For ladiesbingo
Sep. 10th, 2020 06:03 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ladyofleithianTitle: The Lightsaber As A Centerpiece
Summary: Rey speaks with Leia after Crait.
Prompt: Free Space — Mentors
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Don’t know how well I followed bingo rules, but I thought this would fit as a ladiesbingo prompt.
Even sitting alone in her room, Rey couldn’t help but feel like even putting the lightsaber back together was a struggle. She could still remember, all too well, when she had tried to save Kylo — save Ben. She couldn’t help but think that he was still Ben, even though he had effectively snuffed that out.
(She had felt his rage. She had seen it. It was like killing Snoke had been the last barrier to it, like Snoke was keeping a rabid cur on a leash. She shuddered to think about what would happen next, what he would become)
The lightsaber was broken in half. Was there really any retrieving it, she wondered. Was there really anything left?
Rey sighed, getting up from her seat just to get to the main hold, where Leia was sitting. Leia was deep in thought, seeming almost...sad. Beautiful, but sad. Rey wondered how she continued — how she pressed on even after losing just about everything.
"Hello, Rey.” Leia raised her head just then, smiling if faintly.
“Are you all right?” Rey said.
A sigh from Leia. “It’s been a long day.”
That was an understatement, at least. Rey said, “I...might have broken your brother’s lightsaber. I’m sorry about that."
“That’s a shame.” Leia said. “As I understand it, that lightsaber got you out of more than a few scrapes.”
Rey nodded. “I was afraid of taking it up at first. I saw...” She trailed off. Even thinking back to the Supremacy...
Did Kylo really know the truth, about her parents?
“I saw my parents,” Rey said. “It was a lot for me to take in." She took a deep breath. “And then Finn got hurt, and I couldn’t just stand by.”
It was Finn, she thought. In the end, what had inspired her to fight was Finn. Hearing those horrifying screams. She hoped she could at least tell him.
“You and my brother are a lot alike.”
Rey snorted. “He was different, when I met him.”
“How different?”
“He...” Rey sighed. “I have to at least tell you. About him and your son. Your brother...briefly contemplated killing your son. Before he fell to the Dark Side proper.”
Leia went rigid. “What? When?"
Rey told her. “He resisted at the last minute,” she said. “Your son told me, and Luke admitted it. He made all sorts of excuses. Stuff like ‘sensing Darkness’ in him, and him contributing to killing everything Luke loved before he even had a chance to...”
It brought her back to that moment, just then, in the rain. “You failed him by thinking his choice was already made!” Rey still stood by that, at least.
Leia sighed. “So my husband’s dead at the hands of my son, my brother who tried to kill my son is dead without so much as telling the truth about what he did, most of the Resistance is dead...this really does feel like an onslaught of bad news.”
“Leia, I’m sorry,” Rey said softly.
“It wasn’t your fault. Thank you, at least...for trying to save Ben.”
Tears pricked at Rey’s eyes. “It didn’t work. I was so stupid, Leia...”
“No. No, you weren’t stupid. You thought you were doing the right thing. I know I did...when I sent Han to find our son."
Rey wanted to hate Leia for contributing to Han’s death. She couldn’t, though. Not when she had been in the same position. She was Luke redeeming Vader, she was Leia saving her son. Han saving his son. She supposed she wasn’t that different, from all three of them. Where would that lead her, she wondered.
“What was he like?” Rey said. She’d only gotten the tip, a promise of what Ben could be.
Leia smiled faintly. “He was a sweet boy. Nothing like he is now, of course. He was a big fan of calligraphy, I know that much.”
Rey had to giggle then. “Him? A calligrapher?”
Leia smiled, more broadly this time. “He was. He was...so much. Lost, insecure, brave, funny, serious...he was my son, and I loved him more than anything. I doubt he’ll come back but...I love him still.”
Silence.
And Leia — she looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m sorry,” Rey said. “I’m so sorry.”
***
Mending the lightsaber would be a challenge, Leia said. “Pulling it apart with the Force, not to mention Holdo’s collision with the ship,” and Rey could tell Leia was trying not to wince right then and there, “Definitely leaves a mark. But I’m not going to just throw it out. It deserves a better end, don’t you think?”
Rey smiled. “I agree. So...what do I do?”
“Remake it, of course. In your image." Leia said. “Nothing that can’t be fixed with a workbench...” A beat. “Rey...I may have to pick up where my brother left off. I can help you. I’ve had...minimal experience, but...”
