Anakin groaned as he and Obi-Wan slowly woke up, finding themselves in binders and in a cell.

"What happened?" Anakin asked.

"It seems that pirate crew is stronger than we thought." Obi-Wan said.

"I only took a sip," said Anakin, referring to the drinks from earlier.

"We were drugged, obviously."

"Why would they risk losing the ransom?"

"The deal appears to have changed. They must be trying to triple their payday two times over."

Except, when Anakin looked around the cell, he didn't see Vivian. Just Carousella and Gabby who were just waking up like they'd been woken from a deep sleep.

"Wait, where's Vivian?" Anakin asked.

Gabby and Carousella looked around, and found themselves in binders too, Carousella's modified specifically to fit a horse.

"Vivian must've escaped," said Gabby. "Maybe she went to get help."

"And they must've figured the only way to get magical beings unarmed was to drug you." Obi-Wan said. "Obviously, they didn't account for Vivian possibly sniffing out the drugs."

"A shrewd observation, Master Kenobi." Dooku said, sitting in the darker side of the cell.

"Oh great, it's you." Anakin said sarcastically.

"I did warn you these pirates were devious." Dooku said. "You will notice our shackles are bound together. I have tried to separate us to no avail."

"It's bad enough we have to be in the same cell," said Anakin, starting to get up, only for Obi-Wan to hold him back. "But could you at least spare me the sound of your constant chatter?"

"And while I hold my tongue, the four of you will devise a brilliant strategy for getting off this godforsaken planet?"

"Yes!" The Jedi and the girls all said in unison.

"Excellent," said the count.

Carousella already managed to get her magic working and got her shackles off, and Gabby's too.

"The pirates must've thought we'd be asleep until they could hand us off." Carousella said.

"Because they obviously didn't account for me using magic to unlock these things."

"Good, then you can blast us out of here?" Anakin asked hopefully.

But, Carousella shook her head.

"It's not that simple. If I blast us out, the pirates will notice. Even with my horseshoes on, there's not enough room in here for me to run and warm them up, and I can't carry everyone on my back."

Gabby looked around and saw an air vent on the wall.

"What about that vent up there?" Gabby asked.

The grownups looked and saw it. It was way too small for an adult to fit through, much less a horse.

"Even if we could reach it, it's too small for us to fit through." Anakin said.

"Maybe for you and Carousella. But, I think I'm small enough to squeeze through, then I can open the door from the other side." Gabby said.

Obi-Wan looked at Anakin and shrugged. "It couldn't hurt to try.

So, Carousella flew Gabby up to the vent on her back and helped her open it so the child could climb in.

____________________________________

Gabby started carefully crawling through the air ducts, trying not to make any noise so the pirates wouldn't find her. But, there were a lot of turns and forks in the road, and so many walls looked the same to her. It was going to be a while before she found the vent that led her to the other side of the cell.

"I wish I had a map of this place," whispered Gabby. She continued crawling, only getting more lost, and possibly farther away from the prison cells.

____________________________________
An hour went by, and the other prisoners still hadn't seen or sensed Gabby.
Dooku began to get impatient, so he moved to the door and saw a fruit-filled plate sitting on a crate just outside the prison gate.

The count started to float the plate up.

"Don't you think our priority should be escape first, eat second?" Anakin grumbled, not in the mood for a snack.

"Do control your protégé's insolence so I can concentrate." Dooku said, continuing to float the plate, which he dropped to float a knife toward the keyhole.

"Anakin..." Obi-Wan began.

"What?" Said Anakin.

"Control your insolence. The count is concentrating."

The knife hit the keyhole perfectly and opened the door.

"If I do say so myself." Dooku said.

"Most impressive," said Obi-Wan.

The guys began walking through the hall, Carousella following close by, looking for her girl. She started sniffing near any vent she could find, hoping Gabby was nearby.

"I'm gonna look for Gabby," said Carousella as she started to fly. "You guys keep going."

____________________________________

"We do know where we're going, don't we?" Anakin said.

"Hush, Anakin." Obi-Wan said, then repeated Anakin's question.

"Quiet," said Dooku, knocking one pirate out. "I was brought this way when I was captured. It was open then."

Anakin found the door key on the unconscious pirate's belt and took it.

"Are you sure it's safe?" Obi-Wan asked as Anakin used the door key.

"Of course it is," said Dooku.

