Comedia cried herself to sleep, only to be scared awake by a loud blaring sound that made her need to cover her ears.
"Rise and shine, brats!" Castus called. "It's training time!"
Comedia buried her head under a pillow, trying to block out the sound.
"Five more minutes, Daddy." Comedia groaned.
"Outta bed, Curly." said Castus, yanking Comedia out of her bed by her tail.
Comedia whinnied in pain as her tail was pulled and she landed on her stomach.
"When I say get up, get up!" Castus shouted, shoving his finger into Comedia's face, only for her to bite it. "Yowch! Bad pony!"
"I haven't even had breakfast yet!" Comedia whined.
"You'll get rations after you do your workout." Castus said. "Now move it!"
Castus wasn't the only one in there either. Every one of the newest additions to this place's "collection" was dragged out by another soldier, amid the children's resistance. A muzzle and rein was placed over Comedia's head and she was pulled like a wild horse about to be broken. And each child was blindfolded so they wouldn't see where they were being taken.
"Move it, brats!" said one soldier. "It'll go a lot easier if you cooperate."
Comedia had no idea what was happening or why these people took them, but she had a hunch it wasn't anything good.
The kids were all taken to what looked like a classroom of some kind, and each child was placed at a desk with a tablet of some kind. The children were confused.
"Alright, kiddies." said Bossk. "Ya got one hour to complete this test. Go!"
Bossk hit a timer, and immediately, the kids looked at this test that was placed on a tablet. It looked pretty complicated. All of it was made of math, science, and vocabulary problems. Stuff you might find on a college entrance test or an IQ test. None of the kids understood why this was happening. Were these guys part of some strange new school program? If so, why kidnap children instead of approaching their parents?
Comedia didn't need a high IQ to guess that that theory would be total nonsense right now. But, she remembered what the older kids said and just answered randomly, making sure to get enough answers wrong so the villains wouldn't think she was that capable mentally. Except, this mental exam was just the start of it.
The next thing the kids knew, they were all brought to a gymnasium of some kind. It was full of hoops, hurdles, trampolines, nets, even some dangerous looking weapons. Under normal circumstances, any child might look at this and see a playground. But it was anything but that.
"Alright, brats." said Ventress. "Get through this course in under two minutes. Or just get out alive if you can."
None of the kids liked the sound of that. But all of them were pushed in and forced to run. They had to go through a tunnel, jump over ten hurdles, climb across a rickety net while a bunch of tennis balls were shot at them, run through a clear path with lasers shooting at them, and jump through some hoops. There were also some that were way too high for any normal person to jump through.
A loud buzzer sounded for the kids to start, and all the kids started running as fast as they could to get through the obstacle course while dodging the deadly lasers, swinging forty pound balls across a balance beam, and quick firing tennis balls. The kids all freaked and screamed as they had to dodge, jump and duck, and fear for their young lives while more guards were taking notes on how each kid was doing.
Of course, Comedia was terrified. Being a horse, she had naturally strong legs and could easily run and jump far distances. But because she couldn't fly, there was no way for her to get through the very high hoops, fly over the hurdles and over the swinging heavy weights, or just fly all the way to the end of the course.
"Why isn't that horse flying? She has wings, doesn't she?" said one guard.
"She must be trying to mislead us." said another.
"I don't think she is." another guard said, pulling up her mental exam results. "Her results show she's not of a serious mindset. It's as if she wasn't even raised properly."
The guards were definitely intrigued with what information they had on Comedia. According to what they found, there was not even any record of her existence. And she grew up in a suburban neighborhood with a biped father who could only raise her like a domesticated pet, rather than like a father equine out in the wild would with a foal.
Comedia whinnied in fear as the many deadly obstacles spooked the poor filly, especially when one laser barely missed the tip of her tail.
"What kind of sick game is this?!" said Ganodi, dodging another ball that almost hid her head.
"I don't know, but I want out!" Caleb cried, trying to run faster than he'd ever run before.
The kids all rushed as fast as they could through the course until they finally reached the end, and another buzzer sounded to signal the end. It took at least ten minutes for everyone to get out. The guards were not impressed.
So, they dragged the kids to another room, where all of them were tied down in one way or another and gagged as a droid came with a syringe. The kids were all panicking as the droid got closer and picked which kid would go first. Numa was chosen to be first. She tried to scream, but she couldn't, and the droid gave her the shot. And then the other kids went next.
Once the kids were bandaged, they were thrown back into the bunks, and rations were thrown at them.
"You're lucky the boss wants you to build up strength." Castus said. "Otherwise if it were up to me, you would starve this morning after that pathetic job you all did."
Comedia felt nauseous after getting that shot.
"Why are they doing this to us?" Ganodi cried.
