Here it is! The first chapter of the 4th installment of the Legend of the Jedi Princess series. Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to review afterwards.

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BREAKING NEWS!

Galactic Republic News was featuring a special report this fine day. Twi'lek reporter Shera Nova was on the case.

"This is Shera Nova, coming to you, live. I'm here on holo-call with the entire royal family of Solaris, famous producer Armando Hall of Hall of Fame Records, and Jedi Masters Mace Windu, Luminara Unduli, and Ki-Adi Mundi, who have come with a special message. Your response, Prince Anakin?"

Anakin and Padme appeared on the screen. They and every single member of their family were calling from a secure location so Mariverde couldn't track them.

"Thank you, Shera." Anakin said. "People of Enchantra and the Republic. My family is coming to all of you for help. Our oldest daughter, Omega, is missing."

"She was kidnapped," said Padme, pulling up a picture of Omega. "And we have witnesses to the crime. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only victim."

Mace and Brenda held a picture of Myra, Ki-Adi had one of Comedia, Boba, a picture of Remix, and Luminara and Mr. Hall had one of Vince. And, a newly introduced parent of a victim, a woman named Belinda Baro, Benni's mother. They also held up pictures of four missing adults. Crosshair, Maybelle, Mila, and Rory.

All the parents could hardly keep themselves from shedding tears. They'd filed a police report as well as contacted the EHC, who also agreed to send out search parties.

"We have reason to believe it was Mariverde who kidnapped our daughter," said Mace. "As well as every other child whose picture you see here."

"I don't know much about this Mariverde character," said Belinda. "But if she has my boy, I'm willing to do almost anything to get him back. All you mothers out there, think of your children. If someone took them, would you not be willing to do anything to bring them home safe and sound?"

Everyone was desperate to find their kids. The royal family were prepared to offer a large reward for the safe return of Omega and Remix, Mr. Hall for the safe return of Vince, and Garrett for the safe return of his sister. The same went for all the parents, except for Belinda who didn't have much to give, but she would be extremely grateful nonetheless to anyone who would offer any information on her son's whereabouts.

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So, the Galactic Police Departments of all the planets as well as the Enchantra High Commissions' security team gathered as many of their best officers as they could spare, all of them receiving photographs of each missing child and their last known locations. For the time being, however, Garrett theorized that Mariverde may come after the other kids too. So, he sent the kids' parents strict self-defense lesson plans and recorded tutorials to practice as well as rules they needed to follow to ensure their safety while he and Mariposa went to the Commission to aid in this severe case.

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Garrett came before the Commission's high council, upon an idea by Mariposa. He didn't know what she was planning... until his wife began speaking.

"Members of the EHC's council. As you know, my husband Professor Garrett Heartwood has been a wonderful teacher and aided in many students' achievement of astounding goals for the last twenty years. And I've aided him in studies on natural medicines both for educational and medical purposes, which I hope is part of how I may have earned your favor."

Chairman Laverne confirmed Mariposa had indeed earned great favor alongside her husband. Garrett was always singing her praises since he married her, and Mariposa's knowledge of plants, insects, as well as wildlife proved quite useful in educating young Enchanteds as well as creating remedies when various seasons of illness broke out. And after Mariposa created an all-natural herbal medicine to help Chairman Laverne's daughter get better when she caught a case of the blue flu, she told Mariposa she owed her a favor.

"If I have earned your favor, Mrs. chairman, and that of other members...." Mariposa was hesitant, but she held the rope that fastened her cloak together. "I believe it's time I came clean about something I've been hiding for many years."

And that was when Mariposa unraveled her cloak, to Garrett's objection, and exposed herself as a doresho gypsy.

All the security immediately panicked and got out their weapons, only for Garrett to go full werewolf and fight them off.

"Run, Mari!" Garrett shouted.

"I know what I'm doing, Garrett. Trust me." Mariposa said. "No more running."

Mariposa took out the old journal.

