Attack on a Lothal airfield

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"That was some diversion, Sabine. Did the job so well, we can see the explosion from here."
"Forget the explosion. Look at the color!"
―Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren[4]

In 5 BBY, during the period of early rebellion against the Galactic Empire, Sabine Wren of the Spectres rebel cell attacked an airfield on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal. The attack, targeting an Imperial TIE fighter airfield, was designed as a diversion to allow the rebels' ship, the Ghost, to lift off nearby without detection from Imperial forces.

During the attack, Wren painted her crest, the starbird, onto a TIE fighter and placed a paint bomb in the center of it. Imperial stormtroopers who spotted the graffiti and explosive were too late, as the resulting explosion destroyed the TIE fighter and drew the attention of the Empire, allowing the Ghost to lift off undetected. As a result of her successful attack, the Empire named a person matching Wren's description as one of Lothal's most-wanted criminals.

Prelude

"What do you think you're doing?"
"What does it look like? Art."
―TK-626 and Sabine Wren[4]
Sabine Wren brought her love of art to her anti-Imperial activities with the Spectres.

Sabine Wren brought her love of art to her anti-Imperial activities with the Spectres.

For years prior to the formal outbreak of the Galactic Civil War,[3] the conflict wherein the Alliance to Restore the Republic declared and waged open war against the reign of the Galactic Empire, early rebellion against the Empire manifested as small but growing insurgencies made up of various rebel cells and factions.[7] One of these cells was the Spectres, who were based on the Outer Rim world of Lothal. Among them was Sabine Wren,[8] a Mandalorian who deserted from being an Imperial Academy cadet on the planet Mandalore[9] and later found a second chance within the Spectres.[10] Wren and the Spectres undertook numerous operations against the Empire,[8] in which Wren brought her love of art to her anti-Imperial activities.[11]

The attack

"What do we got?"
"One intruder in Mando gear, still at large."
―The stormtrooper commander and MB-223[6]

In 5 BBY, the rebels' ship, the VCX-100 light freighter known as the Ghost, needed a diversion in order to leave Lothal[5] without attracting the attention of the Empire, who was familiar with their vessel. In order to take off undetected, the Spectres came up with a plan in which Wren would create a diversion at an airfield for TIE/ln space superiority starfighters near where the Ghost was docked.[4]

Wren paints her crest—the starbird—onto the wing of a TIE fighter.

Wren paints her crest—the starbird—onto the wing of a TIE fighter.

Putting the plan into action, Wren infiltrated the airfield and began using her airbrushes to spray purple graffiti of her crest, the starbird, on the wing of one of the TIE fighters docked there. She was quickly cornered by two stormtroopers, TK-626[4] and MB-223,[6] who ordered her to stand down at gunpoint. Undaunted and enjoying her actions at the airfield, a defiant Wren goaded the stormtroopers into shooting at her. While the stormtroopers were busy trying to make their shot, Wren took the chance to slip out of sight and lead the stormtroopers on a pursuit through the airfield, taunting them along the way. TK-626 quickly called for reinforcements. Four more stormtroopers,[4] including a commander,[6] arrived for support.[4]

While the stormtroopers were regrouping, Wren took the opportunity to finish the starbird on the wing of the TIE fighter she had graffitied. Before running off, she added a paint bomb to the center of the symbol. The stormtroopers soon spotted the graffiti, but realized too late that there was an attached explosive. The resulting explosion destroyed the TIE fighter and sent the stormtroopers flying, all of which created enough noise to allow the Ghost to slip away into the skies—leaving behind an explosion that was big enough for Captain Hera Syndulla to remark that the Spectres could see it from the ship. The stormtroopers survived the explosion, with their armor covered in paint, while Wren watched the colorful, explosive results of her actions with much delight.[4]

Aftermath

"We have an intruder on the north side, sector nine. The artist is back. Sound the alarm!"
―TK-626, when Wren returned to the airfield ahead of the action on Mustafar[12]
Wren and her fellow rebels re-attack the airfield to steal an Imperial transport, ahead of the action at Mustafar.

