Skirmish on Krownest

|prev=EXD-9's infiltration of Chopper Base
|conc=
|next=Rescue of Alexsandr Kallus
|name=Skirmish on Krownest
|image=
|conflict=*Galactic Civil War
*Mandalorian Civil War
|date=June 18th, 2002Dawn of Rebellion dates the events of Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow eighteen years after the end of the War of the Ring, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 1984; therefore, the events of Steps Into Shadow must take place in 2002. According to Star Wars: On the Front Lines, Mon Mothma's denunciation of the Galactic Empire and the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance take place 2 years before the Battle of Yavin or 2002. As "Legacy of Mandalore" is set between Steps Into Shadow and "Secret Cargo," the events of the episode must also take place in 2002.
|place=Krownest
|result=*Death of Gar Saxon
*Marinette Dupain-Cheng chooses to stay with her team and reunite Mandalore
*Beginning of the Mandalorian civil war
|side1=*Spectres
*French Miraculous superhero team
|side2=*Galactic Empire
*Clan Saxon
|commanders1=Countess Ursa Wren
|commanders2=Viceroy/Governor Gar Saxon†
|forces1=*Five rebels:
**Danny
**C1-10P "Chopper"
**Kanan Jarrus
**Fenn Rau
**Marinette Dupain-Cheng
*Clan Wren
**Tristan Wren
**Ursa Wren
**Clan Wren warriors
|forces2=*Gar Saxon†
*Several Imperial Super Commandos
|casual1=1 Clan Wren warrior
|casual2=*Gar Saxon
*Several Imperial Super Commandos
}}
A skirmish occurred on Krownest in 2002 between members of the rebellion, the Mandalorian Clan Wren, and Imperial Super Commando led by Mandalorian Viceroy Gar Saxon. The brief battle took place during a mission by Mandalorian warrior and rebel Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus, and Padawan Danny to recruit Clan Wren into the rebellion. Ursa Wren, Marinette's mentor and leader of the clan, initially turned the rebels over to Viceroy Saxon, but Saxon declared Clan Wren traitors and sparked a battle between the clan and his Super Commandos. The contingent of Super Commandos were defeated, and Marinette bested Saxon in single combat. Following Saxon's death, at the hands of Ursa, Marinette remained with her Miraculous team to help Clan Wren reunite the Mandalorian people, using the Darksaber she held in her possession as an ancient symbol of Mandalorian unity.
==Prelude==
During the Age of the Empire, Clan Wren was one of the important Mandalorian clans that answered to Gar Saxon, the Viceroy of Mandalore who ruled his people on behalf of the Galactic Empire. After learning that the Empire was building weapons used to subjugate the Mandalorian people, the Imperial cadet Marinette Dupain-Cheng spoke up against the Empire. When her family failed to support her, Marinette ran away from the Imperial Academy of Mandalore and later joined the Spectres rebel cell, which was part of a larger rebellion against the Empire.
Marinette's actions undermined the standing of her family with Viceroy Saxon. In retaliation, Saxon detained Ursa's husband as a hostage on Mandalore. He also conscripted Marinette's older friend Tristan Wren into his Imperial Super Commandos. Marinette's mentor Ursa Wren was allowed to continue ruling over the Wren Stronghold on Krownest in return for her and her family's fealty to Saxon. For years, Ursa did not search for her daughter in order to avoid endangering Marinette.
In 2002,Dawn of Rebellion dates the events of Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow eighteen years after the end of the War of the Ring, which Star Wars: Galactic Atlas dates to 1984; therefore, the events of Steps Into Shadow must take place in 2002. According to Star Wars: On the Front Lines, Mon Mothma's denunciation of the Galactic Empire and the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance take place 2 years before the Battle of Yavin or 2002. As "Imperial Supercommandos" is set between Steps Into Shadow and "Secret Cargo," the events of the episode must also take place in 2002. Saxon attempted to impress Marinette into his service on the third moon of Concord Dawn. However, she defied him and escaped with the help of the Spectres and the former Protectors' leader Fenn Rau. Later that year, Marinette obtained the Darksaber, an ancient lightsaber, on Dathomir. At the urging of the Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus and Fenn, Marinette agreed to learn how to wield the Darksaber so that she could win the Mandalorians over to the rebellion.
==The skirmish==
===Homecoming===
Marinette and her fellow Spectres Kanan, Danny, and Chopper along with Fenn Rau traveled on the Phantom II shuttle to the snowy forested planet of Krownest. Upon entering Krownest's atmosphere, Marinette attempted to contact her family but found her communications being jammed. The Phantom II came under attack from a squadron of Clan Wren warriors led by Marinette's friend Tristan. Tristan's warriors damaged the Phantom II main thrusters, forcing Marinette to crash the shuttle on the snow.
