The Cure
After a long journey in hyperspace, they reached Anoat.
Talon Karrde contacted ground control with a request for clearance to land, and reported on the Imperial officer on board.
"Permission to land, Outrider," the smuggler heard a female voice.
"Thank you," Talon replied, steering the freighter towards the planet.
After entering Anoat's atmosphere, he flew carefully so as not to damage Dash's beloved ship. He knew that if the Outrider got a scratch, his friend wouldn't take it lightly. Karrde sighed as he thought of Dash, who might never fly the ship again because he was blind. The smuggler landed the freighter smoothly on the landing pad and shut down the engines. Then he opened the hatch and lowered the ramp.
An Alliance Intelligence officer walked up the ramp and boarded the freighter. Lando, who had been watching the defected stormtrooper commander during the flight, got to his feet.
"I'm here to take the Imperial for questioning," the intelligence officer said, looking at the man sitting on the bench, still wearing his stormtrooper armor.
The commander rose slowly.
"What will happen to me?" He asked, looking at the agent while holding his helmet in his right hand.
"It depends on the questioning's outcome," was the brief answer. "Follow me."
The stormtrooper commander took one last look at Lando before following the agent out of the freighter and hopefully into a new life.
Nomi woke her husband up when she realized they had landed. She was grateful he slept most of the flight.
"We're home, darling," she said softly.
Her husband opened his dead eyes and felt for Nomi's hands.
"Home," Dash repeated almost inaudibly.
"C'mon, I'll take you to the medbay."
The young woman helped her husband up and led him to the mid section of the Outrider where their smuggler friends and Lando Calrissian were gathered.
"It's time to say goodbye," said Salla Zend. "We fly to Tatooine in an Alliance transport and take a civilian transport back to Coruscant. No one can link us to Dash's escape so we can pick up our own ships and fly home without any Imperial entanglements."
Nomi smiled at them all while holding Dash's hand.
"Thank you for your help, my friends. It would have been an impossible task without you."
"There's no need to thank us," Talon Karrde replied. "That's what friends are for."
One by one, the smugglers and Lando said goodbye before exiting the Outrider and making their way to the waiting Alliance transport.
Nomi squeezed her husband's hand.
"We're going to the medbay now, darling. Leebo will take care of your ship."
Dash Rendar nodded and walked down the ramp, led by his wife.
It took them a while to reach the base's medbay.
There 2-1B was waiting for them, apparently informed by Leebo beforehand. The medi droid led them into an examination room, where Nomi helped her husband lie down on the exam table.
"Please wait outside, Captain Darklighter," the droid said in its mechanical voice.
Nomi gave her husband a kiss before complying with the request.
2-1B examined Dash very carefully while Nomi waited impatiently, pacing the hallway.
Eventually, the droid exited the exam room and approached Dash's wife.
"Please come with me, Captain," he said before leading Nomi into a room with two bacta tanks. In one of the tanks was Dash, floating in the healing fluid.
"The examination is complete, Captain Darklighter," he said to the pilot who was watching her husband. "The wounds caused by the torture will heal without scars. Lieutenant Rendar responds well to the bacta."
Nomi Darklighter nodded her head before asking the question that mattered most to her.
"What about Dash's eyes? Is it possible to restore his sight?"
She turned her head and looked at the droid, afraid to hear the answer because she was almost sure what it would be like.
"I'm sorry, Captain Darklighter, but the optic nerves are damaged beyond repair," 2-1B answered without any emotion. "Lieutenant Rendar will never see again. There is nothing we can do for him."
When she heard that, Nomi covered her mouth to keep from crying out in despair. Her worst fears came true, her husband would be blind forever. She had hoped so much that there would be a way to restore his sight. Nomi knew Dash would have a hard time accepting the diagnosis.
After one last look at her husband in the bacta tank, she left the room without a word. She wanted to be alone.
Outside, she sat down on a chair and buried her head in her hands because she didn't want anyone to see her tears.
Nomi startled when someone touched her right shoulder. When the young woman looked up, she saw Luke Skywalker standing in front of her.
"Sorry Nomi, I didn't mean to scare you," said the Jedi and sat down next to her. "Why are you crying?"
His childhood friend wiped her tears before looking at him. It was obvious he didn't know what had happened.
"Dash is blind, Luke. He will never see again," Nomi replied. "The Imps blinded him. 2-1B said there's no way to restore his sight. I don't know what to do, Luke."
Luke took her in his arms to comfort her.
"Your tears don't help Dash. Don't tell him about the diagnosis when he wakes up. Hide it from your husband for as long as possible. I think I have something that might help him."
Skywalker released her and stood up.
"I'll go look for it right away."
"Thank you, Luke. You just gave me new hope."
The young Jedi smiled at her. Then he turned and left.
A few minutes after Skywalker left, 2-1B came out of the bacta tank room and approached Nomi.
"Lieutenant Rendar is in a patient's room now, Captain Darklighter. You can visit him," the droid said, pointing at a door nearby.
