ladyofleithian | For trope

Title: Holding On

Summary: The death of General Leia Organa.

Prompt: First Time/Last Time

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

They're still in hyperspace, but they're away from Hux's troops. That counts for something, actually. And they've managed to get the Bespin refugees to safety. The General overstrained herself, as did Lando, just trying to get them to safety. Trying to save all of them. Now she's in the medbay, badly wounded, and she looks up at Poe.

"Did we get them...to safety?"

"Yeah." Poe looks down at her in that moment, and even in spite of himself, he smiles. Tears are spilling out through the smile like he's just managed to stop holding it all in.

"That's...good to hear. Wonderful to hear, actually. Poe...I was wrong. The way I treated you and Ben both...I was wrong."

It's something that Poe hasn't expected to hear, actually. It's something that he hasn't expected to hear from the General, but here he is.

"There is still...light in him, Poe. I know it. Snoke thinks he snuffed it out, but there's a part of Ben that he can't reach. There's a part that still believes in truth, in freedom, in the good in other beings. Snoke can't reach it because he doesn't know how. We have a chance."

And Poe knows that she's telling the truth, because by the stars, he's felt it too.

"Do you want me to -- "

"Tell him that there is still...good in him. Poe...keep fighting in the Resistance. Be strong, be brave. Snoke can't possibly make the galaxy bend to his will. The more he tightens his grip, the more star systems will slip through his fingers, just like Tarkin, just like the Emperor..."

"Yeah." Poe forces himself to smile through the tears. "Snoke's not gonna win."

"He won't. As long as we've got other beings fighting, we've got a chance. Keep fighting, Poe. No matter what. Don't stop fighting..."

The General's eyes seem to look off into a sort of distance that Poe can't see. Then, "Han? Oh stars, Han..."

The General smiles, one of those rare smiles that is absolutely radiant, and breathes her last breath. Poe watches her and gently, tenderly, closes her eyes.

"Rest easy, General," he says. She deserves no less, in the end.

He stands up and looks at the others. "No matter what happens, we'll keep fighting," he says. "We always will."

The others murmur in agreement.

They have the funeral for the General when they get to the rendezvous point with Lando. Lando's too willing to oversee the preparations, to help out however he can, and Poe is grateful for that. Even as the funeral casket wheels through later, Poe likes to think that wherever the General is, she's happy, finally at rest. Perhaps she's with Han again, safe and happy.

Yeah. As it should be.

"Hey." It's Holdo. One of the few times they're not at each other's throats. "I'm sorry...about the General. She really did mean a great deal to you, didn't she?"

"Yeah." Poe's voice cracks. "She did."

He's not ready to cry in front of Holdo. But he can accept her comfort, at least for the moment.

"She meant a lot to all of us," Holdo says. "She's not going to leave us. She's here, you see." She places a hand over her heart.

"Your family's still here too," Poe says.

"Yes." Holdo's face softens. "They are."

They stand close together, and Poe knows that no matter what happens, they will not stop fighting. Not once, not ever, no matter what. As long as they're still breathing, they're fighting. And that...that's what counts the most.