"I won't fight anyone here. If you'll just hear me out."

Chairman Laverne raised her hand and ordered everyone to freeze, but the security guards kept their weapons up.

"Thank you, Chairman. Now, as I was saying. I'm coming clean."

Mariposa explained to the council how Garrett initially believed her to be a threat when he first met her, despite that she saved his life during a field trip gone wrong, as well as how he knew the risks he was taking when he saved hers months later, and then started a family with her. But then, she turned the book to the page of the journal where there was a full confession from King Griffith's father, how he framed the maricambas as thieves and liars in order to ensure his son wouldn't go searching for evidence of Marisol's death being murder. He saw the maricambas as a threat because they were powerful and conspirators believed they were using insects as spies to overthrow the royal family. It had taken a long time and a lot of digging to find that specific journal containing the confession, and now that Mariposa had it, as well as what was at stake, there was no better time to come clean, she figured.

"In truth, however," said Mariposa. "My people were a peaceful tribe. We never cared about power or riches, except for those of which that were created to provide for us. And since the day this confession was written, we haven't been able to live normal lives anywhere."

Mariposa took out her crystal ball and asked it to show the council what the maricambas have been through since the laws deeming them as monsters to be destroyed on sight were passed. It showed many visions of maricambas fleeing doresho hunters, being slaughtered in front of their children, many fearing for their lives, some fighting back to protect their babies. All the stories were terrifying, the commission gasping each time they saw one, including Mariposa's.

"For thirty years, my father was imprisoned and tortured all because he was trying to protect me, the only child he had left after my mother left him and my sisters chose a dark path of revenge. Some maricambas, admittedly, did choose a dark path, but not all of us." Mariposa explained tearfully. "My father only wanted me to live a peaceful life, and I was denied that for years, believing he was dead until I found him again last summer. And not long before then we found out Mariverde had a daughter, who is now my daughter, Mona, who'd been tortured from the moment she was born by that demon I once called my sister."

"You can shame me for hiding this all you want, but Garrett is innocent, and so are my children. Your council claims to want to protect the innocent, and yet you created a law that has an entire species on watch to be killed whether they cause harm or not, young or old. You see people with butterfly wings as monsters, yet you allowed a werewolf to become a teacher, as well as a kelpie, and a minotaur, all of whom in various folklore are portrayed as eaters of humans and innocent children. And you hardly know anything about my species. Do you even know that maricambas are pregnant for only a week rather than nine months? Or that we can see ultraviolet light?" Or that since we do not have antennae like butterflies do, pigtails are a traditional form we wear our hair as a symbol of our devotion to protecting them? Or even the fact that it was always the maricambas who helped keep the populations of even endangered butterflies steady?"

The council froze as they listened and saw all the evidence that Mariposa presented. The fact that Solaris's current royal family knew she was a maricamba, as well as various members of Garrett's family, as well as her arguments that maricambas were being treated unfairly, in other words, made victims of racism... all of it was heart wrenching. There once was a time when all enchanteds were forbidden to wed outside of their own species, yet one kingdom now had a princess who was half-dragon, Plumalas was full of griffins and hippogriffs with sharp claws, and Vulgardia's king and queen were a lion and a wolf, yet none of them were deemed monsters by the commission. But people with four frail wings were. Another little known fact, like butterflies, maricambas looked like they had two wings, but really it's two pairs of wings, which was why they could fold so easily.

Mariposa didn't show it on her face, but she was worried. She hadn't told Garrett because she knew he would object to her revealing herself, believing she would be killed on sight like so many other maricambas before her. But Mariposa knew that if they wanted any hope of locating Mariverde, if they wanted to stop a doresho gypsy, they needed maricamba magic.

The council needed time to think about this, but that was something they may not have. So, Chairwoman Laverne decided to finally pay Mariposa that favor she owed her.

