Wolf

He sits in the upstairs lounge with his little sister, Hollan, a book now laid idly in his lap. He couldn’t get past another page because he kept glancing longingly out the window, distracted by how badly he wished to be out there. He huffs, deciding that he’s finally had enough of staying within the confines of the dark-wood manor his family’s called home for the past five months. “Hey, Hollan,” he begins, “want to go to the market with me?”

She perks up instantly from her spot sprawled on the floor, paper and pens strewn around her. “Yes. I’m tired of drawing. It’s boring in here.”

“Let’s go ask mom then,” He says, setting his book aside and getting off the couch. Hollan hops to her feet eagerly, eyes shining with the amount of excitement only a six-year-old could have. She follows him downstairs to the foyer, where you’ve been busy talking with a diplomat for the past half hour. It’s another one of your small tasks in the grand scheme of things, taking unimportant meetings off Kylo’s plate and handling them in his stead. It’s most of what you’ve been doing while he’s away on a short expedition, one that’s only lasted three days with him scheduled to make it back this evening in time for the Star Sight Festival. Cade can tell you’re wrapping it up, so he and Hollan wait patiently to the side until the diplomat is shaking your hand with a smile and a farewell.

”Is it okay if I take Hollan to the market with me?” He asks you. “The bookstore is getting a new shipment today and I want to get there before it’s all picked through, and Hollan really likes looking at the shops.”

“Yeah! I wanna see what stuff they got,” She adds.

Cade watches you consider it, humming in thought. “Well… since your dad is out for the day I guess it should be alright…” You know how much Kylo hates letting the kids out on their own without you or himself to accompany them, terrified of the idea that they’d get taken by someone with enough power to do so. You can feel your husband’s displeasure at your decision across your bond before you’ve even said it. “Fine, but keep a close eye on your sister, and make sure your lightsaber is on you at all times. Take one of the guards with you as well.”

He sighs begrudgingly. He hears this spiel every time they go out somewhere. “I know, I know. I will.” His lightsaber is always on him anyway, ever since he got it. It was just over a year ago, when his father brought him to a planet that felt ancient beneath his feet. The crystal caves were mesmerizing, an abundance of different colors reflecting off one another, the kyber crystals thrumming with a subtle, entrancing tune. Cade couldn’t explain the way he was pulled to one end of the cave, how one crystal in particular called out to him and seemed as though it had been put there just for him. He used his Force abilities to take the crystal from the rock, something inside of him clicking into place when he held the stone of such a bright yellow that it was almost white in his hands. The surprise from his father at the color was subtle, hidden on his face, but nonetheless felt through their shared connection. Kylo had helped him forge the hilt, a sleek, beautiful mold made of silver and black metal, and it's been attached to his belt ever since.

As for their guard, Cade already knows who will be accompanying them. She goes by Vesken, and she stands nearby with one other, tall and spine straight, uniform freshly pressed, blood red hair styled into a messy wolf-cut laid against her shoulders. There’s polished armor attached to her forearms and thighs, with a blaster on each hip and a vibrosword in its sheath on the back of her belt. Her unnervingly silver eyes gleam expectantly, like she’s well aware that she’ll be chosen. She’s been around the longest out of the five guards that surround their family, brought on just before Hollan was born, and after being thoroughly vetted by Kylo. You had your suspicions that it was his way of replacing the Knights he had to kill on Exegol, his way of reforming a group he could trust to protect the only people that mattered to him in all the galaxy.

Vesken used to be an assassin, an excellently trained and deadly one, with scars aplenty hidden underneath her clothes. No one knows her true age except possibly Kylo, but Cade has guessed she is beyond the age of a normal human, despite looking no older than thirty. She’s well acquainted with both him and Hollan, occasionally playing as their teacher when there’s a subject she’s well versed in, and often being the one to watch them when their parents are away.

“Vesken, will you please join us?” Cade asks her.

She dips her head, a barely-there smile playing on the corners of her lips. “Of course, prince.”

“Mommy, can you do my hair please?” Hollan asks you, even though she seems like she’ll hardly be able to sit still long enough.

“Absolutely, sweetheart. C’mere,” You say, nodding towards the couches set up in the foyer around a table with half-eaten delicacies scattered across it. Hollan plops down beside you on the cushions, kicking her legs while your fingers comb through her tresses with all the gentleness in the world. Hollan’s hair is jet black like Cade’s—like their father’s—but her eyes are just like yours. Where Cade could almost be a replica of Kylo, Hollan is more of a nice mix between you two, with a rounded face and a strong nose. You finish your work quickly, taming Hollan’s mane into the half-up, half-down style that she’s deemed to be her favorite. When you’re done, she whips her small ponytail back and forth experimentally with a gap-toothed grin.

