The Real Good Guys

"You're no Jedi. You lied. And now the real good guys are coming."

―Wim to Jod Na Nawood^[3]

"The Real Good Guys" is the eighth and final episode of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. The episode was written by Christopher Ford and Jon Watts.^[1]

Official description

A journey filled with adventure comes to a surprising end.

Plot summary

The "homecoming"

The episode opens with Jod Na Nawood igniting his blue lightsaber. When Fara thanks Jod for reuniting them with their children and asks what they can do in return, he replies that reuniting families is all part of what he does. He offers his services before deactivating his lightsaber. When Fara asks if the children are in trouble, Jod claims that they are in trouble for stealing a starship and breaking every security protocol. He tells her that At Attin's safety should be their utmost priority.

When Fara says that they do not want to interfere with the Emissary's offloading procedures, Jod orders the children to be confined to their quarters and for the safety droids to keep an eye of them and have the safety droids report back to Jod for any misbehavior. When Wendle asks if these measures are necessary, Jod claims that the children were troublesome on their journey home. Wim replies yes while Fern sarcastically says that they were "way too troublesome" on their way home. While the safety droids usher the others, Jod "invites" Fern to accompany him to meet The Supervisor, saying that she could learn something about duty and responsibility. Fara offers to accompany them. Jod promises to take "special care" of the two of them.

Back at Wendle's home, he and his son Wim share pack dinners under the gaze of a safety droid. Wendle asks his son if he missed a meal before changing topic to sitting his Assessment. When Wim says that the Assessment doesn't matter anymore, Wendle tells his son that he is in trouble and reminds him about the importance of picking a career. Wim counters that there is more to the galaxy than the Great Work. When Wendle questions his son about embarking on a quest to meet a Jedi, Wim is about to tell him that Jod is not a Jedi but stops since the safety droid is watching. He apologizes and tells his father that he saw places out there that made him realize how good home is. Wim warns that there are certain people out there who want to ruin it. Wendle responds that is what the Supervisor is for before returning to his meal.

The Supervisor

As they ascend up the turbolift to The Supervisor's office, Fara tells Fern that it is a great honor for someone so young to meet the Supervisor and tells her not to slouch. Meanwhile, Wim contacts Neel with his walkie talkie. Neel says he cannot talk due to the safety droid. Wim manages to mention that they need to save Fern before Neel ends the conversation. The safety droid says that communications will be reported to the Republic Emissary and asks Wim whom he is speaking to. Wim pretends that he was playing with his toys.

At the top of the Supervisor's tower, the safety droids escort the three humans into a chamber lined with computers and desks. Fara calls for the Supervisor while Jod notices that many of the desks are covered with dust. When Jod asks if it is abandoned, Fara explains that the Supervisor rarely grants them an audience. Just then, a large dome-shaped droid head with a large red receptor eye swivels around and faces the humans, revealing himself as the Supervisor. The Supervisor is familiar with Undersecretary Fara and says that he has been watching over her and Fern with great interest. Jod asks if they are ruled by a droid.

The Supervisor turns his attention to Jod and asks him to introduce himself. Jod claims to be an Emissary for the Republic and the Jedi. He uses the Force to levitate his lightsaber. The Supervisor says that he was beginning to doubt whether an Emissary would visit the At Attin Mint again. Jod claims that the Galactic Republic has been preoccupied with thwarting numerous "evil schemes." The Supervisor remarks that the galaxy must be dangerous.

Jod then starts to tell the Supervisor that he needs to contact his second ship, prompting Fara to asks why his second ship doesn't simply land as his first one did. Jod asserts his authority by telling her that she needs to obey him as Republic Emissary. The Supervisor concurs that strict obedience to authority has kept At Attin running for generations. The Supervisor asks Jod to clear one final detail before giving permission for his second ship to land. The Supervisor says that the last message that they received from the Republic was that all Jedi were traitors. He asks Jod whether he was lying about being an Emissary or a Jedi.

Jod takes over

Fern then blurts out that Jod is a pirate planning to rob the Mint. The Supervisor concurs and orders the safety droids to seize the impostor. As the safety droids converge around Jod, he uses his lightsaber to deflect their stun bolts, taking out one. Fern and Fara take shelter under a desk. Jod then plunges his lightsaber into the Supervisor's receptor eye, causing the safety droids to shut down. Fara asks Jod what he has done. The destruction of the Supervisor causes the lights in the surrounding city to shut down. Public transportation, vehicles and power lines also go out.

When Jod found the controls to take down the Barrier, Fara protests. Jod counters that she no longer issues orders here. Fara says that the Barrier is essential and offers to give him access codes that would allow his starship to pass through safely. Fern attempts to say something but Fara says she will handle the situation. Jod says that he and his pirates will take their share of credits and then leave. When Fern counters that Jod is lying, he ignites his lightsaber and points it at the two of them. When Jod asks how to get his starship through the Barrier, Fern warns her mother not to, prompting Jod to point his blade at her. Fara offers to help him and he deactivates his lightsaber.

