Iron Squadron ( episode ) " Iron Squadron " is the eighth episode of the animated television series " Star Wars Rebels " third season . It is the forty - fifth episode of the series overall . It aired on November 19 , 2016 on Disney XD . Official description . " The " Ghost " crew encounter three young rebels , while Thrawn plots a trap for his enemies . " Plot summary . Exposition . The " Ghost " and a Phoenix Cell " Sphyrna " - class corvette arrive above the planet Mykapo . Ezra Bridger asks Hera Syndulla how long the Galactic Empire has been based on Mykapo . Hera replies that Commander Jun Sato sent them to Mykapo to evacuate rebel sympathizers . Chopper is watching the conversation unfold . Kanan Jarrus says that they might be too late . Sabine Wren spots four Imperial TIE fighters pursuing a freighter above Mykapo . Ezra reports the TIEs are distracted by the freighter . Hera thinks the freighter crew are smugglers while Sabine wonders why they are not jumping into Lightspeed . Ezra thinks that the freighter crew need help . Hera sends the Hammerhead corvette down to Mykapo to evacuate civilians while she orders Phoenix Two and Phoenix Three to escort the transport . The mysterious transport then charges at the Imperial " Gozanti " - class cruiser . Ezra says they need to talk sense into the rebels . Hera contacts the YT - 2400 light freighter and tells them that they need to exit . A young male voice thanks them but declines their offer . Kanan remarks that the voice sounds like a kid and blasts several TIE fighters . Ezra shoots down several more with the turret cannon . Hera then tells the other ship that they are clear and need to run . The male voice replies negative and tells them that the Iron Squadron does not run . The freighter then drops several pieces of cargo on the Imperial cruiser , which explodes . Ezra exclaims that the Empire is retreating . Enter Iron Squadron . Hera chats with the freighter captain by com . The captain tells them that they have been fighting the Empire in Mykapo for a while and invites them aboard . Hera tells Ezra they have to first report the matter and sends Kanan and Garazeb Orrelios to assist with the evacuation of Mykapo . Before leaving , Zeb says he is glad he is leaving because it sounds like a ship full of " Ezras . " The " Phantom II " departs for Mykapo accompanied by Phoenix Two and Three . Later in the common room , Hera and Ezra contact Commander Sato with Chopper projecting a hologram recording . Sato explains that Iron Squadron was a rebel detachment that was led by his late brother , who was killed on Mykapo . Sato feared that his nephew Mart Mattin died as well after the boy never responded to his transmission . Describing Mart as a rebellious youth , he pleads with Hera and Ezra to bring his nephew safely to Atollon . The " Ghost " docks with the YT - 2400 freighter " Sato ' s Hammer " above Mykapo . Hera , Ezra , Sabine , and Chopper board the ship and are greeted by the Theelin Gooti Terez . The human Jonner Jin welcomes them aboard and takes them to meet their captain . Sabine finds the ship in a state of disarray but Gooti tells them not to touch anything since they like it that way . Sabine remarks that the ship feels like a junk pile , prompting Ezra to tell her to be nice . Chopper encounters their astromech droid R3 - A3 , who is repairing the hyperdrive . When Ezra observes that the hyperdrive doesn ' t work , Jonner replies that they don ' t need a hyperdrive . Ezra says Chopper can fix it easily . Chopper and R3 then get into a fight with Gooti and Ezra being force to pull them apart . Gooti explains that R3 has customized the ship ' s systems to his specifications . Jonner Jin leads the Spectres to the cockpit where Mart Mattin is waiting . Sabine observes that Mart only commands three crew . Ezra introduces himself and his fellow Spectres while Gooti does the same for Iron Squadron . Mart acknowledges that he is Sato ' s nephew and asks the rebels if Sato sent them to get him . Hera tells them that she and her rebels are from Phoenix Squadron and that they have come to Mykapo to help dissidents like them escape . When Jonner mockingly asks what evacuate means , Mart replies it means