Attack on a Lothal airfield Five years before the Battle of Yavin , Sabine Wren attacked a TIE fighter airfield on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal . The attack , in which she destroyed a TIE fighter , was meant as a diversion to allow the " Ghost " , upon which Wren was a member of the crew , to lift off nearby without the Imperial forces detecting them . As a result of her successful attack , Wren was placed onto Lothal ' s most - wanted list . Prelude . Before joining the Spectres , the Mandalorian teenager Sabine Wren was a cadet at the Imperial Academy on Mandalore . Following a nightmarish experience there , Sabine and decided to desert the Empire and join the Black Sun crime syndicate as bounty hunter s along with her friend Ketsu Onyo . However , Ketsu then betrayed Wren and left her for dead . Sabine eventually encountered a rebel cell led by the Twi ' lek pilot Hera Syndulla , who gave her a second chance in life . As a result , Sabine became involved in the growing rebellion against the Galactic Empire . The attack . On one occasion , the Spectres wanted to leave the planet Lothal on their ship " Ghost " without attracting the attention of the local Imperial authorities , who were familiar with their vessel . In order to leave Lothal ' s Capital City , Sabine and her rebel comrades came up with a plan to creation a diversion at a nearby TIE fighter landing platform . Putting her plan into action , Wren infiltrated the airfield and began spraying graffiti on the side of a TIE fighter . However , she was quickly cornered by two stormtrooper s MB - 223 and TK - 626 , who ordered her to stand down at gunpoint . Undaunted , a defiant Sabine goaded them into shooting at her . While the stormtroopers were distracted , Wren took the chance to slip away . She then led her Imperial pursuers on a wild pursuit through the airfield , with Wren taunting them along the way . One of the stormtroopers TK - 626 quickly called for reinforcements . While the stormtroopers were regrouping , Sabine took the opportunity to spray paint a rebel symbol , the Starbird , onto the wing of a TIE fighter . Before running off , Wren added a paint bomb to it . Shortly later , the stormtroopers spotted the graffiti and the attached explosive too little too late . The resulting explosion destroyed the TIE fighter and created enough noise that allowed the " Ghost " to slip away into the skies . The stormtroopers survived the explosion due to their armor but were covered in paint . Sabine watched the Imperials ' distress with much delight . Aftermath . Due to her involvement in the attack on the Imperial airfield , Sabine Wren was placed onto Lothal ' s most - wanted list . This attack , along with a string of other attacks by the Spectres including the Heist in Capital City , attracted the attention of the Imperial Security Bureau Agent Kallus ; who viewed the rebel activities on Lothal as signifying the spark of a rebellion . Behind the scenes . The Attack on a Lothal airfield served as the plot for the three - minute " Star Wars Rebels " shot " Art Attack " , which premiered online and on Disney XD on August 18 , 2014 . This short was later adapted into a chapter in the junior chapter book " Rise of the Rebels " and Jennifer Heddle ' s young reader book " Sabine ' s Art Attack " .