On his first birthday with his new family, Boba Fett-Skywalker was happily surprised with a big party organized by his loving little sister Gabby. But... the day of the party didn't exactly go as planned because Gabby caught a cold.

Gabby was as stubborn as her father when it came to admitting that she was sick, and the cost of her stubbornness nearly came to the success of all the hard work she'd put in to give her brother his very first birthday party. Boba had been the first to point it out to her, and being a good big brother, his primary concern was his sister's health. But, Gabby forced herself to push through to bring her brother to his surprise party.

The party was a success, but nevertheless, Boba was not going to go without putting Gabby to bed and making sure she was treated for her cold.

Now, it was Gabby's birthday. Her fourth birthday, which was a big deal because four years old was like a coming of age type of birthday. It was the birthday where a baby was officially exiting the toddler stage of childhood and that much closer to becoming a big kid.

Boba had been Gabby's brother for almost a year now, and even he was astonished with how fast she was growing up. It seemed like only yesterday she was that curious little toddler he'd met during the Battle of Geonosis. Aside from the traumatic experiences in that event, Boba remembered a certain look in Gabby's eyes.

She seemed extra curious at first, almost as though she'd never seen another kid up close before. Gabby, being different from the other Jedi younglings, had a different arrangement than spending all her time in the nursery, and not just because she escaped a lot. So, she didn't have as many friends back then as she did now. But over time, she got to meet folks of different species and backgrounds who had a lot in common with her, as well as new interests for her to learn more about as she grew.

In part, that was so because most toddlers, even Jedi, were not as advanced mentally as the Chosen One's baby girl was.

Boba didn't have a lot of party planning experience. Luckily, his adoptive parents already planned her birthday party. It wasn't anything too large, given the financial difficulties the Republic was facing right now.

Gabby wasn't too disappointed though. They put together lots of great games Gabby and her family and friends could play together. Like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

"You can do it, Gabby." Boba said.

"I know you're here somewhere, Mr. Donkey." Gabby said, walking blindfolded across the floor.

She stuck the tail on the end... the wrong one. It wasn't even the donkey's end.

"Uh... Gabby?" a voice said.

Gabby removed the blindfold to see she'd stuck the tail on Remix instead of the donkey.

"I've already got a tail. I don't think I need two." Remix said, and all the kids started laughing.

"Sorry, Remix!" Gabby laughed. "I know. You already have a tail!

Gabby seemed to have a lot of fun during her party. Musical chairs was always her favorite, and she never got tired of playing Duck, Duck, Goose, in which she chose Boba as the goose three times.

But in between activities, Boba snuck back to his room to finish working on Gabby's gift. Gabby had given him such a sweet gift when he first came home, and he wanted his first birthday gift to her to be perfect. He wanted to give her something he made himself. The way he figured, making the first gift for a new member of the family was a symbol of building a family and memories.

He didn't know how to make stuffed animals, but he'd had to fix tears in his old clothes and sometimes blankets or his old lion back on Kamino, so he at least knew how to sew. So, about a week ago, he went online to learn how to sew a blanket. A quilt. And he used his allowance to buy a few patches with things he knew Gabby loved. Flowers, rainbows, and cupcakes. And Gabby's friends all wanted to contribute, so they each gave a piece of cloth to be a patch on the blanket. But with all the patches, the lace, the amount of thread needed to complete it, and the amount of time it took to crisscross sew it so it would stay together, took a little longer than Boba anticipated.

He couldn't use a sewing machine because it was too noisy, and Gabby was a curious child. So, Boba sewed it as quickly as he could to get it finished.

"Ouch!" Boba yelped as he pricked his finger for the third time. "Maybe I should've just asked Roya to borrow her sewing machine."

Luckily, he only had two inches left to sew. And he would finally be done.

Before they knew it, it was time for Gabby to blow out her candles.

"Okay, Sweetie. Make a wish." Padme said.

Gabby made a wish, and Boba lifted her up a little higher so she could blow out the four candles on her cake.

But in her mind, Gabby didn't think she needed to wish for anything really. She had everything she needed already. On her last birthday, she'd wished for the Jedi Order to change for the better, and then on the cake she got later that same birthday, she made a wish to have a brother or a sister. And that wish was holding her in his arms right now.

