The Protector of Concord Dawn " The Protector of Concord Dawn " is the thirteenth episode of the second season of the animated television series " Star Wars Rebels " . It is the twenty - eighth episode of the series overall . It was directed by Brad Rau and written by Henry Gilroy and Kevin Hopps . Kevin McKidd and Keone Young guest star as Fenn Rau and Commander Jun Sato , respectively . The episode aired on January 27 , 2016 on Disney XD . Official description . " Looking to secure a new hyperspace route to Lothal , the rebels head to the Mandalorian - controlled Concord Dawn to negotiate safe passage for their fleet . The warrior Protectors of the system prove to be less than welcoming , however , and it ’ s up to Kanan and Sabine to turn this group into friends . . . or enemies . " Plot summary . Dogfight over Concord Dawn . The Galactic Empire continues to hunt the fledging rebellion , making the rebellion ' s travels throughout the Outer Rim Territories more difficult . The crew of the " Ghost " meets with Commander Jun Sato and Clone Captain Rex on the rebel flagship " Liberator " , and the assembled rebels discuss their options for opening a new hyperspace route to the Lothal sector . Sabine Wren suggests the Concord Dawn system , which houses a Mandalorian colony on the planet Concord Dawn that is not yet within Imperial territory . The system is known for its elite warriors called the Protectors , and , according to Rex , the Mandalorians of Concord Dawn once helped train clone trooper s during the Clone Wars . Wren says that they are the types of warriors who follow their own rules , leaving open the possibility that they could ally with the rebellion against the Empire . Believing that diplomacy with Mandalorian warriors is impossible , Commander Sato suggests sending a military force to Concord Dawn . Captain Hera Syndulla , leader of Phoenix Cell , and the Jedi Kanan Jarrus insist on trying their hand at diplomacy . If they can get permission to move the rebel fleet through the Concord Dawn system , then it could lead to recruiting the Protectors into the rebellion , thus strengthening the rebel forces . Sato has reservations about the diplomatic approach , but he allows Syndulla to take the mission . Wren volunteers to go with her . Syndulla leads Phoenix Squadron to Concord Dawn . Upon their arrival , they encounter three Mandalorian Fang fighter s . The Mandalorians come alongside the rebel RZ - 1 A - wing interceptor s , and the lead pilot , Fenn Rau — the Protector of Concord Dawn — demands to know why they are in his system . Syndulla explains that they are seeking safe passage and that they would stand with Concord Dawn against the Empire . Realizing that the A - wings are from the rebellion , Rau orders an attack on Phoenix Squadron , as he serves the interests of the Empire . In the ensuing dogfight , the Phoenix Squadron fighters evade their attackers , and two Phoenix pilots — Phoenix Three and Phoenix Four — are shot down . Syndulla orders a retreat and leads Rau on a chase in order to give Wren and the surviving Phoenix pilot a chance to escape before being shot down . As Rau and his fighters chase Syndulla , Phoenix Two escapes but Wren refuses to leave without Syndulla . Wren is ordered to leave , however , with Syndulla saying she will be right behind her despite taking heavy fire . Wren makes it back to the rebel fleet , but Syndulla is nowhere in sight . Jarrus contacts Wren and asks what happened , and moments later Syndulla ' s heavily - damaged starfighter drops out of hyperspace . A gravely injured Syndulla is taken back to the fleet for medical attention . Although the captain is alive and recovering , Wren feels guilty for leaving Syndulla behind and vows to seek justice against the Protectors . She soon attends a debriefing with Commander Sato and the rest of the " Ghost " crew , sans Syndulla , and explains how they were attacked by Fenn Rau . Both Rex and Jarrus have heard of Rau before ; Rex remembers him as an instructor for the Grand Army of the Republic , while Jarrus recalls how he and Rau both fought in the Third Battle of Mygeeto during the Clone Wars . Believing that negotiations are no longer an option , Wren recommends destroying the Protectors ' fighters so they no longer pose a threat to the rebel fleet . She has tracked the fighters to the third moon of Concord Dawn , where she believes there is a base . Jarrus suggests that they infiltrate the base and destroy the Fang fighters before approaching with the fleet . Commander Sato approves the mission , but Jarrus plans to go alone because he does not want to risk anymore of his crew members . He chooses only Chopper to accompany him and takes their attack shuttle , the " Phantom " , to Concord Dawn . Seeking an alliance . Jarrus arrives at Concord Dawn and discovers that Wren stowed away aboard the " Phantom " , determined to seek justice for what the Protectors did to Syndulla . As they approach the third moon , Jarrus reveals that destroying the Fang fighters is his backup plan — he still intends to seek a diplomatic solution . They approach the surface of the moon , where Chopper drops them off near the Protectors Camp before flying the " Phantom " away from the base . While performing reconnaissance on the outskirts of the camp , Jarrus and Wren find that the base has eight fighters in total , including the ones that attacked Phoenix Squadron . The fighters are spread out , meaning it will take Wren some time to plant explosive charges on each of them . An Imperial shuttle soon lands to provide supplies