As the bounty hunters headed elsewhere on the ship, Boba had some time to think. He started to feel... so much. Remorse, pain, sadness, and anger at himself. At first, all he wanted was to terminate the man who took his only family from him, but now... he wasn't sure what to think. Especially when he saw that little girl who'd been nothing but kind to him from the start being taken as a hostage too. And now, he'd taken her father's life despite that she'd done no wrong.

Boba went to the back of the ship. He took the cloth from Killian's mouth and gave him some water to drink.

"You don't have to do this." Killian said. "You're not like them. I can tell."

"What do you know, old man?" Boba said, angrily.

"I know a good soldier when I see one."

"I'm no soldier. I'm no clone, not like those two." Boba glared at another clone. "What? What are you looking at?"

"Jeepers, Boba. Calm down." Gabby said, sensing the tension.

"What's going on, Boba?" Aurra asked, coming in.

"Nothing." Boba said, putting the cloth back on Killian.

Gabby couldn't explain why, but she could sense bits of fear in Boba when Aurra was nearby.

"What are we gonna do with them?" Boba asked.

"Oh, I think our friends here are about to finally prove useful," Aurra chuckled before she started slapping Killian.

Gabby managed to get up and throw herself at Aurra. She stomped on Aurra's foot.

"It's not nice to hit people!" said Gabby angrily.

But then, Aurra grabbed Gabby tightly and held her against the wall.

"I'll show you not nice, Princess." Aurra said, and Gabby looked terrified, but before Aurra could strike her, someone else grabbed her wrist.

Aurra and Gabby both looked to see it was Boba. Vivian and the other hostages were shocked by Boba's sudden behavior.

"Leave her alone!" Boba exclaimed. "She's only three!"

Aurra glared at Boba and dropped the princess, who quickly crawled behind the clones.

"I didn't take you for having a soft spot for little girls," said Aurra. And soon, Boba was the one being hit.

Gabby watched in horror as Aurra slapped Boba. He really just saved her from Aurra's abuse. That could've been her, but Boba took the fall. Why would he do that... unless he had a heart?

Boba looked like he would start crying after Aurra finally stopped hitting him. But, he held back his tears and sobs, though it looked like it hurt to.

Meanwhile, Anakin and Mace were in the healer's wing of the Temple. Without Gabby to kiss them and heal them, they had to rely on old-fashioned stuff. Luckily, though, Queen Reigna and Fantasia came along with some poinsunna nectar, which they explained was excellent for healing wounds as well as illnesses.

"So, what are you planning to do with this son of Jango Fett?" Anakin said.

"I'm not planning to do anything." Mace said, doing something on his tablet.

"That kid destroyed an entire cruiser, trying to get to you, and you're just gonna let it go?"

"Is there something else I should be doing, Skywalker?"

"How about tracking him down?"

"So, I should behave as this child does? I should seek revenge?" Mace said.

"No, how is it revenge if you stop this kid and bring him to justice?" Anakin asked.

"Boba certainly shouldn't have done what he did," said Queen Reigna as she helped Anakin lay back down. "But, I could understand why he behaved the way he did."

"You're actually excusing what he did?" Anakin looked at the alicorn queen like she was crazy.

"No, of course not. But, he may deserve the benefit of the doubt in some areas." Reigna said. "For one thing, Boba's a little boy. He doesn't know any better. And while he's been emotionally traumatized, he could be easily influenced by bad people such as Aurra Sing. Youth and negative emotions make one more susceptible to following a darker path if they are not exposed to the proper treatments."

"And didn't you react rather rashly when you lost your mom?" Fantasia added. "Gabby told me she overheard you and Padme talk about it."

That hit Anakin hard. It was true. He'd gotten revenge on the ones who killed his mother, the only family he'd ever known and loved before he married Padme. He remembered how he felt when he wasn't much younger than Boba, and instead of offering him emotional support, the Jedi called him a monster. Maybe, just maybe, this was a chance to right a wrong. But, they had to find him first. And, Anakin wasn't sure he would be as willing to help the child if he hurt Gabby in any way.

Just then, Master Plo Koon and Ahsoka walked in.

"We have a situation," said Plo. "We've received a transmission from the bounty hunters. They apparently took hostages."

Plo activated the transmission.

"Mace Windu, you were lucky to escape." Boba said. "You're friends here were not so fortunate."