"Thank you," the former Rogue Squadron pilot said before she entered the room where Dash lay asleep in bed.
Nomi calmly sat down on the chair next to her husband's bed so as not to wake him.
After a while, Dash woke up.
"Nomi?"
"I'm here, darling," his wife replied, taking his hand.
Dash had tears in his eyes.
"I was hoping this was all just a bad dream, Nomi. But unfortunately it's the truth. I'm blind. I'll never see you and the children again. I wish I was dead."
Nomi swallowed hard when she heard that, not knowing what to say.
"Tell me the truth, Nomi. There is no cure for me, am I right?"
He was still holding his wife's hand.
As Nomi looked into his dead eyes, she resorted to a lie.
"The exams are still ongoing, Dash. You must be patient."
"Why are you lying to me, Nomi?" Her husband asked with a sad undertone. "The exams are complete and 2-1B has concluded that I have lost my sight forever. Why don't you tell me the truth?"
While Nomi desperately searched for an answer, Luke entered the room. In his hand, the Jedi held a blood-red glowing crystal.
"Luke has come, Dash."
Her husband let go of her hand.
"Please go, Luke. I want to be alone with Nomi."
The young Jedi stopped and looked questioningly at Nomi.
"Darling, please let Luke stay. He said a few minutes ago that he has something that might help you."
She looked with interest at the crystal.
"What is that strange crystal, Luke? It almost looks like it's self-illuminating."
Luke held out the crystal to her.
"That's the Kaiburr Crystal, Nomi," he began to explain. "It comes from a temple on the planet Mimban. This crystal amplifies the Force. The priests of the temple were able to heal with its help. I experienced the healing power of the crystal myself when Leia was half dead after a fight with Vader. Perhaps the crystal can restore your husband's sight."
The young woman looked at her childhood friend doubtfully as he handed her the crystal. How could a stone amplify the Force?
"Open yourself to the Force," Luke said.
Nomi did as she was told.
"Yes this is good. Now touch Dash's eyes with the crystal."
Dash closed his eyes before his wife gently touched them with the Kaiburr Crystal.
The crystal's blood-red glow intensified before it crept out of the crystal and spread across Dash's closed eyes. Nomi felt the crystal's power and kept it on her husband's eyes for a while.
Finally, Dash opened his eyes and blinked.
"I can see…I can see," he said, looking at his wife.
Nomi gave Luke a grateful look before touching her husband's wounds with the crystal. These began to close until not even a small scar could be seen.
Looking up, Nomi saw tears in Dash's eyes, but this time they weren't tears of despair, they were tears of joy. He got out of bed.
When 2-1B walked in and saw Dash standing in front of him, healthy, the droid almost shorted out.
"From a medical point of view, what I see here is impossible. Lieutenant Rendar was hopeless when it came to restoring his sight. What happened here contradicts all experience."
The droid seemed confused and left the room.
Dash laughed before hugging and kissing Nomi.
"You saved me for the second time, honey," he said and held his wife tight.
"You don't have to thank me," Nomi protested. "If Luke hadn't had the crystal, there would have been no hope."
Dash let go of Nomi and took Luke's hand and shook it.
"Thank you, my friend."
The Jedi smiled at the former mercenary.
"You're welcome, Dash."
Together with Luke, they left the medbay and headed to Gista Topol to pick up their daughter. Overjoyed, Nomi rocked the baby snuggled up to her.
When they got to Luke, their sons ran towards them on short legs. Dash crouched down and caught the cheering boys.
"Mama! Daddy!"
Luke stood by, laughing.
"Do you three want to show your parents what you learned from me?" Skywalker asked, still laughing.
The triplets nodded and lined up side by side. In front of them lay a fist-sized stone. They stretched out their small hands and closed their eyes.
Slowly the stone rose and floated a hand's breadth above the ground.
Nomi knew immediately what that meant. Luke had already started her sons' Jedi training.
Finally, the boys dropped the rock back to the ground and looked at their parents with wide brown eyes.
"You did very well," Dash said, hugging his sons. "Your mother and I are very proud of you."
As Dash hugged his sons, Luke took Nomi aside.
"I sensed you used the Force when you saved Dash. You are almost a fully trained Jedi."
Nomi raised an eyebrow.
"Yes, I say almost, because there is one thing you must do before you are truly a Jedi."
His childhood friend wondered what kind of test that would be.
"By saving Dash, you have already passed your greatest test, Nomi," her master continued. "The task before you is to build your own lightsaber. I'll give you a book in which everything important is explained."
He went into the house, came back a moment later and handed her the book he had been talking about.
Nomi took it carefully and sat down on the ground with the book and her daughter. She flipped through the pages and saw a multitude of confusing schematics. It was a mystery to her how she would manage this task with three small children and a baby. Luke watched her.
"I'm sure you can do it, Nomi," the Jedi said, smiling.
Shortly thereafter, the reunited family said goodbye and went to their quarters. Nomi was lost in thought. She couldn't share Luke's optimism when it came to building her own lightsaber.