The door opened, and sure enough, there were pirates. But, they were all trapped or fighting a bunch of trees, big flowers, and vines that were grabbing them and their weapons, tangling them up, or tossing them around. No doubt a certain princess had been there already.
But then, more pirates came and held their guns.

"Hold it right there, Jedi."

Carousella managed to quickly fly through the magical plants and escape the pirates, to the guys' dismay. Now they really had no means of getting out, and they were brought back to their cell.

____________________________________

"What were we thinking, following a Sith Lord?" Anakin said, feeling so foolish.
Hondo walked around the three remaining prisoners.

"Oh what to do? What to do? I don't want to kill you per se." Hondo said. In fact, you seem like decent fellows. Even you count. This is just business, and once I get my money, we can go back to being friends."

"You won't get as big a payday without the girls, though." Anakin pointed out.

"Perhaps not," said Hondo. "Unless my men find them first. Now, try and not to complicate things by breaking out again."

"Unbelievable. Three kids were able to escape when we couldn't?" Anakin said once the pirates left.

"To be fair, they are magical girls, and at least one of them is trained as a guard." Obi-Wan said. "Now we must escape as well before the Republic arrives with the ransom."

"For once, I agree with you," said Dooku.

____________________________________

Meanwhile, Vivian flew in the air, using her keen sight and hearing to search for help. She managed to find the Republic crew consisting of Representative Jar Jar Binks and a few clones. They were hiding in what looked to be geysers filled with acid as some of the pirates were stealing the ransom spice, and they were quickly climbing out as some animals ran away, signaling the geysers were about to erupt.

Jar Jar very nearly fell back in as the geysers were erupting, but Vivian swooped in and grabbed him with her teeth.

"I got you!" Vivian said, flying him to safety.

"Meesa owe you big time," said Jar Jar.

"No worries." Vivian said. "It's what I do."

Vivian told the crew about what happened with the pirates, and that she managed to escape, but they had to get to the base before the pirates did.

"Those pirates are on speeders. Unless you can carry all of us, I don't see how we can get there in time."

Meesa be havin' an idea." Jar Jar said.

____________________________________

Gabby eventually found a vent that led her all the way outside, but now she was covered in black dust from the air vents.

She sneezed.

"Not only are these pirates devious, they're not very good at keeping this place clean." Gabby grumbled, dusting off her dress.

She looked around to see her father, Obi-Wan, and Dooku hanging from a wall. So, she ran in to help by throwing a couple of vines and wrapping them around them to lift them up to safety. Unfortunately, Hondo and a couple of his men caught them.

"I guess this mean we won't be friends." Hondo sighed.

Gabby quickly hid before the pirates could see her. And Carousella happened to be hiding behind a crate not far from her. The two remained quiet, but they could see in each other's facial expressions that it wasn't looking so good. And it didn't get much better for Anakin and Obi-Wan later.

____________________________________

Meanwhile, Vivian managed to talk to a few creatures and convince them to help the crew. The clones rode the beasts from around the geyser fields, and Jar Jar rode Vivian, who flew up to get a clear view. But had trouble holding the Gungan.

"Stop yanking my hair, Jar Jar!" Vivian shouted angrily. "And don't hold my neck so tight, you're choking me!"

"Sorry, meesa no wanting to fall." Jar Jar said.

"Let's just hurry and save our friends!" Vivian said, and they hurried on their way. However, they were soon met by a bunch of tanks that came to attack, forcing Vivian to land so they wouldn't become easy targets.

One clone told Jar Jar it was up to him to negotiate with the pirates.

____________________________________

"I take it the Republic didn't arrive with the ransom?" Obi-Wan asked, and the pirates just laughed.

"Ah, your Republic obviously doesn't want the Sith Lord." Hondo said.

"They didn't show?" Obi-Wan was confused.

When Hondo told the Jedi that the Republic only sent an army, they were filled with disbelief.

"You calling me a liar?" Hondo said.

"Uh, isn't that kinda what you do for a living?" Anakin asked rhetorically.

Offended, Hondo got out a remote and shocked Obi-Wan and Anakin, to the horror of the princess and the pony watching from a hiding spot. But, Gabby refused to sit and watch. She psyched herself up and ran in to save her family.

Clouds suddenly started forming inside the area, much to the pirates' confusion.
Thunder boomed and lightning struck all of a sudden as Gabby was furious seeing what the pirates were doing to her father and honorary uncle. That scared the pirates into freezing and temporarily stopping the shocking.

