The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 32 - The Rescue

Several days had gone by since Vader's departure.
Nomi realized how long she was his prisoner already, when she noticed the little bump. Her pregnancy was showing now. She was pretty sure that every careful observer would see it as well.

Barakhkha didn't come up with a rescue plan yet, but he assured her every time when he brought her food and water, that he was working on it. She understood that it wasn't an easy task and didn't lose patience.
Nomi began to make notes about the change of guards, since she assumed that it might help the Noghri's efforts. The alien's behavior had changed profoundly, since he had learned why she was fighting the Empire.

The door opened with a hiss and Barakhkha entered, carrying a tray with food as usual. It was the only possibility how they were able to see each other without raising the troopers' suspicion. The door slammed shut and the Noghri walked over to the prisoner, who became a friend. After he handed her the tray, Barakhkha sat down at her side and smiled.
"Good morning, Nomi," he said silently, so the guards outside were unable to hear him. "How are you doing?"
The young woman smiled back and looked at the tray. There were besides the usual food fruits, which her friend had added.
"I would do better if I would be free, Barakhkha," she answered and picked a Blum fruit. "Thank you for the fruits, my friend."
She took a bite of the fruit and the juice ran down her chin. Nomi wiped the juice and gave a ripple of laughter.
"I thought it would be good for you and the babies," the alien guard answered, casting a glance at the woman's belly. "Can you feel them already?"
Nomi took another bite of the fruit, but this time more carefully. She wanted to avoid making a mess of the clothes she wore.
"Sometimes I think I feel them moving, but I might be wrong," she answered, after she had swallowed the bite. "I'll have my hands full when they're born,"
The young woman was well aware that it was possible she wouldn't raise the triplets if she wouldn't escape, but now was not the time for black thoughts.
"I'm sure you will do fine," her friend said with a smile.
"Back then I helped my mother when my little brother was born, but three at once?"
She looked thoughtfully and took another bite.

After a while theRogue Squadron pilot had finished her meal and Barakhkha was about to leave thecell, when they heard explosions, blaster fire, screams and commands. Theylooked at each other. The commotion could only mean that a rescue party was onthe way. But it meant also that the troopers standing guard at the cell wouldfollow their orders given by Lord Vader.
Nomi and Barakhkha heard the hiss of the cell door when it opened and thetroopers entered with their weapons at the ready. The pregnant woman put herhands over the little bump, trying to protect where there was no protection.Despite the battle noise coming near, she knew that the rescuers would be toolate.
"Time to die, Rebel Scum," one of the troopers said and trained his blasterrifle at her, while his comrade did the same without a word.
They fired and Nomi stared at them waiting for the pain to come when being hitby the blaster bolts. But the pain never came.
"NOOOOOO!"
The moment the stormtroopers fired, Barakhkha pushed his friend out of the lineof fire and was hit by the blaster bolts which were meant for her. Severelywounded the Noghri fell on the floor, trying to stop the bleeding with hishands.
The troopers didn't care and trained their weapons at the woman who huddled upagainst the bedstead now. Nomi heard the shots, but then she realized that itweren't the troopers who had fired, as the two dropped dead to the ground withsmoking holes in their chest armor.
In the doorway stood Gavin Darklighter and grinned at his sister.
"Nobody tries to kill my big sister and stays unpunished," he said and tookposition at the door to fend the charging troopers off.
Nomi rushed over to the dying Noghri. She took Barakhkha in her arms, ignoringthe blood and tried to comfort him in his last minutes. The alien's face wasdistorted in pain and his breathing became labored, while the young womancaressed his cheek.
"I'm...glad...that...you...and...," he coughed and bloodspilled out of his mouth. With effort he finished. "your... children...will...live. Down...with...the...Empire."
His eyes became unfocused, blood oozed from his mouth, his body spasmedbefore he fell limp. Barakhkha, her friend, was gone and with him thepossibility to find new allies in his people.
Nomi held the Noghri still in her arms. She cried and her tears were falling onthe dead alien's face which looked peaceful now. The pilot didn't notice thatthe battle noise subsided.
Her brother left his position, walked over to her and cast a glance at the deadin his sister's arms.
"We must leave, Sis. There is nothing you can do for him now. He's gone, Nomi,"Gavin said and reached for her to help her up.
His sister shook her head and ignored the outstretched hand.
"I can't leave him, Gavin. He gave his life for me and my children."
She looked up and sobbed, while her little brother looked at her puzzled.
"Children? What are you talking about?" He asked, as he bent down and took thecorpse out of Nomi's arms.
She let it happen without resistance and stood up.
"I'm pregnant with Dash's children. You'll be an uncle soon," she responded.
Her coverall was blood stained, but she didn't care.
Outside the cell was finally silence. The battle was over it seemed.
A commando, who Nomi knew from her training with the commando unit back then,poked her head in.
"We're all clear. Time to leave, Sergeant," she addressed Gavin, who nodded hishead.

Together they left the cell and made their way to the hangar, passing the victims of the recent battle. The commandos and the members of Rogue Squadronhad taken the stormtroopers by surprise and had made short work of them.
When they reached the hangar the rescue party wasgathered there already and ready to depart. Some of them were wounded, butnobody was killed in action. They were about to cheer, but when they saw Nomi'stears and the corpse carried by Gavin they stayed silent and walked to theX-wings and the troop transport they came with.
Commander Antilles approached them and took Nomi in his arms. His expressionshowed how relieved he was that the mission went this well.
"We found the Aquarius drifting inthe middle of nowhere and then we triangulated possible routes. One of them ledus here. I'm glad to have you back, Nomi. Let's go home."
Wedge let go of Nomi and walked over to an Imperial Lambda class shuttle. Gavinand his sister followed him.
"We will take this with us. Maybe it will be useful at some point. Have a safeflight. We will see us onboard the HomeOne," the commander said, turning on his heels and headed for his X-wing.

The siblings entered the shuttle, Gavin still carrying the dead Noghri. Insidethe shuttle he laid Barakhkha gently in the airlock chamber and walked over tothe cockpit. It didn't take long and they were airborne and ascended in theplanet's atmosphere. When the toxic color of Vjun's sky had changed to the stardotted black of the vacuum of space, Nomi opened the airlock and Barakhkha'scorpse was sucked out and descended slowly back towards the planet, where itincinerated as soon as it dipped in the atmosphere.
"Thank you for everything, my friend," Nomi whispered with tears in her eyes.
Then she walked over to the cockpit and sat down in the copilot's seat. As soonas she had buckled up, her brother pushed the lever and they made the jump tohyperspace.