Fic Rec: I have written a few about TMR myself, mostly Minewt and/or Brenderesa, which you can find at medjackjeff(.)tumblr(.)com(/)tagged(/)my-writing and I also have a tag for all the fics I liked but didn't write, to be found at medjackjeff(.)tumblr(.)com(/)tagged(/)writing I hope that helps!
ahh awesome!! i am so here for brenderesa fic, there is so little of it :(
Pairings and Characters: Leia, Rey, Finn, Poe; Rey/Finn or Rey/Finn/Poe (can be interpreted either way), past Han/Leia
Prompt: Rey tells Finn about the “myths of Luke/Leia/Han” and is overheard by Leia.
Summary: There were no bedtime stories on Starkiller Base, but Finn loves to hear stories. So every night, either Poe or Rey start to recount, and more often than not, Rey's stories are about Leia, Luke and Han, until, one evening, the General of the Resistance happens to overhear what is whispered between them. Slightly canon-divergent, because this is set after the successful attack on Starkiller Base, with everything that that implies, but the map leading to Luke has not yet been recovered.
Author’s Note: I purposely left a few things in the story Rey tells very vague or even incorrect, because it's a story passed down through many sources, and it would be only natural that she wouldn't know exactly what happened.
Poe was snoring, curled up in the corner of Finn’s bed. It had become some kind of a habit, him sneaking into the room Finn and Rey shared before the suns set. They never stayed up too late, it was just…a bit of quietness. A moment of being together, to forget the daily stress of the Resistance base.
Rey and Finn were sitting on the part not occupied by Poe, cross-legged facing each other.
It had been almost three weeks since Poe had made an off-hand comment about moofs, creatures none of them had ever heard about, and seeing their confusion, had quickly recounted a silly, funny bedtime story about them his mother used to tell him when he was little.
Rey had laughed and slightly nudged Poe for the nonsense he perpetuated, but neither of them had been prepared for the look of wonder and amazement on Finn’s face. A smile had slowly crept onto his face, developing into the dazzling beam they didn’t see nearly often enough on him, and little wrinkles appeared in the corners of his eyes.
It was how they found out this was the first ever bedtime story Finn had been told in his life.
Poe had looked uttermost baffled at this, and then almost stumbled over his own tongue as he declared this an inhuman crime against Finn, deciding on the spot that he’d have to hear every bedtime story they could muster up.
That night turned out to be one of the rare in which they talked until the early hours of the morning. Or rather, Poe had talked and simultaneously acted out his stories, and they had listened, laughed, and at one moment, both of them had had tears in their eyes.
Rey had known Finn’s time with the First Order had been hard, that it had caused him pain and suffering, and that it had broken things inside of him, things that were only now starting to slowly heal. But she had not known that his life had been devoid of imagination, devoid of imagination and dreams. Even she, without anybody who loved her when she was young, had heard legends and whispers from scavengers who’d taken some form of pity on the little girl.
But it had surprised her when Finn, timidly, had asked if she knew any stories to tell him, one evening when Poe had basically snuck in and started lowly snoring ten seconds later because he’d had a rough day with Jess in the field.
Rey had shortly thought about talking about life on Jakku, but quickly decided against it. Finn didn’t want to hear about hardships, he’d lived more than enough of those. And she would never be able to match Poe’s comedic talent or Finn’s gift to imitate voices, so she settled on legends, great, epic adventures she’d always loved to hear, and Finn did, too.
So that had led to this particular moment. Finn sitting across from her, his eyes on her, glimmering in anticipation, and it was her turn to tell stories. She always picked the ones she remembered best, the ones that she had asked for over and over again. And most of them were about Luke, or the General, or…Han, even though every time Rey mentioned his name, her voice almost cracked, and Finn gently put his hand on hers.
Rey bit her lower lip, trying to think about a good one she hadn’t spoiled yet. Her eyes lit up as she thought of the perfect adventure.
“Men once build a city so high in its own atmosphere that it floats on clouds. You’ll never guess how it’s called.” One of the corners of her mouth quirked up.
Finn frowned deeply. “Is it something fancy? A language I don’t understand? Is it all vowels like last time?” Rey shook her head, biting back laughter. “Is it Wookie?”
“Nope.” She grinned. “The place is called Cloud City.”
Finn threw his arms up, and she laughed.
“You could’ve told me that it’s obvious for once!” he complained.
“Where’s the fun in that?” Rey said with a mischievous grin.
He pulled a face at her.
For a long moment, she just looked at him, the rest of her laughter still lingering on her lips. “The people of Cloud City didn’t want to be associated with the Empire. Their lives were good as they were, and they wanted to slip through the Empire’s iron grasp, just like their leader, Lando Calrissian, had done so many times.”
A little smile appeared on Finn’s face. He always liked the rogue ones, those who got away from the Big Bad Wolf.
“Lando was a gambler. A card player. A…smuggler. Legend even tells that the Millenium Falcon was once in his possession.”
