Stuck in the Muck

"Stuck in the Muck" is the first part of the seventeenth episode of the animated series Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures.
==Official description==
The Jedi respond to a distress call.
==Plot summary==
===Onward to Starlight Beacon===
Jedi Initiate Kai Brightstar is excited about an upcoming tour of Starlight Beacon, a Jedi space station. Under the orders of Jedi Master Zia Zaldor Zanna, he and his friends Lys Solay, Nash Durango, and Nubs are searching the forests of Tenoo for a Tenoo tree sapling to bring to Starlight Beacon as a gift. Nubs finds a sapling near a grove of bushes. He digs it up and places it in a pot per Brightstar's instructions. 
While traveling on the Crimson Firehawk through hyperspace, Durango reassures an anxious Brightstar that they will reach Starlight in time. Just then, their ship receives a distress call from the planet Galjaero. Though Brightstar is anxious about missing the tour, Brightstar reminds him that Jedi always help while Durango says that they have plenty of time for a quick stop since they are early. Brightstar reluctantly agrees. 
===The distress call and misunderstanding===
Traveling to Galjaero, they trace the distress call to a ship stuck in the mud below a hillside. From above, they see three figures trying to enter the starship. The Jedi younglings think the individuals are pirates. Durango says that she and RJ-83 will stay aboard the ship while the younglings go down to investigate. 
The three younglings watch from the hill above the ship as a blue Chagrian man oversees three other figures unloading crates from the ship. Brightstar thinks that the individuals are pirates who first broke into the ship and are now stealing its contents. Solay and Nubs voice agreement. Solay thinks that the people who sent the distress call are still inside the ship. Brightstar comes up with a plan to get the crates back, chase off the pirates and help get the ship out of the mud. Brightstar hopes to go to Starlight Beacon after that. 
The three younglings confront the apparent pirates with Solay saying that she doesn't think the crates belong to them. The Chagrian insists that the crates belong to his group. Brightstar says he doesn't them because they are pirates and orders them to leave. The Chagrian reiterates that the crates belong to his group and they fetch vibroblades. The Jedi younglings draw their lightsabers in response. 
===Reunion with Chigg===
Meanwhile, Durango and RJ-83 have parked the Firehawk on a nearby hill. Before they can intervene, they are greeted by Chigg, the friendly Abednedo pirate whom they met at the Jellyfruit Festival. Chigg explains that their ship got stuck in the mud and that they sent a distress call. Durango says that she and her friends are here to help. Seeing the fighting from above, Chigg remarks that her friends don't seem to be helping much. 
Durango rushes down the hill and orders a stop to the fighting. She tells her Jedi friends that the people they are fighting are pirates but that they were also the ones who sent the distress call. When Solay realizes that the ship and crates indeed belonged to the pirates, the Chagrian pirate says that this was what he was trying to tell them. Brightstar says that he thought they were stealing the crates and apologizes for the misunderstanding. 
Chigg vouches for the Jedi younglings, saying that they shared jellyfruit with them during the Jellyfruit Festival on Tenoo. Chigg says that day was a turning point in convincing him and his pirate associates that they did not want to be pirates anymore. The Kyuzo pirates says that they no longer want to steal stuff while the Chagrian says they buy and sell rare fruits including multicolored fruits that only grow on Galjaero. The Kyuzo explains that they were unloading everything in order to get their ship out of the mud. 
===Helping the reformed pirates===
Brightstar offers to help by saying that he and his Jedi friends could use their Force powers to help lift the pirates' ship out of the mud. The pirates eagerly accept Brighstar's plan. Solay disagrees, thinking it will be better to unload everything and then lift the ship out of the mud. Brightstar thinks it will take forever if they removed everything and says that his plan will work. While the pirates, Durango and RJ-83 use tools to pry the ship out of the mud, Brightstar and his Jedi friends use their Force powers to lift the ship. 
However, the ship is still too heavy and slides down the muddy hill into a pit. The Chagrian pirate reacts with dismay but Durango tries to reassure him that it cannot get worse. However, the pit lies near the cave of a tentacled creature that extends its tentacles over the ship. Brightstar blames himself for worsening the situation in his rush to get to Starlight Beacon. Solay reassures Brightstar that they all make mistakes and urges him not to give up. Nubs voices agreement. 
===The second attempt===
Brightstar agrees and says that they won't leave Galjaero until they fix this miss. He says that Starlight Beacon can wait and affirms the Jedi promise to help others. The three younglings then discuss a plan to rescue the pirates' ship. Solay says that they first need to distract the creature while Nubs says that they will need something strong to pull the ship out of the mud. When Durango remarks that she is relieved they did not land the Firehawk in the mud, Brightstar proposes using the Firehawk tow cable to pull the ship free. The Chagrian pirate asks who is going to attach the tow cable to their ship. 
Brightstar says he has an idea which involves getting the other Jedi younglings and pirates to distract the creature while he and Chigg attach the tow cable to the pirate ship in order to tow it to safety. Putting their plan into action Solay, Nubs and the pirates run down the bull and distract the monster by hurling fruits at it. The creature begins feeding on the fruits while Brightstar and Chigg attach the two cable to the pirate ship. Durango fires up the Firehawk engines and pulls the pirate ship out of the pit. The Jedi and pirates cheer. 
===Guests of Starlight Beacon===
On safer ground, Chigg thanks the Jedi younglings for their help and asks what they are doing in this part of the galaxy. Brightstar explains that he and his friends were traveling to Starlight Beacon. Chigg says he would love to visit Starlight Beacon one day, having heard a lot about it. Brightstar invites Chigg and his pirate friends along. 
The two ships travel to Starlight Beacon together. Brightstar, Solay and Nubs marvel at the beautiful space station. Inside Starlight's great hall, they are greeted by Jedi Master Estala Maru, who was concerned that the younglings from Tenoo had gotten lost. Brightstar apologizes that he and his friends missed the tour and explained that they were responding to a distress call. Chigg explains that he and his pirate friends were the ones who called for help. Maru is impressed with the young Jedi's willingness to help. 
Nubs and Solay bring him a Tenoo tree sapling as a gift. Maru explains that the Jedi Order and Galactic Republic built Starlight Beacon to help people in the Outer Rim Territories. He says that the younglings did that today and invites them and the pirates for a tour of the station. The younglings are excited about the tour.
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
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