"Until you face Boba, these men will be killed one at a time," said Aurra. She looked at Ponds. "What's your name?"

The clone didn't answer, and Aurra kicked him.

"CT-411." Ponds said.

"Ugh, pathetic. Boba do it." Aurra said.

Boba looked like he would shoot Ponds, but he seemed to notice something from the corner of his eye, and he was frozen. He couldn't do it. And that thing he looked at was the horrified look on Gabby's face as he held the gun to Ponds's head. And, Boba dropped the gun. So, Aurra shot Ponds herself.

"Only two to go, Windu." Aurra said. "Come and find us. We'll be waiting."

And the transmission ended.

"I'll go." Mace said, looking at Anakin. "They have Vivian and your daughter, and those hostages need help."

"You are too injured to travel," said Plo. "And your presence would only aggravate the boy. I shall go and take Padawan Tano with me."

Meanwhile, on Slave I...

Aurra once again held Boba against the wall tightly.

"Next time I tell you to pull the trigger you do it!" Aurra said.

Boba held his hurt shoulder and followed Aurra to the cockpit.

"It should only be a matter of time until they track us down." said Aurra. Something on your mind, Castas?"

"Yeah. I got something to say," said Castas. "We're in over our heads."

"You signed on to kill Jedi. Well, this is how it's done.

"You said that the Separatists would pay well if we killed Windu. That kid destroyed an entire cruiser, and now we're taking hostages, and one of them is a princess who probably has guards coming for her! That was not part of the plan."

"I never took you for a coward, Castas." Aurra said. "And what about you, Bossk? You feel the same?"

"I'm still in." said Bossk. "I got a lot riding on this kill, and I need the cash."

"Not me. I'm out." Castas said.

"Well then, you're in luck." Aurra said. "I was planning on making a stop. You can drag your worthless carcass off of this ship when we land."

"Where are we headed?" Boba asked.

"We're going to visit an old friend. Maybe he can replace Castas. Set course for Florrum."

"What are we gonna do?" Vivian said, struggling to speak with the muzzle over her mouth.

Gabby suddenly looked at Vivian's neck and noticed the bell around her neck.

"Carousella's bell!" Gabby whisper yelled. "We can use it to get her to come rescue us."

"Great idea!" Vivian said. "But we should wait until we land, just to be safe."

Meanwhile, Master Plo and Ahsoka were riding in a speeder to investigate where Aurra and her crew might have taken the hostages.

"Master Plo, I don't understand." said Ahsoka. "Shouldn't we be heading for the last place we knew Boba Fett was spotted?"

"Why head to the one place we know he is not?" said Plo.

Master Plo began flying the ship towards the lower levels of Coruscant.

"The second bounty hunter in the hologram is Aurra Sing." said the Kel Dor.

"Another bounty hunter." said Ahsoka, beginning to understand. "Like his father, Jango Fett."

"Hmm. Yes. It seems this boy found himself in the care of at least one of Jango's associates."

"So we're looking for friends of Jango Fett or places where they hand out."

"And to do that, we must go to the lower levels, the underworld."

The two Jedi parked their vehicle and began their search in the lower levels.

"The data on Jango Fett suggested he frequented this area." said Master Plo. "We must be cautious."

Ahsoka and Plo Koon boarded a platform and officially started their journey.

Slave I soon arrived in the atmosphere of Planet Florrum. And they landed outside the home and lair of Hondo Onaka and his crew.

Hondo was first to greet Aurra as she and her crew exited the ship.

"Oh, my dear." said Hondo. "You never were good at asking for permission to land."

"I never ask for permission to do anything, my darling." said Aurra, pulling Hondo in to kiss him.

Boba silently gagged at the sight.

"Yes. Yes." Hondo chuckled. "I remember." Then he noticed the child standing by Aurra. "Not mine, I take it?"

"No, part of my crew." Aurra said, pulling the boy out. "He's Jango's son."

"Oh. Yes, yes." said Hondo, kneeling down to the boy. "Sorry about your father. He was a friend and an honorable man."

"And that's Castas." Aurra said, motioning to the one beside her. "But he's getting off here."

"Couldn't handle her, could you?" Hondo said, wrapping an arm around Castas. "Well, don't be ashamed. You're not the first man to bail out from under her command."

"He's speaking from experience." said Aurra.