Finn’s eyes got big, and Rey smiled, propping herself up on her elbow.
“He lost it, one night, playing with Han Solo.”
Finn had noticed how every time Rey introduced Han in her stories, she always added his last name. Maybe it was easier for her that way, making him a hero from a distant legend, rather than the man she’d known and looked up to.
“Humiliated by this defeat, he decided to get out of the smuggling business, and soon became the leader of the town called Cloud City. Disgusted by the terrible deeds of the Empire, he tried his hardest to keep his good people far away from it. They had nothing to offer to the Empire. Why would it be needing a simple town on the clouds? What could they possibly want from them?”
“Galaxy domination?” Finn guessed, but she could see in his eyes that he had figured out what would cause Lando Calrissian trouble.
Rey shook her head. "Tragically, the fall of Cloud City had something to do with the personal life of the man who only wanted to shield his people. Lando Calrissian was, after all, an old friend of Han Solo, which put a veil of peril on the peace and neutrality he tried so hard to maintain in Cloud City. Because one day...one day, Han Solo showed up on his front porch, begging for help. For shelter from the Empire."
Finn frowned. "Han? Begging?"
"That's how this was told to me. In reality, I think he rather tried to talk his way into the City." Rey said with a sad smile.
"Probably unsuccessfully." Finn stated with a reflection of her smile.
"Probably." Rey confirmed, and he was glad to see the smile turn a little bit more cheerful. "But he was not alone on the Millenium Falcon. Well, truly, he was never alone, Chewie was with him every step of the way. But this time, he had with him a learned diplomat and key player in the Rebellion, Gen...Princess Leia Organa. And suddenly, it was impossible to deny their demand for shelter. So, Leia, Chewie and Han entered Cloud City to a warm welcome..."
"This sounds too good to be true." Finn said, anxiously waiting for every word.
Rey just had to smile at him. He had very quickly picked up on how these legends worked, despite having never heard about legends that went further than hushed whispers about dark creatures and powerful masters in the halls of Starkiller Base.
"And as usual, you're right. They entered Cloud City, unknowing that one of them would not leave the town standing again."
Rey was so invested in her story and Finn's ever-interested and ever-interesting face, and Finn was hooked in any case, that neither of them noticed the steps outside their door, soft, almost silent steps.
General Leia Organa had her hand already on the handle, when she perceived murmurs from within. For almost any other human being it would've been impossible to hear, but Leia had certain affinities to the Force, and of course, the excited voice of one even stronger with it found its way to her. She didn't mean to listen in. She had only wanted to check on the children she deeply cared about, because she knew training had been hard on them today. And yet, she paused, listening to what was happening in their room.
"They opened the door…and what greeted them was…the sight of Darth Vader! They had been ambushed!"
Within, Finn grasped for her hands, holding them tightly. "Please tell me they kicked his ass and got away!"
Rey squeezed his hands back. Whenever either she or Poe told stories, hope always snuck into Finn's eyes, the child-like hope that wanted their heroes to win.
Even if he knew that in reality that wasn't always the case.
Rey slowly shook her head. "It was hopeless. The whole place was infested with people loyal to the Empire, and to lure Luke Skywalker into his dark grasp, Darth Vader decided to take Leia and Chewie hostage."
Finn bit his lower lip, and even Leia outside leaned her head towards the door.
"But Han...there were still bounty hunters who wanted his head, and one of them had made the wise decision to ally himself to Vader in an attempt to get to the infamous Han Solo. And so...and so, they decided to hand Han over to Jabba the Butt as a silver platter."
"As a silver platter? Not on a silver platter?"
Rey smiled and shook her head. "No. Because they literally decided to make a platter out of Han Solo. They wanted to freeze him in carbonite."
"No!" Finn looked horrified, and his hands started shaking.
Rey felt the tumult in Finn, and she just leaned in to wrap her arms around him, careful not to be too forceful, since his chest was still healing from Starkiller Base. He just returned the hug without saying a word, and more was not needed.
There were moments like these, when one of them said something wrong, upsetting because they didn’t know every detail about one another. Rey muttered a soft apology into Finn’s hair.
Outside, Leia sensed the stir inside of him, too, painfully aware that carbon-freezing had existed on Starkiller Base, too, and also that not every enemy survived being frozen. She could imagine the scars this left on a young man who had to clean up the mess collapsed bodies created.
His panic reminded her of how her heart had almost stopped when Lando had announced Han’s fate to them.
How raw, how new her emotions had been back then, just like the ones of these young heroes. A tempest, a whirlwind of new sensations and the ever returning pain had been raging in her, and yet she had tried to stay calm. To stay strong. For Chewie, whose heart-breaking cry still reverberated in her head. For Han, in whose eyes she had read the very same attempt of standing tall and showing no weakness in the face of disaster. And for herself, first and foremost.
How strange it was, that this had not changed, all these years after leaving Cloud City. She was still here, and she was still holding on.
