Comedia felt a sharp pain running through her head as she finally started to come to.
The sounds of loud engines surrounded Comedia as she groggily started to wake up. But she was shocked to find that her legs were bound together, and she was chained to a wall. And she wasn't alone either.
Comedia was shocked to see that Emeraldi, Caleb, and Myra were all trapped in what looked like the cargo bay of a ship of some kind.
Emeraldi lay in the same position, looking down shamefully, not looking at anyone.
"What the-?! Where are we?" Comedia exclaimed. "Em! What happened?"
"Darlene Savage happened." Emeraldi said, not looking up at her sister.
"Who's she?"
"A Sith operative formerly known as the Fish Killer. She started out luring parents away to kidnap kids easier, and then killing them when they got in the way. The one Sith I could never outdo in training. She hasn't changed. You shouldn't have come back for me, sis."
"I had to. She was gonna hurt you."
"I know, and I was ready for it. At least you would've had time to get away and you would be safe."
Emeraldi sighed. Ever since the loss of her little sister, Emeraldi felt her whole life was just one big joke. Her own parents didn't want her, she was enslaved by a ruthless band of psychos, and she spent ten years believing her one and only sister was dead because of her.
"I was so ready to get out, so ready to get you back to your dad, so ready to... prove I could be the big sister I was born to be for you by getting you back to the family who actually wanted you when our real parents didn't want either of us. It was my job to protect you, and I failed twice."
Comedia lay by her sister though as a gesture that she didn't believe she was a failure. Fate brought them together again, and Comedia would rather be by her sister's side in this time of need than be free, knowing her big sister was left to suffer.
"What is she gonna do with us now?" Caleb asked.
"The very thing they kidnap us for if they can't turn us into Sith," said Emeraldi. "They sell us into slavery. And the kids who get sent there never come back."
"Where do they take kids sent into slavery?" Myra asked.
"I'm afraid I don't know. Only the top Sith have access to that information."
That scared Comedia and the other kids.
Comedia looked at her necklace and felt tears coming again. She really hoped her father would still have the signal and somehow come to save her. But what if he didn't? Suddenly, Comedia's look of worry turned into one of determination.
"No." Comedia said. "It can't end this way. We can't just wait for someone else to rescue us anymore."
"What choice do we have?" Caleb said. "In case you hadn't noticed, we're in chains, up in the sky, and this place is probably crawling with security and stuff!"
"Well, we can't go down without a fight! We gotta try something!"
"Let's say we hypothetically did have a chance of getting out," said Myra. "What do you propose?"
That was when Comedia got to thinking.
Meanwhile, back at the park...
The police eventually arrived at the scene of the attack, and managed to calm at least some people down. But Jango and Ki-Adi were still hiding behind the tree, at leat until it was safe to come out.
Ki-Adi looked around and was filled with despair when he didn't see his daughter anywhere. The others did arrive at the scene, however (after Jango signaled them), and they didn't come alone. Qui-Gon was holding hands with a young boy the others had never seen before.
"Who's this young man?" Depa asked.
"This would be one of our missing children." Qui-Gon said. "My son, Anakin."
Anakin had run into Qui-Gon in all the commotion, and you can bet the father and son were ecstatic and filled with disbelief when they saw each other's faces for the first time in a decade. The two shared a big hug. Of course, Qui-Gon did worry about his other son and his daughter too, but Anakin assured him they'd gotten away and he knew where they were headed. But for now, Qui-Gon was having his son stick with him, and the Jedi agents who arrived took Ganodi into their custody to protect her until they could get her home.
"But what about Comedia?" Ki-Adi said, on the verge of crying.
"Are you sure she isn't just hiding?" Anakin asked. "Guys! Olly olly oxen free!"
And the Fetts couldn't believe their eyes when out from under one of the slides and down from a tree came Boba and Omega.
"Mom! Dad!" the twins exclaimed happily, running into their parents' arms.
The twins received so many kisses from their mother and big hugs from their big brothers. However, Omega was shocked when she got a look at Wrecker and saw what happened to his left eye; the last time she'd seen him, he'd been trying to rescue her and Boba, and she'd spent the last year fearing that the brother she was closest too out of all her big family was dead. She was relieved to see he was alive, but at the same time, couldn't help feeling guilty seeing what did happen to him though.
