Dagobah Base
Luke, Leia, Han, Chewie and the droids have arrived safely on Dagobah.
They had to pass in the last time many adventures. The Emperor Trioculus didn't live anymore. The renewed threat to the Alliance was averted.
Dash was getting better and better. He was able to get up again and there was hardly anything left to see from the bullet wound. It was really amazing how quickly he has recovered from such a serious injury. When I visited him in the med bay, he already came to meet me.
"Hi, Nomi. Will you finally get me out of here? I just can't stand it anymore. If I have to stay longer, I'll go crazy. I finally want to see something other than white walls."
I kissed my husband.
"Oh, Dash, how can you be so impatient?"
He laughed.
"You have to say that. You're the most impatient person I've ever met, darling."
He was right, patience wasn't one of my main virtues.
At that moment Gavin came in joyfully.
"Hello, brother in law! How is the tired warrior doing?"
"Hey, Gavin, who do you mean with tired warrior? Let me just sit in my X-Wing again, then we'll see who's the tired warrior of both of us. But thank you for asking how I am, Gavin. I would be much better if your sister would finally get me out of here. Can't you convince her that it's best for me to be with her again?"
Gavin looked at him amused.
"You don't like it here? Here you have everything you need. Rest and recuperation. No excitement, no combat exercises, nice droids, what more do you want?"
"What I want? I don't need rest, a proper fight would be much better to me than to sit idle. Nice droids? What do I have from droids? You can't even have a good talk with them. I finally want to fly again. I don't know if you understand, but I must fly. Flying is my life. And what the most important is for me, I want to wake up in the morning next to my wife. These morning solitude is the worst thing for me."
Before Gavin or I could say anything, 2-1B came in.
"Well, we can remedy the morning solitude, Lieutenant Rendar. I don't mind if Captain Darklighter takes you home. It isn't necessary to keep you in the med bay. I hope I don't see you again so soon."
Dash was beaming from ear to ear.
"I hope so too, 2-1B."
My husband packed his things almost with light speed.
Gavin accompanied us to our quarters, where he said goodbye to us.
"I think it's better to leave you alone now. Finally, you had to do without each other for almost two weeks. I would only disturb."
And with these words he was already gone.
I thought, that it is nice to have an understanding brother who knows when he is superfluous.
When we came to our quarters Dash embraced me and gave me a deep kiss.
"At last alone, darling. I missed you so much."
At the same time tender and demanding his hands slid over my body. As his lips sought my mouth again, I glanced over his shoulder to the cot. I didn't believe my eyes. Above the bed, the X-wings of the mobile circled freely.
Dash noticed that apparently something was wrong.
"What do you have, my darling? You don't like it?"
I pointed to the bed of the triplets and he turned. He was as amazed as I was.
"It looks like our sons are testing their Force powers, Nomi. Apparently the gentle swinging back and forth of the X-wings in the air draft wasn't enough for them. Maybe I should build little TIEs for them, then they can practice space combat."
"That you must always think of fighting, Dash."
My husband looked at me.
"The whole 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. Right now I'm thinking on love and that with you. Come, darling, we have much to catch up."
In the afternoon I finally managed to meet Luke alone.
"Can I ask you something, Luke?"
He smiled at me.
"Of course, Nomi. What's on your mind?"
I hoped that I would finally get an answer to the question that occupied my mind for a while.
"It's because of Dash or rather his wound. 2-1B said that my husband wouldn't normally have survived 20 standard minutes. When we arrived on Dagobah, the healing process, however, had already begun. How is this possible? You know that neither he nor I are Jedi. Is it possible that Tasherit has something to do with this phenomenon?"
Luke looked at me thoughtfully.
"It might be possible that your unborn daughter has something to do with it. But I'm not certain. There are so many things that I don't know yet. 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 sometimes inscrutable even for Obi-Wan and Yoda. A Jedi is effectively a perpetual seeker of knowledge and insight. I think you should rejoice that Dash's alive and that he will recover."
"Yeah, maybe I should, Luke. By the way, our triplets used their Force powers for the first time today. Me and my husband were amazed when suddenly the X-wings of the mobile circled freely in the room. It must have been fun for our children."
Luke frowned.
"I didn't think that they could make use of their abilities so early. After all, they can't even speak. Simply amazing. You must be very careful now, Nomi, that they don't get dangerously close to the dark side while playing. Dash and you bear a great responsibility now. Of course I will support you as far as I can. Together we'll make it."
Suddenly all my fears were back.
"I'm afraid of that responsibility, Luke. What if we fail and our children are seduced from the dark side? What happens if one of our sons becomes a second Darth Vader?"
Luke seemed concerned.
But if you're so afraid of responsibility, why did you consciously choose to conceive a fourth Force sensitive child?"
"I didn't choose to have a fourth Force sensitive child. It may sound stupid and naïve, but I had hoped that this child would be normal. Unfortunately, it isn't so. I will have to live with this burden and responsibility, for better or worse. I wish it were different. Under these circumstances we will probably never be able to live a normal family life. The fear of the dangers of the dark side for our children will always dominate us."
My childhood friend looked at me seriously.
"You must not let fear overwhelm you. Fear, anger and aggressive feelings are part of the dark side. Try to handle the talent of your children as naturally as possible. The ability to understand and use the Force is a wonderful gift made to your children. If your children are old enough, I will teach them how to use the Force. I promise, Nomi."
"Thank you, Luke."
After talking with Luke I went to my favorite place in the small clearing near Yoda's hut.
I had a lot to think about. Slowly, the fog from the nearby swamp rose. As always, I felt a deep peace in this special place. All the fears left me.
This clearing had become a place of refuge for me when I had to come to terms with myself and my feelings. I literally felt the life energy surrounding me.
When I was at this place, my unborn daughter behaved more calmly in my belly. It was as if she didn't want to disturb her mother's inner peace.
I must have fallen asleep in the clearing, then I woke with a start when I heard approaching footsteps. It was Dash looking for me.
"I have guessed that I would find you here, Nomi. What's your problem?"
"It's nothing, Dash."
My husband shook his head.
"I don't believe you. I know you, something bothers with you. Don't you want to tell me?"
I then told him about my conversation with Luke. When I finished, Dash nodded.
"Luke is right, Nomi. We shouldn't worry too much about our children. I know they will be able to resist the temptations of the dark side of the Force. After all, they are the children of their parents. But now come to the base, it's already late. One can barely see the hand in front of one's eyes."
Arm in arm, we walked back to the base on the path that Dash had lit-up with a glow rod.
Arrived in our quarters we went straight to bed. The lonely nights were finally over for us.
