In 4 BBY, Phoenix Leader Hera Syndulla sent Sabine Wren along with Chopper and Ezra Bridger on a mission to pick up a courier carrying valuable intelligence for the rebellion. While Hera did not know what this courier looked like, she told her comrades that the individual would answer the code-phrase "It's a long way to Alderaan." They were to meet the courier in Garel City Spaceport and then transport it to Havoc Outpost, where the courier would be picked up by other members of the rebellion.
Unknown to the Spectres, the Black Sun crime syndicate had also assigned the bounty hunter Ketsu Onyo on a mission to collect the courier. Ketsu was a former friend of Sabine, who had helped Sabine escape the Imperial Academy on Mandalore and then became bounty hunters together. However, Ketsu had turned "greedy" and left Sabine for dead before joining the Black Sun by herself. Sabine was later rescued by the Spectres who gave her a second chance in life.
Upon arriving in Garel City Spaceport, Sabine and Ezra began greeting passengers they encountered with "It's a long way to Alderaan." However, they were only met with bemused stares and shrugs. After the terminal had emptied, Ezra discovered that the courier was a GNK-series power droid called EG-86. Before they could proceed with the rest of their mission, the three rebels and EG-86 were cornered by Ketsu. Following a tense reunion, Ketsu demanded that the rebels hand over EG-86. Sabine refused and the two former classmates prepared for a gun duel.
Before the two belligerents could commence the duel, a squad of stormtroopers arrived in the terminal and ordered them to leave. Ketsu however responded by shooting the stormtroopers, sparking a gun battle. Amidst the fighting, the Spectres and EG-86 managed to board a GX1 short hauler and deactivate the ship's pilot droid. While taking off, Ezra fell out through the side door and was left behind.
Meanwhile, Ketsu was surrounded by several stormtroopers who ordered her to lower her firearms. However, the Mandalorian bounty hunter was able to take out the stormtroopers in hand-to-hand combat. She then retreated by jumping onto a departing shuttle and then jumping onto the roof where her starship Shadow Caster was waiting. Determined to capture the GNK power droid, Ketsu followed Sabine's ship into space.
Once in space, Sabine and Chopper attempted to jump into hyperspace. However, Ketsu appeared with the Shadow Caster and disabled their shuttle's hyperdrive. She also opened fire on their shuttle, damaging the blast door and sucking Chopper out into hyperspace. However, Chopper turned this situation to his advantage by creeping up behind the Shadow Caster and sabotaging the ship's turret cannon while Ketsu was issuing an ultimatum to Sabine. Ketsu then managed to capture Chopper and offered to negotiate with Sabine.
During the negotiations, Sabine refused to back down and abandon her mission; emphasizing her devotion to the rebellion. Despite the estranged relationship, Sabine was willing to forgive Ketsu. Sabine's devotion to the rebel cause and grace won over Ketsu and the two reconciled their friendship. After an Arquitens-class command cruiser showed up, the rebels and Ketsu worked together to escape by blowing up their stolen shuttle. The resulting explosion caused significant damage to the Imperial warship. Meanwhile, the Spectres, Ketsu, and EG-86 traveled on the Shadow Caster to Havoc Outpost. There, they delivered EG-86 to a group of Alderaanian rebels that included the astromech droid R2-D2.
Due to her efforts to help the rebellion, Ketsu regained Sabine's friendship while also gaining the favor of the rebellion. Later, she assisted the Phoenix Cell by identifying Berzite's moon in the Yost system as a potential site for a rebel base. After Imperial forces attacked Phoenix Squadron, Ketsu aided the rebels by using the Shadow Caster to clear a path for the Ghost to land in the rebel flagship Phoenix Nest. Unknown to Ketsu, the Empire had set a trap in the Yost system. However, the rebels were able to escape that trap due to the efforts of Chopper and the former Imperial inventory droid AP-5.
The Skirmish in Garel first appeared in the Star Wars Rebels episode "Blood Sisters," which first debuted on Disney XD on November 18, 2015. It introduced a new character Ketsu Onyo, who was voiced by Gina Torres.
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