Dash Rendar had docked the Outrider at the medical frigate. He checked his chrono before walking over to his wife, who was resting in the YT-2400's mid section.
"It's time for your appointment with 2-1B," he said, helping Nomi get up from the bench she was lying on. "I'm sure it's just a routine checkup and after that we can fly to Tatooine."
His wife nodded and pressed her free hand to her aching back. Dash looked at her worried.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, darling," she replied, smiling at her husband. "It's just because of our daughter's weight."
Rendar raised an eyebrow.
"You never complained about back pain when you were pregnant with the triplets," he said thoughtfully.
"Let's see our medi droid, Dash," the pregnant woman said, opening the hatch and boarding the frigate.
Her husband followed her and together they made their way to where 2-1B was already waiting for them. The droid led them into an exam room.
The droid trained its photoreceptors on Nomi, who closed her coverall after the examination.
"You can no longer make the journey to Tatooine, Captain Darklighter," the droid began. "It looks like the birth will start in a few hours. You must have already felt false labor and the cervix is starting to open."
Dash stared at the droid and then at his wife.
"That can't be true. The calculated due date should be within two standard weeks,
2-1B," he finally said. "Here in the medical frigate, Nomi can't be properly cared for."
He recalled his wife claiming the back pain was due to their daughter's weight, now he knew better.
"Captain Darklighter will receive the best medical attention, Lieutenant Rendar," the droid said. "Everything you need is here in the medical frigate. Trust me, everything will be fine."
Nomi's husband sighed.
"I hope so because I don't want my wife to suffer unnecessarily during the birth. Nomi shouldn't have to suffer like she did when she gave birth to the triplets in hyperspace. Believe me, I did my best, but it was tough."
As he said this, he looked lovingly at his wife and took her hand.
"It will be easier this time because it's just one child, Lieutenant Rendar. Would you like to be present at the birth, sir?"
"Of course I want to be there," Dash replied before turning to Nomi. "I'll be right back after I told Leebo to take care of the triplets, darling."
Then he left and went back to the Outrider.
When Dash returned, he sat down next to his wife.
"How are you feeling, Nomi?"
He took her hand and stroked it tenderly. Nomi squeezed his hand as the first contraction hit her full force. She gasped and looked at her husband.
"It's beginning," she said almost inaudibly.
Dash helped her up and walked her to the frigate's makeshift delivery room. It took a while because Nomi could only walk slowly and had to stop at the next contraction. Eventually they reached their destination, where 2-1B was already waiting for them.
While Nomi slowly removed her coverall and lay down on the cot, Dash approached the droid.
"I have a request, 2-1B."
"Yes, Lieutenant Rendar?"
"I want to help my daughter get to this galaxy. She shouldn't feel a droid's grasping arms as a first impression of her new surroundings."
The medi droid hesitated for a split second.
"Well, that's a bit of an unusual request, but you did a good job of helping your wife with the birth of the triplets. Yes, you can do it, Lieutenant Rendar. I'm also there if there are any unexpected complications."
Rendar smiled.
"Thank you for your understanding," Dash said with a smile and went to the cot where his wife lay.
The delivering woman clutched her fingers in the sheets as the next contraction hit and gritted her teeth to keep from screaming. Sweat trickled down her forehead and while 2-1B stood unperturbed and oversaw everything, Dash grabbed a cloth and gently wiped away the sweat.
"Maybe the relaxation techniques Luke showed you could help ease the pain, honey," Dash suggested, feeling almost as helpless as he had during the birth of the triplets.
Nomi took a deep breath and followed her husband's suggestion, not wanting to rely on painkillers. After a while the pain subsided.
After two hours, the contractions were coming at shorter and shorter intervals. 2-1B studied the readouts and seemed pleased with them.
During the next contraction, Nomi felt moisture on her legs and she knew her water had broken. Dash wiped her forehead.
"You're doing well, darling," he said, kissing her cheek.