for the Protectors , and the two rebels witness Rau accepting them from the Imperials and reporting his encounter with the rebels . With a clear link between the Protectors and the Empire , Wren doubts that Jarrus ' plan will work . Nonetheless , they proceed with the plan to seek diplomacy and only use hostilities as a last resort . The rebels quietly approach the base , and Jarrus follows Rau into a building while Wren begins planting her explosives . Rau notices the Jedi ' s presence and allows Jarrus to reveal himself , though Rau intends to gun him down anyway . Jarrus reveals his identity as a Jedi and explains that he too fought in the Third Battle of Mygeeto , where he and his master , Depa Billaba , were saved by Rau and Skull Squadron from a Separatist attack . Rau remembers the battle and recalls being young and reckless , but fails to see what the battle has to do with Jarrus infiltrating his base . Jarrus asks him to join the rebellion , but the Protector does not have any interest in siding against the Empire . In his mind , the rebellion stands no chance of victory so he has no reason to join a losing side . Jarrus argues the point , but Rau remains uninterested in fighting another losing war with the Jedi . As the two talk , Wren plants her explosives on seven of the eight starfighters before she is caught . Held at gunpoint , she reveals she is a member of Clan Wren , part of House Vizsla , and that she seeks justice through single combat . Because of her clan ' s alliance with House Vizsla , the Protectors who caught her label her as a traitorous member of Death Watch . They report to Rau that Wren has invoked the Mandalorian code to seek combat , and the two Mandalorians confront one another . Jarrus tries to convince Wren to stand down and not make an enemy of the Protectors , but Wren refuses . As Rau draws his blaster pistol , Wren shoots it out of his hand and triggers her explosives , destroying the seven fighters . Rau ' s fighter remains intact , however , and the Protector takes the remaining fighter to attack the rebel fleet . Jarrus grabs onto the fighter and hangs on as it flies into the sky . The Jedi is able to critically damage it , grabs Rau from the cockpit , and leaps into the pursuing " Phantom " . As the " Phantom " travels back to the rebel fleet , Rau ' s forces contact him and let them know that they are organizing their reserve fighters to pursue the rebels . Knowing that a fight with the rebels would bring the Empire into their territory , Rau orders his men to stand down and keep his capture a secret from the Empire . As a result , the rebels are allowed to pass through the Concord Dawn system . The rebels return to the fleet with Rau in tow , and the Protector makes it clear that theirs is nothing more than an alliance of necessity . Rebel soldiers take Rau into custody , while Jarrus and Wren visit Syndulla , who is pleased with the outcome of their mission . Continuity . " The Protector of Concord Dawn " explores the backstory of Sabine Wren , one of the main characters of the series , as well as her relationship to the Mandalorian people . The episode reveals that her family , Clan Wren , is allied with House Vizsla , prompting members of the Protectors to label her as a traitorous member of Death Watch . In the animated television series " " , Death Watch was a splinter group that opposed the pacifist policies of Duchess Satine Kryze , ruler of Mandalore , and her New Mandalorian government . Death Watch sought to restore Mandalore ' s warrior past and made multiple attempts to take over the planet from Duchess Satine , including a brief alliance with Count Dooku and the Confederacy of Independent Systems . Death Watch was ultimately successful in taking over Mandalore after allying with Darth Maul and his Shadow Collective . Pre Vizsla , leader of the Death Watch , was killed by Darth Maul , who — after killing Duchess Satine — became ruler of Mandalore . Maul ' s ascent led to further in - fighting amongst the Mandalorian people , with Death Watch members loyal to Pre Vizsla turning against Maul ' s followers . Pablo Hidalgo , creative executive at Lucasfilm , revealed that the final episodes of " The Clone Wars " would have included a story about Mandalore and a Galactic Republic occupation of the planet , leading to Mandalore ultimately being a member of the Empire and setting the stage for the Mandalorian storyline in " Star Wars Rebels " . In addition to the takeover of Mandalore , the episode also references the Mandalorian Civil War , a conflict that formed the backstory of Duchess Satine and the New Mandalorian government ' s rise to power . During the war , Duchess Satine was hunted by forces who wanted to destroy her pacifist government . The war left Mandalore a wasteland , and the New Mandalorian government set out to rebuild Mandalorian society . According to Sabine , the Protectors were one of the factions that fought in the conflict . The Third Battle of Mygeeto was also referenced in the episode as a conflict that both Kanan Jarrus and Fenn Rau fought in . The events of the battle are depicted in " " . During the battle , Jarrus — then - known as Padawan Caleb Dume — fights alongside his master , Depa Billaba , and their clone forces on Mygeeto . They are cut off and are nearly ambushed by a large force of Separatist battle droids , but they are saved by the arrival of Fenn Rau and Skull Squadron . The young Caleb Dume was left wishing he could thank Rau for helping him , which he is able to do upon meeting Rau in " The Protector of Concord Dawn . "