Blood Sisters

"Blood Sisters" is the twenty-third episode of the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels. It premiered on November 18, 2015, and is the sixth episode of the second season.
==Plot==
On the Planet Garel, Hera sends out two fellow Rebels to pick up fighter parts in the market, just as Sabine, Ezra, and Chopper show up. Hera has a mission for Sabine: there is a courier who has secret information, and she wants Sabine to pick him up and transport him to Havoc Outpost. She says the information this courier is holding is very important, so she has to get it through. When Sabine asks what this courier looks like Hera has no clue, but knows he will respond to the given code phrase "It's a long way to Alderaan". With orders understood Sabine heads out to meet with the courier, with Ezra and Chopper as backup. On the way, Ezra speaks to Sabine about how he sees her as a loner, because she usually handles her missions alone and prefers to be alone. As he goes on, Sabine spots a marking she appears to recognize painted on a wall. But then she regroups with Ezra and the three of them make it to where they are to meet the courier. As passengers depart arriving shuttles, Ezra and Sabine try the code on each passenger or and each civilian that passes them. Apparently nobody responds to the phrase and a few awkwardly walk away. Hours past, the hanger was closing and Ezra and Sabine have still not found the courier. Finally, they discover the courier to be a Gonk Droid called EG-86, who came in with the cargo. They also discover that someone else is after the courier as well: A bounty hunter whom Sabine identifies as Ketsu Onyo.
Ezra learns from the two of them that they have a history together, as they were both in the Imperial Academy on Mandalore, until they decided to escape and become bounty hunters. According to Sabine, they had plans to join the criminal syndicate known as the Black Sun, but Ketsu got greedy and left her for dead while she alone became part of the Black Sun. Ketsu tells Sabine she would have been better off dead than joining the Rebellion. She even learnt the Empire had put a bounty on her, however she doesn't intend to collect on it as her main priority is the courier. Sabine warns Ketsu that she won't let her take him, and just before the two are tempted to take on one another they are interrupted by Stormtroopers. They remind them the hanger is closed and instructs them to leave, but Ketsu responds by shooting at them, and a gunfight occurs. As more troopers show up, Ezra instructs Chopper to get EG-86 onto a nearby shuttle while he, Sabine, and Ketsu hold off the Stormtroopers. As soon as the droids are on board, Sabine and Ezra join them. Chopper shuts down the pilot droid and Sabine powers up the engines. But as they take off, Ezra falls overboard and is left behind. Meanwhile the Stormtroopers surround Ketsu and hold her at gunpoint. Then after ordering her to drop her weapons, Kestu suddenly attacks and takes out the troopers in hand to hand combat. Then she retreats, jumping onto a departing shuttle and onto the roof where her ship, the Shadow Caster, is waiting.
Meanwhile, Sabine and Chopper are now out in space, and despite leaving Ezra behind they proceed with the mission in getting EG-86 to the rendezvous point. Then just before making the jump to hyperspace, they detect Ketsu's ship approaching. She comes up from behind and opens fire on the shuttle, knocking out their hyperdrive. Sabine can guess what Ketsu's next move will be and orders both droids to lock their feet down. Ketsu comes up beside Sabine's shuttle and shoots the side door open, causing a haul breech. Chopper gets sucked into the vacuum of space, but EG-86 and Sabine get trapped in the doorway. With a bit of a struggle, Sabine manages to activate the force field, sealing the breech. Ketsu comes up face to face with Sabine's shuttle and makes contact. She threatens to blow her up unless she surrenders the droid. Little does she show that Chopper, after a moment drifting in space, is on her ship and proceeds in sabotaging her weaponry. Sabine sees this and keeps Ketsu distracted long enough for Chopper to disable her main cannon. While Ketsu expresses how proud she is to be part of the Black Sun, Sabine only shows disgust for almost having that life, as she knows the Black Sun are slavers and assassins who don't care about anything but body counts and quotas. They would also kill their own for a profit. After Sabine again refuses to hand over the droid, Ketsu regretfully opens fire on her old friend, but thanks to Chopper the guns are disabled. Sabine bids her farewell and hits the thrusters with Chopper in follow, but Ketsu captures him in a tractor beam and holds him hostage. Sabine turns back and docks with the Shadow Caster, agreeing to make a trade. Meeting face to face, Ketsu can see that Sabine is still not willing to give up the courier. She offers to split the bounty with her if she hands over the droid, but Sabine tells her she is no longer into making profits as she now part of the Rebellion's fight against the Empire. Ketsu shows little confidence that the Rebellion can overthrow the Empire and tells Sabine it's foolish to even try. To her, survival is what really matters and people cannot be trusted. Sabine tells Ketsu the Rebellion gave her a second chance in life. Back when she was only out for herself, she met good people who helped her become more that what she use to be and fight for a right cause. She forgives Ketsu for abandoning her and offers her a second chance. Just then, they receive a transmission form an approaching Imperial Vessel that has been tracking down the stolen shuttle and threatens to open fire if they try to flee. This issue forces Sabine and Kestu to work together once again.
