The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 92 - A Planet in Crisis

After several standard days in hyperspace, they had reached their destination.
Dash pulled the lever and the Outrider re-entered real space along with the other ships in the small fleet.

Ahead lay the planet, sparkling as always like a Corusca gem.
As they neared Coruscant's orbit, they had to maneuver carefully. Around them floated the debris of the past battle for the heart of the Empire.
With horror, Nomi realized how many must have paid for the liberation of Coruscant with their lives.
To the port side appeared the burnt-out skeleton of an Imperial Star Destroyer, while to the starboard side the shattered wings of an X-wing drifted through the vacuum of space. Nomi anxiously searched for a marker to determine if they were parts of her brother Gavin's X-wing. She had heard no word from him since the attack on Imperial Center, as the Imps had called Coruscant.
Dash gave her a quick look.
"What's the matter, Nomi?" He asked, concentrating again to avoid colliding with the debris. "You're worried about your brother, aren't you? You're afraid he didn't survive the fight."
In the cockpit window he could see his wife's reflection nodding.
"Believe me, if he had been killed in action, we would have known about it."
Due to the chaos that followed the liberation, Nomi wasn't so sure. They certainly had other concerns than notifying the relatives of those killed in action.
"Don't worry, Nomi," her husband continued while dodging a destroyed sky hook.
"You would surely have sensed with your Jedi senses if anything had happened to him."
She wasn't sure about that, after all her senses weren't as perfectly trained as Luke's, even if her childhood friend said otherwise. She was still very insecure about her Force abilities.
Her train of thought was interrupted when a male voice came over the comm.
"Outrider, this is ground control. We've got you on our screens. Continue to follow your approach corridor to avoid collisions with flying debris. You have been assigned landing platform 237 at the Coruscant spaceport."
"Copy that, ground control. Outrider out," Nomi confirmed and cut the connection.
"Approach corridor. I wouldn't call it that," Dash murmured under his breath as he weaved through the floating debris.
Eventually, they entered the atmosphere of Coruscant and made their way to the capital planet's spaceport.
Despite the heavy traffic, it didn't take long for them to reach their destination. At first glance, nothing seemed to have changed, but if they took a closer look, they could see the wounds left by the decisive battle between the Alliance and the Empire.

Dash landed the Outrider smoothly on the assigned landing platform and shut down the engines. He quickly lowered the ramp and opened the hatch before unbuckling himself and standing. Then he activated the intercom.
"Leebo... bring the triplets and Tasherit, we've reached our destination," he said before stretching.
"Yes, Dash," came the curt reply.
Rendar let go of the talk button and turned to his wife, who had also unbuckled and was standing next to him. Nomi stretched, feeling a little stiff after the long journey.
Dash smiled at her.
"Let's go and see if anyone's waiting for us."
The young woman nodded her head and together they left the cockpit.
Leebo was already waiting with the children at the open hatch.
As they went down one by one, a surprise awaited them. At the foot of the access ramp, two men in pilot's uniforms were deep in conversation.
"Gavin! Wedge!" Yelled Nomi, rushing down the ramp.
She ran to her brother who laughed and hugged her before kissing her. Then he happily spun her around before putting her back on her feet.
"I'm so glad to see you again, sis," he said, smiling, not caring that other people were looking at them.
"I was worried about you, Gavin," his sister replied. "We had no news other than that Coruscant was liberated."
"It's nice to hear there's someone worried about me, Nomi. But as you know, no one can stop a Darklighter."
He winked at her.
Wedge had held back, apparently because he didn't want to interrupt the brother and sister reunion.
Nomi walked up to him and hugged him. She felt that he was reluctant to return her hug, but then he hugged her tightly.
"I'm glad to see you again too, Nomi," Antilles said happily.
Dash had come to them with the children. The triplets ran up to Wedge and hugged his legs, cheering. He leaned towards them and tousled their brown locks.
"Hello, you three. Nice to see you all again."
Then he straightened up again and his eyes met Nomi's.
"It's nice to have healthy, vibrant children around after seeing nothing but death and destruction all over the planet."
Dash shook Wedge's hand in greeting.
"Is it really that bad?"
Antilles shrugged and grew serious.
"Bad is an understatement, Dash. The Imps left us a dying planet. They're probably sitting somewhere dying laughing." He sighed before continuing. "We are on the brink of a revolt. The calls for a return of the Imps are getting louder."
When Nomi heard that, she looked at her friend in amazement.
"Tell me this is a joke, Wedge. Nobody in their right mind will want the Empire back."
"I wish it would be like this. Somehow, a rumor was spread that the Alliance caused the Krytos plague. Many alien residents of Coruscant say the Empire treated them badly, but at least didn't let them die a miserable death. If something doesn't happen soon, there's no way we can hold the planet. But now come with me. You will be tired after the long journey. There are quarters for you in the former Imperial Palace."
The Jedi shuddered at the thought of living in spaces where the Emperor's dark presence would surely be felt.