Shortly later, Jod contacts Gunter via holoprojector, telling him that he has seized control of At Attin's systems and cleared the way for his pirate frigate to begin the invasion. The pirates cheer. As the pirate frigate and its escort ships approach the Barrier, the various orbital defense satellites turn from red to green. Seeing his safety droid deactivated, Wim calls for his father. Wendle thinks it is a power outage and notices that the entire block is out. After knocking down the deactivated safety droid, Wim tells his father that Jod is a "bad guy" who is trying to get them.

The pirate invasion

Hearing movement outside, the two rush out to see Jod's pirate frigate flying above their neighborhood. Several neighbors including Mrs Ikk, her pet frog-dog, Nooma and Neel's three younger siblings also watch the pirate frigate flying passing above. Neel is bathing when the lights go out. KB watches from the ground. The pirate frigate begins bombarding the city, destroying several parked cars and trams.

Wim and his father Wendle argue about how to respond to the pirate attack. Wendle says they can trust in the safety droids but Wim points out that the safety droids have been disabled. He tells Wendle that they have to save Fern. Shortly later, KB and Neel turn up in their hoverbikes. Wim is overjoyed to see his friends but Wendle tells them to go home. When Wim asks if Fern is okay, KB doesn't know but believes that Jod must have done something to the Supervisor. Neel proposes calling for help from the X-wing starfighters, which they had encountered on Lanupa and whom Kh'ymm mentioned. Neel suggests they get a starship, fly outside the Barrier and call Kh'ymm for help. Wim agrees with the idea and departs on his hoverbike, telling his dad to trust him.

Wendle protests and runs outside. He sees a young human youth with a hoverbike side-car and catches up with the children, telling them to stop their plan. Wim spots the pirates descending in numerous airspeeders. KB contacts her mothers Maree and Garree via comlink, warning them to hide from the pirates and saying that they are getting help. Upon landing, Kona tells her pirates to round up the locals as slaves. Several locals including Ikk, Neel's family, Maree and Garree get captured.

The children and Wendle encounter two pirate airspeeders led by Vane and flee through several suburban gardens. KB leads the group down a ravine near the highway which leads into a forest. When Neel asks if they are heading for the cliff, KB tells them to go full throttle. Wendle protests that he is heavier than the children but Wim tells him to trust KB. KB is the first to make it to the other side. Wim and the others kick their accelerators and manage to jump over the cliff to the other side safely. Wendle cheers and the group continue their journey.

Vane continues his pursuit of the children and Wendle's speeders. Despite being bombarded by the pirates, the children manage to flee inside a large building. Vane's airspeeder strafes the building, shattering several glass windows. Neel falls off his bike but tells the others to keep going. Via walkie talkie, he warns Wim that there are too many pirates and tells them to be careful. Wim and the others manage to flee aboard the Onyx Cinder.

Fighting back

Wim, Wendle, and KB enter the cockpit. As Wim and KB fire up the starship, Wendle is amazed that the children know how to fly the ship. While they are able to fire up the engines, the Onyx Cinder is unable to take off due to the docking clamps. Wendle says they have to restore power to the docking clamps but realizes that all power relays are routed through the Supervisor's Tower. When Wim asks Wendle if he can turn them on, Wendle reveals that he is a level seven Systems Coordinator. He tells Wim to get the bike.

Before leaving with his dad, Wim tells KB via walkie talkie to fire up the starship once they have restored power. Neel reaches the top of the building and finds a turbolaser. Meanwhile, Kona tells Jod that they encountered little resistance from At Attin's population apart from a few armed individuals, whom they "made examples of." Jod warns her not to injure too many civilians, saying that they need workers for the Mint. While huddled together, Fara tells Fern that the Barrier was supposed to keep them safe from threats like Jod, adding that it was supposed to keep them safe from the galaxy.

Fern tells her mother that they have to do something. She says that while the galaxy is scary and dangerous, there are also good people out there who can help them. Fern proposes snatching a blaster from a disable safety droid to stun Jod. When Fara warns that Jod would shoot her, Fern says that Fara can help create a distraction. Jod interrupts them and tells them to listen. Over the intercom, he issues an address to the citizens of At Attin, telling them that he has taken control. He says that if they follow his orders, his men will show them mercy. If they defy him, punishment will be severe. He tells them to work for for him.

Meanwhile, Vane and his pirates pursue Wim and Wendle through the streets of At Attin's city. They flee through a waterway towards the Supervisor's tower. Jod tells Vane and his team to be careful since they approaching the tower. Vane tells Jod that a speeder bike is heading for their position. Shortly later, a lone Wim enters the Supervisor's chamber with his hands raised. Wim tells Jod that he has called the X-wings and that it is over. Jod doesn't believe him, saying that that he thought that the Barrier jammed all communications.