"Let them go!" Gabby demanded.

At first, the pirates laughed, initially believing it ridiculous that the Jedi needed a little girl to rescue them. But, Gabby made the thunder boom louder and lightning flash brighter.

"I think it's best not to be fooled by her cuteness." Anakin sang with a smirk.

"I said let them go!" Gabby said louder.

"Best do as she says." Obi-Wan said.

Gabby boomed the thunder again and shot a lightning bolt close to Hondo, which made him practically jump into another pirate's arms.

"That was just a warning shot!" Gabby said, booming thunder again for emphasis.

As Gabby's anger grew, more lightning struck, and the storm spread to outside just as Jar Jar and the rescue squad were arriving, and it caused them to hit the power, as if Jar Jar's clumsiness at the wheel wouldn't do that anyway, making all the lights and the trap holding the Jedi turn off.

"Did I do that?" Gabby asked, surprised, as she had not intended to do that.

Anakin and Obi-Wan brought out their lightsabers, Anakin holding his to Hondo's neck.
Carousella quickly got Gabby onto her back and stood protectively as she and the Jedi began making their way to the exit.

"What chance do you really have, Jedi?" Hondo said. "Now, let me go, and I might let you live."

"What chance do you really have, pirate?" Gabby said. "Let us go, and maybe I won't feed you to Vivian when she comes back."

"Approach us, and he dies." Anakin added.

That was when a couple of tanks arrived.

"Looks like your forces were destroyed, Jedi" Hondo said.

And Jar Jar and Vivian popped out.

"Looks like you were wrong," said Vivian.

"Ani! Obi!" Jar Jar exclaimed, happy to see them okay.

"Jar Jar? Vivian?" said Anakin, surprised.

"They arrived with the spice, but crashed." Vivian said.

"Excellent," said Obi-Wan. "Assuming the pirates still have Dooku to trade."

Inconveniently, Dooku flew off in a ship.

"Well, that answers that question." Anakin said. And the Jedi continued their way to the ship.

Obi-Wan ordered Anakin to release Hondo.

"What?" Anakin, Carousella, and Gabby all said in shock.

"Captain, you have nothing we want, and since we're not prisoners anymore, you have no bargaining power." Obi-Wan said. "Let's leave on even terms. Ladies first."

"What a gentleman." Vivian said before entering the ship, along with Carousella and Gabby too.

Hondo's men were about to start a fight, but he stopped them.

"Jedi, after everything, you're just going to walk away?" Hondo said.

"We have no quarrel with you, and we seek no revenge." Obi-wan said.

"A very honorable gesture, Master Jedi."

"Jedi might be okay letting go," said Gabby. "But be warned that Dooku won't play nice."

Obi-Wan picked up the child and said, "She's correct. Dooku does not share our sense of honor, and he knows where you live."

"And so do the guard pony and I." Vivian said, making a motion with her paw that she was watching them, and she bared her sharp teeth with a final growl before turning back into the ship. Carousella snorted and motioned that she was watching for the pirates, still mad for how they threatened the very lives of her princess and her family.

And so, the Jedi and their friends took off, once again safe.

____________________________________

Gabby sneezed as she was still covered in dust.

"Looks like someone's gonna need a bath and a wardrobe change," chuckled Anakin, dusting some excess dust from his daughter's clothes.

"You think?" Gabby said, sneezing again.

So, once they got back, Anakin gave Gabby a bubble bath and got her into some clean clothes.

"Who knew you could literally put up a storm like that?" Anakin said as he tied a new pink ribbon in Gabby's hair.

"I didn't," said Gabby.

"Looks like her magic is starting to get stronger." Carousella said. "Who knows what else she might be capable of?"

That did raise a little concern for Anakin. Gabby's powers were indeed starting to get stronger and potentially more dangerous if she didn't master them properly.

Just days ago, Gabby's botanical magic grew entire full-grown trees that bore fruit and blossoms instead of just simple flowers, grass, and dandelions. Gabby even found herself able to grow more types of cacti from time to time. That power seemed to grow fastest. But, the only power Anakin had not yet seen Gabby use was using the Force to levitate anything.
According to Master Yoda, it was a possibility that Gabby's age along with her other powers growing in were interfering with her connection to the Force, and her ability to use it the same as the other Jedi, but she would get her power over that later. In the meantime, Anakin had to teach her in any way he could, and so did the other Jedi.