"Twisted minds," said Ahsoka. "Like we said, they're hoping to make us powerful enough to do their bidding. But so far, they haven't managed to break any of us into working for them."
"Isn't there any way to get out of here?" asked Caleb.
"We've been trying for years," said Carmine.
"If it were that easy," said Myra. "We'd all be out by now."
"So..." Comedia looked at her necklace. "That means I may never see my dad again?"
Comedia sniffled and started to cry again, so did many of the other kids. Even Caleb.
"I just wanna get back to my mom!" Caleb cried.
Kara took Comedia into her arms, Ahsoka took Numa, and Kalifa took Ganodi.
"It's going to be okay, little ones." Kara said. "You'll see."
Kara looked around to make sure no guards were present.
"I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," she whispered.
Kara had everyone huddle up.
"Listen up, everyone. I know we said getting out wasn't easy, but it doesn't mean it's impossible."
"You mean you know how we can get out?" said Comedia.
"Not necessarily me. But we know someone who does." Kara said.
Kara and the others explained that the only ones who knew their way around the facility were the guards, the trainers, and of course the Sith and apprentices. Only the highest of the Sith had the keys to unlock the cells and deactivate the security system. And with no windows or clocks in the cells, the kids never knew what time of day it was, so they had no way of knowing when the guards were on break or asleep. So, there was only one way to figure any of those things out: get someone on the inside. Someone with enough trust gained to work for the Sith and figure out their system, familiarizing themselves until they knew ever nook and cranny of the entire facility so they could help everyone escape and hopefully put the Sith behind bars and shut down their operation for good.
"And thankfully for us," said Kara. "We got two of our own on the inside just two years ago."
"Who?" Comedia asked.
Inside an office in another part of the Sith facility, there was a man hidden under a black cloak sitting in a chair, when the door to his office slid open.
"You wanted to see me, Master?" said a deep voice.
"Yes, I did, Vader."
(cue "Imperial March")
In walked a tall figure in all black with a long cape and a big black mask that covered his face. His breathing was deep and heavy.
"I have a new assignment for you," said Sidious.
"What is thy bidding?" said Vader.
"I want you and Darth Verde to improve upon our newest recruits." said Sidious. "They performed poorly in both physical and mental capacities. I would hate to have to execute such potential future apprentices. Show them that failure is not an option."
"How shall I do this, my lord?"
"Join the groups in their cells tonight. Let it be known to them all that if they dare to resist again, the consequences will be dire."
"Yes, Master." Vader said with a slow nod. And he left the room to fetch the other apprentice called Darth Verde.
"Come on!" Qui-Gon groaned as the transport started malfunctioning.
The group had to make a stop so Qui-Gon could get to work on fixing their transport.
"Of all times for this to happen!" Ki-Adi whined. And to make matters worse, his phone's batteries were low. "No, no, no! Not now!"
"There has to be a mechanics' station or some place nearby we can get some help." Depa suggested. "My phone can't seem to get a signal for some reason."
The rescue team had driven for a very long time, but now their speeder wasn't working. It didn't help that they were now in an unfamiliar neighborhood with a bunch of strange people who seemed kinda shady, judging by how a lot seemed to cover their faces.
"That's it! I can't wait any longer!" Ki-Adi said. "I'm going to find a hotel and see if they have a place I can charge my phone."
But as Ki-Adi was headed on his way, he bumped right into someone in silvery blue armor who made him jump.
"Hello," said the armored man, but Ki-Adi backed away slowly.
"Uh, I was just leaving," said the Cerea nervously.
"Name's Jango..." he reached out a hand, but made Ki-Adi jump.
"Hey, I understand. Why trust a bounty hunter, right?" Jango seemed to turn away, then jumped at Ki-Adi. "Boo!"
Ki-Adi got startled into Depa's arms, making Jango laugh.
"Jango Fett! What have we said about scaring strangers?" said a female voice, and there came a woman in purple, her face covered by a scarf.
Depa put Ki-Adi down.
"Are you folks alright?" asked Zam. "I'm Zam Fett. You've met my husband, Jango."
"Depa Billaba," said Depa, shaking Zam's hand.
"Qui-Gon Jinn. And this is Ki-Adi Mundi." said the oldest human.
"Are you lost?" Jango asked.
"I'm afraid so," said Qui-Gon. "Our vehicle has stopped working, and we are searching for some missing children."
"You're missing children too?" Jango sounded surprised and concerned.
"Too?" said Ki-Adi.
"Look, it's not safe to be out here at night. We don't live too far from here. You best come with us."
Ki-Adi wasn't sure that was such a good idea. This was a strange neighborhood with strange people, and this couple was a pair of bounty hunters with weapons and who knows what else. What if they were walking straight into a trap?!
"We don't currently have any better options," said Depa. "At this point, we need any help we can get."