Wedge led them to a waiting speeder and escorted them to the Imperial Palace.
Looking through the speeder's windshield, Nomi saw anti-alliance slogans all over the walls. She swallowed hard. Had they all forgotten how they had suffered under the Empire? Then she asked the question that had been on her mind since her arrival.
"Say, Wedge, is there any news on Corran Horn?"
Antilles was lost in thought and winced when Nomi spoke to him.
"Yes, Nomi. We found his Z-95 Headhunter in the rubble of a house. The fighter was completely burned out. Corran... there's no way he survived the crash." Wedge kept talking. "His body wasn't found. But the way the wreck looked, it's not surprising. But that's not all, Tycho is accused of treason and the murder of Corran."
Dash's triumphant look spoke volumes. Since his capture by the Imps on Coruscant, he suspected Tycho to be the traitor in the ranks of Rogue Squadron.
"I can't believe Tycho Celchu is a traitor, Wedge," Nomi said thoughtfully.
"To be honest, neither do I, Nomi. I have come to appreciate him as a good comrade and an excellent pilot and I will do everything to prove his innocence."
The adults spent the rest of the ride in silence, all lost in their own thoughts.
The children, on the other hand, looked out the window and expressed their astonishment at the huge buildings and urban canyons of Coruscant. So far they had only known the swamps of Dagobah, the polluted forests of Anoat and the deserts of Tatooine. It was an overwhelming experience for them and their mother couldn't only see their emotions but also feel them in the Force. They chattered excitedly and nudged each other when they discovered something new.
Tasherit was undeterred by the excitement surrounding her. She had put her thumb in her mouth and was sound asleep in her father's arms.

After a one-hour drive, they reached the Imperial Palace.
Although she already knew it, Nomi was once again struck by its size. For the first time ever, she entered the huge building through the main entrance. The last time she was there, she came through the sewers to free her husband from Iceheart's clutches.
Upon entering the palace, the sight of the interior was simply stunning. Nomi had never seen such splendor in her entire life. The walls were paneled with the finest wood from distant planets. There were golden ornaments everywhere and exotic plants in every corner.
To the right and left of the main hallway were rows of Ch'hala trees that seemed to explode in different shades of red at every touch. The triplets would have loved to have stopped and played with it.
"C'mon, children, or we'll lose you in this maze of hallways."
They reluctantly followed their father's call.

After what seemed like an eternity, they finally reached their designated quarters.
Wedge opened the old-fashioned, heavy wooden doors.
"Well, here we are. I hope you enjoy this modest accommodation."
The modest accommodation was a huge suite. Nomi was sure that her little family would have plenty of space. Wedge went to the door.
"If you need anything, tell me. I have my quarters right next door."
Nomi ran up to him and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you, Wedge."
The Rogue Squadron commander blushed and looked at her in embarrassment.
"You're welcome, Nomi."
Then he left the quarters and closed the door behind him.

Dash Rendar had begun inspecting the rooms.
Furnishing the rooms must have cost theEmperor a fortune. Only the finest woods were used for the furniture and thefloors were covered with thick hand-made carpets. Dash was already inspectingthe bedroom while the triplets looked around their assigned room.
"Nomi! Darling, c'mon, you have to see this!"
His wife followed his call and stood in thebedroom, stunned. She had never seen such splendor. The floor was covered witha black carpet in which her feet sank ankle-deep, and the walls were coveredwith night-black shimmer silk embroidered with silver thread. It looked like anight sky.
The whole large room was dominated by a hugebed. A black canopy hung over the bed, embroidered with silver stars. Dashwalked up to her and put his arm around her shoulders.
"That's a surprise, isn't it, honey?"
Nomi just nodded.
"I've never seen such a huge bed," Dashsaid, smiling.
His wife tiptoed and kissed him.
"We can test it tonight."
He pulled her to him and returned the kissbefore whispering in her ear.
"Why don't we test that right away, darling?The kids are busy with Leebo in their own room and won't bother us. Is this agood idea?"
Instead of an answer, Nomi went to the doorand locked it.