The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 58 - Seeking Advice

After many missions Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids were safely back on Dagobah.
They were able to eliminate the threat posed by the self-declared Emperor Trioculus, who claimed to be Palpatine's son.

Nomi was happy to hear that, but there was something that made her even happier. It was to see her husband getting better and better. Dash was able to get up again and there was hardly anything left of the wound. It was really amazing how quickly he recovered from such a serious injury.
When Nomi visited him in the med bay, he met her in the hallway. His wife smiled and gave him a kiss.
"Are you going to get me out of here? I just can't take it anymore. If I have to stay longer and stare at white walls, I'll go insane, Nomi," he said and stroked his wife's cheek.
"You shouldn't be this impatient, darling," she replied, taking his arm and leading him to his room.
Dash rolled his eyes as Nomi opened the door and stepped into the room, pulling him with her.
"You call me impatient?" He asked, walking over to the bed and sitting down. "You're the most impatient person I've ever met, darling."
The young woman bit her lower lip because she knew her husband was right. Patience wasn't her main virtue. Before she could say anything, her brother Gavin entered the room, looking cheerful.
"Good morning everyone, how's my brother-in-law today?" He asked, walking over to the couple.
"Thank you for asking, Gavin," Dash Rendar replied. "It would be much better if your sister finally got me out of here. Can't you convince her that being with her and the kids again is best for me?"
The younger man looked at him in amusement as he sat down in a chair.
"Don't you like it here? Here you have everything you need, rest and relaxation. No fuss, no combat drills, kind droids, what more could you ask for?"
Dash snorted.
"What am I asking for? I don't need rest, a real fight would be much better for me than sitting around and doing nothing," replied the Rogue Squadron pilot. "Kind droids you say? What do I get from droids? You can't even have a good conversation with them. I finally want to fly again. I don't know if you understand, but I have to fly, Gavin. Flying is my life."
Rendar took a deep breath before continuing.
"And the most important thing for me, I want to wake up next to my wife in the morning. Morning loneliness is the worst for me."
Before Gavin or Nomi could say anything, 2-1B came in.
"Well, we can remedy the morning loneliness, Lieutenant Rendar," the droid said in its mechanical voice. "I don't mind if Captain Darklighter takes you home. There is no need to keep you in the med bay. I hope I don't see you again anytime soon."
Hearing that, Dash beamed all over his face.
"I hope so too, 2-1B," he said, stood up and began to pack his things almost at light speed.
Gavin escorted them to their quarters, where he said goodbye to them.

After they entered their quarters, Dash hugged his wife and kissed her.
"Finally alone, darling, I missed you so much," he said, letting his hands wander.
When Nomi looked over his shoulder at the triplets' new cot she couldn't believe her eyes. The mobile's X-wings circled freely above the cot.
Dash noticed his wife was distracted.
"What's the matter, darling?" He asked, letting go of his wife and turning around. When he saw the flying X-wings, he was amazed like Nomi. "It looks like our sons are testing their Force powers, honey. Apparently the gentle swaying of the X-wings in the draft wasn't enough for them. Maybe I should build them little TIEs so they can practice space combat."
"That you only ever think about fighting, Dash," Nomi said, turning her attention to her husband.
Rendar looked at her.
"All of life is one big fight, Nomi. It's good if our children are prepared for it. But you're wrong, I don't always think about fighting. I'm just thinking about love and you," Dash answered and kissed her. "C'mon darling, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