Still, Ki-Adi was scared of where they were headed.
The Fetts took the three rescuees to their home, and it turned out they weren't alone.
"Boys, we're home. And we've got company." called Zam.
"Hey, Mom. Hey, Dad." called a voice.
Ki-Adi got nervous when he saw there were several other guys in there. One had a tatoo of a skull on half his face that made him look really intimidating, another had a silver short haircut and a target tatoo on his face that also made him seem rather cold (along with the surly vibe one got from him), and one was really big and brawny like a professional wrestler.
Jango and Zam introduced their new friends to the others.
"Everyone, these are our sons," said Jango. "Hunter, Tech, Crosshair, Wrecker, Gregor, Echo, Cody, Rex, and Jesse."
"You have a lot of kids, don't you?" Depa said.
"We do. But..." Jango looked down sadly. "We lost two of them."
"Oh... I'm so sorry."
"We lost 'em just last year." Hunter said, picking up a framed picture.
In the picture was the big brawny brother hugging two tweens, a boy and a girl.
"Boba and Omega, the youngest of us all." Tech said. "They were kidnapped from their bedroom by some big thugs while the rest of us were sleeping."
"Wrecker saw it happen," said Jango. "And then he got shot!"
"Fortunately, we got him to the hospital in time," said Rex.
"But they did this to me," said Wrecker, motioning to his left eye that was all white.
Wrecker survived the shooting, but some damage to his system destroyed his ability to see in one eye. But he and the rest of his family lost two of their beloved children. They'd been looking for them all since that night. They talked to the police, but they got no leads. The kidnappers vanished without a trace.
"Both Ki-Adi and I had each of our children kidnapped earlier today." Depa pulled out a photo of her with her son. "My Caleb."
"What about you?" Cody asked Ki-Adi.
"My daughter was taken as well." Ki-Adi finally confessed. "But... I gave her a necklace with a tracking chip in it, and we are using that to track her down."
"Wrecker," said Qui-Gon. "If you don't mind me asking, did you see what the kidnappers looked like?"
"I didn't get a good look at their faces, but I remember seeing a symbol on one of their jackets." Wrecker said. "I need a crayon and some paper."
Wrecker and his brothers found some paper and a crayon, and Wrecker drew a picture of a symbol that looked like an odd-looking flower of some sort. But Qui-Gon recognized that symbol very well. It was the symbol of the Sith. If there was one thing any Jedi agent could count on with the Sith was that although they hid after their dirty work was done, they took pride in making their presence known via one symbol.
"Perhaps now is a good time to let you know that I know who we are dealing with." Qui-Gon said, and he took out his badge. "I work for the government."
"You're a secret agent?!" Wrecker said.
"The kidnappers you witnessed taking your brother and sister are part of an elite gang called the Sith, who have been pulling this operation for years. If they kidnapped your children, then it is very likely that wherever they took our children, we will find yours as well."
The Fetts looked at each other; the mere possibility that their siblings were still alive sounded like an impossible dream. Since their disappearance, the older brothers tried not to get their hopes up, but like their new friends, they would give anything to see their children again and bring them home safe and sound. And if what Ki-Adi said about having a tracking chip was true, then they had to take this chance to find the kidnappers, bring them to justice, and to find the missing children and return them safely to their families.
"The only problem is," said Ki-Adi. "My phone is dying, and it is the only way to track Comedia's necklace."
"I believe I may be able to help you," said Tech. "Electronic date and devices are my specialty."
So, Tech took Ki-Adi's phone and plugged it into a charger he happened to have laying around, and started to do some work on his tablet.
"What exactly are you planning to do with all that?" Ki-Adi asked curiously.
"I am going to strengthen the signal so we can track the chip from a greater distance as well as keep track from multiple devices. We shall accompany you on this journey to find the children."
"Really?" Ki-Adi said.
"If your kids were taken, and there's the slightest chance the twins are still alive..." Echo said. "You're gonna need help to take down those criminals."
"Are you certain about this?" Qui-Gon said. "The Sith are a deadly force. They will not hesitate to kill you if given the chance."
"I won't hesitate to do the same with them," said Crosshair. "They took my brother and sister, and I don't take kindly to that behavior."
"However, we will need to give your phone time to recharge." said Tech. "And we will all need to recharge ourselves, seeing as it is dark and more dangerous at the moment."
"He's right," said Zam. "Come with me. I'll show the three of you where you can rest for the night."
But Ki-Adi couldn't sleep. Although these people seemed friendly, he worried... what if these bounty hunters were secretly working for the Sith and planned to kill them in their sleep? He just lay awake in his cot for a while, trying desperately not to fall asleep. It didn't last very long though. All he could do now was rest and hope that tomorrow, he would be closer to finding Comedia's whereabouts.