Hondo chuckled and said, "Oh, you're a dangerous woman. Yes, very dangerous. Come, come, come. Let us go inside where we can discuss business over a drink like civilized people."

Boba kept looking back at the ship. He couldn't stop thinking about the little girl in there. He remembered how she wouldn't stop crying or screaming when Dooku had her the first time. Now Aurra was planning to give her to him again, and who knows what would happen to the child. And, the girl still had one other parent; a mother. That was something Boba never had. Being a clone, he didn't know what it was like to feel a mother's love. He'd read many stories about children with mothers who sang them lullabies, gave them warm, kind hugs, kissed them when they were hurt to make them feel better, and worked themselves to the bone to take care of their children when the father was out of the picture.

"Boba, if you love the ship so much, go keep an eye on the little brat in there." Aurra said.

Gabby managed to get the muzzle off Vivian's mouth and free her legs too. Then, Vivian started to ring the bell to summon Carousella.

"Please come help us, Carousella." Vivian begged as she moved around to make the bell ring, but she stopped when she heard someone coming in, and they saw that it was Boba. Boba didn't even look at the hostages this time. Instead, Boba just reluctantly sat down, and looked down.

Gabby saw this as an opportunity. Now that the other bounty hunters were gone, she could try to take some sense into Boba.

"Boba. Boba, look at me. Please?" Gabby said gently. But Boba didn't respond. "Boba. I just wanna talk. Won't you at least listen?"

Reluctantly, Boba sighed and looked at the princess just to get her to shut up.

"What?" He said.

"You don't have to do this." Gabby said. "I know you're going through a hard time, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. Emotions make us all do crazy things, but this isn't the way to handle them."

"What would you know? You're just a kid."

"So are you, but that's not the point. Someone else hurt you. You lost something important to you. Look deep inside yourself. Is this what you really want? What do you really think it's gonna do? Is it going to undo what's been done? Will it make you any better than the ones who hurt you? Did it never occur to you that those you want revenge on might have children who love them too? Some even younger than you? Did it ever occur to you that Master Windu has people who love him?"

Vivian looked like she wanted to do something, but Gabby said with her eyes that she wanted to see what Boba would do. She wanted to see if he really was as bad as he portrayed himself to be.

Boba started to feel Gabby's words sting him, and as he thought more about what she said, he slowly began to realize that she was right. He was emotional, there were so many thoughts and negative feelings rushing through him that he couldn't get out on his own, and now he was making innocent people suffer because of it. Boba looked at the hostages again. He couldn't explain it, but something inside of him snapped. Quickly, he got behind Gabby and started undoing her restraints.

"Run as fast as you can! I'll hold the others off as long as I can." Boba whispered as he got her wrists free.

"Thank you." Gabby smiled. "I knew there was good in you."

Vivian started to use her teeth to undo the other hostages' restraints.

Unfortunately, Bossk caught sight of Boba's actions just as he finally managed to get the princess free and help her up.

"Kid! What are you doing?!" Bossk exclaimed.

"Hurry! Run!" Boba urged Gabby to run while she still could. Gabby didn't want to leave him behind; but Boba was struggling to hold Bossk back, so Gabby ran.

Gabby and the other hostages ran as fast as they could to get away. But then, Gabby heard sounds of struggle. She looked back and was horrified when she saw Aurra tying Boba up and placing a muzzle over his mouth so he couldn't call for help.

"After all I've been doing for you, you go soft and let all of our hostages go." Aurra growled. "Looks like now we'll just have to get a good sum for you instead."

For what seemed like the first time, Boba looked terrified.

Gabby knew she had to do something; she couldn't let Boba suffer for her. She ran back and concentrated her magic on the ground below. Then, all of a sudden, the ground began to shake, and huge vines began growing out from the ground, wrapping themselves around the bounty hunters and tightening as they struggled.

Gabby ran back, then she took the muzzle off of Boba's mouth and began untying him.

"What are you doing?" Boba asked.

"Helping you. I won't let you take a fall for trying to help me again." Gabby answered. "Come on!"

"Need a lift?" said a certain alicorn guard.

"Carousella! You got our message!"

"Hop on!" Carousella said.

Gabby got on first and offered a hand to Boba. Boba took her hand and climbed onto Carousella.

