The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 115 - In Search of Kyle Katarn

The next day, Nomi and Dash made their way to the hangar after placing the triplets and Tasherit with Luke. Since the youngest Rendar had discovered her Force abilities, it would have been too risky to leave her in the care of Gista Topol. The young woman wasn't Force sensitive and wouldn't be able to handle what the little girl was capable of doing.

When they reached the hangar bay, Jan Ors was already waiting for them, leaning against the Moldy Crow's hull. Due to the situation, she received special permission to land her ship there. When she saw Nomi and Dash, she went to them.
"Thank you for coming and being willing to help," she said with a sad tone in her voice. "You two are my last hope. I couldn't bear to lose Kyle."
Nomi felt the woman's deep love for Kyle Katarn in the Force. It wasn't the hero of the Alliance, it was the man himself, whom the young woman loved with all her heart.
She understood Jan too well.
"We will do our best to find him," the Jedi replied. "But we should board our ships now, because time is of the essence."
"You're right," said Jan before she made her way to her ship.
Minutes later, Nomi and Dash entered the Outrider, where Leebo had prepared everything for departure. After entering the cockpit, Dash sat in the pilot's seat while Nomi took her usual spot in the co-pilot's seat. Rendar plotted a course for the Romegan System before starting the engines and taking off.
One by one, the Moldy Crow and the Outrider left the hangar and merged into Coruscant traffic. They soon broke through the atmosphere and made their way to the next jump point, weaving through the remaining debris of the Battle of Coruscant.
After reaching the jump point, Dash pushed the lever forward and the stars dissolved into the streaks and blurs of hyperspace.

It was a long journey, but after several hyperspace jumps they finally reached their destination. Dash pulled the lever and the Outrider re-entered real space.
"Here we are...the Romegan System," he said, looking out the viewport and seeing the Moldy Crow exit hyperspace next to them.
The comm crackled as Nomi and Dash heard Jan Ors' voice.
"Any sign of Kyle?"
Jan had sent more information about Kyle Katarn and so Nomi knew that the man was Force-sensitive like her and was on his way to becoming a Jedi. So she reached out with the Force, looking for a presence, but there was nothing. Her husband looked at her expectantly. The Jedi shook her head and reached for the comm switch.
"No. If he's here, he seems to be in a place where I can't sense him," Nomi answered Jan's question.
The young woman aboard the Moldy Crow sighed when she heard this.
"I was hoping that having a Jedi with me would make it easier to find him."
Dash looked at his wife in amazement and spoke to her quietly.
"What does this woman expect? After all, you can't just conjure up this Kyle."
Nomi chuckled.
"Sometimes normal people expect Jedi to perform miracles. Who knows what Jan experienced with Katarn that made her believe in such miracles."
Then she looked at the data coming in from the sensors.
"There's only one planet suitable for humanoid life forms. We'll stay below the usual sensor range to avoid detection."
"Ok, Nomi, I'll send the coordinates to Jan."
They slowly approached the planet's surface and were able to see the first details. The planet was very similar to Dagobah. It was riddled with large swamps and a huge shield generator could be seen in the distance. Whoever retired here doesn't value visitors.
"The shield generator design looks Imperial," Dash said, looking questioningly at his wife. "What do you think, could this be Strombol's hideout?"
The Jedi shrugged.
"No idea, Dash."
Finally, Rendar found a suitable landing spot and had the Outrider land on a small peninsula in the middle of the swamp.
"Hey, you didn't leave me much room for the Moldy Crow," they heard Jan's voice over the comms.
Dash couldn't help but grin as he reached for the comm and answered.
"This is the special test of the New Republic. If you can land your ship in this narrow spot, you will receive a free pass on Coruscant's public transportation."
Nomi rolled her eyes at her husband's joke, but smiled as she saw Jan land the Moldy Crow on the peninsula a meter away from the Outrider. Dash whistled admiringly
"Not a bad pilot. Not as good as me, but still," he said, leaning back and folding his hands behind his head.
Nomi unbuckled herself and stood up.
"When you're done with your competition and you know which of the two of you is the better pilot, we can get out."
Dash also stood up, went to his wife and kissed her.
"Hey, it was just a harmless joke."
Nomi raised her hand and gently stroked his cheek.
"You will never change. But c'mon, Jan will be waiting for us. Leebo!"
The droid slowly came into the cockpit.
"Yes, Nomi?" He asked in his mechanical voice.
"You will guard the ship."
Leebo tilted his head before sitting in the pilot's seat.

The couple slowly and carefully exited the YT-2400. Jan Ors was already waiting for them at the foot of the access ramp.
"And what are we going to do now?" She asked, looking at them questioningly.
"We're heading out to find Katarn," Nomi replied.
Her husband shouldered his backpack and headed toward the forest at the edge of the swamp. Jan quickly grabbed her equipment and followed him.
The Jedi reached out with the Force searching for Kyle's presence. It was in vain.
But suddenly she had a strange feeling. At a point to the northwest she felt... She didn't know how to describe what she felt. There was nothing, absolutely nothing.
Nomi wondered if it could be a void in the Force. But what should have created this void? There was some kind of danger lurking there. The young woman was sure of that. And she suspected that they would find Katarn in this strange place. Dash had turned to her.
"Why are you stopping? We have to hurry." Then he noticed the look on her face. "Is there something?"
His wife pointed in the direction that the strange sensations had caused her. Jan had also turned around and came to them.
"We've to go there."
Her two companions looked at Nomi questioningly.
"Are you sure, darling?"
The Jedi shrugged.
"I'm not sure, but something feels strange. I... I can't feel anything there. It's like a void in the Force."
She knew it must sound absurd to Jan and Dash, but she didn't know how else to describe it.
"What do you mean by that?" Her husband looked at her in surprise. "I don't understand that."
"There's nothing, Dash, absolutely nothing. I can't feel animals or plants.. It's like a blind spot in the Force."
Jan looked at her in disbelief, but from her experiences with Kyle she knew that nothing was impossible.
"Are you sure, Nomi?"
The Jedi nodded her head and that was all Katarn's girlfriend needed.
"Then we have to go there. Kyle will definitely be there."

Nomi didn't know what made Jan so confident that they would find Kyle there, but she and Dash followed her as she headed in the direction indicated.