Chairwoman Laverne agreed that she would push for the laws to be changed to have the species, which shall henceforth be properly known as maricambas be protected like all others, and for the truth to be revealed. For now, it would be declared that all doresho hunters were to cease hostilities and that all doresho gypsies/maricambas were to be left alone, and anyone who violated this order would be arrested. And, with the condition that the children be kept safe, Mariposa agreed to recruit the aid of the maricambas in Garrett's family too so Mariverde would be found and defeated.

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Boba sat in his room at the Alderaan Palace, looking at some pictures he had. One in particular he looked at was one of him and Omega at their first birthday together. This affected Boba a lot because Omega was more than his sister. She was his twin.

All of his life, Boba felt like something was missing, and since he met Omega, he realized that she was what was missing. You see, twins share a bond like no other. They're together from the moment they were conceived. They're made together in their mother's womb, and they grow together. Well, usually that's how twins are born. Boba, formerly named Alpha, and Omega were conceived and grown in separate tubes, but they still grew at the same time and were born on the same day, Boba a couple of minutes before Omega. But their biological father, Jango Fett, was only notified of one twin's existence because he'd only asked for the first clone as part of his payment for being the clone template. But apparently, he hadn't accounted for a second pure replication (a change in gender being the only modification), or even Boba possibly being taken as replacement templates after he was gone.

Boba remembered bonding greatly with Omega when they first met, and together they earned powers by risking everything to save their family even before Omega was placed for adoption. Since then, they became thick as thieves. But now, this pair of twins was missing one half.

Now, because of the loss, there were strict rules Boba, Gabby, and Goldie had to follow, and precautions were made to the palace. Their bedroom windows had ray shields installed, and the kids had to be indoors at sundown. The only outside time they got was being in the gardens or on the palace balconies, and even there they had to be accompanied by Carousella, Buttercup, and/or Sapphire, and the guards.

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Boba looked outside his window. It was nighttime after the family appeared on the news. He couldn't stop worrying about his twin and his friends. By now, Remix would normally be stretching and maybe kicking in some show-stopping dance moves before bed. But now, Boba felt like a prisoner again.

Gabby came into Boba's room with her teddy. She had the same look of worry on her face as Boba.

The two kids looked at each other, both of them feeling huge surges of fear and uncertainty as they thought of their other sister. Tears forming, Gabby rushed over and hugged her big brother, Boba hugging her tightly. It was just the two of them again, like old times... only now, they were grieving for a huge loss.

"What are we gonna do now?" Gabby asked her brother.

It scared Boba to hear his little sister say that, Gabby typically being the girl who always had ideas and knew just what to do in a crisis. This time, she had no ideas at all except to cry and worry about her family and friends.

It was hard on everyone. These two kids lost a sister as well as seven friends, Carousella lost her cousin, Sapphire lost her niece, the Batch lost a brother, and Mila lost her husband.

Kara blamed herself for the outcome, feeling that she should've been able to protect Omega, and that if she hadn't gotten knocked unconscious maybe Tech and Diamond wouldn't have fallen, and they'd be all home safe and sound.

"I....I don't know." Boba said. "But I do know our friends need us. We already lost two of our friends. We can't lose more of them."

Boba hugged his sister again and held her close for a while. But then, he looked at his picture again and he thought...

Boba's look of sadness quickly turned to one of determination.

"No... no more hiding." Boba said.

Gabby looked at her brother with shock.

"Big Brother, what are you talking about?"

"Mariverde has gone too far this time!" Boba said. "She's clavatized us, our friends, our families... she's nearly gotten us killed, and for what? This time, she actually took people we love. The grownups want us to hide, but the only way we're gonna defeat that woman is if we fight."

"But we don't even know where she took them or how to find them." Gabby said.

It was true. The family tried every which way they could think of to find Omega and the others. They'd tried crystal balls, having the horses gallop with their magical shoes; they even contacted Roya and tried rubbing a lamp so they could wish Omega and the others home. None of those things worked. But, it gave them a clue; Mariverde was obviously keeping the prisoners in a magic-proof prison, meaning no one could apparate in or out. But where and how would they find a magic proof prison?

