The Adventures of Nomi Darklighter

Chapter 96 - A bad Surprise

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.