As a new war waged in the Senate and losses on the battlefield increased, a group of senators led by Halle Burtoni of Kamino proposed an escalation of troop production. Recognizing that more troops will only make matters worse, Padme has worked tirelessly with her allies to introduce a bill to cut military spending and stop the creation of more clone troopers. For the last few weeks this work kept going on. And now it was finally the day to take further action.

Meanwhile, Padme's children were both being kept safe at the Jedi Temple to await their mother coming to pick them up. The youngest one, at the moment, was looking at an early birthday gift she received from some royal families and delegates from Enchantra. Gabby's fourth birthday was in three days, which meant she was growing up. And... so were her powers.

With such powerful magic, Gabby had the potential to learn many spells for a multitude of purposes. Thus, she had to study as many spells as she could now. And, according to King Ignatius, if she proved skilled enough in her magic, she would likely pass the entrance exam someday to attend Cantata College, the most prestigious magic school in all of Enchantra.

At the moment, Gabby was reading through a series of spells used in magical investigations. Spells to uncover fingerprints, spells to identify where magic was used, even a spell that compelled a victim to tell the truth and nothing but the truth.

"Look at all these spells, Teddy." Gabby told her plushie. "Dracona's dad says if I learn and do well with lots of them, I'll get to go to an amazing school."

Because Anakin was away on a mission right now, Gabby was contacted by Mace Windu, and he looked hesitant when he approached her.

"Uncle Mace? What's wrong?" Gabby asked.

Mace sighed. "Something terrible has happened. A close friend of your mother's has just perished."

Gabby gasped. "Who?"

Later, many senators, including Padme, as well as Masters Yoda and Windu were in attendance for the wake of Senator Onaconda Farr.

Gabby sadly grew some marigolds and placed them on top of the floating coffin that held Ono's body. Then she and her brother stood by their mother as another Rodian spoke. The little princess could hardly hear most of what the Rodian preacher was saying over her heart breaking and her mind filling with questions of how this could've happened and why.

"And we are all aware that Onaconda was a flawed man. He knew better than anyone of his own mistakes. But he never compromised his principles, and what he did, he did for his people. Their needs always came first."

That, Gabby heard. And the coffin was hovered away into the waiting ship.

"Rest in peace, Uncle Ono." Gabby whispered tearfully.

Gabby looked up at her mother. She looked so sad. Bail tried to offer his condolences.

"Senator, if you need anything..."

"What we need is to get his resolution passed." Padme said.

Padme looked down sadly as the ship Ono was taken on flew away.

Boba took his mother's hand. He understood very well how much it hurt to lose someone so tragically. Padme appreciated the gesture, but she saw someone else who seemed in need of comfort. Lolo, a fellow Rodian.

"He was my mentor," said Lolo. She looked so distraught. "I don't know how to carry on without him guiding me."

Padme wrapped an arm around Lolo's shoulder.

"I know. No one could ever take his place." Padme said.

Gabby also hugged Lolo. That was when a soldier in blue armor approached them.

"Excuse me." said the soldier. "Chancellor Palpatine has summoned both of you to his chambers."

Padme and Lolo went to the Chancellor's chamber, as did the children. There turned out to be many other senators in there as well, including Bail Organa. This concerned Padme greatly.

"What's happened?" Padme asked.

"I'm afraid, my friends, that Lieutenant Divo here has some questions about Senator Farr." Palpatine explained.

Gabby recognized Lieutenant Divo. He was the same officer from when Chairman Papanoida's daughters were kidnapped and Gabby's parents' wedding rings were stolen.

Lieutenant Divo approached the group of senators.

"Do you know of anyone who, uh... uh, how to put this?" said Lieutenant Divo. "Hated Senator Farr? Enough to kill him?"

"What?" Padme and Gabby said.

Lieutenant Divo explained that Senator Farr's death was no accident.

"I'll need to find out who wanted to hurt Senator Farr, actually, kill him would be more accurate, what with him being dead."

"State the obvious much?" Gabby said sarcastically.

"No one wanted him dead." said Lolo. "Everyone loved him."

"Well, that's obviously not true," said Divo. "Or I wouldn't be here, and he would."

Bail spoke up then.

"Lieutenant, even Ono's political enemies respected him. We need time to deal with this situation."

"Time, time, there's no time for time." said Divo. "A murderer is on the loose and it's my job to find him."

"Or her." Gabby said. She shrugged. "I'm just saying, it could be a her. Remember Aurra Sing?"

