The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 41 - Someone very special

Dash was away several days already as Nomi noticed that Fuzzy and Leebo began to get along. She breathed a sigh of relief since the constant tension between the two droids began to go on her nerves. Nomi felt lonely without her fiancé being around. Leebo tried his best to keep her company and to entertain her, but it wasn't the same.

The young woman sat in a chair reading on her datapad when there was a knock on the door. She laid the pad on the table, stood up and walked over to the door since Leebo and Fuzzy were plugged in to recharge.
As Nomi opened the door a smiling Leia stood in front of her.
"Hello, Nomi. I thought you might like some company," the princess of a lost world said and entered after the pilot made way for her.
Leia walked over to the table where she sat down, after Nomi had closed the door behind her unexpected guest.
"You know that you are always welcome, Leia," the young woman said with a big smile. "Do you want some Blum fruit tea? I just made some."
The princess nodded her head and Nomi poured two mugs of the hot liquid. Then she sat down opposite of her friend and handed her a steaming mug.
Nomi took a sip of tea and sat relaxed on her chair, enjoying having a living being around.
"Leebo is doing his best, but I miss Dash dearly. Not to mention the droid's special sense of humor, it's hard to bear."
She cast a glance at the droid standing at the recharging unit with dark photoreceptors which indicated that he was shut down during the charging process.
"He must have been programmed by a bad backwater planet comedian."
The pilot chuckled and took another sip of tea.
"Is he really this bad?" Leia asked and took a sip of tea as well, being glad that her friend was in such a good mood.
"Believe me, he is," Nomi responded and set her mug on the table.
Leia laughed, holding her mug cupped with both hands, so the tea didn't spill. After she calmed down, she took another sip of tea.
"How are you and the triplets doing?" She asked and looked at Nomi expectantly.
"We're doing fine, Leia."
Nomi touched her belly where one of the triplets was just moving and if someone looked closely the shape of a little foot was seen. It seemed as if the little ones knew that the two women were speaking of them.
"Dash and I will have our hands full when they're born," the Rogue Squadron pilot continued. "You can't imagine how much we're looking forward to them."
Leia was all smiles, but then a thought came to her.
"I wonder how you know that the triplets are Force sensitive. 2-1B isn't programmed to determine this. So tell me, how do you know?" She asked and took the last sip of tea.
Nomi's good mood was gone in one whack. But she knew from experience how insistent her friend could be.
"Vader...he told me when I was his prisoner," she said nearly inaudibly.
Leia looked at her in horror.
"Now I know why you didn't want to speak about the time when we were on our rescue mission," the princess said as almost inaudibly as Nomi before. "And I thought Vader was only interested in Luke. But it would be easier for him to train such young children instead of someone this old. You must be strong for your children and show them the right path," she sighed. "Dash and you need help to do this."
Nomi knew all too well that her friend was right.
"Maybe Luke can help. You said that he seems to be a full-fledged Jedi now. He has demonstrated his remarkable abilities in rescuing Han and in building his own lightsaber. When will he come back?"
The princess shrugged.
"I have no idea when he will come back," Leia responded and then she changed the topic. "It's time for some distraction, how about a game of Dejarik, my friend?"

The two women played, but Nomi was absent-minded. All her fears were back and she was unable to concentrate on the game. Her children wouldn't be safe as long as Darth Vader would be alive.
Leia took her leave soon and Nomi was alone again.

Several hours later the door opened with a hiss and Dash Rendar entered. Nomi jumped up, ran to her fiancé and was lifted up by him.
"I'm glad to be back, Love," he said and kissed her tenderly.
Nomi wrapped her arms around his neck and enjoyed the kiss. After a while he let her down and smiled.
"Wow, what a welcome," he said and winked at her. Then he put his hand on her belly. "Hello, Sweeties...Papa is back."
He looked at his future wife.
"Sadly there isn't time for more, Darling. We must change quickly in our dress uniform and head for the main hangar. We're expecting someone very special."
It didn't take long and they had changed.

When they reached the main hangar the members of Rogue Squadron were just entering the spacious room. They arrayed at the hangar's right side. Nomi and Dash stood in the front row together with Wedge, Gavin and Tarik. The pregnant woman would have preferred to be at the far end, since she had the feeling that all the others gathered there were looking at her belly. General Madine stood in the middle of the hangar, with his hands clasped behind his back.
Not long after a shuttle passed the magcon field and landed smoothly. The hatch opened, the ramp lowered and those gathered in the hangar, except for the general, snapped to attention.
Nomi still had no idea who the very special guest might be.
A murmur went through the crowd as a relatively small, red-haired, friendly looking, middle-aged woman walked down the ramp and approached the waiting general, who unclasped his hands to greet her.
Nomi cast a glance at the woman who was the heart and the soul of the Alliance...Mon Mothma. She was one of the few who had dared to oppose Emperor Palpatine from the beginning, one of those who signed the Petition of 2000. Since then she has been hunted by the Empire and changed her whereabouts constantly.
Escorted by General Madine, the rebel leader inspected the troops. When Mon Mothma was about to pass the ranks of Rogue Squadron, Nomi caught her eye and she stopped in front of her. The young woman stood stock-still and didn't even dare to blink, when the famous rebel leader addressed her.
"You are pregnant and still a member of Rogue Squadron?" Mon Mothma asked with a surprised undertone. "This is quite unusual. What's your name?"
Nomi had a lump in her throat and needed a bit until she was able to answer. She knew that everybody in the hangar was looking at her now and she wanted to be somewhere else badly.
"Lieutenant Darklighter, Ma'am," the pilot said finally crisply.
The former senator looked friendly at her.
"How far are you, Lieutenant Darklighter?"
"It's the 5th month, Ma'am. I carry triplets," she added feeling a bit more debonair now.
"You are in the 5th month of pregnancy and still flying in combat?"
Mon Mothma frowned and cast a glance at General Madine who stood at her side during the conversation. The general cleared his throat before he answered the question which was suddenly directed at him.
"Lieutenant Darklighter is one of our best pilots. She wants to support us in our fight as long as possible. Our medi droid has assured us that she will be fit for duty until the 7th month of her pregnancy."
The rebel leader nodded her head thoughtfully.
"If the lieutenant is as excellent a fighter pilot as you claim her to be, I understand your decision, General," then Mothma turned her attention back to Nomi. "We need every pilot available for the upcoming offensive. I hope that we will be victorious and your children can grow up in peace, Lieutenant Darklighter. May the Force be with you."
Then she resumed her pace and continued to inspect the troops, before Nomi was able to reply.

Some minutes later Mon Mothma and General Madine had left the hangar to confer with High Command about the attack plan.
When the Rogue Squadron pilots left the hangar as well they were speculating where the battle would take place.
"We will learn more when we arrive at Sullust and join the other units," Wedge finally said.
Join the other units...Nomi had doubts that it was a good idea to bring all the Alliance forces in one place. If the Empire would learn about this gathering it would be over.