A bad Surprise
Some time ago, the members of the Rogue Squadron set out to capture Ysanne Isard and her accomplice Erisi Dlarit. Nomi and Dash waited for news of the mission's success or failure, but there was none yet.
As far as the situation on the capital planet was concerned, there was no improvement. Coruscant's alien population was still wiped out by the Krytos Plague.
Nomi hadn't entered the throne room since the night Dash mourned his grandfather. As soon as she got close she felt uncomfortable. The shadows of the Emperor's dark presence were too strong in this place.
The Jedi became restless, unable to sit idle in the safety of the Imperial Palace. She longed for action.
Nomi was sitting in the living room when her husband returned from a visit to the city.
"What's the situation, Dash?"
He went to a small table, poured himself a drink and took a sip before answering his wife's question.
"The situation is dire, Nomi. The aliens are dying by the thousands. If we don't get enough bacta to treat them… I don't know what will happen."
His wife had expected nothing less and had made a decision while Dash was away.
"I want to go into the city. Maybe I can help, Dash."
When her husband heard this he almost choked on his drink.
"No, Nomi, that's far too dangerous," he was finally able to answer.
"Why should it be dangerous? The Krytos virus only affects aliens. I can't get infected."
"You've no idea what's going on out there, darling. The mood can change at any moment and it will be dangerous for every Alliance member. I don't want you to be caught in the middle."
Dash took another sip of his drink and sat down across from his wife.
"Please, Dash, let me go. I feel like I'm needed out there."
Rendar looked at her skeptically.
"Don't tell me this is one of your crazy Jedi ideas."
"As a Jedi, I take responsibility for others. I can't escape responsibility," Nomi replied, smiling.
Dash shrugged.
"All right then. Go if you have to."
She rose and went to change her clothes. As she came out of the bedroom, she hooked the lightsaber to her belt.
Seeing this, Dash raised an eyebrow.
"Don't you want to take a blaster?"
"No, Dash. A Jedi only needs the lightsaber as a weapon. Don't be afraid for me. I'll be ok. The Force is with me, have you forgotten?"
"I didn't forget that."
Dash stood up and kissed his wife. His kiss tasted of the Corellian brandy he'd just drunk.
"Can I go with you?"
Nomi shook her head.
"I've to go alone. They will trust me as a Jedi. But they wouldn't trust me if an Alliance officer accompanied me. Take care of our children until I get back."
Her husband tenderly stroked her cheek.
"Come back soon, Nomi. I would really prefer it if I accompanied you."
Nomi smiled at her husband before walking to the door and leaving.
As soon as the Jedi left the protective walls of the former Imperial Palace, she was confronted with the harsh reality.
The misery on the streets of Coruscant was unimaginable. Many houses stood empty, where the Krytos plague had killed the residents.
The further Nomi got into the city, the more she came to the realization that her skills weren't enough to help. Only a fully trained Jedi healer would have been able to do this.
She was just turning the corner when she suddenly sensed danger.
The Jedi looked around carefully and spotted the pursuers, although they tried to hide from her. There were twelve men, dressed in black hooded cloaks.
Nomi went down a side street and mentally cursed when she found herself at a dead end. Her pursuers were closing in and there was no way out for her. She was trapped.
"Capture the woman and be careful because she is carrying a lightsaber," Nomi heard the man who had to be the leader. "Set your blasters to stun mode. Lord Bel-Baal wants her alive."
The young woman thought she had misheard. It couldn't be. Lord Bel-Baal, her father, was dead. She had seen him die on Algarian. But she didn't have time to think about it for long as her opponents advanced.
Nomi unhooked her lightsaber, activated it, and the red blade came to life with a hiss. She then assumed a fighting stance and reached out with the Force to discern the men's intentions. The first one prepared to shoot at her and she sensed that he would try to hit her on the left side. Without hesitation, she raised her lightsaber to deflect the shot. Not a moment too soon. The next shot came quickly and was aimed at her right side. She also deflected the shot.