Boba shuddered at the mention of the bounty hunter who became his very abusive foster mother.

Padme cleared her throat and said, "What makes you think it was murder?"

"Poison, of course." said Divo. "The politician's preferred method. Found a chemical in his bloodstream, killed him right away. It's an obvious case. Politicians always have something to hide and it always comes back to haunt them. Am I right?"

"That's called a stereotype." Gabby said.

Divo laughed and said, "Oh, look who I'm asking: a room full of politicians, plus a princess and some clone."

"Don't call me a clone!" Boba said angrily.

"We don't use the 'C' word to refer to my brother." Gabby added disgruntledly.

Divo ignored the kids and continued.

"So one of Farr's secrets must have, uh, resurfaced."

"Ono had no secrets." said Padme. "That's not it. Perhaps someone was upset about the clone-troop bill currently on the floor. It's very controversial."

"That would fit under motive." Gabby said. "All we need now is means, opportunity, and suspects who have all three of those things."

"Thank you, Senator... Amidala, is it?" said Divo.

"Skywalker, actually. She's married now." Boba said.

"I already have my theory, and I'll follow my hunch, if you don't mind. After all, I am the inspector. You're the senator. So I'll handle the inspecting, and you can stick to the... the 'senating' and parenting."

Lieutenant Divo bid the senators good day and left with the police droids.

Everyone was silent for a few moments. Chancellor Palpatine was the first to speak.

"Murder... it's inconceivable."

"Who would wish Onaconda harm?" asked Senator Mon Mothma as she, the Skywalkers, Bail, and Lolo walked down the hallway.

"What if it's the bill?" asked Lolo. "What if we're all being targeted?"

"Speculation gets us nowhere." Bail said. "There is work to do. We should double our efforts on the vote. It will be even harder with Ono gone."

"No." Padme said. "No. We should delay the vote."

"But why?" Mothma asked.

"No one will give the vote their full attention until they know what's happened to Ono."

"Well, maybe I can put a motion on the floor." said Bail. "I don't think anyone will object, given the circumstances."

"Good. Then we'll have time to conduct our own investigation." Padme said.

Gabby didn't think waiting for the Lieutenant to find Ono's killer would do any good. She reached into her bag and pulled out her unicorn notebook and a pencil.

"I'm ready to search for clues when you are, Mommy." Gabby said.

"Detective Divo specifically asked us not to interfere."

"And not that I don't believe in you, sis, but do you really think you could handle this kind of thing?" Boba asked. "This isn't a game of Blue's Clues, you know."

"Well, he didn't exactly inspire confidence, did he?" Padme asked, referring to Divo. "He didn't know Ono. We did. We'll have a far easier time looking into this than... detective Divo will."

"Yeah. And I'm pretty sure it's been made clear that evidence isn't gonna come in the form of blue pawprints in this investigation." Gabby said, already beginning to write some things down in her notebook, starting with the victim and how he was killed. "And I can actually write down what we know."

"Running around could disrupt our coalition." said Bail.

"Yet you still seem determined to see this through." Mothma added.

"Indeed, I am."

"And I... don't supposed you'd consider bringing Captain Typho with you."

"No. I'd rather do this quietly." said Padme.

"Then, perhaps, Senator Organa, you should accompany her."

"Me too." Gabby said. "I've just learned a bunch of spells used specifically for investigating."

"I think both are excellent ideas." Bail said.

"I don't need a guardian." said Padme.

"Of course not, my dear." said Mothma. "Think of it as precautionary."

"Yeah. Carousella might catch too much attention." Gabby said.

"In that case, I'll watch Boba." Carousella said.

Bail promised Padme he wouldn't get in the way of Padme or Gabriella. And... Padme had no objections.

"And I know exactly where to start." Padme said, walking out of the room, Gabby and Bail following.

The first suspect the trio went to was Senator Deechi, one of Senator Burtoni's allies. But he laughed at them.

"You're suggesting one of us killed Onaconda Farr?" said Deechi.

"How delightful." said Burtoni.

"I don't find any of this amusing." Bail said.

"Neither do I." said Padme.

Gabby wrote down in her notepad the names of the two suspects as well as the motive they had.

"Both of you have a motive. A very strong motive too." Gabby said. "Unless you can prove you have alibis and never touched the murder weapon, it doesn't look good for you."

"Every time Ono opened his befuddled mouth," said Burtoni. "it gave us another quote to use in our fundraising. Why would we kill our best source of income?"

