slaves are waiting . Several stormtrooper s enter the cockpit , forcing Vizago out of the way . As they begin to search , Vizago complains that they are interrupting Mining Guild business . Hiding in the closet with Kanan and Sabine , Ezra whispers that all they have to worry about is the captain squealing on them . Hearing this , Vizago accidentally draws the stormtroopers ' attention to the closet Seevor is locked into , and they insist on opening it , only to find it empty as the three rebels are hiding in the other closet . After the Imperials leave , it ' s revealed that Seevor managed to escape into the ventilation system . The rebels are worried about what he could do , but Sabine has finally gotten the transmitter working . When she activates it , however , they discover that power has been diverted away so it can ' t work . Seevor , tapping into the crawler ' s intercom , taunts the rebels , and they quickly discern that he ' s gone to the reactor room . Kanan and Zeb attempt to enter , but find that the door has been locked and magnetically sealed , preventing Kanan from cutting his way in . Sabine suggests that they need someone who can fit into the vents , looking at Ezra . He protests , stating that he hasn ' t crawled through the vents in a long time , but is forced to go in , coughing at the smoke inside . When Ezra reaches the engine room , he discovers that the reactors have , indeed , been deactivated , and Sabine tells him to turn them on again . As he approaches the controls , Seevor stalks him from below . Ezra senses the Trandoshan approaching him from behind as he works on the control panel , and at the last second turns and slashes at Seevor with his lightsaber . Seevor dodges , and a fight begins . As Ezra activates the reactors , Seevor attacks him again , and causes Ezra to drop his lightsaber on the floor in front of the door to the smelter , which is constantly opening and closing . Ezra is pushed back up to the guardrail , and he awaits Seevor ' s next attack . However , Seevor , failing to notice Ezra ' s lightsaber on the floor , slips on it and falls into the smelter . Ezra retrieves his weapon and smiles . Resolution . Ryder returns to the crawler in his speeder , and Kanan asks him if he ' s become a believer . Sabine manages to get a signal through to Rebel Command , and Ezra says they ' ll have to wait for a response . He also remarks that the crawler must belong to them now , and is relieved that some plains have been spared . The freed slaves , when asked , are happy to join the Rebellion , and Vizago decides to appoint himself permanent captain of the crawler . A signal gets through , and Hera informs the Rebels that the attack has been approved , and fighters are being prepped now . The Rebels are cheered up , and prepare to assist in the attack .