But then the shots came in quicker succession and she had trouble blocking them. The men moved forward unstoppably.
Nomi was beginning to regret not exercising as often as Luke recommended over the past few weeks. She backed away until her back was literally against the wall.
"Come on, let's put an end to this. We fire at her at the same time," she heard the leader. "Then we will see if she can still deflect the shots."
The Jedi did her best, but she felt her strength weakening. A stun shot hit its target and she fell to the ground, dropping her lightsaber.
"Good shot. Lord Bel-Baal will be pleased."
The last thing Nomi noticed before she lost consciousness was the tip of the leader's boot as he kicked her in the ribs.
When Nomi came to, she felt blood on her lips and her ribs hurt with every movement. She felt them carefully and was relieved to see that they didn't appear to be broken. The young woman tried to sit up, but when she moved her right leg she felt a sharp pain. As she looked at it, she realized her leg was broken.
Finally she managed to sit up and look around.
The polished floor and dark walls were all too familiar. She was in an Imperial prison cell and judging by the vibrations, she was aboard a ship. Nomi wondered where they were taking her. Or was she already there?
She reached out with the Force and roamed the ship with her senses, sensing thousands of minds. That could only mean that she was actually aboard an Imperial Star Destroyer. There was no doubt.
Suddenly she felt an icy cold and a disturbance in the Force. It was the same feeling she had during her encounter with her father on Algarian. Could he have survived? She reached deeper, searching for the dark presence. But then she couldn't feel it anymore. Either she was blocked or she had imagined it all.
The Jedi leaned back against the cold wall and gently touched her face. She didn't dare imagine what it looked like because it felt awful. The men who had captured her, and especially their leader, had clearly mistreated her while she was unconscious. Nomi rose with difficulty and limped to the small sink to wash the blood from her face.
The throbbing pain in her broken leg was almost unbearable. Using a Jedi relaxation technique Luke had taught her to ease the pain, she limped back to the cot. She had to keep a clear head and not allow herself to be distracted by her physical problems. Nomi lay down again and stared at the ceiling.
Despite the pain, she must have fallen asleep because she was woken up by the hissing sound of the cell door opening. Because of the bright light in the hallway, she could only see a black shadow coming towards her. The door closed and she could now see who had entered the cell. It was the leader of the men who had captured her. He was now wearing stormtrooper armor, but he held the helmet casually in his hand.
Nomi gritted her teeth as she pushed herself upright to keep from screaming in pain.
"Come on, rebel scum, get up and come with me. Lord Bel-Baal wants to see you."
When the Jedi didn't immediately follow his command, he came closer and hit her in the face with full force.
"Come on! The Lord doesn't like to wait!"
Nomi turned her head so her tormentor couldn't see the tears running down her cheeks. But the stormtrooper grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.
"I hope Lord Bel-Baal will leave you to me when he's done with you," he said with a malicious expression on his face. "It's been a long time since I've been with a woman. Ah, I see you understand what I mean. Believe me, we will both have a lot of fun together. But now get up! The sooner we get to my superior, the sooner I will have fun with you."
He grabbed Nomi's arm tightly and pulled her up, forcing her to stand. She nearly fell when her broken leg gave way under her weight. But the trooper stopped her fall, pushed her forward and put on his helmet.
"Move!"
He held her tightly and dragged her towards the door, which hissed open. As they entered the hallway he ignored her broken leg and rushed to where Lord Bel-Baal was waiting for them.
After a seemingly endless march, they finally reached the bridge.
The Jedi was almost overwhelmed by the dark emotions emanating from the tall man standing at the transparisteel viewport of the bridge, watching the whirls of hyperspace.
"The rebel, my lord," the trooper said, snapping to attention.
The man, wearing red Mandalorian armor, turned around and removed the hood that had been covering his face.
Nomi gasped when she saw her father, who she thought was dead. But there was no doubt that it was really him who approached her.
"Welcome aboard the Ulic's Revenge, my daughter."
