Battle of Mirkwood

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|conc=*Battle of Muunilinst
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*Ambush on Ilum
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|next=*Battle of Brentaal IV
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|image=
|name=Battle of Mirkwood
|conflict=War of the Ring
|date=May 16th, 1981, 2 months after the First Battle of Isengard (13:9:22 GrS)
|place=Mirkwood, Middle-Earth
|result=Galactic Republic/Elves victory
|side1=*Galactic Republic
*Jedi Order
*Elves
|side2=*Confederacy of Independent Systems
*Goblins
*Spiders
|commanders1=*High General Legolas
*King Thranduil
|commanders2=*Unidentified Goblin commander †
*Moappa (indirectly)
|forces1=*1 Elves Master
*1 King of Woodland Elves
*Elves Knights
*Elven Archers
*Acclamator-class assault ships
*Low Altitude Assault Transport/infantrys
|forces2=*Goblins warriors
*B1-Series battle droids
*Spiders
*Separatist Sub-Carriers
*Separatist Mini-Subs
*Crab cannon
*Goblin Isolation League droid carriers
*Moappa
|casual1=*Numerous Elves warriors
*One Acclamator-class assault ship
|casual2=*Crab cannon
*Most of the Separatist Army forces
}}
The Battle of Mirkwood was a battle fought between the Goblins and Elves races on the dark forests of Mirkwood during the War of the Ring in 1981. Their secessionist ideals represented by the Quarren Isolation League, backed by the Confederacy of Independent Systems and bolstered by the telepathic abilities of the indigenous Spiders species, the Quarren attempted to seize control of the elves forests from the Elves Council, who were backed by the Galactic Republic. When the Goblins proceeded to launch an attack on the Elven people, the Republic sent an detachment of Elven warriors led by Jedi Master Legolas and King Thranduil to quell the threat.
Legolas himself was chosen by Grand Master Bilbo Baggins to participate in the battle due to being a member of the Elves race. Legolas and Thranduil led his Elven warriors against the Spiderss and other goblin weapons of the Separatists, which were commanded by a Goblin warlord. The warlord himself eventually participated in the battle from the bridge of a crab cannon, which turned the tides of the battle against the Republic: the cannon had the ability to destroy an entire Republic assault ship floating on the surface of Middle-Earth. The combined might of the Republic and the Elves Knights managed to destroy the crab cannon and subdue the Goblin forces.
==Prelude==
The Goblins and Elves had coexisted on the Elven region of Rhovanion; however, their relationship had always been in shaky grounds. The Goblins anger, mistrust, and jealousy against the Elves people had grown within the ranks of their neighbors, the collective intelligence of the Spiders. The Goblin Isolation League was established to counter the apparent Elven domination over the Goblin race.
Eventually, Saruman the White of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and leader of Isengard intervened in the political turmoil, pledging support to the Quarren secessionist movement. Now backed by a droid army, the Quarren and the Goblins moved against the Elves, intending to start galactic war. Unwilling to lose a powerful ally in the Elves people, Elrond of the Council of Elrond sent a detachment of the Grand Army of the Republic led by Jedi Master Legolas and King Thranduil to assist the Elves of Mirkwood.
==The battle==
At the beginning of hostilities, the Goblin Isolation League moved against Elven cities with the help of CIS battle droids. The Elves were quickly reinforced by Legolas's fleet of Acclamator-class assault ships, which landed in the dark forests of Mirkwood. From his command ship, the Jedi Master leaped into battle with an army of Elven warriors, engaging the Goblin army in their own element.
The battle eventually settled around a large self-propelled artillery cannon. It managed to fire two shots, destroying one Acclamator-class assault ship before Legolas was able to destroy the cannon's legs with massive force bubbles. With the aid of the native Elves Knights, the gun was pushed over the edge of a chasm and destroyed. The fighting continued for 3 hours as the elusive Moappa telepathic swarm consciousness continued its command of the Quarren, angered by the Elves's arrogance in claiming their planet for themselves.
Legolas destroyed several Goblin outposts, and interrogated survivors as to the whereabouts of their commander. Having found that all the Goblin soldiers received their commands telepathically, he managed to locate the Moappa, engage them in combat, and learn of their intentions. Dispersing the Moappa to such a degree as to deny them their collective intelligence, Legolas returned to the Elves people victorious.
==Aftermath==
Legolas and Thranduil advised the Elves to use their diplomatic techniques to deal with Sauron's demands; by this time heavy conflict had died down to a halt. Although the Mon Calamari had emerged victorious over their Quarren adversaries, reunification of the planet did not last long. In 1982, the warlord Riff Tamson, a benefactor of Saruman, assassinated King Yos Kolina, leaving the young and inexperienced Prince Lee-Char to claim the throne. This angered the Quarren people, who decided to attack the Mon Calamari people in what became known as the Battle of Mon Cala.
==Behind the scenes==
After being teased in the first installment of Star Wars: War of the Ring, the Battle of Mirkwood was featured in "Chapter 5" of the series. The conflict was also playable from the perspective of Legolas in the video game The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring: Planetary Forces.
==Appearances==
* 
*
*The Lord of the Rings: War of the Ring: Planetary Forces
*Star Wars: Clone Wars PhotoComic
*
*Only the Force 
* 
*Labyrinth of Evil 
==Sources==
*Clone Strike
*The New Essential Chronology
*The New Essential Guide to Droids
*Jedi vs. Sith: The Essential Guide to the Force
*
*Star Wars Fandex Deluxe Edition
*The Clone Wars Campaign Guide
*Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 37
*
*
*
*
*
* 
*
*Strongholds of Resistance
==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles