In 2 BBY, a daring operation unfolded: the rescue of Hondo Ohnaka. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger, accompanied by Sabine Wren, Garazeb Orrelios, and the droid C1-10P, embarked on this mission. Their objective was to liberate the infamous pirate Hondo Ohnaka and his associate Terba from the clutches of the Imperial prison situated on Naraka, all in exchange for some potentially invaluable intelligence. A confrontation ensued with stormtroopers and an All Terrain Defense Pod, ultimately leading to Hondo's successful extraction by the rebels. Tragically, Terba met his end during their attempt to escape.
Following the skirmish at Nixus Hub 218 and the rediscovery of Lira San, the Galactic Empire incarcerated the Weequay pirate Hondo Ohnaka at the Imperial prison located on Naraka. Sharing a cell with Hondo was Terba, an Ugnaught who previously toiled as a worker at the Imperial junkyard known as Reklam Station, which was nestled within the gas planet of Yarma. Desperate to break free, Terba divulged to Hondo the existence of Republic Y-wing starfighters undergoing dismantling at Reklam Station. Hondo secretly got in touch with his former ally, Ezra Bridger, a key figure in the Phoenix Cell. Unbeknownst to Ohnaka, Bridger was grappling with the trauma from the mission to Malachor about half a year earlier, pushing him closer to the dark side of the Force. He proposed trading valuable information for a rescue. Considering the potential benefits, given Hondo's past reliability, Ezra agreed.
The Spectres made their way to Naraka. While Captain Hera Syndulla remained on the Ghost to ensure an escape vessel was readily available, Ezra, accompanied by Garazeb Orrelios and Sabine Wren, stealthily moved beneath one of the bridges leading to the mountainside prison. They encountered a pair of stormtroopers. Zeb seized one by the leg and hurled him into a ravine. Ezra then confronted the remaining stormtrooper and forced him down into the ravine as well. Sabine then appeared from under the bridge, and the trio narrowly evaded detection by an Imperial sensor light.
Having bypassed the sensor light, Ezra contacted the astromech droid Chopper, instructing the droid to leap over the cliff. Chopper couldn't use his rocket boosters without alerting the Imperials. So, Chopper propelled himself off the cliff, only to be caught by Zeb. Subsequently, Chopper opened the door to the Imperial prison, allowing the rebels to proceed to cell 6611, where Hondo and Terba were confined. Initially hesitant about rescuing Terba, the rebels were reassured by Hondo that the information he possessed was of immense value to Phoenix Cell.
Sabine then noticed a stormtrooper approaching Ezra stealthily, prompting the young Jedi to shoot him with his blaster. The rebels, along with Hondo and Terba, found themselves under attack by the stormtroopers' comrades and retreated down the corridor. Ezra then contacted Hera, requesting the Ghost for a "44 scoop." Following a brief firefight, the rebels descended via a turbolift. Upon exiting the lift, the rebels ambushed another stormtrooper patrol. During the skirmish, Ezra activated his new green lightsaber and struck down several stormtroopers.
The rebels then made a dash towards the main entrance. At that juncture, Terba demanded a larger share from Hondo, but the Weequay refused. Feeling slighted, Terba abandoned the agreement and surged ahead of the rebels towards the entrance. However, an Imperial AT-DP walker positioned on the nearby platform unleashed a blast that resulted in the death of the Ugnaught. The rebels and Hondo found themselves trapped, with the walker and stormtroopers in front and more stormtrooper reinforcements arriving from behind.
Sabine launched a thermal detonator through the door, eliminating the pursuing stormtroopers, while Chopper secured the door. Meanwhile, Ezra employed the Force to control the AT-DP pilot's mind, directing him to fire upon the other stormtroopers. The pilot, under Bridger's influence, then steered his walker over the edge of the platform into the ravine. Despite overcoming these obstacles, another group of stormtroopers caught up with them. Before another gun battle could begin, Hera arrived with the Ghost, diving beneath the main platform. On Ezra's signal, the rebels and Hondo leaped onto the freighter, which evacuated them from the prison.
As a result of rescuing Hondo Ohnaka, the Spectres and their Phoenix allies became aware of the presence of Republic Y-wings at the Imperial junkyard Reklam Station, situated within the gaseous planet Yarma. Subsequently, the rebels launched a reconnaissance mission to scout the floating junkyard. In exchange for his assistance, the Phoenix rebels reluctantly consented to provide Hondo with a hyperspace-capable smuggling vessel and a crew. Ultimately, the rebels were spared the expense of Hondo's reward, as the pirate managed to acquire an Imperial vessel and an Ugnaught crew at Reklam Station.
Due to his actions during the rescue mission, Ezra received a promotion to Lieutenant Commander and was placed in charge of the Reklam mission. By raiding Reklam Station, the Spectres freed several Ugnaught laborers and secured five Y-wings for General Jan Dodonna's unit. The rebels' activities also garnered the attention of Grand Admiral Thrawn, the commander of the Seventh Fleet and a rising figure within the Imperial Military.
The Rescue of Hondo Ohnaka was first presented in Star Wars Rebels: Steps Into Shadow, the opening episode of the third season of Star Wars Rebels, which debuted on September 24, 2016 on Disney XD.