Nar Shaddaa

The orbit around Nar Shaddaa was actually free of Imps and we were able to land safely at the Smuggler's Moon's spaceport.
Dash had already contacted Mako Spince when we were approaching, who was to inform our friends. When we walked down the ramp of the Outrider with the children in their container bed, our friends were already in the landing bay.
Shug Ninx came toward us beaming.
"Nice to see you again. Welcome to Nar Shaddaa."
When he saw the triplets in their container, he hesitated.
"Hey, Dash, you stoop so low as to trade children? Then better get out of here. We don't want to have anything to do with anything like that here."
Dash couldn't help laughing at the sudden fuss of his old friend.
"Calm down, Shug. It's not like you think. Nomi and I got married on the forest moon after the Battle of Endor and what you consider to be merchandise are our triplets. Actually, they should have been born in a standard month on Corellia, but the Imps had something against our landing there. Well and the little ones suddenly were in a hurry to get to know this beautiful galaxy. They were born in hyperspace and I can assure you it was for both parents a heavy piece of work."

Talon Karrde was about to greet us when a tall black-haired woman came running up to us and flung her arms around Dash's neck. I didn't believe my eyes when she kissed him very hard on the mouth.
"Dash, finally you're back. I've missed you so."
That couldn't be true. I wondered who this woman was who simply threw herself at my husband.
Dash stood there, as if someone had pulled the ground from under his feet. He finally found his tongue again.
"Nomi, may I introduce you Salla Zend? She's an old friend of mine."
Sarcastically, I said to him: "But this friendship doesn't look that old, Dash. I'm not as stupid as you think. Now I know where you were when I thought you dead. While I mourned for you, you enjoyed yourself here on Nar Shaddaa. Now I see what all your vows of love are worth."
I turned on my heel and just wanted to get away.
Dash tried to hold me back.
"Nomi, please, let me explain."
I shook off his hand angrily.
"Don't touch me, Dash! There is nothing to explain for me! What I have seen is obvious! You cheated on me with her! That's the worst thing you could do to me! I never want to see you again."
Talon intervened.
"Please, Nomi, at least give him a chance to explain it to you. Don't judge rashly."
"What should there be to explain? He cheated on me, only that matters."
Dash looked at me pleadingly.
"All right, I'll listen to what you have to say."
Relieved that I wanted to listen to him, Dash began to speak.
"After my hasty decision to leave your life, Leebo and I roamed the galaxy. At no place did we last a long time. It were damn lonely weeks and months. Finally we landed here on Nar Shaddaa. I was tired of constantly rove about the various star systems. Before, I had not minded to have only Leebo with me, but that was now, I realized, different. Even if you may not believe me, I missed you very much, Nomi."
"Oh, and that's why you cheated on me with her."
"Please, let me finish speaking, Nomi. One evening I couldn't stand the loneliness and went to a cantina. I had been drinking quite a bit when Salla joined me. Somehow I liked her and - oh damn, Nomi, I'm just a man. The many lonely days and nights - it just happened. The next morning, when I got sober again, I woke up next to Salla, horrified by what I had done. I left the room in a hurry and went to the spaceport to get my ship ready for takeoff.
Through the night with Salla I realized that there is no substitute for you. I was hoping that you would never know about this short affair. Forgive me, Nomi also for the children's sake."

There was a long silence between us and I was feverishly thinking about how I should respond to his confession. Then I finally came to a decision.
"I forgive you, Dash - but I can't forget that you cheated on me."
Oh, those words had hit him hard. I saw him flinch as if struck by a whiplash.
But he had hurt me too.
Talon, Shug and Salla had silently followed the last part of our dispute.
Then Talon took the container with our children and headed for the exit of the landing bay.
"So, now that everything is settled between you two, we can go to me perhaps. You will live in my headquarters. Everything is already prepared."

When I unpacked everything in our room at Talon's headquarters, the babies again demanded their right.
Dash had gone with Shug and Talon so I was alone with the little ones and Leebo. I was nursing Corran when there was a knock.
Salla entered when called upon to do so. I wondered what this woman wanted from me. Hesitantly she approached.
"Can I speak to you for a moment, Nomi?"
I looked at her dismissively.
"I don't know what we have to talk about."
Salla looked at me pleadingly.
"Please listen to me. You're upset for nothing. Between me and Dash, even if he is firmly convinced of the contrary, nothing happened. I don't know how he got the idea he has spend the night with me. He was too drunk. When we arrived at my apartment, he slumped on the bed and fell asleep immediately. This night was very disappointing for me, Nomi, but now I'm glad. If I had known that Dash is bound, I would had leave it."
That was really interesting news.
"And why didn't you say so, Salla?"
She shrugged.
"I didn't want to make him look like a fool to his friends. It would have been embarrassing for your husband."
Embarrassing? That would have been more than embarrassing to him. As I knew Talon and Shug, they would have had mercilessly mocked him.
Corran had fallen asleep while breastfeeding and I woke him with a gentle pat. I stood up and carried him across the room. After he burped I put him to bed where his brothers already were sleeping.

Salla was still waiting in the room.
"I believe you, Salla. Thank you for telling me how it really was."
You could see her relief over my words. She stepped at the container bed of the triplets and laughed softly.
"As we can see here, your husband doesn't always fail. He got these three right."
Still laughing, she left the room.
I came to realize that some smugglers have a peculiar sense of humor. Then I decided to tell Dash the truth about his night of love with Salla Zend after he returned.

Dash coped very well with what I told him.
"I'm glad that it's been that way. At least I can look you in the eyes again, darling. Salla Zend isn't my type anyway."