"You're right... but... we might know someone who can help us." Boba said.

Boba picked out a book from his bag. A notebook.

Boba remembered during one of his family's lessons with Garrett, when they were learning about nighttime and dream magic, they'd learned how dreams worked like an alternate dimension, and something a very small minority knew was that dreams were the one magic that could surpass magic-proof areas.

"If Omega and the others are asleep, we know someone who can find them." Boba said. "Lamenta."

"Yeah," said Gabby. "But Lamenta's with Uncle Carmine and Aunt Caroline, and they're moving from place to place."

"Well, we have to do something, starting with going to bed. Put some earmuffs on and leave a Do Not Disturb sign before you go to sleep. Neither of us will wake up until Lamenta comes into our dreams. The minute either of us sees her, we tell her our plan."

"How are we gonna know she's not part of the dream?"

Boba facepalmed; he hadn't thought of that. But then, Gabby had an idea.

"We could dream up licorice ice cream. Lamenta hates that stuff. She'd never let the dream stay like that. But a Lamenta who's just a dream would."

"I guess that could work." Boba shrugged.

All the kids could do was go to bed and hope Lamenta would contact them via their dreams tonight.

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Padme, on the other hand, was crying in Anakin's chest. She had to be separated from three of her babies, and one of them had been kidnapped. Anakin held his wife tightly in his arms.

"Ani... our baby..." Padme cried.

"I know, Angel. I know." Anakin said, also crying.

Anakin kissed his wife and promised her they would not stop looking until they found their little sunshine and brought her home.

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No other parent was able to sleep easily though.

Brenda held Baby Clara as she was crying as much as her mother. Despite being way too young to understand what was happening, Clara didn't need to be a Jedi to understand the tension and sadness in the apartment.

"I know, I know. You miss your big sister." Brenda soothed.

Heidi and Rhett came to the temple to see if they could help. So did Mr. and Mrs. Monroe.

Kade was devastated when he learned his big sister had been taken, and he was scared too. Now, aside from his cousin, he was the oldest kid in the house, and it fell to him to help take care of Clara too. But perhaps the most affected one by this was Mace.

Mace decided he needed to do everything in his power to find Myra.

"I've already lost her once," he said. "I'm not going to lose her again."

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Master Mundi fed Comedia's pet clownfish Sheila and Nemo. Nothing felt the same around here without Comedia. By now, he'd be giving her a bath and she'd be making funny disguises with bubbles, sometimes even making her adopted father laugh without even trying, something only she had been able to do.

Ki-Adi sat on Comedia's bed, holding Comedia's teddy, the first toy she'd ever had, and the first gift he ever gave her when they became a family. He'd already lost seven other girls whom he'd barely spent any time with; he couldn't take the devastation of losing an eighth.

What would he give to sit on a chair and find a whoopee cushion under it, or to have a drink and start belching because it had belch powder mixed in right now? Any prank or joke, he would give anything to be a victim to one if it came from Comedia, just to hear her laughing.

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Armando Hall, fearing for Jacob's safety, sent him to stay with Master Luminara at the Temple, knowing she could keep him safe better than he could alone. Vince's dog Maggie went with them too. If there were ever a time for an emotional support animal, now was the time for it. Meanwhile, Mr. Hall would keep in contact with the police and notify the rest of the family to aid in any way possible to bring Vince back home.

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Wherever the kids were, their families missed them something awful. Pinto and Banjo were both desperate to find their sister, Emeraldi and Marigold were equally desperate to find Comedia and/or Vince, and Estrella would stop at nothing to find her princesa.

Now the question that rang in everyone's minds... where was Mariverde keeping the missing victims?

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Hope you all enjoyed the first chapter of the newest Jedi Princess story. Please review this chapter and I'll see you in the next chapter