“Training under you would be an honor.” Rey said.
Summary: Rey speaks with Leia after Crait.
Prompt: Free Space — Mentors
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author’s Notes: Don’t know how well I followed bingo rules, but I thought this would fit as a ladiesbingo prompt.
Even sitting alone in her room, Rey couldn’t help but feel like even putting the lightsaber back together was a struggle. She could still remember, all too well, when she had tried to save Kylo — save Ben. She couldn’t help but think that he was still Ben, even though he had effectively snuffed that out.
(She had felt his rage. She had seen it. It was like killing Snoke had been the last barrier to it, like Snoke was keeping a rabid cur on a leash. She shuddered to think about what would happen next, what he would become)
The lightsaber was broken in half. Was there really any retrieving it, she wondered. Was there really anything left?
Rey sighed, getting up from her seat just to get to the main hold, where Leia was sitting. Leia was deep in thought, seeming almost...sad. Beautiful, but sad. Rey wondered how she continued — how she pressed on even after losing just about everything.
"Hello, Rey.” Leia raised her head just then, smiling if faintly.
“Are you all right?” Rey said.
A sigh from Leia. “It’s been a long day.”
That was an understatement, at least. Rey said, “I...might have broken your brother’s lightsaber. I’m sorry about that."
“That’s a shame.” Leia said. “As I understand it, that lightsaber got you out of more than a few scrapes.”
Rey nodded. “I was afraid of taking it up at first. I saw...” She trailed off. Even thinking back to the Supremacy...
Did Kylo really know the truth, about her parents?
“I saw my parents,” Rey said. “It was a lot for me to take in." She took a deep breath. “And then Finn got hurt, and I couldn’t just stand by.”
It was Finn, she thought. In the end, what had inspired her to fight was Finn. Hearing those horrifying screams. She hoped she could at least tell him.
“You and my brother are a lot alike.”
Rey snorted. “He was different, when I met him.”
“How different?”
“He...” Rey sighed. “I have to at least tell you. About him and your son. Your brother...briefly contemplated killing your son. Before he fell to the Dark Side proper.”
Leia went rigid. “What? When?"
Rey told her. “He resisted at the last minute,” she said. “Your son told me, and Luke admitted it. He made all sorts of excuses. Stuff like ‘sensing Darkness’ in him, and him contributing to killing everything Luke loved before he even had a chance to...”
It brought her back to that moment, just then, in the rain. “You failed him by thinking his choice was already made!” Rey still stood by that, at least.
Leia sighed. “So my husband’s dead at the hands of my son, my brother who tried to kill my son is dead without so much as telling the truth about what he did, most of the Resistance is dead...this really does feel like an onslaught of bad news.”
“Leia, I’m sorry,” Rey said softly.
“It wasn’t your fault. Thank you, at least...for trying to save Ben.”
Tears pricked at Rey’s eyes. “It didn’t work. I was so stupid, Leia...”
“No. No, you weren’t stupid. You thought you were doing the right thing. I know I did...when I sent Han to find our son."
Rey wanted to hate Leia for contributing to Han’s death. She couldn’t, though. Not when she had been in the same position. She was Luke redeeming Vader, she was Leia saving her son. Han saving his son. She supposed she wasn’t that different, from all three of them. Where would that lead her, she wondered.
“What was he like?” Rey said. She’d only gotten the tip, a promise of what Ben could be.
Leia smiled faintly. “He was a sweet boy. Nothing like he is now, of course. He was a big fan of calligraphy, I know that much.”
Rey had to giggle then. “Him? A calligrapher?”
Leia smiled, more broadly this time. “He was. He was...so much. Lost, insecure, brave, funny, serious...he was my son, and I loved him more than anything. I doubt he’ll come back but...I love him still.”
Silence.
And Leia — she looked like she was about to cry.
“I’m sorry,” Rey said. “I’m so sorry.”
***
Mending the lightsaber would be a challenge, Leia said. “Pulling it apart with the Force, not to mention Holdo’s collision with the ship,” and Rey could tell Leia was trying not to wince right then and there, “Definitely leaves a mark. But I’m not going to just throw it out. It deserves a better end, don’t you think?”
Rey smiled. “I agree. So...what do I do?”
“Remake it, of course. In your image." Leia said. “Nothing that can’t be fixed with a workbench...” A beat. “Rey...I may have to pick up where my brother left off. I can help you. I’ve had...minimal experience, but...”
“Training under you would be an honor.” Rey said.