Wren and her fellow rebels re-attack the airfield to steal an Imperial transport, ahead of the action at Mustafar.

After the attack on the airfield, a person matching Wren’s description was placed onto Lothal's most-wanted list. This attack,[13] along with a string of other attacks by the Spectres culminating in the mission in Capital City, attracted the attention of Imperial Security Bureau Agent Alexsandr Kallus, who viewed the rebel activities on Lothal as a potential spark of wider rebellion[14]—which he was ultimately proven right about. The actions of the rebels were part of a wider movement,[15] which helped spark the beginnings of the Galactic Civil War.[5]

Shortly before[15] the action at Mustafar that became one of the earliest rebel victories of the conflict[16] in 4 BBY,[5] Wren returned to the airfield—where[15] TK-626[12] recognized her as "the artist"—along with fellow Spectres Ezra Bridger and Garazeb Orrelios to destroy several parked TIE fighters and steal an Imperial transport that was used during the operation to rescue one of their leaders, former Jedi Padawan Kanan Jarrus, over[15] the planet[5] Mustafar.[15]

Behind the scenes

The attack on the Lothal airfield was the central plot of the Star Wars Rebels animated television short "Art Attack,"[4] which premiered on August 18, 2014. The short, the second in a four-part series, was part of the leadup to the series premiere of Star Wars Rebels[17] on September 26, 2014.[18] Concept art, storyboards, and early animation for the events of "Art Attack" were first seen in a promotional video introducing the character of Sabine Wren on February 19 of the same year.[19]

Concept art galleries

"Art Attack"
Storyboards Concept art Digital renderings In-progress artwork

Appearances

This article has an associated index page with page numbers and/or timestamps.

Sources

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Notes and references

  1. ↑ In SWInsider "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156, Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group states that Star Wars Rebels episodes are "written and aired in chronological order." Since the same source places "Art Attack"—featuring the attack on the Lothal airfield—as the next episode after "The Machine in the Ghost," which includes the attack on the Ghost, the attack on the Ghost occurred before the airfield attack.
  2. ↑ Star Wars: Timelines places the events of the skirmish over Lothal as occurring shortly after the attack on the Lothal airfield.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 SWInsider "A Certain Point of View" — Star Wars Insider 203 states that the Galactic Civil War officially began at the Declaration of the Rebel Alliance. The Declaration is dated to 2 BBY by Star Wars: On the Front Lines, and Star Wars: Timelines dates the events of "Art Attack" to 5 BBY, placing the attack on the Imperial airfield ahead of the official beginning of the war, during the early rebellion against the Galactic Empire.
  4. ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 4.17 4.18 4.19 4.20 4.21 4.22 Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Art Attack"
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Star Wars: Timelines
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Rise of the Rebels
  7. ↑ Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Call to Action"
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide
  9. ↑ Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Out of Darkness"
  10. ↑ Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Blood Sisters"
  11. ↑ StarWars-DatabankII Sabine Wren in the Databank (backup link)
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Battle to the End
  13. ↑ The Rebellion Begins
  14. ↑ Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Fire Across the Galaxy"
  16. ↑ StarWars-DatabankII Mustafar History Gallery in the Databank (backup link) (Slide 15)
  17. ↑ SWInsider "Star Wars Rebels Recounted" — Star Wars Insider 156
  18. ↑ StarWars.com Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion to Debut Early on WATCH Disney XD on StarWars.com (backup link)
  19. ↑ 19.00 19.01 19.02 19.03 19.04 19.05 19.06 19.07 19.08 19.09 19.10 19.11 SWYT-Logo Meet Sabine, the Explosive Artist | Star Wars Rebels on the official Star Wars YouTube channel (backup link) (Posted on StarWars.com)


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