Flight of the Defender

"Flight of the Defender" is the sixty-fifth episode of the Disney XD animated series Star Wars Rebels. It premiered on October 30, 2017, and is the sixth episode in the fourth season.
==Plot==
The next day, Ezra, Sabine, Zeb, and Ryder arrive at a base where the flight test for the new TIE Defender will be. Observing from afar, they see a lot of basic TIE Fighters and Interceptors, but no sign of the new Defender. However, the new fighter arrives at last and lands at the TIE base. Just looking at it expresses deep concern amongst the Rebels. Uncertain if their own ships would be a match for it. They also spot the pilot come out, Vult Skerris. Satisfied that they got everything they need, they decide to head back to base. However, Sabine does not believe this mission is over yet. She believes they were going to need more than just pictures if the Rebellion was going to stand a fighting chance. She suggests on stealing the flight data recorder on board, which would give Rebel Command a complete record of the ship's range, top speed, and more. Despite Ryder's concern about how they were going to get physical evidence to the Rebellion, they all agreed that Sabine was right. This was something they could not pass up. While Ryder and Zed stay put to keep watch, Ezra and Sabine went down to the base, with a couple of Loth-cats following them. The two Rebels sneak past Stormtroopers that are on patrol, and make it to the TIE Defender, only to discover that it is being guarded. Trying to think of a plan, Sabine and Ezra see the two Loth-Cats that followed them run up to the troopers. The two cats convince the Troopers to chase after them, luring them away from the TIE Defender, giving Ezra and Sabine a better chance of getting to it. Sabine sneaks aboard, while Ezra keeps watch. She finds the recorder and starts to disconnect it from the fighter. Just then, a shuttle arrives at the base with Grand Admiral Thrawn and Governor Pryce on board.
Thrawn and Pryce have come to see the test flight of the new improved TIE Defender. Captain Skerris escorts Thrawn and Pryce to the fighter with plans to provide the Grand Admiral a flight demonstration after he has given the ship an inspection. The Rebels see them coming, and Sabine has not yet got the data recorder. She tells Ezra to stall them. Thinking of what to do, Ezra spots a Loth-Wolf in the distance, looking at him. Suddenly, a Pilot shoots at him from behind, forcing him out in the open. Pretty soon, Stormtroopers open fire on Ezra. Ezra orders Ryder and Zeb to report back to base with the information they already have. Sabine and Ezra plan to find their own way back. Sabine manages to get the data recorder, but when she spots two Death Troopers coming her way, she decides to use the fighter to escape. She powers up the engines, picks up Ezra, and fly off after destroying the base. Skerris assures the Grand Admiral that they will not get far, and Governor Pryce is prepared to activate the kill switch. However, Thrawn wishes to hold that thought, as he sees this as a perfect opportunity for a combat test. Skerris dispatches three surviving Interceptors to intercept the Defender. As Ezra and Sabine fly through the sky, Sabine discovered earlier that the TIE Defender has a hyperdrive, which gives them a good chance of getting the data recorder back to Rebel Command on Yavin 4. Ezra takes the controls while Sabine tries to disable the transponder. Just then, the three TIE Interceptors catch up and attack, while Thrawn, Pryce, and Skerris observe the pursue from the Command tower. Ezra uses all the Defender's capabilities to take out the Interceptors. One by one he destroys all three fighters, and Sabine finally manages to disable the transponder. But then she realises that was a mistake because she suddenly remembered that Imperial TIEs have a kill switch. She tells Ezra to land the ship, but it is too late. Pryce disables the fighter's two wings, but manage to save one as they crash land in one piece.
Both Ezra and Sabine survive. They salvage the hyperdrive to replace the one on Ryder's U-Wing. As the hyperdrive is too heavy to carry back to base, Ezra and Sabine hide it inside a cave for later retrieval. By nightfall, Imperials are in the area of the crash site, searching for Ezra and Sabine. All the while, Ezra keeps spotting a Loth-Wolf. Ezra does not see how that is possible, as Loth-Wolves have not been seen in a hundred years. Suddenly, one shows up from behind Sabine, and puts her into a deep sleep. The Loth-Wolf helps Ezra and Sabine escape the Empire's search party, and by morning make it back to base. The Loth-Wolf then disappears before the others show up. Sabine wakes up with no memory of seeing the Loth-Wolf. Ezra tells Kanan about the Loth-Wolf, and believes there is something more to it. Kanan believes him, as all the paths are coming together. Where it is leading up to he does not know.
==Cast==
*Taylor Gray as Ezra Bridger
*Vanessa Marshall as Hera Syndulla
*Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan Jarrus
*Steve Blum as Garazeb Orrelios, Stormtrooper Guard #1
*Tiya Sircar as Sabine Wren
*Lars Mikkelsen as Thrawn
*Mario Vernazza as Vult Skerris
*Clancy Brown as Ryder Azadi
*Mary Elizabeth McGlynn as Arihnda Pryce
*Dave Filoni as Stromtrooper Guard #2
==International Premieres==
*February 24, 2018 (Brazil)
==Gallery==
===Concept Art===
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 1.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 2.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 3.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 4.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 5.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 6.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 7.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 8.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 9.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 10.jpg
Flight of the Defender Concept Art 11.jpg
===Screenshots===
Flight of the Defender 22.jpg
Flight of the Defender 23.jpg
Flight of the Defenders 01.jpg
Flight of the Defender 11.jpeg|The new and improved TIE Defender
Flight of the Defender 12.jpeg
Star Wars Rebels Season 4 29.jpg
Flight of the Defender 2.png
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Flight of the Defender 1.jpg
Flight of the Defender 8.png|Ezra spots a Loth-Wolf
Flight of the Defender 13.jpeg
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Flight of the Defender 16.jpeg|Crashed TIE Defender
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Star Wars Rebels Season 4 28.jpg
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Flight of the Defender 21.jpg|"Dume."
Flight of the Defender 19.jpeg
pt-br:O Voo do Defensor
Category:Star Wars Rebels episodes