"Hold on tight!" Carousella said, and she took off as fast as she could into the air, Vivian coming close by with Admiral Kilian and the clone named Compass on her back. And once they were far enough, Carousella cast a teleportation spell to get them all to safety. But, Aurra got into Slave I and fired a series of blasts at them, which threw off Carousella's concentration, and it teleported Carousella, Vivian, Gabby, and Boba to an unknown location. But Aurra did not account for Vivian scratching at some of the ship's wiring, which made it malfunction and eventually crash somewhere.

The four kids and the two adult found themselves in a strange forest-like area. Gabby looked around and sensed no bounty hunters or other enemies around.

"Looks like we're safe now." Carousella said as she and Vivian let the human kids off their backs.

Boba looked around. "Where are we?"

Vivian tackled Boba to the ground and growled at him.

"You've got a lot of nerve!" Vivian bared her sharp teeth, terrifying Boba. "Kidnapping Republic soldiers is one thing, but threatening the lives of our friends-"

"Vivian! Stop!" Gabby exclaimed. "He actually tried to help us out there."

Boba nodded without a word. "I won't try to kill anyone again! I promise! I'm sorry! Please don't eat me."

Carousella sniffed Boba and sensed what he was feeling. She was hesitant, but she agreed with Gabby and told Vivian to let him go.

So, Vivian took her paws off of Boba.

"I'm watching you, boy." Vivian snarled.

"Can someone fill me in on what's been happening in my absence?" Carousella asked.

Gabby then looked into the emergency bag she managed to grab, finding some water and rations. "Well, first things first, we already have food and water for at least a couple of days. Hopefully we'll be rescued in less time than that."

"Well, it's getting dark right now, so I think we should look for shelter for the night." Carousella pointed out.

"Okay. Vivian, can you fly up and see if there's any civilization around here?" Gabby asked.

"On it." Vivian said, and she flew up and took a look around.

There didn't appear to be any cities close by, but Vivian did manage to spot a clearing that would make a good campsite, so the other kids followed on Carousella's back until they made it there.

When the group got to the clearing, Admiral Kilian and Compass found some rocks and placed them in a circle, clearing away any leaves or debris as Carousella and Vivian picked up some sticks for a campfire. Gabby took charge and made sure every job was done correctly.

"You seem to know a lot about survival for a three-year-old." Boba commented.

"Thanks. Just a little training from a bit of experience with Daddy." Gabby.

Boba looked down apologetically. "I know it probably won't cut it, but I'm really sorry about your father."

"Don't worry, he's fine, and so is Mace." Vivian said.

"They are?" Boba asked. "How do you know?"

"I saw them and stopped Aurra and Castus from reaching them." Vivian said. "How do you think Aurra got all those scratches, or why Castus looked like he'd gone through a paper shredder?"

"It takes a lot to take down a Jedi." said Kilian.

"I just hope Daddy and Uncle Mace are okay now." Gabby said sadly.

"Why do you even call him an uncle anyway? You know what he did to my father." Boba said.

"Uncle Mace can be grouchy, I know that. And he does a lot of questionable things I still debate from time to time. But, that doesn't make me love him any less." Gabby said. "Once you get to know him, he's not that bad. He means well, but he doesn't always make the best choices. And he could stand to at least try to smile more. But my mommy says everyone deserves to be loved, no matter what. It's not just the Jedi way to be compassionate. It's also the right way. I can't bring your dad back, or undo what Uncle Mace did, but I can help you solve your problem the right way."

Gabby lit up the fire and moved a log with her magic for them to sit on. She sat down and had Boba sit beside her.

"Solving your problem starts with getting the whole story," said Gabby. "What exactly happened? Why did you want to get revenge?"

Boba, at first didn't say anything. He looked like he was trying to hide his feelings.

"Don't worry, Boba. No rush. You can talk when you're ready." Gabby said patiently.

Boba thought and thought, but he didn't say anything for a while. So, Gabby used her earth magic to make some soft grass appear for them to sleep on as the sun was going down. She even made some sweet smelling lavender flowers grow to make their sleeping area look pretty, as well as have some soothing aroma therapy.

As the two kids and the animals sat by their campfire, Gabby decided to persuade Boba to talk to her.

"Boba, I sense a lot of distress and bad emotions in you. So, I wanna help you. You don't have to be afraid to show your emotions." said Gabby. "And, you'll feel better once you really let them out and talk about them."

