Disclaimer: Canna and Kerrick are mine. Everything else is the property of Lucas film or Disney.
O0o
Princess Leia had been adopted into the hearts of every citizen of Alderaan, and pictures of her as an adorable child had been shown prominently on the holonet. Kerrick had never been very interested in the celebrity gossip or the increasingly politically skewed coverage of reporters on the holonet. However, even he realized that the small but very solid force that had just rammed into his legs was definitely the spitting image of a younger Leia.
"Daddy, you're home!" exclaimed the child.
Kerrick grinned at his daughter, who was wearing her brown hair twisted into buns, one on either side of her head. Four-year-old Canna was a devoted admirer of the royal princess of Alderaan, and since becoming royalty was out of her reach, the child had declared she wanted to be a Senator when she grew up. Despite his career as a local Alderaanian politician, Kerrick had not been thrilled that his daughter wanted to enter the pit of rancors that was the Imperial Senate. Nonetheless, he knew Canna couldn't have adopted a better role model, and she would do just fine following Leia's example. All of Alderaan was proud of their princess, who was the voice of truth and courage in a government blinded by the Emperor's dire threats and silky-sweet promises. Why, just yesterday Bail Organa had been telling him about Leia's latest mission, to find-
Canna's excited voice interrupted his thoughts. "Daddy, what's that?" she asked, pointing. Kerrick followed her small finger, and fingers of icy fear curled around his heart.
A dark globe. A battle station. Conveying the latest news he had heard in a transmission from the Rebellion, Bail had told Kerrick of its potential.
And its potential was targeting Alderaan. As he watched, laser beams began to shoot out, converging on a neon green point…
He grabbed Canna, flinging himself to the ground. He barely heard her cry of confusion. For a few seconds that felt like years, his thoughts spun. The weapon is operational. Kerrick hugged Canna's small, warm body tightly. The weapon is operational. He buried his nose in Canna's hair, which smelled of soap and grass. Leia had been on a mission. Where was she now? Captured, already dead? Canna's arms were wrapped around his neck. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't tell if it was because of Canna's strangling embrace, or if it was worry because of the looming dark moon. No, it's not a moon. It's a super weapon. And it's operational… They were all going to die. Even his own sweet princess, his Canna. Oh, my little Senator-to-be! Oh, Alderaan…
Before the tears could even begin to well in his eyes, there was a deafening roar. He was thrust into the air, his child flung from his arms, fiery pain crackling through each inch of bone, muscle, and skin. Everything exploded into light, plunging all of them- him, his Canna, Alderaan- into darkness.