Hiraeth

Prologue

Special thanks to my beta-reader Chridder (from A03) for helping me out with this.

Special thanks to Darkangel4066 (from AO3) for making this book cover for me.

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Ken Palpatine was known among his family and circle of friends as a good strategist, a hopeful person, with an upbeat personality and a good fighter. But right now all he feels is complete and utter despair, no light of hope on the horizon.

A few weeks ago the planet Shumari, the one he promised his uncle to protect, fell at the hands of the First Order.

The memories of that day will be forever imprinted like a frightening nightmare that refuses to go away. Even now, the images play in his mind...

He's surrounded by a sea of bodies belonging to both parties, standing proud, even as his body aches in protest, even though he can barely hold his lightsaber.

Even facing this herald of death, clad from head to toe in black with a terrifiant mask concealing his face, wasn't enough to make Ken lose composure. Even if this herald of death, that he was facing, was known throughout the galaxy as the Jedi Killer or Kylo Ren.

Standing eye to eye with the enemy, Ken realized two things.

First, he won't leave this battlefield alive, if he even leaves it at all. He knows his opponent likes to burn his enemies to ash, so his family won't have a body to bury, if he dies today.

The second thing he realizes is he won't see his family ever again, and his heart aches at the thought. He won't be able to tease his cousin, Rey, or train with her or watch the stars from the swing on their balcony. He won't be able to hug his wife or to tell her how much he loves her. Or to see his daughter grow into a fine lady.

He won't see his family ever again, because his opponent isn't the type to spare anyone, not even people who have family waiting for them.

The proof of Ren's cruelty lies at his feet.

Even if his heart longed to see his family one last time, strangely enough, he's at peace with himself... something he know his opponent doesn't have.

Ken knows his death today is the will of the Force, so he calls upon all his strength and waits for his adversary to make a move.

His wait doesn't last, because in a few long strides, Kylo Ren is upon him, forcing him into a defensive stance.

No matter how Ken parries the hits, hoping to tire Ren and take him out at the cost of his own life... his tactic doesn't work.

In a matter of seconds, his lightsaber flies from his hands, leaving Ken defenseless.

As Kylo Ren goes for the killing blow, Ken closes his eyes behind his own mask, waiting to become one with the Force.

But the killing blow never comes. When Ken dares to open his eyes and look at his soon-to-be-killer, he sees him in a crouched position, like he was just being Force pushed. His hunch is confirmed, when someone tucks his sleeve pulling him away, and he doesn't have to look to know... that someone is Rey, his younger cousin, known to the galaxy as Kira, just like Ken is known as Fulcrum.

Together, they scramble to a Starfighter and escape the planet.

As the memory fades, Ken is left with nothing but uncertainty. He doesn't know what to do. He knows it won't be long before Kylo Ren comes to demand accountability. By now, he's surely discovered some soldiers from the Shumari's army were sent by him.

The only ones Ken can go to for help is Leia Organa and the woman who raised him since he was twelve years old, Ederlathh Pallopides.

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This story is canon divergent ( a combination of EU + canon).

Disclaimer: Star Wars is the property and creation of Lucas Film and Disney. I own none of the characters and places mentioned in this story.