running away like a coward . Mart says that he and his crew make the Empire evacuate . Hera warns them that the Empire will return . Gooti breaks up the discussion to serve them waffles . Hera declines their offer of food and attempts to debrief them . Jonner replies that he is not interested in listening . Ezra tries to reason with them while Hera reminds Mart and his band that they helped them . Mart replies that they single - handed destroyed a Star Destroyer ; mistaking the " Gozanti " cruiser they destroyed for one . Hera tries to reason with Iron Squadron by telling them that they are brave but reiterates that the Empire will return to Mykapo . Mart replies that they are not going to let the Empire take their world . Gooti and Jonner reaffirm that captain ' s statements . Konstantine ' s hour . On an Imperial Star Destroyer above Lothal , an Imperial officer and Admiral Kassius Konstantine enter the command bridge to brief Grand Admiral Thrawn . The officer reports that the blockade of Synistahg is proceeding as planned and that martial law has been imposed on Mykapo . The officer reports that a small rebel cell on Mykapo continues to be troublesome . Thrawn observes that Mykapo has no militia or starfighters and inquires about the resistance there . The officer explains that a ship calling themselves the Iron Squadron attacked an advance patrol with the aid of a vessel that Thrawn recognizes as the " Ghost " . Thrawn realizes that the Phoenix rebels are evacuating the " treason ous " inhabitants of Mykapo before the Empire can arrest them . Thrawn is curious about Iron Squadron and dispatches Admiral Konstantine to lock down Mykapo . The Admiral offers to lead a squadron to the system but Thrawn insists that a single " Arquitens " - class command cruiser should be sufficient for a man of Konstantine ' s " talents " . Konstantine is unhappy but Thrawn taunts him by asking him whether he is not up to the challenge . Konstantine bows his head and replies that he will leave immediately for Mykapo . Escaping Mykapo . Above Mykapo , Phoenix Squadron has completed their evacuation of the planet and depart for hyperspace . Back on the " Ghost " , Hera , Ezra , and Kanan contact Rex by hologram . Rex informs Hera that they have evacuated everyone on Mykapo who wanted to leave before the Empire returns . Hera tells Rex to prepare to rendezvous with the fleet and that they will meet him there . Kanan asks Hera about Iron Squadron and she replies that they are not coming and prepares to tell Sato . Before she can do so , Ezra offers to reason with them again . Hera replies that they don ' t have time and that Iron Squadron ' s hyperdrive is not working . Ezra hovers over Sabine and Chopper and tells Hera that Sabine had an idea . Sabine suggests that she and Chopper can fix the Iron Squadron ' s hyperdrive to help them escape . Hera agrees to their plan but warns them that they must be ready to leave regardless of whether Iron Squadron is ready . Ezra hugs Sabine and Chopper and thanks them for their help . The " Ghost " departs into hyperspace and the " Phantom II " docks with " Sato ' s Hammer " . Sabine , Chopper and R3 join forces to repair the hyperdrive while Ezra , Jonner , Gooti , and Mart watch . Mart thinks that it a waste of time and turns away . Ezra addresses Jonner and Gooti and tells them that if they can ' t fix the hyperdrive , they have to be ready to leave on the " Phantom II " . Jonner and Gooti refuse to leave their captain and home . Ezra tells them that he was afraid of leaving his home . Gooti replies that she is not afraid of the Empire . Ezra points out that Iron Squadron are afraid of losing everything they know . He warns them that the Empires wants them to fight in order to destroy the rebels . When Gooti asks if he wants them not to fight , Ezra replies that how they choose to fight is as important as what they are fighting for . At that moment , Sabine , Chopper and R3 managed to repair the hyperdrive and restore power to the ship ' s systems . However , the power quickly breaks down . Chopper then tells Sabine that the power is being diverted to the ship ' s guns and shields . Gooti and Jonner realizes the seriousness of their situation . Sabine replies that fixing the guns is not worth if if the hyperdrive is not operational . Over the intercom , Mart orders his crew to go to their battle stations . The Spectres and Iron Squadron head to the cockpit and discover that an Imperial light cruiser and two " Gozanti " - class cruisers have exited hyperspace . The cruisers disgorge several TIE fighters and TIE bombers . The Imperial officer informs Admiral Konstantine that they are sighting one freighter ; leading the admiral to think that Thrawn has overestimated the rebel threat in Mykapo . Mart mistakes the light cruiser for a Star Destroyer and vows to fight it . Sabine points out that the vessel is not a Star Destroyer and that a real Star Destroyer is six times bigger than a light cruiser . Mart orders his crew to prepare for battle but Ezra and Sabine object . Ezra tries to convince Mart to come with them aboard the " Phantom II " . Gooti agrees with Ezra but Mart won ' t listen to her and flies towards the Imperial ships . Jonner points out that they are facing lots of Imperial ships and that more are on their way . Mart refuses to call off the attack and ploughs forward . Jonner and Gooti try to reason with their captain as the ship ' s power breaks own . Mart finally agrees to go and the two rebel cells flee into the " Phantom II " . However , Mart changes his mind and disengages the airlock once all of the other rebels have boarded the " Phantom II " . Ezra takes control of the " Phantom II " and contacts Mart in an attempt to reason with him . Mart instead tells Ezra to get Gooti , Janner , and R3 to safety while he still can . Ezra flies the " Phantom II " after " Sato ' s Hammer " while avoiding the Imperial starfighters and bombers . Mark charges at Konstantine ' s light cruiser and releases his cargo of explosives . However , Konstantine neutralizes them with the cruiser ' s forward batteries . The light cruiser survives the explosion and deploys more TIE fighters after Mart ' s ship . The TIEs knock out " Sato ' s Hammer " engines , leaving the freighter stranded in space . Sabine replies that Mart ' s ship ' s engines have been hit and that the power couplings are fried . When Jonner asks Sabine what she is doing , Sabine tells Ezra that Hera gave him a direct order that he promised to follow . Ezra contacts Mart , who tells him and his crew to escape while they still can . Before jumping into hyperspace , Ezra tells Mart that he and his rebel cell will come back for him . Mart ' s trials . Alone , Mart struggles to restart the " Sato ' s Hammer " as a TIE bomber drops explosive charges . He watches Konstantine ' s light cruiser in the horizon and admits defeat for the first time . Meanwhile , a jubilant Admiral Konstantine is informed by his subordinate that the rebel ship has been mined and is trying to beep a transmission . Konstantine is pleased and tells his men to monitor the transmission . He believes that the rebels will answer Mart ' s distress call . Meanwhile , the Spectres and the other Iron Squadron members attend a briefing aboard the " Ghost " with holographic recordings of Sato and Rex . Mart informs them via his transmission that his ship has broken down but that the Imperials have not fired on him yet . Mart calls for help before the signal cuts off . Hera notes that the Empire deliberately let the signal through . Sato offers to go and save his nephew but Hera points out that he is too far away to help . When Sato responds that Mart is the last of his family , Hera offers to take the " Ghost " and rescue Mart . Sato tells them that they have his gratitude in return . Gooti is amazed that they are going back to save Mart but warns it could be a threat . Ezra points out that the Imperial trap is not very good and reassures Gooti and Jonner that they are going back as a team which will give them and Mart a fighting chance . The Spectres and Iron Squadron travel on the " Ghost " back to Mykapo . While a despondent Mart waits , the " Ghost " exits hyperspace . Sabine tells Mart that they are back and he replies that he can ' t believe it . The " Ghost " flies towards " Sato ' s Hammer " and Konstantine ' s cruiser . Rescuing Mart . When the Imperial officer reports the " Ghost " presence , Konstantine vows to destroy both ships and orders his subordinate not to trigger the mine until he orders it . When the cruiser dispatches TIEs , Hera tells Kanan to man the guns while Gooti prepares the hoist . Mart tells the rebels that the Empires have attached something under his ship . Sabine thinks that it is a Magno - mine and a remote detonator . Hera realizes that this changes everything and sends Jonner to the cargo hold with Chopper and R3 in two . The " Ghost " runs rings around the Imperial light cruiser while Jonner and Gooti open the cargo bay doors . R3 is scared but Chopper pushes him . The two astromech droids then activate their rocket booster s and fly towards " Sato ' s Hammer " . Meanwhile , the " Ghost " pretends to flee in order to trick Konstantine into thinking they have called off their rescue due to the mines . Konstantine falls for their trick . Meanwhile , Chopper and R3 arrive at the nano - mine . Hera instructs Chopper to disable the detonator , the red light on top . She also tells R3 to turn off the magnetic field . Despite her warnings , Chopper is briefly stung . However , the two droids resume their work and manage to dislodge the mine . The officer informs Konstantine that he can ' t track the magno - mine , prompting the Admiral to tell him to get it back online . When Mart asks the rebels what their plan is , Hera tells him the droids are attaching the mine onto a cargo crate . R3 reattaches the mine and reactivates the detonator . The officer reports that the mine is online again . When Mart asks whether the droids intend to repair his ship , Hera tells him and the astromechs to be ready for a " pick - up . " The " Ghost " leads the fighters on a chase . Mart thanks R3 and Chopper when they reach the cockpit . Konstantine orders his men to activate the mine . The " Ghost " docks with " Sato ' s Hammer " and Hera tells Gooti and Jonner to be ready to evacuate Mart . At that point , Sato arrives in a CR90 corvette with rebel reinforcements including A - wing fighters . He orders them to provide covering fire and tells Mart that he will get him out . His nephew is overjoyed . Sato ' s corvette destroys a " Gozanti " cruiser and charges at Konstantine ' s ship . Konstantine calls for reinforcements as the " Ghost " docks with Mart ' s freighter . Rebel A - wings strafe Konstantine ' s ship . Hera tells Mart to get the bomb ready because they are heading for Konstantine ' s ship . Mart prepares to carry out Hera ' s orders . Meanwhile , Konstantine bellows orders at the officer , who struggles to activate the mine . At that point , Mart the container containing the mine above the forward compartment of the Imperial light cruiser . This damages Konstantine ' s ship and sets it ablaze . While the " Ghost " is ferrying " Sato ' s Hammer " to safety , they encounter an Imperial Star Destroyer , that has emerged from hyperspace . The rebel ships flee under the Star Destroyer ' s ventral hangar , narrowly avoiding a swarm of TIE fighters . Grand Admiral Thrawn contacts Commander Sato via intercome and asks the rebel commander what would motivate him to return to Mykapo . Sato tells the Grand Admiral " now you know until we meet again . " Thrawn promises to meet the rebel commander again and lets the rebels escape into hyperspace . Aboard the damaged light cruiser , Konstantine is contacted by Thrawn . When Thrawn asks the Admiral whether he had contacted him for assistance , Konstantine claims that he wanted to inform him that the rebels had been driven from the system . However , Thrawn realizes that Konstantine is trying to cover up his mistakes and replies that he assumed that the rebels and not their sympathizers had escape . Konstantine bows his head in defeat . Reunion . At Chopper Base , Mart greets his uncle Commander Sato , who tells him that it is good to see his nephew alive . Mart embraces his uncle and Sato tells him that they are indebted to Hera and her crew . Gooti and Jonner hug Mart as the Spectres and R3 watch . Mart can ' t believe his friends came back for him . Gooti and Jonner reaffirm that they are Iron Squadron . Hera , Zeb , and Ezra watch and smile as the Iron Squadron rebels embrace .