His wife was unable to answer as she was completely focused on the birth and her daughter's feelings she felt in the Force. Nomi sensed Tasherit didn't quite agree with what was happening to her and didn't want to leave the protection of the womb. But that was the point of no return. The contractions kept getting stronger. Thanks to
Jedi relaxation techniques, Nomi felt little pain. As if from afar, she heard Dash's voice.
"You have to push, darling."
2-1B left the monitors and went over to the cot.
"Your husband is right, you must push, Captain Darklighter," the droid said in its mechanical voice.
"I can see her head already," said Dash excitedly.
Seconds later, Tasherit slipped out of her mother's body and into her father's hands.
He picked up the baby and placed it on his wife's stomach. Mother and daughter were still connected by the umbilical cord.
Nomi tenderly stroked her daughter's head.
"Welcome, little Tasherit," she whispered, feeling exhausted but happy.
2-1B handed Dash a scalpel to cut the umbilical cord. As the proud father did so, Tasherit let out her first cry.
"Congratulations, Captain Darklighter, you have given birth to a healthy daughter. Congratulations on your daughter, Lieutenant Rendar."
Dash picked up his newborn daughter and carried her to the sink to clean her.
When he was done, he dressed her. He then walked back after 2-1B examined the baby and placed Tasherit in Nomi's arms before lovingly kissing his wife.
"Thank you for the gift you gave me, Nomi," he said in a trembling voice. "You have no idea what this child means to me."
Meanwhile, the medi droid examined the young woman and found everything to be alright.
Not long after, Nomi was taken to a room and laid on a clean bed, where she fell asleep.
When she woke up, her husband was sitting by her bed, proudly holding their newborn daughter in his arms. He gently rocked the little girl and hummed softly to himself. Nomi looked at him in astonishment. It was as if the last traces of the cynical, selfish mercenary and smuggler Dash Rendar had disappeared with the birth of his daughter. Tasherit was hungry and started crying. Her father handed her to her mother, who opened her shirt to feed her. As Dash watched Tasherit sucking at her mother's breast, tears came to his eyes against his will. He wiped them off, but Nomi had already seen them.
"What is it, Dash?" She asked. "You should be happy."
Her husband swallowed hard and wiped away another tear.
"I'm happy," he assured her. "But I was thinking of the past, Nomi."
His wife looked at him questioningly while Tasherit sucked eagerly.
"What is it, Dash? Don't you want to tell me?"
At first he shook his head, but then he began to speak.
"Didn't you ever wonder why I wanted a daughter with you?"
His wife nodded.
"Yes, sometimes, Dash," she replied. "It seemed like you were obsessed with the idea."
"I've never told you much about my past, Nomi." Dash took a deep breath before continuing. "That's why you can't know that I once loved a woman as much as I love you now. Her name was Tasherit Goranan. We fell in love and were about to get married when she got pregnant by me. She was six months pregnant when it happened. I wasn't there because I was smuggling spice out of Kessel for Jabba the Hutt. Neighbors told me she was at the market when there was a riot.
The stormtroopers patrolling the area fired into the crowd, not caring if they hit bystanders. Tasherit was shot dead and our unborn daughter died with her. Suddenly all my wishes and hopes were destroyed. I thought I would never be able to recover from this second heavy blow of fate. Over time, I built a wall of arrogance and aloofness because I never wanted to get hurt again. But then you crossed my path and I fell in love with you, Nomi. When our sons were born, I constantly had the image of my daughter, who was never born, in my mind."
The ex-smuggler and ex-mercenary sighed and looked at his wife, who had been listening without saying anything.
"Please forgive me for naming our child after my late love."
Nomi looked lovingly at her husband.
"There's nothing to forgive, Dash. I'm not jealous of your past," she said. "Tasherit is a very beautiful name."
Their daughter had meanwhile fallen asleep. Nomi handed Tasherit over to her father, who put her in the adjacent crib while she buttoned her shirt. Dash kissed his daughter's forehead before kissing his wife.
"Thank you for everything. I'll come back tomorrow and bring the triplets to meet their sister, darling."
He kissed her again and then he left. Nomi smiled and turned her head to look at her sleeping daughter, the daughter who made her husband happy and sad at the same time.