Force Destiny

Leia's Hard Truth

Leia handed Lieutenant Connix a sheet of paper on which she had personally written a list of eleventh-hour contacts that had been sympathetic to the Rebellion. The Resistance was depleted in every sense of the word. Leia knew if the First Order found them, they would not be so lucky again. Her son had been distracted by his anger toward Luke. She had never known her son to make the same mistake twice. Without the New Republic, the powerful and influential names on that list were their only hope, in their most desperate hour, of forming an alliance large enough to defeat the First Order. Connix smiled at the ailing general, but it didn't reach her eyes. She left the room without another word. Poe nodded as he passed her on his way into the room. He noticed the tears in her eyes.

"Good morning General," he said. "You asked to see me?"

"Yes, Colonel, please sit," she replied, grasping his hand between her trembling fingers. She may have appeared strong to everyone else, but he could see the small signs that everyone else missed. Perhaps watching his own mother slowly die had left him more perceptive to it. "There's no need for nonsense; I'll just come out and say it. I've seen the look in your eyes the last few days, so I'm not going to pretend you do not suspect what I am about to say." Poe ran his hand through his hair and released a long exhale in preparation. As difficult as it was to hear, he admired that, even in failing health, Leia was still no pretense, no quibble, no nonsense.

"I'm dying – "

Poe nodded, blinking rapidly as emotions swelled in his eyes. He knew it was coming – had suspected it since she ended her treatment early on the Raddus against the recommendation of every medical professional onboard – but it didn't make receiving the news any easier. "Leia... General, I –"

"Save your sorrow for after the fight," she said, patting his hand. "There are more important matters to attend to."

"I can't just sit here pretend –"

"I have thought long and hard – after what happened aboard the Raddus and on Crait – about who could best carry on the legacy of the Resistance. I think you're ready."

"General?"

"Dameron, you have heart. You don't always make the wisest choices, but you learn from your mistakes, and that's an important quality to have. The decisions you make, good or bad, are always with the best interests of the Resistance in mind. You are a natural leader; these people will follow you. You give them hope, even when there is none. The time is nearing to make a stand against the First Order, and your propensity to blow things up might be exactly what the Resistance needs. You were the one who made the deal with – unsavory characters – to find Lor San Tekka and retrieve the map to my brother before the First Order. These people trust you. They'll need you in the darkness to come. I have thought long and hard, and I believe you're ready to carry on the legacy of the Resistance."

"I... don't know what to say," he answered hoarsely. It was something he had always wanted, something he had worked his entire life to achieve, but not like this. The others wouldn't see a single tear, of course, but it would be all he thought about as the terrible nightmares of his interrogation kept him awake at night.

"Well, now is not the time to be humble," she chuckled. "There's no time for sentimentality. The war won't wait for grief. We need to start the transition immediately." With that she moved to stand, as if she had been delivering any other news. The woman weathered insurmountable grief with a practiced ease to the lay observer, but Poe knew she was a fortress of secrets. He wondered if this moment was as insignificant as she made it appear, or if she had just become an expert at hiding it.

"I promise," he squeezed her hand firmly, stopping her from leaving in hope to share her burden, if only for a moment. "I will never give up hope. We will never give up your fight against tyranny. I will carry on your legacy –"