The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 10 - Mission on Nar Shaddaa

Nomi woke with a start when the alarm went off. It was ice cold in her quarters and she hesitated to leave her rather warm cot. Fuzzy left the recharging unit and rolled toward her, greeting her with happy beeps.
"Yeah, it's another nice day. You're so right about this," she said with an ironic undertone, despite the fact that she didn't know what the droid had actually said. She stretched and yawned and finally left the cot. After a quick wash, she ate a protein bar and downed it with some caf. Then it was time to go to the command center.
On the way she met Tarik and they walked together.
"I wonder why he wants us to take part in the mission," the winged alien said.
"Oh, it's because we were smugglers and know our way around there," Nomi responded while she made way for a trooper in the narrow passage. Finally they reached the command center. When they entered the room, Wedge and Gavin were already there.
"Since everybody's here we can begin," he said and walked over to Nomi and Tarik, followed by Gavin. "We will travel to Nar Shaddaa on different routes using micro jumps so nobody will be able to trace from where we came. After reaching the Smuggler's Moon we will meet up with each other in the Rimmers' Rest cantina. Your astromechs are already fed with the coordinates you are supposed to use. Are there any questions?"
Tarik and Gavin shook their heads almost in unison.
"I've only one question, Wedge. Is there a button to silence my astromech?" Nomi asked and raised a laugh by her superior, who knew very well how talkative Fuzzy was.
"Unfortunately there isn't such a button. You must live through it. With time it will be like the noises of your fighter and you will be able to ignore it," he responded and grinned at her. "Is there anything else?"
He looked at the pilots expectantly, but everyone shook their heads.
"Then let's go and may the Force be with us."
Followed by his comrades he headed for the hangar where the X-wings and their astromechs were waiting for them.
Nomi climbed in her fighter, donned the helmet and gloves while she waited for Fuzzy to settle in his position. After making the preflight check she closed the canopy, started the engine and waited for permission to launch. It didn't take long and she ascended in Hoth's orbit and headed for the jump point. The coordinates were set and she pushed the lever. In a fraction of a second the stars changed to the streaks and whirls of hyperspace.

After a boring travel in hyperspace with several preprogrammed micro jumps and a constantly chatting astromech the signal indicating that they had reached their destination sounded and Nomi pulled the lever. The whirl of hyperspace resolved back to stars and she saw the Smuggler's Moon in front of them. There wasn't any ground control and so she simply steered her X-wing toward the planet and sneaked in looking for a free landing pad. She finally found one and landed her fighter smoothly. From experience she knew that the place's owner wouldn't ask any questions when she paid enough credits. She tossed the Aqualish the credit chits and asked where she could change clothes. The alien pointed at a room nearby and the young woman moved over to change after she retrieved a bag with civilian clothes and ordered Fuzzy to stay put and have an eye on the ship's surroundings.
It didn't take long and she left the room adjusting the holster strapped to her leg. The rebel pilot was gone and made place for the smuggler she was before she joined the Alliance.
Knowing her way around it wasn't hard for her to find the cantina named Rimmer's Rest. She entered and looked around in the overcrowded room as she made her way to the bar where she ordered Corellian ale. The young woman took the glass and found an unoccupied booth facing the entry of the cantina. She took a sip of the ale and kept a close eye at those who entered the cantina waiting for her comrades.

Meanwhile Wedge Antilles, Gavin Darklighter and Tarik had reached Nar Shaddaa as well after using different hyperspace lanes. One by one they entered the cantina, ordered drinks, paid and walked over to the booth where Nomi was sitting. Wedge was the last one and sat down with a wide grin.
"So far, so good," he said and took a sip of his drink. "We must visit different merchants to get what we need."
He slid a flimsiplast over to Tarik who took it. The winged alien read the name and the location written there. He knew the merchant and nodded his head.
"Good, you will go with Gavin," his commander continued. "Nomi and I will go to another merchant. We'll meet here in one standard hour."
He downed the rest of the drink in one go and rose. After he made his way toward the exit, Nomi rose likewise and followed him. None of them had noticed the Gran who watched them with interest. When the pilots had left the Rimmer's Rest he left the cantina as well and followed Nomi and Wedge in an appropriate distance.

It didn't take long until the two pilots had reached their destination. The negotiations with the merchant went well and so Nomi left her commander to take a walk. Making her way through the small alley she wasn't aware about the Gran who followed her. The pilot walked slowly from shop to shop until she reached the end of the alley. She was just about to make her way back when the Gran confronted her and she looked in the muzzle of his blaster.
"Don't move if you know what's good for you, Darklighter," he said in Basic with a thick accent. "It seems today is my lucky day."
He pointed his blaster at the young woman's head, who just realized that there was nobody else around.
"The Empire will pay well," he continued "And now put your blaster slowly to the ground."
The Empire? Nomi wasn't aware that there was a price on her head. The young woman took her weapon out of the holster and put it to the ground as she was asked to do. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a subtle movement in the shadows behind the bounty hunter, who didn't seem to notice it. When she got up she saw Wedge sneaking up to the Gran with his blaster pointed at the alien's back. The commander put a finger at his mouth and moved forward carefully until he was in firing range. Just the moment the bounty hunter tossed binders to his quarry, Wedge pulled the trigger. The alien bounty hunter stared in disbelief at the gaping hole in his chest before he fell dead to the ground.
Nomi breathed a sigh of relief as the commander approached her with a lopsided grin.
"Haven't you said you know your way around, Nomi? Let's go find your brother and Tarik. We must leave as soon as possible. There might be more bounty hunters," he said as he holstered his blaster.
Nomi nodded her head and picked up her blaster. Luckily they were on Nar Shaddaa where nobody cared about a shooting, so they were able to make their way without any incident.

After a while they reached the market stall where Gavin and Tarik weresupposed to be. They were busy bargaining with the human merchant. Nomiapproached her brother and tapped him at the shoulder. He turned and smiled ather, holding an emitter in his hand.
"What do you think, sister? Is this emitter worth 100 credits?" He asked with araised eyebrow.
His sister took the part and checked it over thoroughly. While she was occupiedwith the examination, Wedge kept a close eye on the surroundings.
"It seems to be in good shape," she said finally, handing the emitter back toGavin. "But 100 credits are way too much. 80 credits..."
The merchant winced as he heard the counteroffer.
"This would be my ruin, Miss. 90 credits and it will be yours," he said with apained expression.
Nomi wrinkled her forehead and thought about whether she should accept theprice or not.
"85 credits...take it or leave it," she made her final offer. The former smugglerknew very well that there were other merchants around who were offering suchemitters.
The merchant winced again, but nodded his head slowly.
"You're killing me, Miss. Alright, you get it for 85 credits," he agreed with asigh.
The young woman smiled and laid the credit chits on the table, while herbrother put the emitter in his satchel.
"It was a pleasure to bargain with you," she said, before she grabbed Gavin'sarm and whispered in his ear. "We must leave. I had an encounter with a bountyhunter. Wedge shot him."
For a fraction of a second the young pilot stared at his sister before heturned to leave, pulling Tarik with him. Together they made their way to the Rimmer's Rest where they parted ways andwalked to where their fighters were docked.
It didn't take long and all of them were on their way back to Hoth using againdifferent hyperspace lanes and several micro jumps to prevent being followed.