“Thanks, mommy!” She exclaims happily, hopping down.

“You’re welcome,” You respond with a smile of your own. Then you stand before them and hold them by the shoulders so they both have to endure a kiss on the forehead. Cade pretends to wipe it away dramatically and Hollan sticks out her tongue. “Be careful, you hear me? The market will be busier than usual today with the festival being tonight, and be back before your father gets home around dinner time.”

“We will, mom,” Cade assures you.

“I’ll watch over them, empress,” Vesken says with a hand pressed to her heart and a small, dutiful bow.

“I have no doubt, Vesken. Alright, be off then. Have fun,” You say, playfully shooing them away.

Cade doesn’t have to be told twice. He’s glad to be out the door and to feel the sun on his face, Hollan running a bit ahead of him with her arms thrown wide. They’re halfway down the small hill to the manor when he turns back to wave at you, knowing you’d be watching them leave from the front steps.

» ☆ «

The market is a bustling, lively thing.

Banners of different blue and purple shades hang from balconies and lampposts, ribbons with intricate constellations sewn into their fabric laced overtop, and special arrangements of flowers are settled into large pots placed periodically along the streets. There’s excitement buzzing in the air too, crackling like the embers from a fire, all for the Star Sight Festival. Cade can feel it pressing into him through the Force as soon as they reach the market’s border. Before they go any further, he makes Hollan take his gloved hand and swear she won’t let go even though she pouts. Vesken hangs back from them, keeping enough distance so that it’s not obvious she’s their guard, but close enough that if anything were to happen, she could intervene.

Cade’s hit with an abundance of smells as he lets the market atmosphere envelop him fully. The savory and sweet scents of food, the overlaying musk of so many bodies pressed together, the floral aroma from all the bouquets—it’s exactly what he needed after so long inside. One of his favorite things to do is explore whatever shopping or trading center is on the planet the Order is stopped at; it allows him to see so many different things, to experience so many different walks of life.

He weaves his way expertly through the crowd, keeping a firm grip on his sister’s hand, and trying not to be tempted by everyone peddling their wares. During the one other trip he made to the market, he discovered how rustic so many of the things being sold are. It’s things from the old times, from ages and planets that didn’t know such advanced technology, and it’s things that he’d probably have to search up in the First Order archives to fully understand their purpose. He loves it, and he so badly desires to use his generous allowance to buy one of everything.

He manages to stay focused on the path to the bookstore. It’s secluded, tucked behind an alley, making it easy to slip inside with a cheerful bell above the door announcing him. Cade takes a deep breath of the book smell, so wonderfully comforting and yet rare nowadays. He doesn’t care how many things he can read from the holopads provided by the Order, he’ll always prefer having something physical and worn in his hands. There are a few other patrons inside the shop, and it seems like he made it just in time; a worker with purple skin and small horns along the edges of her face is busy putting out the new titles from their shipment. He takes his time perusing through them and pointing some out to Hollan that he thinks she’d like so she doesn’t get horribly bored and fussy.

He ends up purchasing five titles—three for himself and two for his sister, though with less self-restraint he would’ve bought the whole store. “Is there anywhere you want to go, Hollan?” Cade asks her, heading back outside where Vesken is waiting for them.

The six-year-old takes a second to consider it, clearly thinking hard, before her face lights up. “The pen store!”

His brows furrow in confusion. He doesn’t know any stores by that name or category except- “Oh, you mean Ink and Quill? With the calligraphy supplies?”

“Yeah! I wanna go there!” She exclaims, tugging on his hand for emphasis.

They’d passed the place a couple of times before, and it always fascinated Hollan. The inky, papery smell that belongs to the shop is reminiscent of the scent that would linger on Kylo after a long night spent in his office, when there were more physical documents to sign off on rather than scans on a holopad. Then she caught a glimpse of the calligraphy set their father kept tucked away and unused in a closet aboard the Steadfast. Hollan took up a special interest in it, occasionally pestering you or Kylo to show her how to use it with the excuse that it would help her write better. She’s much like Cade, the two of them sharing a curiosity for older objects just like the calligraphy set, and he can see it showing in her expression as she absorbs everything within the market.