Still strong.
Or at least trying to appear so on the outside.
Leia Organa had always cared. Her compassion was, to her, one of her strongest traits, and yet, she had learned to conceal it behind a composed, calm face. If she hadn’t, she probably would’ve broken down by now.
Because this need to show strength even in the darkest times, a need that had existed long before Cloud City, had prevailed, and with the times, more and more people had put their trust into her, and into her leadership. Showing weakness was not an option anymore, at least not to anybody but Han, or Luke, or Chewie, or maybe Shara.
And now…worlds were falling apart all over again. Luke…Luke was gone, whisked away by his own tragedy, and the map just wouldn’t tell its secrets.
And Han.
She couldn’t afford to think about this right now. Because if she thought about what had happened to him, she’d have to think about who was responsible…and she couldn’t do that. Not without cracking.
Maybe, if Luke had been here…
…but he wasn’t.
Only when a tear fell on her still outstretched hand, Leia noticed that she had started crying.
Inside of her, past, present, and the crushing responsibility for the future collided, and it was too much.
Impressions of that very day Rey was talking about stormed into her head. It had been so long since she thought about it. The sharp, clean smell of the corridors. The familiar buzz of R2 following them. Chewie’s warm, plush fur against her skin. The startling sky blue of Lando’s cape. The taste of Han’s lips on hers. All of it tinted, overshadowed, darkened by fear. Unease, suspicion, concern, worry, dread, despair. And fear, always fear, sharp and burning like the blade of a lightsabre, through all of this.
And here she was.
Thirty years later.
Still feeling just as powerless as the moment she watched Han descend into the freezing chamber.
Trying to keep up a brave face.
The tears just flowed, silently, and she just stood still, letting them fall.
Leia tried to muster up the energy to move, to get away from this corridor and this door, but she couldn’t. She didn’t know how long she stood there, but suddenly, the handle of the door moved beneath her hand.
Leia was not surprised to see Rey’s face appear in the door frame. The young woman looked at her with those curious brown eyes.
“They’ve fallen asleep.” she said softly as she closed the door behind her.
The General wiped her tears away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
Rey shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I sensed you…I didn’t want to upset you with my story. I didn’t mean to…I didn’t know…”
Leia looked at this girl, so young and already so brave, who had been lonely and miserable all her life, and still had not let the world made her bitter. She still was compassionate.
“None of this is your fault, Rey. I felt what you were telling, and I shouldn’t have listened in. I’m only…this is not an easy time for me.” she said with a smile that didn’t reach up to her eyes.
Rey understood. She didn’t say anything, but she didn’t need to. She just stepped forward and embraced Leia, pulling her against herself without as much as a second thought.
“We’re all here, General. We stand behind you.” Rey whispered into the crook of her neck. “We will find Luke.”
Leia pulled her close. “I’m sure we will. And I will be fine, Rey. This is not the first time everything goes wrong.”
Rey was smart enough not to bring up Han. “But still, I think you should know that there are people who love you, and who appreciate what you do. I don’t think you hear that often enough. We love you, General.” Rey said kindly.
Leia smiled fondly. “I know.”
The young woman pulled away, her eyes shining brightly. “Was that…a reference? Did you…did you really say that? You…and Han? Like the legends tell?”
Leia could still hear Han’s voice, and see the way he’d looked at her in Cloud City that first time these words had left his lips.
“Yes. That part is true. Maybe I’ll tell you the whole story one day…when it’s not the middle of the night and we don’t have to get up early tomorrow.” Leia said with a smirk.
Rey took the hint. “I’m looking forward to it, General.”
“Good night, my dear. And…thank you.”
Rey smiled. “You’re welcome. I hope you sleep well.” Without nightmares, she meant.
Leia nodded, and the girl disappeared back into her room.
As long as there were people like Rey, or the two young men sleeping in that room, who were worth fighting, she could stay strong.
Rey, inside her room, huddled into her blankets, listening to the now familiar synced up snoring of Finn and Poe in the other bed. It had become a comforting sound over the last few weeks, like their nightly story sessions or her tucking them in every night because she took longer to fall asleep. She had never had anybody to tuck in, or anybody who snored in sync when she was lying in the dark. This was home to her at the moment. And she could just not forget that Leia would be all by herself tonight.
She admired the General greatly. But she admired Leia Organa more. Most people couldn’t imagine the pain and suffering this woman had been put through, but she had caught a tiny glimpse of it, outside in that corridor. And yet, she still helmed the Resistance. It was not often that heroes from your stories just stepped out of those lines, and was as great in reality as they were in the stories.
You're still so lucky! I had to find out that PPZ only comes out in april in my country, so maybe a day is not that much of a wait? I was so excited to see next week or so, and a month is such a long time ugh
oh my god april? and here i was thinking that having to wait a few weeks was bad enough. that certainly put things in perspective. where do you live? if you don't mind me asking.
