Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem

"At Attin is very interesting... [grunt] ...as an astrogation problem."

―Kh'ymm to "Crimson Jack"^[1]

"Very Interesting, As an Astrogation Problem" is the third episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. The episode was written by Christopher Ford and Jon Watts. The episode premiered on December 10, 2024.^[1]

Official description[]

A mysterious stranger offers to help our heroes.

Plot summary[]

The family conference[]

The episode opens with Wim's father Wendle attending a family conference with the parents of Fern, KB and Neel. Fern's mother Fara seeks to reassure the other parents that the safety droids will find that children. One of KB's mothers, Garree, is worried that they can no longer track her. Fara seeks to calm the other parents by telling them that the safety droids always found them when they got lost as children. Shortly later, a safety droid arrives with news from the Supervisor that their children are on a starship that has illegally exited the Barrier.

Neel's mother Nooma reacts with shock while Wendle asks if the Supervisor is going to contact the Republic for help. The droid replies that because the starship is outside the Barrier, the Supervisor is unable to risk any contact. Garree and Maree react with fear and anxiety due to their daughter's special needs. Fara demands that the safety droid inform the Supervisor while the other parents raise their voices. The safety droid responds that contact outside the Barrier is forbidden. Wendle sits down and removes his glasses, with an anxious and guilt-ridden look on his face.

Prison break[]

At Borgo Prime, the camera zooms from the spaceport to the brig level of the asteroid. While a guard stings a tentacled prisoner with an electrostaff, Jod Na Nawood and the four children take the opportunity to slip out of their cell. When KB hesitates due to the presence of two guards nearby, Jod apparently uses the Force to distract the guards by dislodging a hanging object. Fern objects to letting Jod come along with them while KB asks why he did not use his Force powers to free himself before they came. Jod replies that it was no point escaping his cell without a starship. As he taps on a control panel, Jod says that the Force provides. The laser gate's color changes from blue to red.

Jod introduces himself to the children, who also introduce themselves. After exiting the brig, they hide as a guard walks past with a prisoner. They wait as another guard pushes a repulsor cart. Jod tells the children to wait while he pursues the guard. Fern tells the other children that SM-33 reminded them to trust nobody, especially someone who had been in jail. Wim counters that they were in jail while Neel adds that the man has "magic powers." When Neel asks if they can trust the man, Wim reminds them that Jedi are the guardians of peace and justice in the galaxy. After incapacitating the guard, Jod returns with a blaster.

Caught between a crowded street and an empty corridor, Jod suggests that they could blend in with a crowd. The group duck as a spherical IT-O Interrogation Unit flies past. When KB remarks that Jod has the Force, he replies that the Force flows through everything. A hooded Jod leads the children through the bazaar. Neel briefly stops to watch fight breaking out among the spacers until Jod doubles back to guide him back onto course.

The five travel aboard a dinghy towards the docked ships above. When Jod asks about their starship, Wim starts to mouth. KB interjects to say that Wim is embarrassed about the state of his starship, which technically shouldn't fly. When Wim remarks that the ship smells, Jod is not worried but reacts with alarm upon seeing the disheveled state of the Onyx Cinder The dinghy docks with the Cinder. Aboard the starship's cockpit, Jod tells that younglings that he has an old friend who is an expert on star maps and lost planets.

No droid left behind[]

Wim says that they will need the droid SM-33, who knows how to operate the starship. When Jod says that they don't need a droid, Fern reminds him that the Jedi don't leave people behind. Jod argues that SM-33 is a droid and disputes the saying. When the children reiterate that they will go back for SM-33, Jod thinks that they will end up back in the brig. Fern asks if he can do anything since he is a "Jedi." Jod smiles and agrees to rescue SM-33 but tells the children to stay aboard the ship where it is safe. Wim hands Jod a blaster. Neel reminds Jod that SM-33 has a rat in his eye. Before leaving, Jod warns the younglings not to touch any of the ship's controls to avoid an accidental jump into hyperspace.

After Jod leaves, Fern thinks they should escape without Jod. Meanwhile, a scarred humanoid man relays news from Captain Brutus that Silvo has escaped the brig. Jod infiltrates the droid repair shop where he encounters several droids including the CZ-series secretary/business communications droid CZ-D2-9000. Jod powers the droid down while he powers up a RA-7 protocol droid searching for prince. Jod then turns his attention to a B1 battle droid, who asks if they won the Clone Wars before his head falls off.

Jod soon finds SM-33, who has been suspended on a harness. After confirming SM-33's identity, he powers down the droid and lifts him onto a repulsorcart. Before he can leave, Jod is interrupted by the Ishi Tib pirate Benjar Pranic, who invites him to share some tea among his crewmen. He asks if Brutus let him out. Jod replies that he has to leave soon and that he is borrowing an old droid. Pranic praises Jod for his fiery spirit and being a better skipper than Brutus. When Pranic asks Jod why Brutus released him before his trial, Jod reveals that he has escaped and says that he might have finally found the "big score" he had always talked about. When Pranic asks if this is related to the children who showed up with scores of valuable dataries, Jod asks Pranic not to report him to Brutus. However, Pranic disagrees and invites the guards for a "chat."