They walk through the streets, pass by sellers shouting out their newest sales to drum up business, and skirt around the long lines of popular food stalls. When they step into Ink and Quill, it’s like a blanket of quiet falls over them, like this is a place undisturbed by the outside world. A man with deep blue hair nods at them in greeting from near the counter, then continues his restock of the dip pens. Lining the walls are heavy scrolls of paper, ink bottles, and all kinds of different pens and accessories. Hollan’s hand slips out of his so that she can go look, her head turning in every direction. In one of the corners, a worker is doing a demonstration of one of their calligraphy sets for a Twi’lek, and Hollan lingers around them, eager to get a view of the neat brush strokes, the glossy black of the ink as it sets into the paper.

“Excuse me,” Cade begins, grabbing the attention of the blue-haired man, “I was wondering if you guys have anything that would be suitable for someone younger? My little sister loves this kind of thing but she doesn’t need anything super intricate or expensive just yet.”

The employee pauses to think, then sets down what he was working on. “We don’t have anything made for children specifically, but this is what you’d be looking for,” He says, motioning towards a section with smaller pens and glasses of ink. It’s obvious that they’re lower in quality, but that’s what he’d prefer for a girl just getting the hang of writing. She probably wouldn’t even use the calligraphy set yet, Cade guesses, but it’d be good to have.

“Hollan, c’mere,” He calls, to which she abandons the demonstration and hurries over. “What do you think of something like this? I think you’d do good with a set of your own.”

She looks from the items to him, almost in disbelief. “Really?”

The corner of his mouth quirks with a smile. “Yeah. I’m sure dad would teach you how to actually use it.”

“Yes! Thank you!” She says, bouncing on her toes.

They leave the store with a brush pen and fountain pen, a small bottle of ink, and a bundle of thick paper. Cade figured the brush pen would be easiest for her to start with and then she can move up when she’s ready. He carries the bag on his left arm with his books while his right hand is occupied by keeping hold of Hollan, doing his best to ignore the weight of his purchases digging into his crooked elbow. “Let’s take some time to browse, hm?” He says, glancing up at the sun and knowing they still have a good few hours to kill. Hollan agrees enthusiastically.

They wander until something catches someone’s eye and they take a moment to inspect, to decide if they’d want to bring it home, before moving on. There’s a shop selling skulls of rare creatures, a greasy man swathed in layers trying to get unsuspecting victims to buy fake kyber crystals, a weaver offering what she calls “the highest quality cloaks you can find”. There are old journals that Cade takes interest in, and then there’s a spot where Hollan pulls his hand so she can stop and study some shiny, odd looking toys.

The sun is halfway into the sky when they come upon the grocer, and Cade glances through the crates of produce, looking for star fruit, a speciality to this planet that you’ve fallen in love with. It’s aptly named for its pointed shape and yellow color, and you often request it from the kitchens, though last he heard they were running low. He finds a plethora of them off to the side, and starts picking through them for the best ones. He ignores any with bruises or nasty marks, and he lets himself be roped into the deal of ten for five. It’s when he’s handing over the credits that he stupidly realizes that he let go of his sister to inspect fruit, and that she is no longer beside him.

His stomach sinks so hard and fast that he feels like he could vomit. He whirls around in a frenzy, his chest constricting painfully, a cold sweat having begun under his clothes. “Hollan?!” He yells, but it’s impossible to be heard over the sea of bodies in the market. He tries again to no avail, and panic takes over his mind. He lost his sister, oh gods his father is actually going to kill him, and you might too just for good measure. Cade desperately pushes civilians to the side, still calling Hollan’s name, and almost collapses in relief when he sees her just across the street. She’s enraptured by some fuzzy creature in a cage, and she yelps when Cade roughly grabs her arm.

“I told you not to wander off, Hollan!” He shouts, his chest still heaving while his brain struggles to get in enough oxygen to think clearly again. “Do you have any idea what could’ve happened?”

Tears immediately spring forth, her lower lip trembling. Her own unstable Force signature is eager to feed off his turbulent emotions, mirroring them back to her. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

He sighs, softening almost immediately. He crouches down to her level. “I know. I’m sorry I yelled, you just scared me. You can get lost really easily in a place like this, so you have to stay by my side, okay? No matter what.”

