The next day, Nomi woke up early after a restful night and had just finished feeding Tasherit when Dash sat down on the couch next to her. He gave her a tender kiss and stroked his little daughter's hair.
"Good morning you two. Did you sleep well, darling?"
His wife nodded as she closed her robe.
"Are our sons still sleeping?"
The Jedi reached out with the Force and sensed the triplets' presence. As she felt the gentle and calm flow of the Force in the children's room, she smiled.
"Yes, darling, our sons are still sound asleep," she answered her husband's question before calling his trusty droid. "Leebo!"
Surprisingly, the droid came immediately, contrary to his usual behavior.
"Yes, Nomi?" He asked in his mechanical voice and pointed his photoreceptor at the Jedi.
The young woman held the baby out to him.
"Please take Tasherit, Leebo. She needs fresh diapers."
The droid took the little human as carefully as possible. He wasn't programmed to care for children, but he did his best.
"Of course, Nomi. C'mon, little one, let's go to the children's room now."
Tasherit chuckled happily as the droid carried her into the adjoining room.
After handing her daughter to Leebo, Nomi stood up and went to the refresher to take a shower. Once she had taken off her robe, she went into the shower and activated it.
It didn't take long before Dash followed her. As soon as he entered the shower, he kissed his wife tenderly and began soaping her back.
Suddenly there was a pounding on the door and they heard Leebo's voice.
"Nomi! Captain Rendar!"
Dash let go of Nomi and looked at the door, slightly annoyed.
"Isn't it possible to be undisturbed? What's wrong, Leebo? I hope for your sake it's important!"
Dash exited the shower, wrapped a towel around his waist and opened the door.
"Damn..." he paused and stared at the sight before him.
In the meantime, Nomi had also left the shower, put on her robe and went to the door.
She looked at the droid standing on the doorstep holding Biggs. The boy was bleeding from a wound on his forehead and whimpering softly. Rendar took his son from Leebo and examined the wound.
"It's a cut, Nomi. How could this happen, Leebo? Anyway, you can tell us later. I'll take Biggs to the medbay."
Dash hastily dressed before leaving with his bleeding and crying son.
His wife reached out with the Force to see if all was well with their other children.
As she reached for Dash Jr., she felt dark emotions emanating from her eldest. His mother wondered if he was responsible for Biggs' injury.
After her husband left, Nomi got dressed and went to the children's room. She opened the door and walked in. Her eldest son looked at her guiltily, still holding the vibro knife, but the dark emotions his mother had felt before were gone.
"Why have you hurt your brother, Junior?" Nomi asked with a serious expression, her arms crossed over her chest.
The boy looked at his mother with his big brown eyes and dropped the knife.
"There was a man, Mama," he whispered, looking down.
The answer made Nomi prick up her ears and she knelt down in front of her son.
"What man, Dash? How was he supposed to get in here?"
Corran approached them and placed his small hand on his mother's shoulder.
"Yes, Mama, a very old man," her youngest confirmed his brother's statement. "I saw him too. He looked kind of strange. The man was wearing black clothing and his face was half covered by a hood. His eyes were a strange color. They were almost yellow. What's wrong with you, Mama?" Corran grabbed her hand. "You're suddenly so pale."
Nomi shook her head.
"It's nothing, Corran. Tell me more. Has the man spoken to you?"
"He wanted me to hurt Biggs to punish you for your failure, Mama," Dash Jr. started crying. "I couldn't resist that voice in my head. Suddenly I had the knife in my hand and Biggs was bleeding"
The Jedi pulled her eldest into her arms and stroked his unruly curls to calm him.
"It's all good, Junior, it's certainly not as bad as it looked. Your father went to 2-1B with Biggs."
Dash Jr. wiped his tears on his sleeve and sniffled. Nomi took a cloth, wiped the boy's nose and gave him a kiss. Her son looked at her hopefully.
"You're not mad at me, Mama?"
His mother hugged him.
"No, Dash, I'm not mad at you. It wasn't your fault, sweetie. I underestimated the dark side. From a certain point of view, what happened is my fault."
Her sons looked questioningly at the Jedi.
Just then, Nomi's husband came back with Biggs. The wound on her son's forehead had been covered with synth flesh and bandaged.
"It wasn't as bad as it looked, Nomi. However, there will be a scar," Dash Rendar said, handing the boy to his mother after she stood up. "When he grows up, the scar on his forehead will increase his chances with women. Women love scoundrels and he'll look so daring with that scar that everyone will think he's a scoundrel."
Nomi put Biggs on the floor and grabbed her husband's arm.
"Please come, Dash, I need to talk to you."
She pulled him into the living room and sat on the couch with him. Dash looked at her in surprise.
"Did I say something wrong, Nomi?"
His wife took his hand and sighed.
"Me and the children need to get out of here, Dash."
"Why?"
The Jedi considered how she should explain the reason to her husband.
"The late Emperor influences our sons. He had Dash Jr. injure Biggs with the vibro knife to punish me for not killing Luke."
