Star Wars Rebels is in the middle of its third season, and so far it's been quite an interesting one for fans. As Ezra Bridger becomes torn between the light and dark sides of the Force and Darth Maul returns, viewers are also enjoying the exploits of Grand Admiral Thrawn and witnessing the origins of the Rebellion. Like most of the non-film canon materials, one of Rebels' greatest assets is that it continues to flesh out the universe in exciting ways. Earlier in the season, Captain Rex finally ended the Clone Wars, and the last episode detailed Mandalorian culture.

Getting a greater picture of the galaxy's scope and the Galactic Civil War certainly complements the movies, and when Rebels returns from its short break next week, there will be another new addition to the conflict in Iron Squadron. To get audiences primed for their big debut, Disney XD unveiled a clip from the upcoming Rebels episode "Iron Squadron," which you can watch above.

In it, the Ghost crew encounter a YT-2400 light freighter under assault by an Imperial transport and a squad of TIE fighters. Hera and her team offer the ship assistance, but its unnamed pilot (whom Kanan claims sounds like a kid) insists he has it under control. The freighter and the Ghost take care of the TIEs, before the freighter bombs the Imperial transport with cargo, destroying it. Iron Squadron's intentions are unknown, but it's safe to assume that they could be allies of the Alliance, given that they directly attack the Empire without fear. It will be interesting to see who Iron Squadron consists of, since Rebels hasn't been afraid to bring in characters from the original trilogy.

Per the episode's official synopsis, the main plot will see Ezra and Sabine teaming up to "subdue" the hotshot pilot and his crew, who are using fairly reckless tactics to defend their planet. It's possible that Iron Squadron (considering they live to the end), will be offered a spot in the Rebellion by the conclusion; a running theme of the season has been strengthening the Rebels' forces with new pilots and soldiers. Longtime fans know that the Alliance is perpetually outmatched against their great foe, so they could use all the help they can get in attempting to even the odds.

Another reason to look forward to "Iron Squadron" is that it will feature an appearance from Thrawn, who has been used sparingly so far in the season. Though the antagonist's role on the show has been somewhat limited to this point, fans are impressed with the way he's been portrayed on Rebels. Hopefully that continues next week and the villain remains an intimidating foil for the scrappy band of heroes.

Star Wars Rebels airs Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. EST on Disney XD.

Source: Disney XD