History Recap / StarWarsRebelsS3E16SecretCargo

* CallForward: Senator Mothma is to be escorted to Dantooine, which is eventually abandoned prior to the Death Star crisis in favor of Yavin 4, as stated in ''Film/ANewHope''.

** As with Saw, the ''Film/RogueOne: Visual Guide'' revealed that in 3 BBY, the same year Season 3 of ''Rebels'' takes place, Senator Mothma would be exposed as a rebel sympathizer when she publicly calls Palpatine a "lying executioner". We get to see this speech and the events that unfold immediately after it.

** When the TIE Interceptor turns up, just before they enter the nebula, one of the Y-Wing pilots wonders "Since when did a TIE fighter have a hyperdrive?" The ''Ghost'' crew and Phoenix Squadron have seen [=TIEs=] with hyperdrives before, in the hands of Darth Vader and the Inquisitors.

** [=HoloNet=] reporter Alton Kastle returns after being last seen and heard in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E11CallToAction "Call to Action"]].

* AbsenteeActor: Kanan is absent for a supply run and obviously Sabine is still absent, and after the last episode, Kallus does not accompany the other three main Imperials on the hunt for Mon Mothma even if this is his area.

->''"We're building an alliance; this is our fleet, this is our rebellion."''

* ForegoneConclusion: This is a hugely important episode pivotal in the Star Wars timeline. As high as the stakes are this episode, Mon Mothma has to survive for the Rebel Alliance to take root, and not even Thrawn can prevent that.

* ForegoneConclusion: As high as the stakes are this episode, Mon Mothma has to survive for the Rebel Alliance to take root, and not even Thrawn can prevent that.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Skerris is last seen tumbling into the nebula after taking a hit from Gold Leader's ion cannons. His fate after the detonation of the gas is left unrevealed, though since only one part of the nebula was ignited, it's possible he survived.

* TheCameo: Azadi, Jho, and the Lothal Insurgency make voiceless cameos, sitting in Old Jho's bar while watching Senator Mothma's rallying speech. We also see Senator Organa with General Dodonna and his unit, as well as the rebels including Rex and Sato at Chopper Base.
* CanonImmigrant: Mothma cites the Ghorman Massacre (and apparently there was at least one more attack there, since she said it in plural) as one of Palpatine's atrocities, which was also brought back by an AllThereInTheManual backstory for one of the Partisans in the ''Rogue One Visual Guide''. In ''Legends'', what happened is that Tarkin [[ColonyDrop landed]] his Star Destroyer on top of a peaceful protest on the planet and a large amount of people died, though this took place about a year or two into the Empire, whereas Mothma implies that it was a recent development and the reason why she finally spoke out. Also, see MythologyGag below for more information.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Skerris is last seen tumbling into the nebula after taking a hit from Gold Leader's ion cannons. His fate after the detonation of the gas is left unrevealed, though aince only one part of the nebula was ignited, it's possible he survived.

* MythologyGag: The Ghorman Massacre is presumably the reason why Mothma finally spoke out against the Empire, leading to this episode and ending with the formation of the Rebel Alliance. In ''Legends'', since the Ghorman Massacre happened about year after the Empire was established, it instead finally convinced Mothma, Organa, and some others to start organizing a rebellion.

** Like with the star cluster from [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E12LegendsOfTheLasat "Legends of the Lasat"]], the Imperials cannot follow pursuit of the rebels when they enter it due to harboring special conditions that allow them to pass through it relatively safely. This time, however, it's the cruisers that can't, but the [=TIEs=] can. The music also becomes more otherworldly here as well.
*** It's also a reference to [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E3ShadowOfMalevolence "Shadow of Malevolence"]] from ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', where Anakin used a similar shortcut through a nebula that capital ships had to go around. He was even in command of a squadron of Y-Wings at the time.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Skerris is last seen tumbling into the nebula after taking a hit from Gold Leader's ion cannons. His fate after the detonation of the gas is left unrevealed, though only parts of the nebula were ignited, so it's possible he ended up fine as long as he wasn't close to the detonation areas.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: Skerris is last seen tumbling into the nebula after taking a hit from Gold Leader's ion cannons. His fate afte the detonation of the gas is left unrevealed.
* WhatTheHellHero: Gold Two chews out the ''Ghost'' crew for making trouble, specifically citing the comm tower on Lothal and Tarkin's Star Destroyer. Zeb and Ezra are unapologetic, and Vander and Hera end the argument there.

* CanonImmigrant: Mothma cites the Ghorman Massacre (and apparently there was at least one more attack there, since she said it in plural) as one of Palpatine's atrocities, which was also brought back by an AllThereInTheManual backstory for one of the Partisans in the ''Rogue One Visual Guide''. In ''Legends'', what happened is that Tarkin [[ColonyDrop landed]] his Star Destroyer on top of a peaceful protest on the planet and an large amount of people died, though this took place about a year or two into the Empire, whereas Mothma implies that it was a recent development and the reason why she finally spoke out. Also, see MythologyGag below for more information.

** Mon Mothma, of course, given that she appears in ''Film/RogueOne'' and ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' as the leader of the Rebellion.

* SuicideMission: Hera decides to bring Mothma to her desired location through the Archeon Nebula, a route that is very treacherous with its newborn star and combustible gases. Even the Empire knows sending their capital ships to chase them would be suicide. However, Thrawn rectifies this by sending a TIE Defender piloted by Captain Skerris, as it would have better chances of surviving the nebula.

* SavedByCanon: Gold Leader is Jon "Dutch" Vander from ''Film/ANewHope'', who gets shot down by Darth Vader while attempting a trench run. So he can't die in this episode.

** [=HoloNet=] reporter Alton Kastle returns after being last seen and heard in [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS1E11CallToAction "Call To Action"]].

* ContinuityNod: Like with the star cluster from [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS2E12LegendsOfTheLasat "Legends of the Lasat"]], the Imperials cannot follow pursuit of the rebels when they enter it due to harboring special conditions that allow them to pass through it relatively safely. This time, however, it's the cruisers that can't, but the [=TIEs=] can. The music also becomes more otherworldly here as well.
** It's also a reference to [[Recap/StarWarsTheCloneWarsS1E3ShadowOfMalevolence "Shadow of Malevolence"]] from ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsTheCloneWars The Clone Wars]]'', where Anakin used a similar shortcut through a nebula that capital ships had to go around. He was even in command of a squadron of Y-Wings at the time.

* BreatherEpisode: The situation is definitely dire and important, but with the ForegoneConclusion that Mothma has to survive eases things a bit even when Thrawn is involved, as the previous episode included the stakes of Kallus' cover and life.

** [=HoloNet=] reporter Alton Kastle returns after being last seen and heard in "Call To Action".

** Thrawn still has at least one infiltrator droid left from [[Recap/StarWarsRebelsS3E12Warhead "Warhead"]] that shows up at the rendezvous point, scanning for activity. It locates and gives away the ''Ghost's'' position before being shot down.

* ContinuityNod: Like with the star cluster from "Legends of the Lasat", the Imperials cannot follow pursuit of the rebels when they enter it due to harboring special conditions that allow them to pass through it relatively safely. This time, however, it's the cruisers that can't, but the [=TIEs=] can. The music also becomes more otherworldly here as well.

* SureLetsGoWithThat: Gold Two tells off the crew for making the Rebellion harder to maintain thanks to blowing up the communications tower on Lothal and then blowing up the ''Sovereign''--the former was Tarkin's doing and the latter was an accident, caused by the Grand Inquisitor's broken lightsaber falling into the power grid. Zeb explains Tarkin's role in the former incident, but gleefully brags about the latter as if they did it on purpose.

* CallForward:
** Senator Mothma is to be escorted to Dantooine, which is eventually abandoned prior to the Death Star crisis in favor of Yavin 4, as stated in ''Film/ANewHope''.

* ContinuityNod:
** Like with the star cluster from "Legends of the Lasat", the Imperials cannot follow pursuit of the rebels when they enter it due to harboring special conditions that allow them to pass through it relatively safely. This time, however, it's the cruisers that can't, but the [=TIEs=] can. The music also becomes more otherworldly here as well.

* WhatHappenedtoTheMouse: Skerris is last seen tumbling into the nebula after taking a hit from Gold Leader's ion cannons. His fate afte the detonation of the gas is left unrevealed.

* Redshirt: The Y-wing pilots shot down by the TIE Defender. Their blasts don't make a dent in the Defender's shields.

* BreatherEpisode: The situation is definitely dire and important, but with the ForegoneConclusion that Mothma has to survive eases things a bit even when Thrawn was involved, as the previous episodes included the stakes of Kallus' cover & life and Sabine regaining her family's favor.

* HeroicSacrifice: Gold 5 gives her life to keep the TIE Defender from disabling the ''Ghost''.

* OutOfTheFryingPan: Hera makes it through the Nebula by flying close to the surface of a newborn star, only to get ambushed by Konstantine's Star Destroyers, at which point the hyperdrive still needed to be powered up and the ''Ghost'' sustained heavy damage on its hull.

* SuicideMission: Hera decides to bring Mothma to her desired location through the Archeon Nebula, a route that is very treacherous with its newborn star and combustible gases. Even the Empire knows sending their capital ships to chase them would be suicide. However, Thrawn rectifies this by sending a TIE Defender piloted by Captain Skerris, as it would have better chances of surviving the Nebula.
* SureLetsGoWithThat: Gold Two tells off the crew for making the Rebellion harder to maintain thanks to hijacking the communications tower to make their speech and then blowing up the ''Sovereign''--the latter actually being an accident when Kanan sliced the Grand Inquisitor's lightsaber in half, causing the parts to fall into the power grid and thus causing the ship to fail. Not that it really matters that much besides being a more memorable statement than a simple rescue mission.

* TheresNoKillLikeOverkill: After struggling with the TIE Defender all episode, the pilots ignite the gas of the nebula. Unless it was out of range, a blast that could severely damage two Star Destroyers likely incinerated the unshielded TIE.

* AbsenteeActor: Kanan is absent and Sabine is still absent, and after the last episode, Kallus does not accompany the other three main Imperials on the hunt for Mon Mothma even if this is his area.
* TheAlliance: Mon Mothma formally kickstarts the Rebel Alliance with a rallying cry to oppose the Empire. She's answered by a fleet of ships arriving at Dantooine.

* BreatherEpisode: The situation is definitely dire and important, but with the ForegoneConclusion that Mothma has to survive eases things a bit, as the previous episodes included the stakes of Kallus' cover & life and Sabine regaining her family's favor.

* ForegoneConclusion: Mon Mothma has to survive for the Rebel Alliance to take root, as high as the stakes are in this episode.

* AbsenteeActor: Kanan is absent and Sabine is still absent, and after the last episode, Kallus does not accompany the other three main Imperials on the hunt for Mon Mothma.