When the trooper who was still standing next to Nomi heard this, he fell to his knees. It dawned on him that he had made a mistake.
"L... Lord B... B... Bel-B... Baal's d... d...aughter," he stammered, bowing his head in front of his superior.
Nomi's father ignored the man and looked his daughter up and down. When he saw the fresh bruises and wounds on her face and noticed the broken leg, he frowned.
"It was him, am I right?" He asked, looking at his daughter who was silent. "Yes, it was him. You don't have to tell me anything."
Bel-Baal turned his attention to the kneeling trooper and glared at him.
"I beg for mercy, my lord. I didn't know that rebel was your daughter."
He took off his helmet and looked at the Dark Jedi with pleading eyes. But there was no mercy for the man.
Ulic clenched his right hand into a fist and Nomi felt her father reach for the dark side of the Force.
"No, father!"
But Bel-Baal didn't listen. The trooper gripped his throat desperately, gasping for air as it constricted under the iron grip of invisible hands.
"You disobeyed my orders. No harm should come to her," Ulic said in an ice-cold voice. "You will die for what you have done. There will be no mercy."
The stormtrooper had fallen to the ground, his hands clutching at his throat, trying to get rid of the invisible hands that were choking him.
None of the bridge crew was interested in what was going on. Everyone went about their tasks routinely and ignored the stormtrooper's agony.
Finally the Dark Jedi turned his hand a little and a faint crack was heard. His victim fell forward and went limp. Nomi's father had broken the trooper's neck.
Ulic Bel-Baal motioned to two stormtroopers standing nearby.
"Take that away! This will happen to anyone who disobeys my orders. And call the medi droid."
As the two stormtroopers picked up the body, the Dark Jedi walked over to a console where Nomi's lightsaber lay. He took it and came towards her.
"We finally see each other again, my daughter," he continued talking while examining the weapon in his hand. "You're probably wondering how I managed to survive the fatal wound I received from you."
He laughed.
"Didn't your so-called Jedi Master tell you never to underestimate the dark side? When you left me on Algarian, I was closer to death than life. I'll tell you how I survived," he paused for a moment before continuing. "I absorbed the life energy of the stormtroopers stationed there into my dying body. They died so I could live on. There was once a Dark Lord of the Sith, Exar Kun, who used the same method to ensure his survival on the fourth moon of the planet Yavin. Oh yes, the Massassi served him well."
Nomi looked at her father in horror.
"You're a monster!"
Ulic Bel-Baal chuckled.
"Don't look at me like that, daughter. Their only purpose was to serve me."
He activated her lightsaber and stared at the red blade in fascination before swinging it back and forth.
"You did a good job on your weapon. I must admit that your skills are remarkable. However, you still have a lot to learn. I look forward to completing your training. With me you will learn things beyond your imagination, my child. But your injuries must heal first."
Nomi looked him straight in the eyes and took a deep breath.
"You can't turn me to the dark side. I have resisted you once and I will resist you again, father. I told you back then that I would rather die than give in to the dark side." Her father deactivated her lightsaber and laughed again.
"We'll see, my daughter."
By now the medi droid had arrived. It was the usual 2-1B unit.
"Please sit in the chair so I can examine you, Lady Bel-Baal," the droid said in its mechanical voice.
When Nomi heard the droid speak to her, she glared at him.
"My name isn't Lady Bel-Baal! It's Major Darklighter for you! And now begin!"
Her father looked at her irritated and angry at the same time.
"As long as you are aboard my ship, you will answer to the name Lady Bel-Baal. I want everyone to know that you are my biological daughter."
Nomi didn't want to upset her father any more and nodded her head.
"As you wish, father."
2-1B fixed the broken leg and gave her painkillers.
Her father motioned to the stormtroopers, who had since returned.
"Take Lady Bel-Baal back to her cell."
Shortly afterwards, Nomi was locked in the cell and sat on the cot, wondering if Dash would already be looking for her on the streets of Coruscant.
