Raid on the Crucible

|width=
|prev=The Gathering
|conc=Battle of MoriaStar Wars Character Encyclopedia
|next=Attack on Samwise Gamgee's fleet
|name=Raid on the Crucible
|image=
|conflict=War of the Ring
|date=July 8th, 1983
|place=Crucible
|result=Eowyn captured
|side1=Ohnaka Gang
|side2=Jedi Order
|commanders1=Captain Hondo Ohnaka
|commanders2=Padawan Eowyn
|forces1=*Weequay pirates
*1 Corona-class armed frigate
**Acushnet
|forces2=*7 Jedi
*1 architect droid
*1 Paladin-class corvette
**Crucible
|casual1=4 Weequay pirates
|casual2=Huyang disassembled
|civilian=Minor Damage to the Crucible}}
In July 1983, Hondo Ohnaka and his pirates raided the Jedi training cruiser Crucible, which was transporting a class of Jedi Initiates on a summer vacation for its supply of lightsaber crystals from Ilum, to the Jedi Temple on Minas Tirith. Ohnaka sought to convert the younglings' crystals into easy profit on the black market, however, Eowyn managed to dive the pirates off the ship but she was taken captive, leaving the younglings alone in the deep space.
==Prelude==
After a group of Jedi Initiates consisting of Byph, Ganodi, Gungi, Katooni, Petro, and Zatt successfully passed a test on Ilum, Eowyn prepared to escort them back to the Jedi Temple on Minas Tirith. In the meantime, as part of their journey, the younglings were to be instructed in the proper construction of their lightsabers under the expert tutelage of the Jedi's prime lightsaber designer and engineer, Huyang. Huyang wasted no time introducing the younglings into the basics of determining the styling of their individual lightsabers and gave them the necessary instructions to assemble their lightsabers from the parts he provided, but Hondo Ohnaka attacked the Crucible to steal the younglings' crystals so that he could convert them into easy profit on the black market.
==The raid==
The pirate saucer pelted the Crucible with missile strikes aimed at the cruiser's hyperdrive. Eowyn and R2-D2 tried to steer the ship to safety, but it was too large and ungainly and the Crucible started to lose power. The pirate vessel fired grappling harpoons, and then Ohnaka personally led the pirates boarding the Crucible. In the training room, Huyang ordered the younglings to hand over their crystals to him for safekeeping but Petro, however, didn't hand his over. Eowyn then rushed back to the younglings and there Huyang suggested that the younglings hide in the ship's ventilation shafts. Within the ventilation shaft, the younglings heard the pirates walking overhead. Eowyn ordered Ganodi and Zatt to make their way to the cockpit, find R2-D2, and secure the ship's bridge. The rest of the younglings would follow Professor Huyang and seal themselves in the ship's hold and await Eowyn's command. Eowyn then intended to reroute the ship's power to the engines so the Crucible could break free of the pirate ship's grip.
Zatt and Ganodi finally made their way to the bridge. They were accosted by a pirate, who reached for them through the closing bulkhead door. R2-D2 then used his electric pike to shock the Weequay thug. In the meanwhile, Ohnaka ordered the pirate to smoke the younglings out of the ventilation shaft and secure the crystals, and soon the younglings started coughing as gas grenades filled the ventilation shafts with choking smoke. Huyang lifted the floor panel to emerge in a corridor, and he was immediately throttled by a pirate. The pirates demanded that the captive younglings hand over their crystals. Petro then pulled out his lightsaber, opened its crystal chamber, and inserted his shard. He ignited his blade, looking to fight, but the gleaming blue shaft faded out. The pirate chuckled and snatched the lightsaber, but Petro's lightsaber exploded in the pirate's grip. The younglings and Huyang dashed away from the stunned pirates. Huyang instructed them to continue to the hold. He had been damaged in the explosion and couldn't aid the children in battle. At the cruiser's engineering station, Eowyn began redistributing power from the ship's core. She overrode the emergency power fail-safes. Then, she called Zatt at the bridge via comlink to find out if the other younglings have reached the hold, but Zatt had no information for her.
In the training room, Katooni and Gungi set the training remotes to their highest power settings and programmed them for defense. Running about the corridors, Byph lured the pirates into the room. Katooni called Zatt to seal the room from the bridge. The remotes swarmed the Weequays, relentlessly zapping them. Unfortunately, the younglings couldn't make it to the hold. Ohnaka and his pirates stood in the way. The younglings were surrounded by pirates. Huyang closed one of the bulkhead doors, using a built-in welder to seal the controls shut. Ohnaka demanded the young Jedi to hand over the crystals. Suddenly, Eowyn arrived. She Force-pushed most the pirates out of the way, and demanded that Ohnaka stand down. With the scent of profit in his wrinkled nose, however, Ohnaka was not about to surrender. Eowyn ignited her lightsabers, and Ohnaka powered up his electro-staff and engaged Eowyn in battle. Huyang also engaged one of the pirates in a short brawl and defeated him, despite being dismantled in the process. As soon as the younglings and Huyang were safely in the hold, Eowyn ordered Zatt to break away from the pirate ship, even though she was not secure. The Crucible engines flared to life and pulled away from the saucer. The grappling hooks snapped off and the docking tube bent, and the pirates were sucked down the corridor. Eowyn and Ohnaka tumbled through the Crucible. Many pirates were blown into vacuum, although some, including Ohnaka, landed back in their own ship. An errant pirate then knocked Eowyn into the saucer as well as she closed the tube doors. Unaware that Eowyn was not aboard, the Crucible blasted off into hyperspace.
==Aftermath==
Eowyn was taken prisoner by the Ohnaka Gang, with Ohnaka intending to sell her to make up for the lost profit from losing the kyber crystals. After taking her to his base on Florrum, Ohnaka informed his prisoner that he intended to sell her to a business person who would pay handsomely for a female Jedi, dead or alive.
The younglings only realized that Eowyn was missing after the damaged Crucible dropped out of hyperspace. Calling for help, the children contacted Jedi General Sam Gamgee, who warned them against being heroes and said he would attack Ohnaka's base with his forces. Gamgee intended to send Clone Commander Cody to pick up the children, but his fleet was attacked by The Mouth of Sauron' forces almost immediately after signing off with the Crucible. The battle was a defeat, forcing Samwise to self-destruct his command ship Negotiator and preventing him and Cody from enacting any sort of rescue for the younglings.
As most of the younglings finished assembling their lightsabers, unaware of the reason for Gamgee's delay, Petro suggested that they rescue Eowyn themselves. Katooni was opposed to the idea, but Ganodi and Zatt reported that the damage to the Crucible was such that the ship had to make a landing, otherwise the engines would explode. Arriving on Florrum, Ganodi and R2-D2 stayed with the ship while the rest of the group set out for the pirate base, disguising themselves as acrobats to rescue Eowyn. The younglings, droids and Eowyn were recaptured, however, with the Crucible being destroyed. However, the attack of The Mouth of Sauron and his forces in retaliation for Ohnaka having once held Saruman the White hostage led the pirates and Jedi to join forces, eventually escaping Florrum in the Slave I, with Ohnaka being paid handsomely to return the Jedi to the Republic fleet.
==Appearances==
* 
* 
* 
*Eowyn 
*Pirate's Price 
==Sources==
*Star Wars: Absolutely Everything You Need to Know
*
*Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles
==Notes and references==
Category:War of the Rings battles