Asha (episode)

"Asha" is the thirteenth and final episode of the first season of Ewoks. Written by Paul Dini and directed by Raymond Jafelice, the episode originally aired on ABC on November 30, 1985.
After a group of Ewoks have a run-in with the Duloks, Princess Kneesaa discovers that her lost sister Asha is alive and is living in the forest. Kneesaa and Wicket set out on a quest to find her.
==Plot summary==
===The "Red Ghost"===
Wicket, Teebo, and Paploo are off by themselves in the forest, a day's glider-flight from home. They are going about their everyday lives; Wicket is catching water in his basket from a stream, Paploo is sleeping, and Teebo is walking near Paploo. Suddenly they hear Dulok voices, and decide to investigate. They watch as a group of Duloks chase a maramu, hoping to capture it for its horns. The bumbling Duloks nearly have it but are knocked down a hill by loose rocks.
The Duloks later corner the maramu on the edge of a cliff. Just as they get back up the hill and throw a net over the creature, they are scared away by an individual they identify as the "Red Ghost." After the Duloks run away, Wicket, Teebo, and Paploo go to the animal and help remove the net and set it free. Paploo grunts that Ewoks only hunt when there is no other food while Duloks enjoy making a sick game of it.
However, the "Red Ghost" thinks they wish to harm the animal. Teebo manages to free the creature from its net, convincing the "Red Ghost" it means no harm. But after she sees they mean no harm, she summons a canine korrina, which, to the surprise of the Ewoks, allows her to ride it. The three Ewoks fly away in their gliders, with Teebo proclaiming he would never again return to that section of the forest.
===The lost sister===
Back at the village, Paploo is telling the woklings including Malani that they had encountered a monster Ewok, with six arms and fangs the size of a wokling's head. One of the Ewoks asks if Paploo was scared, to which Teebo says that was terrified. Kneesaa comes along, and the woklings tell Kneesaa of Paploo's story.
Kneesaa then asks what is going on, and Wicket explains that they encountered a female Ewok about six "snows" older than her with red fur. When Kneesaa asks where he found her, Wicket explains that they encountered her in a section of the forest and that there was a korrina with her. After learning of this, Kneesaa begins to cry, and runs off to her hut where she weeps over a torn blue cloak.
Wicket and Winda follow her, and Kneesaa tells them the story of what happened to her older sister, Asha. She, Asha, and their mother Ra-Lee went for a long walk that day in the forest. They stopped by a river to gather pretty stones. Asha gathered a pretty blue one which she still wears on a hood. While exploring a hollow tree trunk, she encountered a predatory hanadak, which attacked Asha and their mother. Their mother died trying to save us and there was no trace of Asha except for her torn blue cloak. The wokling Kneesaa was later found by her father Chief Chirpa.
Wicket says that he did not know this story. Kneesaa adds that Asha had red fur. Based on Wicket's account of his earlier adventure, Kneesaa believes that Asha is still alive.
===Quest to find Asha===
That evening, Chief Chirpa speaks with his daughter Kneesaa, telling her that he also wishes her sister was still alive. When Kneesaa tells him that the boys said they saw her, Chirpa thinks that they are mistaken. He says that they searched for her for a long time. If Asha was still alive, he reasons they would have found her by now.
Later that night, Kneesaa wakes Wicket, telling him that she is going to find Asha. Wicket asks if she is leaving to find Asha. Kneesaa confirms this is the case and says that she left Chirpa a note. When she asks where he saw Asha, Wicket explains that they saw her in an area that is half-a-day's flight east by glider. He says that they turned south at the Caves of Thunder and then went east again. Due to the complicated route, Wicket decides that he has to accompany his friend Kneesaa.
As they depart on the bordok Rokna, Wicket tries to warn her about the approaching snow but Kneesaa is determined to find out about Asha by herself. Wicket reluctantly decides to accompany Kneesaa. During their journey, the two find themselves in a stormstorm. Kneesaa proposes visiting the woodsman Chukha-Trok for information about Asha. As they continue their journey, Wicket thinks they should turn back but Kneesaa is determined to continue the journey and encourages Rokna.
Unable to see due to the snowstorm, Wicket falls off a cliff but manages to hold onto a rope. Kneesaa and Rokna try to pull him up but he tells them to go back. Wicket loses his grip but he is saved by Chuka-Trok, who was in the area. Chuka-Trok tells the young Ewoks that they are lucky he picked up their trail way back. He tells the two young Ewoks that it is dangerous to be out in the woods alone. Kneesaa tells him that they are looking for someone. Chuka-Trok wants to escort them back to Bright Tree Village.
Before he can grab Rokna's reins, the bordok panics and flees into the woods. Hearing noises, Chuka-Trok tells Wicket and Kneesaa to head for the forest while he stands his ground. While walking away, Wicket sees a packing of fox-like koyts chasing Kneesaa. Chuka-Trok tries to drive back the koyts with his axe. Just then, Asha surfaces on top of a cliff behind Chuka-Trok, prompting the koyts to flee. The three then encounter Asha, who jumps down from the cliff.