"To weaken the other side? Out of spite? Personal hatred?" Gabby said. "I could go on. I've learned a lot of possible motives."

"You both opposed Ono's ideas in the Senate." Padme explained. "With enough at stake, maybe you decided to silence his voice... for good."

"Onaconda and I were often at odds," said Deechi. "but I respected him. I respected him greatly."

A droid poured a drink for Senator Burtoni. Gabby took note of the bottle the droid was pouring.

"For the record," said the Kaminoan. "I had no respect for Onaconda whatsoever."

"Which earns you points on the prime suspect list." Gabby said, writing it down.

"Is here the best place to play detective, little one?"

"My friend happens to be a royal guard who's taught me all kinds of investigation procedures." Gabby answered. "I know this is not a game. Otherwise, I'd be drawing pictures and searching for blue pawprints right now instead of a murderer."

Senator Deechi then explained that Ono had a secret meeting at the docks under the derrick major the night before he died.

"And you just happened to know about this meeting now?" Bail pointed out. Gabby wrote that down too.

"Oh, I was having Ono followed." said Deechi. "Just because I respected Ono doesn't mean I wasn't trying to get dirt on him."

"Of course."

"The point is, a clandestine, off-the-books meeting under cover of darkness, perhaps that location holds some clue."

Gabby wrote down more that pointed Deechi as the prime suspect.

"Fine. I will go look." said Padme. "But whatever we find, I'll have more questions for the both of you."

"So will I." Gabby said. "And not because I'm almost four and very curious."

Later, Padme, Bail, and Gabby were at the docks at the derrick major, carrying flashlights as they searched for clues.

"Have I said that I think we're very far out of our element here?" asked Bail.

"Yes, Bail, I believe you mentioned it once... or twice." Padme answered, pulling out a little blaster she carried for self-defense.

Bail also held a little blaster.

"I counted four times." Gabby said, taking out a frying pan she brought as a weapon. It was very dark.

"Stay close, Gabby." Padme said.

Gabby held her frying pan firmly as she stayed close to the adults, when she suddenly heard a machine turning on.

"Using this investigation to bury your grief might not be the best way to-"

"I'm not." Padme interrupted Bail.

Gabby heard the machine sound getting closer and looked up to see a crate hanging right above them.

"Then why can't you just leave it to Lieutenant Divo?"

"RUN!" Gabby screamed.

Gabby quickly Force-pushed the crate back up into the air as it was dropped, which gave Bail and Padme time to move, but Padme also quickly grabbed her daughter, which broke her concentration. Then, all of a sudden, someone started to fire at Padme and her daughter. Padme fired back and put her daughter behind some smaller crates to hide while she went to confront the shooter. Bail had to find another way around the dock, as the crate that nearly crushed him and the girls blocked his path.

The trio all had to run independently, eventually meeting at the same place, where the shooter tried to strike them again.

Gabby tried to use her plants or the Force to trap the criminal, but they kept dodging them as though familiar with her powers. And as they chased the shooter, they dropped another crate, which threw Bail over the edge. Luckily, he grabbed on before he could fall to his doom.

Padme and Gabby both helped Bail get up.

"Are you okay, Uncle Bail?" Gabby ,asked.

"I'm fine." Bail said.

Gabby looked in the direction the shooter went.

"They got away."

The sound of police sirens blaring came about.

Padme, Bail, and Gabby were then spoken to by a police droid... until they were approached again by Divo.

"Senator Skywalker, is it possible you might be going deaf?" said Divo.

"Lieutenant?" said Padme.

"Because when I said I didn't want you to interfere with my investigation, I can only assume you didn't hear me."

"I had some information about a lead here at the docks."

"Which you naturally brought to me straightaway so I could investigate, only... No, wait. You did the exact opposite of that. There are rules, Senator."

"My friend was murdered. I don't care about rules."

Divo scoffed. "Don't care about rules? My dear, without rules, there's only chaos. Everyone must care about rules."

"We know that." said Bail.

"But now you've alerted the killer that you're onto him," said Divo. "and my investigation is that much harder."

"Your investigation was getting nowhere." Gabby said. "You're obviously too biased towards politicians to even handle this."

"And you believe you could do better?"

"I may be small, and I may be young... but I'm not without the proper intelligence to see that your arrogance blinds you to the proper means of proceeding with the case."

"How cute, your mommy's been teaching you big words, has she?"

"You're lucky she also taught me not to hit people who bug me." Gabby said.