Escaping Borgo Prime[]

Meanwhile, Wim and Fern argue about whether Jod is actually a Jedi. Wim believes Jod is a Jedi but Fern is skeptical and suggests that he could be using a repulsorlift, tractor beam, magnets, mirrors or strings. Wim says that Fern is jealous of him. When Fern says that he wants to steal his treasure, Wim disagrees and says there is no treasure. Wim believes that Jod can help them get home and says that he and Neel voter in his favor. Fern responds that she and KB vote to leave Jod behind. As captain, Fern says that she plays a tie-breaker role. KB voices disagreement with Fern, saying they are just kids and can't do it on their own.

Meanwhile, Jod escapes in a dinghy and is pursued by pirates flying dinghies. Neel hears the of blaster fire outside, One of the pirate dinghies rams into his dinghy but he regains control and manages to dock with the Onyx Cinder. Jod drags in SM-33 and tells the children to hit the throttle. Since the children do not know how to fly the starship, he demonstrates how to move the throttle. However, the ship has become stuck on a fuel line. He accelerates the ship but the cable holds them still, causing the ship to lurch. As Jod maneuvers the Onyx Cinder, he collides with another starship and smacks the pursuing dinghies.

As the Onyx Cinder attempts to break free of the fuel line, it causes the other fuel lines to tangle, causing other ships to collide with each other. Brutus orders a turbolaser cannon to fire on the escaping ship. Before the turbolaser can aim at the Onyx Cinder, Jod takes the ship into hyperspace, causing the fuel line to break off and crash into the starport docks, dislodging scaffolding and causing damage to the docking facilities. Brutus is furious and orders his minions to hunt down the fugitive Jod and the younglings.

Voyage[]

Later, the younglings repair and revive SM-33, who initially regards Jod as an intruder. Wim reassures him that he is a Jedi and that they can trust him. When Wim says that Jod is taking them to his father on At Attin, the droid says he doesn't know where that planet is. Jod eats a bowl of porridge in front of the children, prompting the kids to scramble for the food. SM-33 refuses to clean Jod's bowl. Jod investigates the ship, rummaging through the clothes in the utility room. After trying on a boot, he retrieves a knife from the skeletal remains of a crew member.

SM-33 refused to recognize Jod's authority and confronts him, raising his height. Jod laughs and tries to make light of the situation by tapping on the droid's chassis. He asks SM-33 if the children are from At Attin. SM-33 jabs Jod before telling him that the children are definitely from somewhere before walking away. He then pops back before walking away.

Meanwhile, Neel shares some of his green porridge with the pet rat. Wim asks Neel if there is actually treasure on At Attin. Neel thinks that the treasure is connected to the Great Work on their planet. When Fern asks what he means, Neel asks what does her mother work as. Fern says that her mother works in administration while the other children recall that their parents work as analysts. Neel asks what their parents analyze. Wim replies that his father analyzes something to do with money. As Jod enters the room, Wim hides his lunch money. Neel thanks Jod for the food and he tells them that it is time for bed. Fern protests that they are not tired yet.

Later, Fern sleeps on a bed while the other three children sleep on hammocks in the captain's quarters. KB, who is awake, tells Jod that she suspects that he is not a Jedi. When KB says that she calculates the odds, Jod retorts that not everything in the galaxy can be calculated and tells her to trust her gut. He switches off the lights and tells her that they will be reaching his friend in two hours. He suggests that she get some sleep.

Guests of Kh'ymm[]

The Onyx Cinder exits hyperspace in a star system with a gas giant and a moon. The ship flies over a rocky moon and passes a telescope array. Jod takes the ship away from an empty landing pad and flies the ship over a cratered wilderness. The children exit the starship onto the cold, barren moon. After passing a crowd, Jod leads the four children single file across a ridge. Jod tells the children that he knows this friend but he doesn't trust her and fears that she would stab them in the back. The group approach an observatory complex.

Inside the observatory complex, several staff watching the group on surveillance cameras think that Jod has kidnapped the children and decide to stall him. The group reached a close hatch to the observatory. After Jod knocks, a gatekeeper droid with a female voice asks who is outside. Jod recognizes Kh'ymm's voice, who addresses him as Crimson Jack. She is joined by other gatekeeper droids, whose users take an interest in the children. Jod apologizes for leaving on bad terms but says that he has brought something special. Kh'ymm decides to permit entry to an "old friend" and opens the hatch.