Boba silently got to thinking again about the day his father died. He felt tears coming to his eyes as he thought more and more about his past actions, and about his father. Then, Boba began sniffling, and unable to hold back any longer, he started crying.

The others all froze as Boba sobbed.

It was then that Boba explained everything that happened during the Battle of Geonosis, how he was there and how Jango Fett, his father, had been killed right in front of him by none other than Mace Windu, and no one came to help poor Boba. No one was there to take him in and care for him, no one to hug him or comfort him when he cried; not even an apology. The girls were all shocked by this revelation.

"He was literally the only family I'd ever known and loved." Boba finished with a sniffle.

"You didn't have a mom?" Vivian said.

"No. I wasn't born from a mother's tummy like you, Gabby, or Carousella. I was the first clone, but I was unmodified. At least, that's what Dad told me. And he raised me on his own. He promised that it would be his last mission, and that we would start a better life somewhere else without all the killing and hunting, and he'd have more time for me. But, that didn't go as planned because Windu took him from me!"

Boba covered his face and cried again a little bit.

"I'm so sorry, Boba." Gabby said. "It must've been horrible."

Boba wiped his tears away and continued.

"Eventually, Aurra found me and took me in. She said she would help me find justice and convinced me that the best way to do that was to murder Windu like he did my dad."

"And you believed her?" Carousella said as though Boba had just asked a stupid question.

"Deep down, I knew it was wrong. But, if I didn't cooperate with her, she would beat me."

Everyone was shocked.

"What?" the men both said.

"You mean when she hit you before," said Gabby. "that wasn't the first time she did it?"

"She hits me all the time if I disobey her or do anything to provoke her. And she even starved me sometimes." Boba lifted up his shirt to reveal some huge bruises on his stomach and torso, and he looked a bit skinnier than the other clones were, though his clothes did a good job of hiding it.

"Oh my gosh!" Gabby's eyes went almost impossibly wide.

Compass took a look at Boba's bruises to see just how severe they were. Boba winced each time any of them were touched.

Vivian growled at the thought of Aurra Sing's cruelty.

"And that's just some of the bruises I've gotten." Boba continued, putting his shirt down.

"Why didn't you ask for help?" Kilian asked.

"For one thing, I didn't have any access to a good communicator. Even if I did..." he sighed. "I'd get sent to the foster system. And I don't wanna replace my father. Even though it would be nice to have a dad again. Or a mom, and even a brother or a sister."

"No one ever said you would be replacing your daddy." Gabby said. "If anything, a new family is just what you need. Someone to love you and care for you. There's someone out there for you. You're not alone."

"What would you know about being alone?" Boba asked. "You have so many friends and a big family."

"That may be so." Carousella said. "But I know exactly how you feel. I lost a parent like you did, Boba."

"You did?" Boba asked, surprised.

"Yes." Carousella looked down sadly. "My mom died not long after the start of the war. She sacrificed herself to save me and my father from a Separatist attack. Since then, my dad became very protective of my brother and I, and I felt terrified of forming new relationships, and losing the ones I still had."

"But then came a little ceremony Equinaro often celebrates called the Ride of Love." Gabby said. "That's a special ceremony where people in need are sent special ponies chosen for them by a magical book called the Equinary. That was how I met Carousella. And now Uncle Obi-Wan has a pony too. A unicorn named Peppermint."

"Ironically, I was afraid of being chosen. But, Gabby was a princess in need of love and protection. And since I'm trained as a royal guard, it made sense. So, I decided to give it a go, with a little convincing from my dad and brother."

"And then we helped each other learn that we shouldn't let fear of losing loved ones be the reason we can't still appreciate the relationships we have with the living, or form new relationships with anyone else, because the love we hold for the most important people in our lives will never die even after they do. And the same goes for you and your father. You still love him, don't you?"

"More than anything. I'd give anything just to be with my father one more time, even for a few minutes, just to hug him, and tell him I love him." Boba said before starting to cry again.

"Boba, I know how much it hurts. You're not the first kid to lose someone you love, and you won't be the last either. Everyone loses someone every day, and there's nothing we can do about it. My daddy lost his mommy not too long before the Battle of Geonosis, and he did get revenge on her killers. But Daddy only felt worse afterward."

"Really?" Boba was shocked. "How do you know?"