"The Emperor?" Dash looked at her doubtfully.
Nomi nodded her head, still holding his hand.
"First you and now our sons. Where do you want to go?"
"We will go to Hoth, Dash. The Echo Base has been re-established. The New Republic operates a research station there. A friend of mine, Naala Dareia, works there. I can certainly find shelter with her," his wife replied.
Hearing this, Rendar frowned.
"You want to go to Hoth with the children? Why Hoth? You could go to our friends on Nar Shaddaa. Shug and Salla would be happy."
Nomi shook her head.
"No, Nar Shaddaa isn't the place, Dash. I need a place that is completely isolated and where there is the least risk of the dark side influencing me or our children."
"I think it's better if you talk to Luke about it. He can tell you, as your Jedi Master, what to do in this case."
"You're right, I should talk to Luke about it. But first I have to go to X-wing training." She let go of her husband's hand, stood up and made her way to the simulator room.
Nomi was distracted, still thinking about the recent event, and when she got out of the simulator, Wedge was standing there shaking his head.
"What's on your mind, Nomi? As bad as today, you haven't flown in a long time. And your hit ratio..."
"Don't ask, Wedge," the young pilot replied as she removed her helmet. "I can't tell you. You won't understand."
The Rogue Squadron commander looked at her hurt.
"Hey, Nomi, we could always talk about everything."
"Not this time, Wedge," Nomi shook her head. "I think only Luke can help me in this case."
"I see," Antilles turned away sadly and sighed. "You've changed a lot since you found out you were a Jedi, Nomi."
The pilot put a hand on his arm.
"Please, Wedge, let's talk about this another time."
He removed her hand from his arm.
"It's okay, Nomi. It's probably better if I go to my X-wing now."
Without another word, he turned around and made his way to the hangar. Nomi felt his sadness through the Force and it hurt her.
After Antilles left her alone, Nomi decided to go to the medbay to talk to Luke Skywalker and ask him for advice.
She took a deep breath as she stood in front of the door to her friend's room and heard his voice through the closed door.
"Come in, Nomi! I've been expecting you!"
When the Jedi opened the door and entered, she saw Luke sitting cross-legged and bare-chested on the floor. He had apparently been meditating. Even if she looked closely, there was no trace of the wound she had inflicted on him. Like the wound on his upper arm, it had healed without leaving a scar.
She sat cross-legged on the floor in front of him.
"What's wrong with you, Nomi? I sense that you're afraid," Skywalker spoke to her in the Force.
She told him what had happened to her sons. Luke had listened intently the whole time without interrupting her.
"That's why I want to go to Hoth with my children, Luke," she finally finished.
Skywalker shook his head.
"Escape isn't a solution, Nomi. There's no point in running away. The dark side is part of us. You can't escape. There is good and evil in each of us and you have to decide for yourself which side you want to serve. No, Nomi, you must stay here on Coruscant and face this challenge."
His friend looked at him thoughtfully.
"But my children, Luke, I can't protect them. The Emperor is very powerful even in death. I could never forgive myself if something happened to my children."
Luke stood up and helped her stand.
"Come, Nomi," he said, putting his arm around her shoulders and walking with her to the small seating area in the corner of the room.
"Sit down please."
Nomi followed his request. Luke took her hand and she looked at him expectantly.
"Your children, like you, are very strong in the Force, Nomi," Skywalker began. "I want to train them when I'm healthy again. But I can't do that while you're on Hoth because my responsibilities to the New Republic keep me here. And you're not a Jedi Master yet, so you can't train your children."
"But I've already learned so much from you, Luke. I feel the Force and can use it."
Luke smiled at her.
"Yes, but that's not enough. You are too soft because you love your children very much. I'm not sure you would intervene with the necessary force if they experimented with the dark side."
Nomi realized he was right. It would harm her children more if she fled with them to Hoth than if they stayed on Coruscant. She stood up and smiled at Luke.
"You helped me a lot, Luke, now I can see more clearly and make the right decision. I will remain on Coruscant and you will continue to show me and my children the ways of the Force."
Luke also stood up and accompanied her to the door.
"You made a wise decision, Nomi. The Force will be with you and your family."
Nomi's husband was already waiting for her in their quarters. He cradled Tasherit in his arms and looked at her expectantly.
"Should I get the Outrider ready to go, honey?"
His wife shook her head and walked towards him.
"No, that's not necessary. We'll stay here on Coruscant."
Dash looked at her dumbfounded.
"But you wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible, Nomi."
She took Tasherit from his arms and placed her in her crib.
"Luke convinced me it was better to stay," the Jedi replied as she came back into the living room.
"I hope you and the boy know what you're both doing," Dash said as he began to undress.
Nomi walked up to her husband and hugged him.
He leaned in to give her a gentle kiss and whispered in her ear as he unzipped his wife's uniform.
"Shall we continue where we were interrupted by Leebo?"
Instead of answering, Nomi took him by the hand and they walked together into the refresher, where Dash locked the door.
This time no one disturbed them.