She nods, avoiding his gaze while she stubbornly wipes at her eyes. Cade is vaguely aware that Vesken was probably locked in on Hollan the entire time, that she wouldn’t have let anyone near her, and one glance at their guard boring holes into them through the crowd proves him right. Vesken has a habit of leaving him to flounder and figure things out himself in moments of crisis, even if it scares the shit out of him, and he supposes this is one of those moments. Tough love, she’d probably call it.

“How about we go get some lunch? I think it’ll make both of us feel better,” Cade offers, glad when his sister perks up a little.

They find a place that’s small, somewhere that isn’t packed and they won’t have to wait an hour to get food. It’s also near the large fountain in the town square where a band has been playing, their music enchanting and in a language he doesn’t know all that well. Cade lets Hollan order whatever she wants, and they both enjoy a hot meal bursting with savory flavors. It’s after he gets a pleading look from Hollan that he also gets them a dessert of fried dough covered in a heap of sugar paired with a sweet berry sauce. Cade can sense his sister’s enjoyment, coming through their budding Force bond as sparks and bright colors, and it makes him smile.

With sugar still dusting their faces, they head into the square to properly enjoy the music. The wind instruments carry through the air, the drums reverberate in Cade’s chest, and the song makes something in him want to run through the woods just to feel nature all around him. Thanks to their father and his desire to keep his children concealed to the best of his ability, Cade and Hollan are mostly unknown by the common population, so they can sway and dance to the tune in peace just like everyone else. It’s what you wanted for them—being able to enjoy the small things, to know that there’s more out there beyond the First Order, beyond giving your life to a cause. He’s always been appreciative of that, especially after hearing stories from both you and Kylo, and after the turbulent experience that was his formative years. Seeing the unburdened joy within his sister and knowing she won’t have to struggle the same makes him grateful.

» ☆ «

Blue has turned to orange and the sun is saying its goodbyes when Cade, Hollan, and Vesken are making their way back up the hill to the manor. He knows they’re late based on the amount of shuttles now parked in the ship yard, and he just hopes you won’t give him too much of an earful. With heavy arms from his purchases and Hollan dragging her tired feet behind him, he pushes open the double doors to the foyer, where you and Kylo stand talking to each other. Officers are idling nearby, awaiting further orders from their emperor and occupying themselves with their holopads in the meantime.

Kylo is in his usual attire, having just come from his completed expedition. His dark robes and the heavy cape attached to his collar makes him cut an intimidating figure paired with the scars marring the skin of his face. Silver hair has begun to just barely dust his temples, though it gets quickly swallowed by the thick strands of black.

“Daddy!” Hollan exclaims, instantly rejuvenated at the sight of their father, taking a running start towards him.

“Hello, sweetness,” Kylo says, crouching down to easily catch and scoop her up, holding her against his hip.

While she tells him all about her new calligraphy set and makes him promise to show her how to use it one day, you give Cade a knowing look, the silent judgement of his tardiness enough to make him sheepish. He holds out the star fruit as a peace offering. “Sorry?”

You hesitate, pursing your lips, eyeing him and then the fruit before you relent with a sigh. “I’ll let you off the hook this time. Just don’t let it happen again,” You say. You take the gift from him and brush some of his hair back so you can place a kiss on his forehead once again. “Thank you, honey. Did you have a good time? I see you bought quite a bit.”

He laughs. “Yeah, I went a little overboard, I think. I just want to grab as much as I can before we leave this planet. It has so many interesting things.”

“Well, if you find yourself missing it a whole bunch, I can always bring you back here no problem,” You offer.

Cade beams. “Thanks, mom.”

“Now both of you go get cleaned up for dinner. The festival will be starting in almost an hour and I want you to eat first,” You order, ushering him and Hollan upstairs.

When they come back down, all of the officers have disappeared, delegated to their respective tasks by you or Kylo, and Vesken has been allowed to retire for the night, meaning it’s just your little family around the table. Cade recounts everywhere he and his sister had gone, everything they had seen in the market, like the band in the square and all the pretty decorations for the festival. He’s been looking forward to the actual event ever since you told him the Order would be staying on the surface for another week, and he spent that time reading all about it. The Star Sight Festival always happens on the forty-fifth night of summer, and on that night, hundreds of shooting stars streak across the sky, creating a brilliant display. It was said that centuries ago, prophets would use the stars' fall to read visions and predict the outcome of the following year. He can’t wait to see it for himself.