"Because I was there the day it happened. Daddy told Mommy all about it, and he couldn't stop crying when he did. I never met my grandma, but she and Daddy were so close, and they were each other's only family before my parents got married and had me."

"We've all lost someone we love, Boba," said Carousella. "I lost my mom, you lost your dad, Anakin lost his mother, and Master Obi-Wan lost his father figure Qui-Gon long before Gabby and I were born. And I'm pretty sure our army friends here have seen more men lose their lives than all of us combined could count, including people close to them."

"I know your mind says you should get revenge... but what does your heart tell you? What are your true feelings?"

Boba thought about what Gabby and Carousella said to him, and as more tears fell, he shared what he felt.

"I'm scared of being alone. My father was my only family. I had no one but him, and I was always stuck on Kamino before Geonosis. I never got out much except for the few times my father took me with him on a job. And now that he's gone, I'm scared that no one will ever love me again. And every time I see other kids with their parents, it hurts me inside. When I saw you cuddling with your dad, it made me miss mine."

"Sounds like you need a hug." Gabby said. And she hugged Boba tightly.

Boba was very surprised by the gesture. But this time, he began slowly wrapping his arms around the little girl, and returning the hug. Carousella and Vivian joined in and started a group hug. Even Compass and Kilian joined in the hug. And, Boba started to feel a little better.

Vivian even started to lick Boba's cheek in place of growling, and Carousella also licked him to give him a little extra loved. But Boba felt his nose get a little pain from how Gabby's flower hit him earlier.

"Did you really have to hit me so hard with your powers?" Boba asked.

"Sorry," Gabby apologized. "I was aiming for Aurra. I'm still learning to aim my magic. But, I can fix that, and your bruises too."

So, Gabby kissed Boba on his cheek, and his nose and all the bruises on his body healed quickly. Boba felt so much better now, both physically and emotionally. But now, they had to wait until they could get home.

Eventually, the kids were exhausted. Tonight would be one of those nights Gabby would need to sleep without her teddy. But, she was used to not having Teddy during missions, as she did not want to risk losing her. Besides, she had Boba, Vivian, Admiral Kilian, Compass, and Carousella nearby, so she wouldn't be scared.

Carousella laid down on the ground with both Gabby and Boba by each of her sides, and she kept them safe and warm underneath her wings like her mother used to. But, Boba couldn't sleep. So, Gabby started to sing what Anakin always sang to her:

Come stop your crying

It will be alright
Just take my hand
Hold it tight
I will protect you
From all around you
I will be here
Don't you cry

For one so small
You seem so strong
My arms will hold you
Keep you safe and warm
This bond between us
Can't be broken
I will be here don't you cry

'Cause you'll be in my heart
Yes, you'll be in my heart
From this day on
Now and forever more

You'll be in my heart
No matter what they say
You'll be here in my heart
Always
Always

The next morning, the kids and the soldiers all woke up very well rested. Gabby grew some fresh fruit for breakfast, and she twirled around to change from her blue dress to a pink and yellow sunset colored dress.

"Come on." Gabby said. "We need to get moving if we want to get home before our parents worry anymore."

"You'll be going home. I'll more likely be in a prison cell. I deserve it." Boba said.

"Well, I think what we've encountered should be considered punishment enough. Still, I think I can find a way to make sure you don't need to stay there for very long."

"And then what?"

"I really don't know, but we'll figure something out. Friends don't abandon friends."

"Friends?" Boba looked up, feeling surprised as well as touched.

"Yes, Boba. It's clear to me you need a new friend now, and if others can only see you for your past, I wanna be that someone who truly sees the good in you."

"Me too," said Vivian. "No matter how tempted I was to bite you before."

"Even me," said Carousella. "You don't seem like that bad a kid, once one gets used to you."

"Actually, I never really had any real friends before."

"What about the other young clones? You never played with them when you were little?"

"No," Boba shook his head. "My dad always said that bounty hunters don't have friends. So, when I was alone, my best friend was my stuffed lion, Fuzzy. But Aurra blasted him after she took me in and said he was a sign of weakness. I haven't felt secure since."

"I had no idea." Kilian said. "That's terrible."

"You're lucky, Gabby. Everyone loves you. You're a princess, and you have everything, including a magical flying horse who talks and protects you."

"Not quite everything. I don't live in a castle or sit on a throne like Vivian does. And I don't always wear tiaras or fancy gowns. And I don't have servants doing everything for me either. So I'm not exactly your typical pampered princess."