After a passionate morning and a good meal afterwards, Nomi went to meet Luke.
It was only a short walk before she reached her childhood friend's quarters and knocked on the door. Luke opened it and smiled at her.
"Hello, Nomi," he said, making room for her. "Come in, please."
The young woman entered the room, which was as sparsely furnished as all the base's quarters and sat down in a chair.
Luke Skywalker took a seat across from her and looked at her expectantly.
"Why are you here?" He asked after a while because Nomi didn't say anything. Then he rose, went to the kitchen area and poured two mugs of Blum fruit tea, which was Nomi's favorite tea. After walking back, he handed her one of the mugs and sat down again.
"A good mug of tea makes talking easier," he said, waiting for his friend to take a sip.
Nomi nodded her head, took a sip and leaned back in her seat.
"Can I ask you something, Luke?"
The Jedi smiled at her and took a sip of tea as well before answering.
"Of course, Nomi, what's on your mind?"
The pregnant woman took another sip of tea. She hoped to finally get an answer to the question that had been bothering her for some time.
"It's because of Dash, or rather his injury," Nomi began. "2-1B said that my husband wouldn't normally have survived 20 standard minutes. However, when we arrived on
Dagobah, the healing process had already begun. How is that possible? You know that neither he nor I are Jedi. Is it possible that Tasherit has something to do with this phenomenon?"
Skywalker looked at her thoughtfully and took another sip of tea.
"It's possible that your unborn daughter has something to do with it," he said hesitantly. "But I'm not sure about that. There are so many things I don't know yet because I couldn't complete my training with Master Yoda. I'm still a long way from knowing everything and being a Jedi Master. The ways of the Force were inscrutable at times, even for Obi-Wan and Yoda. A Jedi is practically a constant seeker of knowledge and insight. Just be happy Dash is alive and recovering."
He took the last sip of tea and put the mug on the table.
"I'm happy, Luke," Nomi replied, not particularly happy with her friend's answer. "By the way, our triplets used their Force powers for the first time today. Dash and I were amazed when suddenly the mobile's X-wings circled freely. It must have been fun for our children."
Luke Skywalker frowned.
"I didn't think they could use their skills so early. It's just amazing, Nomi. After all, they can't even speak. You have to be very careful now that they don't get dangerously close to the dark side while playing. Dash and you now have a great responsibility. Of course I will support you as best I can. Together, we'll do it."

Despite Luke's assurances, Nomi's fears were suddenly back.
"I'm scared of that responsibility, Luke," she finally got out. "What if we fail and our children are seduced by the dark side? What happens if one of our sons becomes a second Darth Vader?"
The Jedi looked at her in concern before his expression returned to normal.
"But if you're so scared of that responsibility, why did you want a fourth Force-sensitive child?"
Nomi took a deep breath and tried to answer as calmly as possible.
"It may sound stupid and naive, but I was hoping that this child would be normal. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. For better or for worse, I shall have to live with this burden and responsibility. And I wish it were different. Under these circumstances, we will probably never be able to have a normal family life. Fear of the dangers of the dark side to our children will always dominate us."
When she finished, her childhood friend gave her a serious look.
"You mustn't let fear overwhelm you," he began, leaning forward and using the Force to project calming thoughts into Nomi's mind. Realizing his efforts were in vain, he continued speaking. "Fear, anger and aggressive feelings are part of the dark side. Try to treat your children's talent as naturally as possible. The ability to understand and use the Force is a wonderful gift for your children. When your children are old enough, I will teach them how to use the Force. I promise, Nomi."
The pregnant woman nodded her head and stood up.
"Thank you for listening and for your advice, my friend," she said and went to the door.
Luke followed her and opened the door.
"You know I'm always there for you. Give Dash my regards."
Nomi smiled and stepped out into Dagobah's humid air.

After talking to Luke, Nomi went to her favorite spot in the small clearing near Master Yoda's hut, which Luke showed her one day. She had a lot to think about and sat down on a tree trunk. The fog slowly rose from the nearby swamp. As always, she felt a deep peace in this special place. All fears left her. This clearing had become a place of refuge for the young woman to come to terms with herself and her feelings. She literally felt the life energy surrounding her.
Nomi had fallen asleep in the clearing and woke with a start when she heard footsteps approaching. It was Dash looking for her.
"I knew I would find you here, Nomi," he said, sitting down next to her. "What's on your mind?"
"It's nothing, Dash," his wife replied.
Rendar shook his head and put his arm around her waist.
"I don't believe you because I know you very well. Something is on your mind. Don't you want to tell me?"
It took a while, but then Nomi told Dash about her conversation with Luke. When she was done, Dash nodded.
"Luke's right, Nomi, we shouldn't worry too much about our children. I know they will be strong enough to withstand the temptations of the dark side of the Force. After all, they are their parents' children. But now come back to base, it's getting late. You can hardly see your hand in front of your face."
Dash Rendar rose from the tree trunk and helped his wife up. They then headed back to the base while Dash lit the way with a glow rod.