After dinner is done and the plates are cleared away, Cade and Hollan can hardly sit still with their anticipation. There’s a watchtower at the edge of the property that will give them a perfect view of the sky, and you tell them and Kylo to go on ahead while you put together some final touches. Once they’re gone, an attendant helps you into a special outfit that had been gifted by an ambassador of the planet, specially tailored to you just for the festival. It’s a beautiful piece—a light and airy suit with a deep neckline and wide, flowing sleeves, colored in a beautiful ombré of white, blue, and dark purple, with what look like little stars dotted into the fabric. It’s made of a silky material that sits nicely against your skin, and the translucent white cape sewn into the shoulders flows behind you like a trail of stardust when you climb the steps of the watchtower.

Hollan is the first to notice you as you reach the top, a little gasp leaving her. “You look so pretty, mommy!”

You smile, smoothing over a small wrinkle in the pants. “Thank you, baby.”

Your husband can’t take his eyes off of you, especially with the way the moon shines down on you, illuminating you like you’re something not of this world, of this solar system. He doesn’t hesitate to draw you into his side. “You’re beautiful,” Kylo murmurs close to your ear, a subtle heat blooming in your cheeks as his hand settles at the base of your spine.

“It’s starting!” Cade says, hurrying to the railing of the outlook, eyes wide and sparkling as the first shooting stars dash across the black canvas of night. Then they begin to appear in earnest, until the whole sky is full of them. Even though you’ve spent much of your life in space, few things compare to getting to watch unique astral phenomena such as this, with hundreds upon hundreds of stars lighting up the earth while folk sing and dance and play in the town just below.

You lift Hollan into your arms so she can see better, chuckling at her slack-jawed expression while she cranes her neck all the way back. The very beginning of the festival is the main attraction, though there will be celebrations held until dawn, and shooting stars will continue to fall in lesser numbers until the rising sun makes them impossible to see. You bask in this peaceful moment, with your family surrounding you and the Force washing over you like a tranquil stream, allowing you to let your worries slip from your mind for just a few hours.

You lose track of how long you stand there, looking up, and you’re only snapped out of it when you realize that Hollan has gone limp against you, her head tucked into the crook of your neck. You huff a small laugh, well aware of how worn out she must be from having spent the day with her brother and with all the excitement of the festival. “Cade,” you say softly, “would you mind taking your sister to bed? We’ll be back down to the manor in a little while.”

“Sure, mom,” Cade says, fighting a yawn.

“You do the same, alright? You need to get some sleep so you’ll have the energy to start packing tomorrow.” You tell him while carefully transferring your daughter. She only grumbles a little, but thankfully doesn’t wake. Cade nods and then disappears down the stairs.

You join Kylo at the railing, your arms brushing against each other’s while a gentle breeze blows through your capes. “Aren’t you glad I convinced you to stay here a little longer?” You ask teasingly, nudging his shoulder.

He hums contemplatively. “Yes, I guess it is nice. The kids clearly enjoyed it.” He turns to you, cupping your jaw, tilting your face so he can meet your lips with his. It’s gentle and warm, a simple declaration of love with the stars to bear witness.

It would be so, so easy to get lost in it, in him, but you force yourself to pull away, a hand resting on his chest. “Come with me, I have something to show you,” You say with a glint in your eye. Kylo doesn’t object, merely letting you take him by the hand out of the watchtower and into the connected observatory that’s been mostly abandoned. It’s hardly ever used, which means that the massive, empty space with its domed glass roof is perfect to act as your own private ballroom. Kylo follows your lead, knowing exactly where your train of thought is going, and next thing you know, your bodies are pressed together and you’re following simple, swaying moves to the music that filters in through the walls. The songs of the festival have taken a quieter turn, string instruments being replaced with flutes and pipes, the heavy smacks of drums becoming a rhythmic tap.

You rest your head just under Kylo’s chin with a content sigh. “I like this. I can’t remember the last time we danced.”

“It was at our wedding,” Kylo responds, thinking back on it.

You scoff. “That was almost eight years ago now.”

Your wedding had been a small affair, brought on after Kylo expressed his desire to be with you in more than just name, to put a ring on your finger so everyone knew what you were to him. It hadn’t been anything huge or grandiose, it was only a signing of documents and an exchange of expertly crafted rings, with just Cade and a few First Order officials present. After it’d been done, you’d had a quiet moment together where you danced just like this, hand in hand.

It makes you smile to remember it, and as Kylo holds you close with an arm around your waist, you decide that if you could stay here for an eternity with shooting stars overhead, music surrounding you, and your heart feeling lighter than it’s ever been, you would.

☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆.。.:*・°☆ .。.:*