As the Imperial Vessel approaches, Sabine has a plan and instructs Chopper to overload the hyperdrive on the shuttle. Then she contacts the Imperial Vessel, warning them that their ships have suffered severe damage and are in danger of self-destruction. The Imperials scan and confirm Sabine's report. The commanding officer gives Sabine and Ketsu two minutes to stabilize the situation before moving in to dock. Ketsu begins to see Sabine's plan. She's going to blow up the shuttle, giving them the time they need to escape. Using explosives stored on the Shadow Caster, Sabine plants them all over the shuttle ready to blow. She then reactivates the Pilot droid and instructs it to take emergency protocol before retreating to the Shadow Caster. The Imperials notice the shuttle is powering up and begin to open fire. They hit the docking tube and Sabine is knocked out by the blast. Ketsu is prepared to make the getaway but the droids refuse to leave Sabine behind. Two against one, Ketsu rescues Sabine as the shuttle attempts to rip away from attachment with the Shadow Caster. Finally everyone is aboard and the Shadow Caster detaches from the Shuttle, but both ships get caught in the Imperial's tractor beam. But then the explosives aboard the shuttle go off and destroys the vessel, colliding with the Imperials in the process. They lose hold on the Shadow Caster and the ship escapes to hyperspace.
Afterwards, Sabine, Ketsu, and Chopper arrive at Havoc Outpost and deliver EG-68 into safe custody. Then they return to Garel and land where Hera and Ezra are waiting for them. Hera congratulates Sabine on a successful mission and thanks Ketsu for her assistance. Before going their separate ways, Sabine thanks Ketsu for saving her and tells her if she ever thinks about helping the Rebellion she will be welcomed. Then after shaking on it, Ketsu boards her ship and departs as Ezra and Sabine look on.
==Cast==
*Taylor Gray as Ezra Bridger
*Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren
*Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla
*Gina Torres as Ketsu Onyo
*Steve Blum as EG-86, Dispatch, Imperial Technician
*Stephen Stanton as Imperial Technician, Pilot Droid, Stormtrooper #1
*Dave Filoni as Rodian, Stormtrooper #2
==Gallery==
==Trivia==
*R2-D2 makes his second appearance in this episode, followed by "Droids in Distress".
*Early versions of the script had C-3PO acting as the courier, but this concept was discarded as the writers felt having such a major character present interfered with Sabine and Ketsu's interaction.
*This is the first episode in which neither Kanan nor Zeb appear.
*The design of the the Shadow Caster is a remodel of the Banshee, the personal ship of Asajj Ventress seen in Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
*The GX1 short hauler makes an appearance in the episode, as the star bus, Sabine hijack and later uses to destroy the Empire Arquitens cruiser.
*Ketsu Onyo's design is based on some abandoned concept from the early development of Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Category:Star Wars Rebels episodes