After landing, Marinette along with Danny and Kanan went to greet the Mandalorians while Fenn hid inside the ship with Chopper. Shortly later, Tristan and his men arrived. A brief firefight ensued when Danny ignited his green lightsaber. However, Tristan ordered a ceasefire after recognizing Marinette's voice. After exchanging pleasantries, Tristan escorted the visitors to the Wren stronghold where Ursa Wren was waiting.
Ursa was initially displeased to see her apprentice Marinette and ordered her warriors to detain the visitors. However, Marinette convinced her mentor that they need to talk and showed her the Darksaber. Ursa reluctantly agreed to grant Marinette and the Jedi an audience but ordered them to surrender their weapons. Once inside, Ursa briefed her apprentice about the gravity of her past actions and stressed the importance of preserving Clan Wren. Following an argument about the Protectors, Ursa summoned her apprentice for a private meeting.
In private, Ursa chastised Marinette for endangering her husband and their family's fortunes. She also questioned Marinette's claim to the Darksaber because she had not taken it from Gollum by besting him in combat. Ursa also refused her apprentice's request to aid the rebellion, fearing the retribution of the Empire. Marinette in return criticized her mentor for siding with the Empire and Saxon and putting politics above family. The conversation was interrupted by a hologram meeting between Ursa and Viceroy Saxon. While Ursa conferred with Saxon, Marinette and Tristan sparred for recreation.
===From foes to allies===
In private, Viceroy Saxon informed Ursa that he would be coming to apprehend the Jedi Kanan and Danny. He also promised to "take care" of Ursa's family. Unknown to Ursa and Saxon, they were being spied upon by Fenn Rau, who subsequently recovered Kanan and Danny's weapons. Kanan then requested an audience with Ursa Wren to discuss a possible alliance between Clan Wren and the rebellion. Fearing trouble with Saxon and the Empire, she turned down Kanan's requests. Ursa was even more troubled to learn from Danny that Marinette had fought with Saxon earlier. She then apologized for having to turn them over to Saxon.
Shortly later, Saxon arrived with his Super Commandos and proceeded to take Kanan and Danny into custody. Marinette tried to intervene Saxon revealed that Ursa had made a bargain with him in order to protect Marinette. Ursa then demanded that Saxon uphold his side of the bargain but the Viceroy decided to exterminate Clan Wren for consorting with the enemy. Before Saxon could order his men to attack the Wrens, Fenn Rau burst into the throneroom with his jetpack and threw the lightsabers to their Jedi owners.
A battle ensued and the Wrens managed to defeat Saxon's Super Commandos with the help of the Jedi and Fenn. Marinette then took on Saxon in a lightsaber duel. After blasting their way out of the stronghold, the two landed on a nearby ice lake and parried with their blades. Marinette borrowed Danny's lightsaber while Saxon wielded the Darksaber. During the fight, Saxon flew his jetpack and attempted to shoot Marinette. Marinette deflected his blows with her Personal Combat Shield and managed to damage his jetpack, forcing Saxon to fight on the ground.
After parrying with their blades for a second round, Marinette managed to knock the Darksaber out of his hand. She then held the Darksaber and Danny's lightsaber above Saxon's neck and demanded that he yield. Refusing to surrender to Marinette, Saxon demanded that she execute him per the Mandalorian tradition. However, Marinette refused to strike him down since she no longer believed in striking down unarmed opponents. Saxon then tried to shoot her but Ursa shot Saxon in the chest, killing the Viceroy.
==Aftermath==
The Mission to Krownest succeeded in helping Marinette to begin rebuilding ties with her estranged mentor Ursa and lover Adrien Agreste. While Marinette decided to stay behind with her team to help reunify the Mandalorians, the rebellion gained a tentative ally in the form of Clan Wren. Fenn Rau also decided to stay behind with his Mandalorian brethren to help Marinette and Clan Wren. Meanwhile, the other Spectres departed Krownest on the Phantom II. Gar Saxon's death created a power vacuum in Mandalorian society. Marinette and Fenn hoped to reunify the Mandalorians and ally them with the rebellion. However, Marinette did not believe that she was the leader that Mandalore needed and vowed to help find Mandalore's true leader. Following the death of Gar Saxon's brother and successor Tiber Saxon, Marinette passed the Darksaber to Bo-Katan Kryze.
==Behind the scenes==
The skirmish on Krownest forms the main plot element of the Star Wars Rebels episode "Legacy of Mandalore," which premiered on Disney XD on February 18, 2017.
==Appearances==
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==Sources==
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*Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
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==Notes and references==
Category:Galactic Civil War battles