Wim claims to have used the "Crystal of the Founders," which he claims they discovered in the northern mountains guarded by an ancient warrior. Jod says Wim is bluffing. When Wim claims that an entire Jedi army is on their way, Jod reveals that the Jedi are dead. Fern attempts to back up Wim's story while Wendle begins fiddling with some controls. Wim offers to call off the Jedi if Jod releases Fern and her mother. Knowing the real history of the Jedi and the galaxy, Jod tells Wim that he needs to work on his story.

Flight of the Onyx Cinder

However, this turns out to be a distraction for Wendle to finish activating At Attin's power systems. Fern and Fara take the opportunity to break free. Wim tells KB to break free. Jod quickly regains control and orders everyone including Wendle to gather together. Meanwhile, KB flies the Onyx Cinder into the skies. When Maree and Garree asks KB via walkie talkie how she is flying that ship, KB reveals that she has help from the beheaded SM-33, who is joined by the bilge rat Snowball. Gunter orders his gunners to shoot down the Onyx Cinder.

However, Neel uses the turbolaser to attack the pirate frigate. He escapes before the pirate ship destroys the turbolaser emplacement. A pirate informs Jod that the Onyx Cinder has escaped, prompting the pirate captain to react with fury and frustration. Together with SM-33, KB flies the ship through the Barrier and contacts Kh'ymm via holoprojector. She tells Kh'ymm they have found their way home to At Attin but that her homeworld is under attack from pirates. KB transmits At Attin's hyperspace coordinates. Kh'ymm says that she will send the New Republic urgently.

Before she can continue her message, the Onyx Cinder is attacked by several pirate snubfighters. SM-33 offers to take the ships through evasive maneuvers. As the ship descends, KB begins working on the ship's systems. Maree and Garree watch with concern and hope below. Jod attempts to taunt his captives by saying that KB will never make it. As the ship apparently descends to the ground, Fern reacts with grief and shock. Jod attempts to blame them for KB's apparent death and says that she never got past the Barrier.

Facing down Jod

Seeing the lever that would activate the Barrier's destruction, Fern lurches for it but is stopped by Fara. Wendle attempts to intervene but Jod uses the Force to hurl him to the floor. Wim rushes for the lever and holds it. Jod threatens to kill his father Wendle with his lightsaber. Jod attempts to get Wendle to tell Wim to step way from the power lever. Wim denounces him as a false Jedi and a liar, adding that the "real good guys are coming."

Jod dismisses Wim's warning and talks about his childhood. He explains that he grew up starving and living in a hole when a Jedi found him. Despite the Jedi's ragged and desperate state, she realized that Jod was Force-sensitive and taught him what she knew about the Jedi before she was hunted down and killed. Jod says that he was forced to watch as her hunters executed his Jedi mentor. He describes the galaxy as dark with a "few pinpricks of light." Jod warns that he kills whom he needs to kill.

Wendle convinces Wim not to touch the lever. When Wim backs down, Jod deactivates his lightsaber. Jod says that he does not want to damage At Attin and wants them to get back to work making credits for the Great Work. He believes that credits are the only thing valuable in the galaxy. Wendle breaks free and attacks Jod. As they struggle near the lever, Fern tells Wim to grab the lightsaber. Fern attempts to help but Jod restrains her with the Force. Wim grabs Jod's lightsaber but Jod attempts to wrest it back with the Force.

With Jod preoccupied with Wendle, Fern rushes over to help Wim. At the urging of Fern, Fara grabs the Barrier override and pulls it, destroying the satellites that make up the Barrier. As the Barrier disintegrates, the green glow around At Attin disappears. For the first time, the people of At Attin gaze at the night skies, which is covered by stars. Backin the tower, Wim ignites the lightsaber correctly. A defeated Jod throws down his blaster.

New Republic to the rescue

The civilians and pirates watch as numerous New Republic X-wings and B-wings pour through the night sky. The New Republic starfighters converge on Jod's pirate frigate, strafing it. The civilians and Neel cheer while the pirates led by Kona retreat aboard their airspeeders. The B-wings inflict significant damage on the pirate frigate's systems, causing it to fall. Wim, Fern, Wendle and Fara head down the turbolift to rescue KB. Wim calls out to Jod, who flashes a smile, and stays behind to watch as his frigate plunges to the ground. Onboard the frigate, all the pirates flee the bridge, except for Gunter who seemingly stays to go down with the ship. The frigate plows through the streets before coming to rest in the harbor.

Together with Neel, Wim and the others find KB and the stricken Onyx Cinder, which has crashed into a nearby structure. They find KB amidst a mountain of credits. They are joined by SM-33 and Snowball. As they leave, Fern quips that Wim does not need to take the Assessment anymore. Through a hole in the building's roof, he watches a New Republic CR90 corvette descend from the skies. Wendle calls to his son, who continues staring up in amazement at the New Republic fleet.

As the New Republic ships fly over the city, the lights go back online. A moon can be seen in the distance.