The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 40 - Great Events are often foreshadowed

Despite the events the day before, Nomi woke up after a restful night.
She yawned, stretched and cast a glance at Dash's side of the bed, which was empty.
Before she was able to get out of bed, her fiancé entered their quarters carrying a tray with breakfast.
"Good morning, Darling," he said, walked over to the bed and set down the tray after his future wife sat up.
The breakfast looked as much as if Rendar wanted to feed a whole squad.
"If I would eat all of this I would look like a Hutt," Nomi said and took a sip of Blum fruit tea.
Dash chuckled as he climbed in bed and sat down at her side.
"You would be the loveliest Hutt ever, Love," he responded, gave her a kiss and took a bowl with Corellian stew, a dish which Nomi couldn't stand, but which was his favorite.

After breakfast Nomi went out of bed, took a shower and dressed. She came just out of the bathroom when there was a knock on the door. Dash answered it and saw an excited Wedge after he had opened the door.
"Good morning, Dash. May I enter?" The commander asked and walked in the quarters after Rendar made way for him.
"Good morning, Nomi," Wedge said, when he saw the young woman and he sat down at the table.
"Good morning, Wedge."
She smiled at her commander and friend, wondering why he was there this early in the morning.
Wedge stretched out his legs and leaned back on the chair.
"It seems that something great is coming. High Command sends us to the single parts of the fleet scattered all over the galaxy. We are tasked to bring them the order to gather near Sullust. It will be the first time that the individual resistance cells unite into a big strike force. I think that they do this because a major battle is imminent. There can't be another reason for doing this."
Nomi and Dash looked at each other. This meant that they would be separated for who knows how long, depending on where Dash would be sent. The young woman would stay here onboard Home One, being still on leave. The leave she hadn't asked for. She sighed, but at the same time she was excited.
"When will we go?" Dash Rendar asked.
The commander cast a glance at his chrono before answering the question.
"In 2 standard hours...enough time to prepare for the mission, Dash. The coordinates are fed to our nav computers already. High Command is sending us to prevent the Imps from intercepting transmissions."
Rendar nodded his head in agreement.
"That's understandable. It wouldn't be the first time the Imps would manage to do this. Their slicers shouldn't be underestimated."
He looked at Nomi who kept silent, being well aware that it wouldn't be easy for her to accept to be left behind. But this time there was no way for her to be part of the mission.
Commander Antilles stood up and inclined his head to Nomi, before he turned and walked over to the door. He opened it and stepped out. Being in the hallway already, he turned his head.
"I'll see you later, Dash."
Then the door closed and the couple was alone again.

Dash stood up after Wedge had left, walked over to the locker where his pilot gear hung and opened it. He stripped down his civilian clothes and took the coverall out of the locker to don it. It didn't take long and he had finished gearing up. Nomi had watched him the whole time enjoying the sight. Her future husband turned, holding the helmet casually in his right hand and smiled at her.
"It won't take long, Darling," he said. "I'll be back soon. If you want I can send Leebo to keep you company."
Hearing this Fuzzy rolled towards Dash with a flurry of beeps and whistles. The pilot looked helpless at Nomi, who sat at the table laughing.
"It seems Fuzzy isn't overly excited about the idea, but I would like to have Leebo around," she finally said, which caused Fuzzy to become even more agitated.
Dash frowned at the little astromech.
"I advise you to shut up or I'll shut you down...your choice," he said with an angry undertone, being unused to such behavior by an R2-unit.
"Be careful, Fuzzy, he means it."
The droid turned his dome, directed his photoreceptor at Nomi and fell silent.
Dash pulled out his comlink and called Leebo, telling him that he has to stay with Nomi during his absence.

After a while Nomi and Dash went together to the hangar bay. When the young woman saw the X-wings and her comrades of Rogue Squadron she longed to climb in her fighter and to fly with them. But it wasn't possible.
Dash bent down to his pregnant future wife and kissed her tenderly.
"Take care, Love," he said and caressed her cheek.
"You too, Darling and may the Force be with you."
The pilot straightened after he gave her another kiss, turned and climbed up the ladder. His astromech was in its socket already. Dash settled down in the seat, buckled up and donned his helmet and gloves before he closed the hatch.
When Nomi went behind the protective shield, he started the engines, waved goodbye to her and launched after Wedge gave the command.
One by one the pilots passed the magcon field. Shortly after they made the jump to hyperspace and were on their way to their destinations.

As she turned to leave, Leebo stood already at the exit of the hangar waiting for her.
He tilted his head and looked at the woman he was tasked to take care of, knowing that Dash would be very angry if something would happen to her. But even without being ordered he would do the best he can, since he liked her almost as much as he liked his partner.
"I will take care of you, since Dash said I have to," he said with his mechanical voice, before he followed Nomi to her quarters.