"Do any of you have any idea how many reports I have to file now?"

"That's what you're worried about?" Gabby said. "Unbelievable."

Padme seemed to think about something, and reviewed something Divo said.

"We've alerted the killer?"

"Yes. That's what I'm saying." said Divo.

Gabby looked into her notebook and remembered who told them to go to the docks in the first place. And she and Padme had the same hypthesis.

"What if we were sent here on purpose?"

"To the docks?" Bail questioned.

"Yes. What if this was all a setup?"

"It makes sense." Gabby said. "The killer wanted to get rid of us, so they obviously had to bring us some place there would be no witnesses or anyone nearby to call for help."

"What if Deechi sent us here just so he could kill us?" Padme finished.

"If we hurry, we might still be able to catch Deechi before he leaves the Senate." said Bail.

"Agreed." said Padme.

"Then let's go." Gabby said, literally zipping off like in a cartoon. But then she came back, knowing her mother and Bail didn't have the Force to increase their speed. "I won't use the Force to run off."

This time, Gabby ran at normal pace with the adults.

"But... Wait! I'm still investigating!" Divo shouted. But the trio wasn't listening. "This is still an active crime scene. You can't... Oh, fine."

The two senators and the princess arrived back at the office of Senator Deechi, where Gabby started to sense something cold, and it wasn't from her ice magic.

"Senator Deechi," said Padme as she and the others walked in. "I'm sure you're surprised to see me after what you..."

Padme turned the chair around and gasped. Gabby screamed as she saw a blade impaled into Deechi's heart.

"He's dead." Padme confirmed.

"He's been stabbed." Bail said.

"I think I'm gonna throw up." Gabby said, covering her mouth as she felt nauseous.

"This is definitely gonna require another report." said Divo.

Padme, Bail, Mon Mothma, Lolo, and the children were all gathered in the same room by the police.

"Did you find anything?" Boba asked his sister.

"Deechi is obviously out." Gabby said, crossing Deechi off as a suspect. "Right now, that leaved Senator Burtoni as the prime suspect."

"The killer is obviously targeting the leadership." said Divo, walking in. "You must stay here under my protection."

Carousella snorted as though to stifle a laugh.

"Why? So the killer can take us all out at once?" Lolo said, standing up. "Including two innocent children?"

"Oh, that preposterous."

"What's preposterous is the way he thinks he's qualified to protect anyone." Carousella told the kids, making them have to stifle their own giggles.

"I don't know what the kids find so funny in any of this," said Divo. "But even if the killer did get through my security-"

"There's a trained royal guard to do some real protecting." Carousella interrupted.

Divo glared at the alicorn for a moment before continuing. "It's very unlikely that all of you would end up dead."

"We are far too easy a target to be sitting here." Lolo said, and she was about to leave.

"No, you can't leave, Lolo." Padme said. "I think, in this instance, the inspector is right."

But Lolo left anyway, and didn't ask the inspector to move very politely.

Divo sighed and asked Padme who else knew she, Bail, and Gabby were going to the docks.

"Senator Burtoni!" Gabby answered suddenly.

Padme confirmed it. "She was the only other one in the room with us."

"Burtoni, eh?" Detective Divo became intrigued by that.

And so, Detective Divo and the police droids went to look for the Kaminoan senator, only to find her office empty.

"It's been a difficult time." Bail said, approaching Padme, who was thinking to herself. "You've handled yourself well."

"I had to try." Padme sighed. "Ono believe if you see injustice, you can't wait for someone else to fix it."

"We took that lesson to heart." Gabby said. "It turned out to be rewarding in a lot of ways. Like me getting a brother."

Gabby took her brother's hand, and Boba hugged her.

"Ono believed you must stand up and get involved." Gabby said.

"He did." said Bail.

Suddenly, there was the sound of screaming as someone else entered the room. Lolo. She asked for help, saying she was attacked by Senator Burtoni.

"She... she's in the east wing corridor. Hurry!" Lolo said.

Divo ordered his guards to jump into action. The other adults followed. Carousella protectively held Gabby on her back, and Remix took Boba.

The senators and the authorities soon confronted and cuffed Senator Burtoni, who denied that she killed anyone as they interrogated her in the Chancellor's office.

Gabby asked the Kaminoan to remain silent for a moment.

"Spokus revelus!" Gabby exclaimed, shooting a bit of magic at the Kaminoan.

"What was that?" Divo asked.