"Happy Birthday, Gabby." Boba said, kissing his sister's cheek.

"I love you, Big Brother." Gabby smiled.

But all throughout the party, Boba noticed Gabby seemed to act a little oddly. She was normally very happy everyday, especially at a party. And how could she not be happy at a party just for her? But, a lot of her smiles looked forced today, and she seemed to take quite a few bathroom breaks and hug Teddy a lot more than usual today.

So, when the party was over and everyone left, Boba found Gabby sitting down, looking sad. And something in his gut told him she wasn't sad that her party was over.

"Hey, Gabby. Is everything okay?" Boba asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Gabby said, looking at a small box in her hands. A present she hadn't opened yet.

Boba looked at the pile of gifts still left from the party. He lost count of how many Gabby received altogether, but he was pretty sure the ten she opened during the party wasn't even half of them. And when she had opened them, she didn't go crazy ripping the paper, which tends to be the fun part of unwrapping a gift.

"Gabby, you can tell me if something's bothering you. Did you not like your party?"

"No, it's not that. I did like the party. But... I just... I'm just going through something I've never experienced before. Not with someone I was close to, anyway."

Boba thought about what his sister was saying, and then he remembered what had happened three days prior to his sister's birthday.

"Is it about what happened to Uncle Ono?" Boba asked as gently as he could.

Gabby sniffled as tears formed in her eyes and gave a slow nod.

After Boba came home for the first time, one way Gabby helped him get introduced to everyone in her family and her friends was showing him scrapbooks of them, including pictures from the ball that was held when she was born. Despite not knowing Ono for very long, Gabby grew close to him like her mother had. She remembered him being very sweet and gentle whenever he saw her as she was growing up. And one of her favorite memories with him was when she visited Rodia for the very first time, and he showed her some of the beautiful flowers that grew there.

Gabby had witnessed a number of bodies left on the battlefield during the war whether she'd stowed away on a ship or come along because her powers would prove useful, and while she found it terrible that so many lost their lives, it hurt even more when someone's death affected her personally. The last time Gabby felt this way, it had been when Kamino was attacked, and she couldn't heal the clone called 99 in time. She blamed herself for being unable to save him, but her big brother hugged her then and reassured her that it wasn't her fault.

This instance was a little different. Someone Gabby loved died because they were murdered in a much more brutal way than Boba's father had been. Unlike Mace Windu, whose murder of Jango Fett was not his initial intent (or so he claimed), Onaconda Farr's death was done with full intent to poison and kill. And three days was not nearly enough time to even get through one of the five stages of grief.

"It's just not fair!" Gabby said, starting to cry as her brother took her into his arms and hugged her. "Why did he have to die?! How could this happen?!"

It broke Boba's heart to see his sister like this, especially on her birthday. No one deserved to feel sad on their birthday, much less have to grieve for a loved one and hide their sadness during a party. If Boba knew Gabby, she didn't want to be the one to cancel a party her parents worked hard to plan.

"I wish I knew, Little Sister." Boba said. "I wish I knew."

Gabby hugged the present she was holding, and Boba looked at the card. Apparently it was from Ono.

"You know, I didn't know Ono like you did, but I don't think he'd want you to be sad. From the way you've talked about all your friends and family, it sounds like he was one of many who's loved you since the moment they met you, and I don't blame them." Boba said.

Gabby looked at her brother as more tears fell.

"I probably could've gotten any other little girl as my baby sister when I was waiting to be adopted, but I don't think any could compare to you. And if there's anything I've noticed about you since before we became siblings, it's that you don't hold anyone's flaws against them. You always find a way to see the best in people, and you let others know about those good things about them. You're something special, and I think whatever's in that box, Ono picked it out because he believed it matches with what a special girl you are."

Gabby looked at the gift again and slowly opened it. How she wished Ono could have been there to see her now.

And when she opened the box, inside was a beautiful bracelet with beautiful beads. There were green beads, little gold dividers between them, and sparkly blue beads that reminded Gabby of Ono's eyes. And she found a note inside too.

