This week’s Ahsoka delivered long-awaited answers to a major question that was raised in the Star Wars Rebels series finale — and introduced some familiar characters in their live-action debuts.
Episode 6, titled “Far, Far Away,” opened with Ahsoka and Huyang aboard their ship inside the mouth of a massive star whale during their trek into deep space, where her friend Ezra Bridger and the villainous Grand Admiral Thrawn were believed to reside after being whisked away in the Rebels finale.
The titular heroine revealed to Huyang that she knew Sabine went with Baylan willingly, but didn’t have the heart to tell Hera. She believed that Sabine was fated to make that choice between finding Ezra and stopping Elsbeth from getting to Thrawn and bemoaned that there wasn’t enough time to help her Padawan choose correctly.
Meanwhile, the Eye of Scion ended its own hyperspace jump at Peridea, the ancient home world of Elsbeth’s ancestors, the Dathomiri witches. On the surface, Elsbeth, mercenaries Baylan and Hati, and prisoner Sabine were greeted by the Great Mothers, a trio of witches/Nightsisters who noted that Sabine “reeks of Jedi.” Decked out in billowy red gowns and unimpressed with the Jedi captive, they sent Sabine to be held in a cell while they tended to more important things.
Baylan, in a private conversation with Shin, opened up about his reasoning for going along with this plan to help Thrawn. He saw the fall of the Jedi and rise of the Empire as an inevitable cycle — one that he wanted to break and start anew.
The group, which included Elsbeth, Baylan, Shin, a cuffed Sabine and the Great Mothers, then met with a massive army of night troopers, led by Grand Admiral Thrawn (again played by Rebels voice actor Lars Mikkelsen) and his right-hand man, Captain Enoch (Wes Chatham). Thrawn, viewing Sabine as useful to his cause, agreed to honor her deal with Baylan and freed her from the cuffs. He also warned that she would be stranded once he left with his ships, and that Ezra might even be dead. Sabine, however, refused to believe that.
Armed with her blaster and lightsaber — and a howler named Tota as her ride — Sabine set out to find Ezra in unfamiliar territory, unaware that Thrawn had also sent Baylan and Shin to kill both Jedi when they reunited. After all, the agreement was to help her get to Ezra. Anything after that was fair game.
Sabine encountered a group of bandits and valiantly fought them off with her lightsaber. Unfortunately, her scanner was destroyed during the scuffle. After berating Tota for being a coward and not helping, she happened upon a tiny, shelled alien known as a Noti. The creature recognized the rebel symbol on Sabine’s armor and showed her a necklace he was wearing with the same symbol. He then led her to other Noti, and they seemed to recognize Ezra’s name when she asked about him. Did they know where he was?
Speaking of questions, anyone else curious about whatever is pulling Baylan to stay? What do you think calls to him?
Sabine followed the Noti to their caravan, where loads more were going about the nomadic lives. Then, a voice called out: “I knew I could count on you.”
The Mandalorian turned around and was relieved to see a very bearded Ezra (Eman Esfandi) standing in front of her. Their warm embrace felt cathartic and long overdue considering Ezra’s heartbreaking goodbye in the Rebels finale.
Of course, Ezra had plenty of questions, like how Sabine even got there — and he also assumes she has a plan to get them both home — but that would be discussed later. Right now, they needed to pack up. Life on Peridea was treacherous and Ezra and his Noti friends didn’t stay in one place for very long.
Back aboard Thrawn’s ship, the Nightsisters sensed Ahsoka’s presence among the purrgil en route to Peridea. Thrawn wondered if Baylan, a former Jedi, was working against him. Unconvinced that Ahsoka was truly dead (as reported by Baylan), Thrawn instructed Elsbeth to “destroy with prejudice” any star whales that appeared. He also requested the use of the Great Mothers’ dark magick, and the witches were happy to oblige.
“The thread of destiny demands it, Grand Admiral,” they cooed.
How are you feeling about this week’s episode of Ahsoka? Were you surprised that Ezra was found still alive? Sound off below!