"A spell that compels whoever it hits to tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth." Gabby explained. "Tells us what happened, Senator Burtoni."

"Last thing I remember," said Burtoni. "I was walking to my office. Then I woke up here."

"Senator Lolo has a very different story." said Divo. "She says you attacked her."

"Attacked her? Lolo?" Burtoni chuckled. "If I ever attack someone, I hope it'll be someone mildly important."

"Someone like... Senator Farr?" Gabby asked.

"That's my line!" Divo said.

"You snooze, you lose." Gabby sang.

"Ono was a harmless bug. I wouldn't bother killing him." said Burtoni. "And Deechi was my ally."

"I've been thinking about how you were in Senator Amidala's office right before Farr died." Divo explained.

Gabby had that written in her notebook already. She also had it written down that no one else who drank the drink was harmed in any way.

"So what?" asked Burtoni.

"And I've been thinking about how you were in Deechi's office to hear about that meeting at the docks," Divo continued. "a meeting I think Farr had with you."

"It wasn't me! You have no proof."

Divo had a waiter droid hand him a new data pad with new information.

"No? I have this." He held up the pad. "I ordered an extensive forensic report on Farr as soon as he died. The poison which killed Farr only affects Rodian blood, and it was developed by Kaminoan scientists."

"But... that's... I didn't kill him!" said Burtoni.

"It wasn't her. That spell is still in effect." Gabby said.

"But she's Kaminoan. She had access to the poison." Divo said. "How can you be sure your little spell even worked, huh?"

"One, that's racist. Two, just because the poison was developed by Kaminoans doesn't mean the killer is Kaminoan. And three... I've practiced these spells more than you would care to believe."

"The scan must be wrong." said Padme. "If the poison was in all our drinks, Lolo would have died too."

"What?" Divo asked with disbelief.

"She's Rodian. She'd have been poisoned too..."

Gabby then had another realization.

"Did Lolo drink?" the little girl asked.

"You drank, right, Lolo?" Padme asked. But Lolo's silence said it all. "Lolo, you didn't drink... did you?"

That was when a blaster was held to Padme's head.

"You're right. I didn't. I should have pretended to drink." said Lolo. She grabbed Boba as he was closest. "All right, the boy is coming with me for insurance."

"Mom, help!" Boba cried.

"Quiet, you!"

Padme tried to remain calm.

"Why did you kill Ono?" she asked.

"He brought war to my planet." said Lolo.

"No!" Padme pulled back as Lolo held the gun closer to Boba's head. "He made a mistake, Lolo."

"Which everyone seemed to forget, including you. I didn't. Did you honestly think he had the moral right to lead us after he betrayed us?"

"He was sorry."

"He was weak. We needed someone with strength to stand against this war. I tried to scare him at the docks, but he wouldn't go away, so I removed him."

While Lolo was explaining her acts, Divo started to activate the police droids.

"And when I heard Deechi knew about that meeting, he had to go too."

That was when police droids came in.

"Halt. Put down your weapon and release the child."

Padme kicked the weapon out of Lolo's hand and punched the Rodian in the face, which gave Boba time to run behind his mother. Lolo was knocked out and taken into custody. Padme hugged her son, and she also received some hugs from Mothma and Bail.

Soon, it was finally time to vote on the late Onaconda's bill.

"With the final votes tallied," Chancellor Palpatine announced. "let it be known that the motion to stop the creation of more clone troops has failed, and the continued manufacturing of clone troopers shall proceed as scheduled."

Padme and her friends and family were sad to hear that they failed to pass Ono's bill. The kids hugged Padme. Carousella and Remix both nuzzled her. But the chancellor told Padme,

"Given recent events, perhaps it is for the best. How can we justify fortifying our security here in the Senate if we don't also provide reinforcements on the front lines? You see, the victory of the clone army, for now, is the only thing that can lead us to peace."

But, Gabby didn't believe that. Now that her powers were growing, she was determined now more than ever to master them and create her own helpful spells, as she learned she could do from one of the magic books she was given.

And when Gabby's fourth birthday finally came, her father gave her the perfect gift. A new journal, which she planned to use to record her spells and experiences. But, there was also one more gift she saved. When Ono's possessions were searched through, they found a present he'd planned to give her on her birthday. It turned out to be a bead bracelet of green and blue. The sparkly blue ones reminded Gabby of Ono's eyes, and she vowed to treasure it in his memory. She and her family even planted some of Ono's favorite flowers together to honor him. She and Padme both knew he would've wanted them to keep on going.