The five enter a vestibule which leads to a cluttered storeroom, which Kh'ymm claims contains treasures from a thousand worlds. Kh'ymm turns out to be an owl-like alien, resting on a pedestal. Kh'ymm is cold towards Jod but is friendly towards the younglings, asking how they ended up travelling with Jod. KB explains that Jod rescued them and that he said that he could show them the way home. Kh'ymm says she has maps of every star in the galaxy and hyperspace routes. When the children and Jod say that they are from At Attin, Kh'ymm flies away. Jod vouches for the children.

The search for At Attin[]

Kh'ymm describes At Attin as an "interesting" astrogation problem and returns with a scroll. She tells the children that their homeworld has been purposely hidden from the rest of the galaxy. She says that there is no map to At Attin and that the scroll depicts the Jewels of the Old Republic, which she describes as planets of wonders kept hidden for their protection. Kh'ymm explains that all the other Jewels except At Attin were destroyed and that their planet is only remembered in children's stories, pirate shanties and rumors. When Fern says that they need a map, Jod disagrees. Kh'ymm agrees with Jod, describing the children as the map.

As she flies over the table, Kh'ymm enlists her guests' help in searching her archive for the astronomical feature. She inserts a punch card into a computer system, which causes the observatory dome to turn. When Kh'ymm asks what is interesting about At Attin, Wim describes his homeworld as boring. When Kh'ymm asks if there are nearby planets, KB recalls that they learned about Coruscant and Alderaan at school. At the mention of Alderaan, Kh'ymm alludes to the Galactic Civil War and destruction of Alderaan. Neel adds that part of the Great Work involves staying within the Barrier, which intrigues Kh'ymm. Neel describes the Barrier as a cloudy swirl that appears at night.

While typing into the computer, Kh'ymm speculates that At Attin is hidden behind nebula gases. When Jod asks if this information narrows it down, Kh'ymm says that it narrows it down to 10,000 worlds. Fern is daunted and thinks that it won't work. Kh'ymm and KB remain upbeat, with the latter saying that they have eliminated 99.99% of the other worlds in the galaxy. Kh'ymm notices a symbol on Fern's rucksack, which she got as "Head of the Class." She says that her mother makes her wear it. Taking an interest in the symbol, Kh'ymm remarks that she has never seen Palmarish numerals used in proto-Republic artifacts. She decides to cross-reference it with the information that they have obtained.

On the run again[]

While Kh'ymm is typing in the computer, Jod suspects she is stalling and uncovers a transmission device which she had been using to contact Sector Patrol. A male voice can be heard telling Kh'ymm that Sector Patrol forces are bound for the Observatory Moon. Kh'ymm asks if he would shoot her in front of the children. When the Sector Patrol officer asks if there is any sign of Crimson Jack, Kh'ymm tells the children that Jod is a scoundrel and that she called the X-wing starfighters to help them. As she flaps into the air, Jod fires his blaster. She swoops down and attacks him with his talons. Jod throws her into a stack of books just as the punch card is released by the computer. Jod shoots the computer and tells the children to flee.

Before leaving, KB helps Kh'ymm out of the stack. Kh'ymm asks if she and the other children would still follow Jod. KB admits that she doesn't trust Jod but that he has gotten them this far. Kh'ymm counsels KB to use her head and says that she can contact her if she needs help anytime. KB joins Jod and the other children in fleeing back to the ship with Jod. As X-wings swoop ahead, Fern asks him about his past and why Kh'ymm called him "Crimson Jack." Jod promises to explain aboard the ship and approaches the ramp. However, the girls block him and demand that he reveal who he actually is. SM-33 asks if Jod is causing them trouble.

Jod counters that the children are not going anywhere without coordinates. As the children signal to the X-wings, he pushes them back towards the ship. Jod tells the children that he is also lost and alone like them. When Wim asks if he is a Jedi, Jod responds that he never actually confirmed he was a Jedi. When Wim asks how he makes things float, Jod claims that Kh'ymm's "goons" are not going to help them get home. He offers to make a deal to get them home in return for a reward. KB counters that they are not partners but that he works with them. As SM-33 lights the blow torch, Jod reluctantly agrees to KB's terms.

Jod orders SM-33 to reassemble the ship's life support systems. After preparing the ship, Jod fires up the engines. One of the X-wing pilots demands that Crimson Jack surrender but Jod shuts off the intercom. Jod convinces Neel to fly the throttles while KB puts the punch card into the computer. Jod assigns Fern with manning the front gun turret and Wim with manning the rear bubble turret. The two children open fire on the pursuing X-wings. One of the X-wings takes a hit but most of the laser blasts miss their targets. One of the X-wings knocks out one of the four engines. The Onyx Cinder flees through the cloudy dayside of the Observatory Moon, losing their New Republic pursuers. The ship then jumps into hyperspace.

Later, the X-wings land near Kh'ymm's observatory. When Kh'ymm asks why they let them get away, X-wing Commander Kent says it was too risky with the children and asks where they are headed. Kh'ymm responds that if she told him, he wouldn't believe her.