"Don't worry. I'm only half blind now. Good thing too, 'cause it means I get to see your face again." Wrecker said, cuddling his sister once more.
"I hate to break up the reunion," said Mace. "But did anyone get a glimpse of who attacked here? And did any of you kids happen to be with a girl named Myra?"
"What's your Myra look like?" Boba asked. "Dark skin and curly hair?"
"Yes, that's her!" Mace said.
"She was with us, but now she's missing."
Agents Plo Koon and Shaak Tii had the Fetts come with them to speak about the incident and getting them under protective custody. Given that the twins were taken from their bedroom, their family's best bet at future safety was to move to a new town.
"I did see the woman who attacked." Anakin said. "I know who she is."
"Not here, son." Qui-Gon said.
Agents Jinn and Windu brought their civilian friends to one of the Jedi's other secret facilities where it would be safe for them to talk and discuss a plan for further action.
Anakin explained to the Jedi agents that Darlene Savage was among the most dangerous of all the Sith, and their most ruthless bounty hunter who was most often sent out for the most dastardly deed the Sith committed, trafficking the children. If any children could not be turned into Sith or made to work for them in any way, they sold them into slavery, and those children never came back.
"Then that means Comedia may be gone forever?!" Ki-Adi worried out loud.
"Not necessarily," said Qui-Gon. "Anakin, do you know where the Sith take the children they sell?"
"I don't usually have access to that, but I caught a glimpse of the head Sith's computer a few times when he's looked for buyers, and the majority of them are either in Zygerria or Nal Hutta."
"Oh dear. It's worse than we ever imagined." Qui-Gon said.
"Why is that?" Depa asked.
"Zygerrians and Hutts are notoriously known for their history of being the most ruthless slave owners in the world." Mace said. "Most often, they go after beautiful young females or small children who can be easily influenced to follow commands. In recent decades, international authorities have worked to outlaw such practices, but there are still crime bosses who continue to practice them, thus endangering all the world's children."
"Mace, contact Chief Yoda and tell him to contact Interpol." Qui-Gon said. "Ki-Adi, can you still track Comedia's necklace?"
"I... I think so." Ki-Adi said. "Tech, can you help me?"
Tech worked his magic, and managed to pinpoint that Comedia was on the move, in the air, and headed in the direction of Zygerria.
"This is not good." Tech said. "Aside from outsiders being unwelcome in Zygerria, the path there is treacherous. According to my maps, many ships and fallen air crafts have been lost there due to swarms of whirlpools that hold only a ten percent chance of escape, leaving a majority of anyone or anything caught in it to be sucked to the bottom of the ocean to drown."
"What if that's another reason that children sold into slavery by the Sith never return?" Depa worried out loud.
The grownups then became more determined than ever to make this work.
Qui-Gon and Mace managed to get a hold of the highest ranking Jedi agents, including Chief Yoda.
"Another opportunity to catch the Sith and rescue the children, we may not have for some time." Yoda said. "A plan we need immediately."
"We know the location in which they are headed," said Mace. "We only need the right method of catching up to them and transporting the children to safety."
"My daughter is on that ship." Ki-Adi said. "I'm coming on this mission too."
"You are not a certified agent, Mr. Mundi." Mace said.
"But he and I are parents of two of those children." Depa supported.
"There's no way to talk either of you out of this, is there?" Qui-Gon said knowingly.
"Nope!" Ki-Adi and Depa said.
"Okay then." Mace sighed. "What's the plan?"
Sorry I haven't been as active lately, dear readers. I have been under the weather as of the last week and a half or so. As some of you may be aware, flu, the common cold, and similar viruses are currently going around. So, in light of this, be sure to wear a mask if you're going out to crowded places, carry some hand sanitizer with you if possible, wash your hands often, and stay home if you're sick.
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I shall be continuing the next chapters of my other works shortly. Until then, be sure to leave a review and be on the lookout for more updates. Happy reading and a late Happy New Year!