"And Gabby gets into more trouble than you'd think. It always finds her somehow." Carousella rolled her eyes. "Hence, why I'm always by her side."

"But you do seem to have a lot of friends." Boba said.

"That may be true, but I still have my moments of feeling down and frustrated even." Gabby said. "Believe it or not, I don't always get along with everyone either. Every relationship has moments of argument. But Daddy told me that if you have any kind of relationship, that is more important than any argument. No one's perfect, but we can still do our best to be our best selves. You are who you choose to be. And it's never too late to start anew and become a better you."

So, Gabby and Boba got onto Vivian or Carousella's backs. Carousella ran as fast as she could to activate her horseshoes, but they weren't working.

Carousella stopped and took a look at her shoes. They were really dirty, and one of them had a scratch in it.

"Uh oh." Gabby said. "I must've forgotten to clean Carousella's shoes this week."

"Well, now what are we gonna do?" Boba asked.

"Do you have your communicator on you, Gabby?" Carousella asked.

Gabby pulled out her communicator from her pocket.

"Yeah. I had to keep it hidden though." Gabby said. "I don't know if it'll even get a signal out from wherever we are."

"Well, we have to at least try." Carousella said. "Hop on."

Carousella flew Gabby up as high as she could fly, and Gabby pressed the button to get a signal out, hopefully one that would get to any Jedi who would come find her and her friends. And soon, someone did.

After finding no signs of Boba on Florrum and learning that Boba helped the hostages escape, Ahsoka and Master Plo weren't sure how they would find Gabby now... until Ahsoka's comm started beeping.

"Hello? Can anyone hear me?" said Gabby's voice.

"Gabby? It's Ahsoka!" Ahsoka said. "Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine and so are the others. We don't know where we are." Gabby said.

"Stay right where you are, Little Gabby." Plo said. "We will track your location and come to pick you up."

Master Plo and Ahsoka eventually landed a ship close to where Gabby and her friends were, and the kids all rushed in the direction of the ship.

Plo and Ahsoka both called out for Gabby. And that was when the little girl arrived with her friends.

"Ahsoka! Uncle Plo!" Gabby gasped, and she flew into Plo's arms, receiving a big hug, and one from Ahsoka too.

"Are you alright, young one?" Plo asked.

"I'm fine. Carousella came to our rescue. Boba even helped us escape the bounty hunters" Gabby explained, to the Jedi's surprise.

"It's true." Kilian testified. "He's not as bad a kid as we might have thought before. With the proper guidance, he might own up to something."

Boba, of course, was hesitant to come out. He looked down very guiltily for everything he'd done before. Gabby and her friends might've come to forgive him, but he didn't get his hopes up that everyone else would.

Gabby held Boba's hand as they got on board the ship to get back to Coruscant.

By the time they'd arrived, Anakin and Mace were finally fully healed. And when Anakin heard that Gabby was brought back, he rushed to meet them. And General Mareheart came to see his Carousella, and King Leofric to find Vivian.

Gabby exited the ship and when she and Anakin saw each other, they ran straight for each other, Anakin scooping up his daughter and spinning her happily. Anakin hugged his daughter happily and gave her a bunch of kisses.

"What happened out there?" Anakin asked.

Gabby explained everything to her father. The kidnapping, the escape, the talk she had with Boba. After thinking about what Mace told him about Boba's relation to Jango Fett and Jango's death when they were trapped on Vanqor, and what Gabby told him, Anakin seemed more sympathetic for Boba, especially when he remembered once more how hurt he was after he lost his mother.

Of course, Boba was taken away to await trial.

That night, as Anakin was giving Gabby a bath, she told him that Boba was really brave to stand up to Aurra, and to try to help Gabby escape.

"I guess it was brave." Anakin said. "But he still caused a lot of damage."

"Yeah, but it's not completely his fault."

"What do you mean?" Anakin asked.

That was when Gabby told Anakin about the bruises on Boba's body from Aurra physically abusing him, and how she threatened him into doing her bidding. And that was why Boba acted the way he did. It was a combination of fear from child abuse, as well as emotional distress from lack of support in a time of grief. His tough image and behavior were just a coverup for the scared, sad, insecure, and lonely child he really was.