===Reunion of sisters===
Asha and Kneesaa quickly recognize each other. The two sisters embrace. Later at Asha's cave, Wicket plays with several korrina cubs while Chuka-Trok befriends the mother korrina. Kneesaa also reminds Asha of their previous life. Kneesaa also tells Asha about their parents. While Chirpa is still alive, Ra-Lee has passed away. Asha says that she remembers their Mother pushing her to the river. She took Asha's hood off and told her to swim to the other side where she would be safe. However, Asha could not swim and was swept away by the river. Asha explains that the korrina pack adopted her and became her new family.
Kneesaa wants to reunite her sister Asha with her real family. But Asha says that she can never leave; explaining that she must stay and fight the Duloks. She explains that the Duloks come every snowfall and kill animals for their fur and horns. Each season, Asha secretly breaks their traps but the Duloks keep returning. She resolves to stay.
===Fighting the Duloks===
The following morning, Wicket and Kneesaa awake to find that Asha and Chukha-Trok have gone. Meanwhile, Asha and Chuka-Trok discover that a group of Duloks led by King Gorneesh have trapped a maramu and several smaller animas in cages. Gorneesh plans to kill the maramu for its horns. The Duloks kick away the distraught baby maramu, considering them undesirable since their horns are still not big enough. The mother maramu tosses one of her captors onto a tree branch. Shaman Umwak proposes using a little hunting magic but it blows back into face. He then coughs over Gorneesh.
Kneesaa and Wicket soon link up with Asha and Chuka-Trok. They realize that King Gorneesh has come to help his hunters. Shaman Umwak apologizes to Gorneesh for his mistake but Gorneesh says he has had enough of the "Red Ghost" chatter. Gorneesh vows that if any spirits come around, he will trap them as easily as they trapped the animals they captured. One of the captive animals bits Gorneesh in the finger, causing it to swell up. Shaman Umwak offers to make it better but he instead spreads the hunting magic, which causes the Dulok king to cough.
Asha leaves to confront the Duloks and frees the mother maramu, allowing her to escape into the snow with her children. Asha proceeds to free the other animals. King Gorneesh confronts her for freeing his animals. He asks if she is the "Red Ghost" who raids their traps each hunting season. Asha confirms she is the Red Ghost. Gorneesh orders his men to catch. Several Duloks tie her up with lassos.
Chukha-Trok comes to her aid but falls into a pit. Gorneesh mocks his foe and throws snow at him. Watching the fray, Wicket says the korrinas will help them. Asha moves, causing one of her Dulok captors to land into the snow. Using her strength, she swings the other three around and hurls them into the snow. Gorneesh charges at her with his club but she dodges him. Gorneesh falls into the snow, prompting him to call for reinforcements. However, Asha outwits them with her fighting skills including swinging on a lasso.
Wicket and Kneesaa arrive riding the mother korrina, which drives Gorneesh and Umwak away. Asha hurls some nunchucks at a tree, causing snow to fall on their heads. Asha sits on top of Umwak. When Gorneesh asks who she is, Asha identifies herself as the sister of Kneesaa and the daughter of Chief Chirpa. Kneesaa adds that the creatures of this forest are under her protection. Umwak claims that the Duloks did not make any harm. Asha responds that she thinks that his tail will make a good headband. Umwak disagrees and promises never to hunt here again. At Asha's prompting, Umwak promises that the Duloks will not hunt anywhere again.
A pair of korrina help Chuka-trok out of his pit. A sullen King Gorneesh agrees to Umwak's promise. Asha accepts their promise before sending them off fleeing on a log that has been turned into an improvised sled. Gorneesh vows vengeance on Asha. The Duloks fall down a steep cliff into a river.
===Homecoming===
Later that evening, Asha farewells her korrina family before departing with Kneesaa, Wicket and Chuka-trok. Back at Bright Tree Village, a worried Chief Chirpa ponders where his daughter could have gone while reading the letter. Kneesaa soon returns. Chirpa asks his daughter about her whereabouts, saying that she should not have gone out alone. Kneesaa apologizes, saying that she had to bring her long-lost sister home.
Chirpa is overjoyed to see his long-lost daughter Asha. The three weep tears of joy. Outside, Wicket and Chuka-trok watch with tears streaming down their eyes. As the snow falls on Bright Tree Village, they wish Kneesaa and her reunified family all the best before returning home.
After this, the group returns home with Asha. They immediately go to Chirpa, who is delighted to see his daughter again.
==Continuity==
This episode was adapted into the children's book The Red Ghost: An Ewok Adventure.The Red Ghost: An Ewok Adventure
This episode was released on DVD in 2004 as part of the Tales from the Endor Woods feature film. It can be found on side 2 of the disc.Tales from the Endor Woods
The character of Asha, who is first mentioned but not seen in the episode entitled "Rampage of the Phlogs," is introduced on screen in this episode. She is later mentioned in the season-two episode entitled "The Raich," and she appears in the season-two episodes "Home is Where the Shrieks Are," "Night of the Stranger," "Horville's Hut of Horrors," and "Battle for the Sunstar."
According to Star Wars Insider 27, the writers wrote this episode in hopes of attracting more female viewers. They initially planned to expand on the character of Asha in the second season and beyond, but due to the changes they were forced to make in the second season, as well as the show's eventual cancellation, this was not to be.
==Credits==
==Appearances==
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==Notes and references==
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