A beautiful princess from Naboo as good as gold deserves nothing less than to be adorned in the two most beautiful traditional colors of Naboo. Green like your beautiful eyes, and blue like the waters and the skies in which I hope inspire you to seek adventures of which you always speak. Happiest of Birthdays, Gabriella. May you continue to grow more beautiful every day as you already do. Love, Uncle Ono

Gabby looked at the beautiful bracelet like it was the hope diamond. In her eyes, this was more than just the last birthday present Ono ever gave her; it was something to remind her that she needed to treasure every moment she had with her family and friends now, as she never knew when she would lose them. And, it also served as a reminder of the worst cost of this war and only strengthened her reason for joining the fight: so no one would lose anymore of the people they loved.

Of course, the kids' parents took notice of Gabby's mood as well, and neither of them hesitated to come in and comfort Gabby as well.

"Sweetie, why didn't you just come to us?" Padme said. "We would've postponed the celebration if you'd asked."

"I didn't wanna be that person, Mommy." Gabby said. "And you and Daddy worked really hard on it. I thought with everything going on with the war and such, my birthday not being completely being happy shouldn't be a big deal."

"Oh, Gabby. This time is stressful for us... but your feelings will always matter to me. To us. And whether it's on the battlefield, or in the Senate, we all have one duty in common: our family. I may have duties as a senator, but my first duty, since the day I learned I was expecting you, is being your mother."

"The same goes for me," said Anakin. "But being your father. You know what I mean. And nothing is more important to any good parent than the wellbeing of each of their children. Neither of you are any exception to that."

Padme took Gabby into her arms and hugged her.

"I understand completely, Baby. I miss him too." Padme said. "Justice was served, but sadly it doesn't undo what's been done."

"That's what makes me sad," said Gabby, starting to cry again. "If I'd known that the last time I'd seen him would be the last time I would see him... I would've hugged him and not let go for a long time."

"I know, Sweetheart. I know."

Padme had tears in her own eyes at that moment. Boba then hugged his mother and sister together, and then Anakin joined in a group hug. And before they knew it, Carousella and Remix came over and joined in too. They'd all lost someone before.

Boba recalled someone in his new family telling him he wasn't the first kid to lose a loved one and he wouldn't be the last. That same rule applied to his sister. And even though it was her birthday, he had a wish of his own he was determined to make come true: to bring an end to the war so no one would have to lose their lives or their loved ones to the senseless destruction that was plaguing the galaxy.

Gabby started to feel much better with her family hugging her closely, and eventually Gabby started to feel tired and ready to go to sleep. She didn't want to take off her bracelet though; she wanted to keep it close to her heart so she could keep Ono's memory alive, and maybe see him in her dreams tonight.

But after Boba bid Gabby goodnight, he stopped when she spoke.

"Big Brother? Will you stay with me tonight?" She asked, looking at Boba with puppy eyes.

Boba looked at his sister's eyes. How could he say no to her when she was looking at him that way? She wouldn't be able to sleep if she was lonesome all night.

And then, he thought of something that would be even more helpful. He promised to be right back as he went to retrieve something from his room.

"I was gonna wrap this, but I didn't have enough time." Boba said, coming back to his sister's room with a folded cloth in his arms.

Boba unfolded the cloth to reveal it was a quilt with a bunch of different patches on it, which Boba explained came from family and friends.

"Can you guess whose patch this is?" Boba pointed to a patch with a picture of a bear and a lion on it.

"Is it yours?" Gabby guessed.

"Yup. Teddy and Fuzzy together." Boba chuckled.

Gabby couldn't believe all these beautiful pictures from so many loved ones on it. And then she looked at one patch with a picture of a tree she'd seen in the swamp of Rodia before.

"Is that...?"

Boba nodded. "Even he contributed a path. I just put them together. Just like you have a way of bringing people together. Now you can be wrapped up in everyone's love every night."

Boba picked up an extra pillow and crawled into bed beside his sister, tucking them both in under the new quilt.

Gabby felt so much warmer under this quilt than any other blanket because like her brother said, it was like the love from all the people she loved was her blanket, and her big brother's love for her especially now. Boba kissed Gabby's head as she slowly fell asleep, and he hugged her close the whole night as they slept.