Ancient Jedi tradition! Six younglings are sent to the secret caverns of Ilum where they are tested by "The Gathering" -- an ancient Jedi ritual where each youngling must harvest a crystal, around which they will construct their own lightsaber. Along the journey they underwent great perils... Hardest of which was to face themselves. Now, having passed the test, they take their first step into a larger world...

The Crucible departs Ilum for deep space. Aboard the ancient Jedi training vessel, Petro shows off his sparring moves, deflecting incoming blasts from a remote while wearing a training helmet. Ahsoka brings the class to attention, asking the students to place their harvested Ilum crystals on a workshop table. She then introduces the students to their next instructor: architect and lightsaber designer, Professor Huyang.

Huyang is an ancient droid. Stooped with age, he is nonetheless spry of step and sharp of mind. The students are surprised to see a droid in this role, but Huyang takes no backtalk from the younglings. He instructs the students on their next steps: choosing a lightsaber design, and awakening the Force inside the crystals.

Huyang begins with Gungi, asking the young Wookiee to envision what his lightsaber should be, based on his instincts and what the Force suggests. Gungi answers wood, and so Huyang begins rummaging through his vast trove of lightsaber components, selecting a handle made of wood from the brylark tree. Huyang intends to instruct all the students in the ancient secrets of lightsaber construction.

As the Crucible soars through space, it is approached by a spinning Weequay pirate saucer. Aboard sits Hondo Ohnaka, who has tracked the ship upon learning that it carries incredibly valuable kyber crystals.

Aboard the Crucible, the younglings use the Force to telekinetically hover their lightsaber components into the correct configurations. It's not easy, as it requires intense concentration and patience. Petro rushes to complete his weapon. Huyang inspects the lightsaber, and scolds Petro for his sloppiness. The headstrong youngling has inverted the emitter matrix, and rather than create a lightsaber, he's created a bomb that would explode upon ignition. Petro must start again.

The lesson is cut short when the Crucible shudders from a surprise impact. Ahsoka rushes to the ship's bridge, where R2-D2 alerts her to the incoming pirate attack.

The pirate saucer pelts the Crucible with missile strikes aimed at the cruiser's hyperdrive. Ahsoka and Artoo try to steer the ship to safety, but it is too large and ungainly. It starts to lose power. The pirate vessel fires grappling harpoons, and snares the Crucible, reeling the ancient ship towards its extending boarding chutes.

The lights shut off in the training room. Huyang takes charge, and instructs the younglings to hand over their crystals to him for safekeeping. He takes the valuable shards and stashes them into a recessed chest module. Petro, however, only pantomimes handing over his crystal. He secretly pockets it.

The pirates cut through the Crucible's airlock and board the ship. Ahsoka rushes back to the younglings. The children are scared -- Ganodi frets that the pirates will kill them all. Huyang suggests that the children hide in the ship's ventilation shafts. Though Petro would rather stand and fight, the students and their instructors disappear beneath the floor panels of the Crucible.

Within the ventilation shaft, the younglings can hear the pirates walking overhead. Ahsoka orders Ganodi and Zatt to make their way to the cockpit, find R2-D2, and secure the ship's bridge. The rest of the children will follow Professor Huyang and seal themselves in the ship's hold and await Ahsoka's command. The Padawan intends to reroute the ship's power to the engines so the Crucible can break free of the pirate ship's grip.

Ahsoka's plan is for the break from the pirate ship to split open the docking tube, blowing the pirates into space. The children will be safe within the pressurized bridge and hold. She warns them not to engage the pirates and to stay hidden.

Hondo boards the Crucible, hungry for profits. His henchman, Gwarm, reports the ship is secure and abandoned. Hondo doesn't believe it -- he thinks the Jedi students are hiding aboard somewhere. He orders the pirates to smoke the children out of the ventilation shaft and secure the crystals.

Zatt and Ganodi make their way to the bridge. They are accosted by a goggled pirate who reaches for them through the closing bulkhead door. R2-D2 comes to the rescue by electro-zapping the Weequay thug.

The younglings start coughing as gas grenades fill the ventilation shafts with choking smoke. Huyang lifts the floor panel to emerge in a corridor, and he is immediately throttled by a burly pirate. The children are captured!

The pirates demand that the captive younglings hand over their crystals. While the children are scared, Petro is instead determined. He pulls out his lightsaber, opens its crystal chamber, and inserts his shard. He ignites his blade, looking to fight, but the gleaming blue shaft fades out. The pirate chuckles, snatching the lightsaber. The boy has planned this: his lightsaber explodes in the pirate's grip.

The younglings and Huyang dash away from the stunned pirates. Huyang instructs them to continue to the hold. He has been damaged in the explosion and cannot aid the children in battle. Petro, however, is rallying the younglings to fight.

At the cruiser's engineering station, Ahsoka begins redistributing power from the ship's core. She overrides the emergency power fail-safes. She calls Zatt at the bridge via comlink to find out if the other younglings have reached the hold. But Zatt has no information for her. He doesn't know where the other younglings are.

In the training room, the younglings set the training remotes to their highest power settings and program them for defense. Running about the corridors, Byph lures the pirates into the room, and the kids take cover. Katooni calls Zatt to seal the room from the bridge. The remotes swarm the Weequays, relentlessly zapping them as the kids run away.

Unfortunately, the children can't make it to the hold. Hondo and his pirates stand in the way. The younglings are surrounded by pirates. Huyang closes one of the bulkhead doors, using a built-in welder to seal the controls shut. Hondo demands the children hand over the crystals.

Suddenly, Ahsoka arrives. She Force-pushes most the pirates out of the way, and demands that Hondo stands down. With the scent of profit in his wrinkled nose, Hondo is not about to surrender. Ahsoka ignites her lightsabers, ready to defend the children. Hondo powers up his electro-staff, and engages Ahsoka in battle.

With this distraction as cover, Huyang leads the children to the hold. A pirate blasts Huyang's head off. The droid is incensed. He marches his decapitated body to do battle with the pirate, who keeps firing away. The droid's arms are blasted off, but Huyang keeps fighting, kicking the pirate into submission. Petro grabs Huyang's severed arms, while Gungi collects his head and they dash off to the hold.

Ahsoka continues to duel Hondo. She does not want to hurt the pirate, but she has to make sure the kids are safe. Petro calls her from the hold. She then orders Zatt to break away from the pirate ship, even though she is not secure.

The Crucible's engines flare to life and it pulls away from the saucer. The grappling hooks snap off and the docking tube bends. The pirates are sucked down the corridor. Ahsoka and Hondo tumble through the Crucible. Many pirates are blown into vacuum. Hondo lands in his own ship. An errant pirate knocks Ahsoka into the saucer. Unaware that Ahsoka is not aboard, the Crucible blasts off into hyperspace.

Ahsoka is now a captive of the pirates. Hondo has his henchmen knock her unconscious. Robbed of his profits from the crystal, he intends to find a way to turn Ahsoka into profit.