The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 48 - Family Affairs

After a night of passion, Nomi and Dash wake up quite late. The triplets were still fast asleep.

The couple had just showered and dressed when there was a knock on the door. Dash moved over and opened it. The visitor was Talon Karrde who stood with a huge grin on his face, carrying a tray with breakfast.
"Good morning," he said and stepped in without being asked. "You both look tired, if I may say so. Do you want to populate half the galaxy with little Rendars, Dash?"
The former mercenary gave a lopsided grin, while his wife blushed. Nomi felt embarrassed and was unable to say anything.
"I wouldn't mind doing that, Talon," Dash replied, winking at his friend.
Karrde walked over to the table and set the tray down.
"I should have told you that the walls of HQ aren't soundproof," Talon said before bursting out into a belly laugh that made Nomi blush even more.
Ignoring the remark about the walls, Dash patted the smuggler on the shoulder.
"The day will come when you find the love of your life and then you can do the same, buddy," he said, grabbing a mug of caf taking a sip.
Talon Karrde shook his head.
"A family...the crew of the Wild Karrde is my family. There's no place for a wife and kids in my life, Dash. I prefer to have some fun now and then without assuming obligations," he replied, laughing again.
"This way you miss a lot, Talon."
Dash took another sip of caf and sat down at the table.

The triplets woke up to the laughter and their mother was glad to have an excuse to leave the two men alone. All three babies were crying and the smell told the young mother they needed fresh diapers. She picked them up and changed them one by one before starting to feed them.
After looking at Nomi, Karrde went to the door and opened it.
"I don't want to disturb your family idyll any longer."
Dash raised an eyebrow as he thought he heard a hint of jealousy in the older man's voice. The Rogue Squadron pilot grinned as the door closed behind Karrde.
His wife looked over at him as she fed Corran who was suckling eagerly.
"Wouldn't Salla Zend go well with Talon?" She asked, stroking her youngest's cheek.
Her husband looked at her mischievously.
"Maybe, but if Talon was interested, I think he'd be too late. Didn't you notice the exchange of glances between Salla and Shug when we met them a standard week ago? They seem to be in love."
He poured himself another mug of caf and watched as his wife carried Corran to the crate where she laid the little boy next to his brothers.
"No, I haven't noticed."
She kissed her sons' foreheads before walking to the table to finally have breakfast together with her husband.

As they finished breakfast, there was another knock on the door. Dash looked questioningly at his wife, stood up, went to the door and opened it. In front of him were a woman and a man neither of whom he knew.
As she looked towards the door, a smile lit Nomi's face.
"Mommy! Daddy!"
She jumped up, rushed to the door, squeezed past her husband and hugged the older woman, laughing and crying at the same time.
It had been a long time since she last saw her parents.
"Do you also have a hug for your father?" Jula Darklighter asked with a big smile on his weatherbeaten face.
Nomi let go of her mother and was taken in a hug by her father. Dash stood there feeling a bit lost, watching the family reunion after closing the door.
Jula stroke his daughter's face.
"It's been too long, sweetie," he said, holding back the tears that threatened to fall. "If it weren't for Mr. Karrde we still wouldn't know your whereabouts."
"I'm sorry for this, daddy," the young woman replied. "I missed you so much, but there was no way I could contact you without putting mommy and you in danger."
Dash cleared his throat for attention.
His wife wiggled out from under her father's arms and took the pilot's hand.
"Mommy, daddy, may I introduce? This is my husband Dash Rendar. We got married on Endor," she said, tiptoeing and kissing Dash.
Her father looked his son-in-law over and seemed to like what he saw.
"Welcome to the family, Dash. Make my little girl happy," Jula said, and held out his hand. "You can call me Jula and this is my wife Silya."
Dash took the offered hand and shook it.
"Thank you, Jula, Silya...nice to finally meet you."
Meanwhile, Silya Darklighter looked the man up and down and frowned. She wasn't immediately convinced that her daughter had made the right choice. But then a smile lit her face.
"You made a good choice, Nomi," Silya finally said. "I was afraid you would marry a smuggler."
Hearing this Nomi grinned widely.
"When I first met Dash on Tatooine, he was a smuggler and mercenary, mommy."
Her mother raised an eyebrow and it was clear that she didn't like what she was hearing.
"I was also a smuggler back then, so we were a perfect match," Nomi continued. "But before you get upset, Dash is now a member of the Alliance's Rogue Squadron, just like me."

That's when the triplets started crying. So far Nomi's parents hadn't noticed the makeshift crib with the babies.
Her mother went to the crate and looked at the babies.
"Are you already parents?"
She lifted Biggs out of the crate, held him in her arms and hummed a lullaby.
Jula smiled at the young parents, who were obviously proud of their offspring. He then bent down to Dash Jr. and Corran and began tickling them both. The two boys made chuckling noises.
"You can both be proud of your children. How have you managed to father three sons at once, Dash?" He asked, turning his attention back to his son-in-law.
The former mercenary gave him a lopsided grin before answering the question.
"You could say the Force was with me."
Jula frowned at this remark.
"You shouldn't joke about the Force, young man," Nomi's father said with a serious tone.
Before Dash could say anything, Nomi took over.
"It's not a joke, daddy. Force sensitive children were often born in Dash's family. His grandfather was the Jedi Master Halcyon Rendar."
She didn't notice the looks her parents exchanged.
"Dash and his father aren't Force sensitive, but our triplets are," the young mother continued.
Silya had stopped humming to her grandson and saw now her son-in-law with different eyes.
"Halcyon Rendar was your grandfather, Dash? We knew him very well and tried to help him during the Purge, but it was in vain. And now you've married his grandson, Nomi. So the circle is complete."
She kissed Biggs' forehead before she handed him over to his mother.

They had a lot to talk about throughout the day. Time flew by and in the evening Nomi and Dash escorted the Darklighters to the spaceport, where the Taylander shuttle was already waiting to take them back to Tatooine.
Jula patted Dash on the shoulder.
"Take care of Nomi, Dash."
He then took his daughter in a hug and kissed her on the cheek.
"Stay safe, sweetie," he said and this time a tear escaped his eye.
Silya, now perfectly content with her son-in-law, hugged Dash before turning to her daughter and hugging her tightly.
"I wish you all the luck in the universe. May the Force be with you both."
Then they walked hand in hand up the ramp and disappeared inside the shuttle, which launched shortly afterwards.