Anakin couldn't believe what his daughter had told him. He recalled his days in slavery, when slaves upset their masters in any way, they would often be severely punished with horrible beatings.

"Isn't there anything we can do, Daddy?" Gabby asked, looking at Anakin with her pleading puppy eyes as he dried her off.

"I don't know, Princess. You can testify for him in the trial. Everything else... that's for the Senate to decide."

Of course, Gabby didn't think twice about accepting the request to testify. And, she called in a few friends she thought could help.

As the trial began, the charges were read: attempted murder, destruction of property, and assistant kidnapping, all in the second degree (a lesser charge based on Boba's cooperation when he was arrested). Admiral Kilian, Compass, Carousella, and Vivian were all there to testify on Boba's behalf.

Gabby was called up to testify, and she explained to the court how Boba set her free and did his best to protect her from the bounty hunters even though he knew he would end up severely punished by Aurra Sing as well as the Senate. She also explained that she talked to him peacefully and learned he was a victim of circumstance in some areas. Carousella served as a second witness to the event.

"In order to prove my testimonial, I'd like to request help from Princess Memoria Sitala." Gabby said.

Memoria walked up, and Gabby whispered to her, "I need you to look into Boba's memories. Find some from when his father died, and any recent memories you can find of Boba facing any kind of abuse after that."

Memoria approached Boba and placed one hand on his forehead, and the other on her head.

"Hold still, Boba." Memoria said. And she concentrated, digging deep into Boba's mind to find all the necessary memories.

Once Memoria found all the correct memories, she held each of them in the form of crystal balls in purple and blue.

"People of the court," said Gabby. "I ask all of you to please watch carefully as Memoria takes us on a little trip through Memory Lane and see just what provoked Boba's behavior."

One-by-one, Memoria had Boba's memories spread wide for everyone to witness, starting with Jango Fett's death on Geonosis.

Boba began to feel insecure as he watched all of these past memories play again. Gabby went to him and let him hug her as he looked away. It didn't do much since they were his memories, though.

The court was shocked when they saw Boba's memories showing how this little boy was traumatized and left alone, crying, being beaten like a piece of meat by the dangerous bounty hunter Aurra Sing, and when she destroyed his favorite toy right in front of him and called him weak when he was crying. They even witnessed Gabby's memory of how she and Boba rescued each other when Vivian and Carousella helped them escape the bounty hunters.

Boba was questioned if he had anything he would like to say. And he did. Tears fell from his eyes as he spoke, and he struggled not to choke.

"I'm so sorry for everyone involved, and I know there's nothing that could ever excuse what I did. I put many lives in danger, destroyed an entire cruiser trying to take one life, only to endanger many others... and worst of all, I almost did to another kid the same thing that was done to me. She didn't deserve to be hurt like I was, she didn't deserve any of what happened to her because of my stupid decisions. I wish things could've been different, and that I'd just found the right help before. Revenge, I know now isn't what I really wanted. The truth is, I was terrified of being left alone and unloved, and I still am. But that's no excuse for the way I acted, and I deserve whatever punishment I'm given."

Padme felt close to weeping as she and Anakin listened to the young boy and saw him crying, and Gabby felt her heart breaking when she was reminded of the very thing Boba was afraid of. She was willing to be his friend and wanted to help him, but she didn't know how else she could help him.

The wait felt long and hard, but the court decided that Boba would be sentenced to eight days in juvenile detention, and then he would be transferred to the custody of child protective services and placed into the foster system upon release. The charges were also lessened because Boba testified against the other bounty hunters involved who had escaped, and because he rescued two princesses and protected the youngest one the best he could.

Gabby put her hand on Boba's after the sentence was announced.

"Don't worry, Boba. I'll be your friend no matter what. I'll do all I can to be here for you. Even come visit you. You'll always have someone to love you." Gabby promised.

Boba looked at Gabby, and he began to feel the corners of his mouth slowly turning upward. For the first time in a long time, Boba genuinely felt happy, even trapped in binders. Since losing his father, Boba had nothing to smile about. But, now that he had a real friend, he felt something he had been missing: he felt loved.

Anakin looked at his wife and said, "Angel, what do you think about having another kid?"

Padme looked at Anakin in surprise. "Ani, you know we talked about waiting until after the war."

"I don't mean having another baby." Anakin shook his head. He glanced at Boba as he was taken away, then back at his wife. "How do you feel about adoption?"