Cloud City, Bespin, Sunday Fandom Time
Leia had a really bad feeling about this.
The last few days had been a whirlwind, to put it lightly. First the emergency evacuation of Hoth after the base had been discovered by an Imperial probe. The base had been damaged in the resulting ground battle, and she wasn't able to reach her ship. Fortunately, she'd been with Han (since he'd refused to leave until he made sure she was safely on her ship, which she might have been touched by if he hadn't been practically dragging her through the corridors), and they were able to escape on the Falcon, just steps ahead of Vader. Unfortunately, the Falcon's hyperdrive had been damaged, and they weren't able to evade the pursuing TIE fighters and Star Destroyers, despite some impressive (she grudgingly had to admit) flying by Han. Then there'd been a race through an asteroid field, hiding out in what turned out to be the belly of a space slug, and then a clever maneuver (again, she grudgingly had to admit) where Han had attached the Falcon to one of the Star Destroyers, then detached to float away when the ship dumped its garbage. And now they were in Cloud City, seeking help from Han's old friend Lando in getting the Falcon repaired.
And there'd been a kiss, a kiss she was trying not to think to hard about because it was ridiculous and insane and just the heat of the moment and it didn't matter that Han was supposed to be the father of her children because he was arrogant and disrespectful and unreliable and a scoundrel and....
Luke would be laughing at her now if he knew, wherever he was. Hopefully at the rendezvous point, waiting for them to show up.
Now she paced her quarters in Cloud City, waiting for Han to report on the Falcon's condition. Lando's people had found clothes for her, and it had been nice to get clean and comfortable, but they had far too much work to do to stay here long. And she didn't know if it was being worried about Luke or troubled by what had happened with Han, but she had a feeling she couldn't shake that something was seriously wrong.
She was looking out the window when Han finally returned. "The ship is almost finished," he said. "Two or three more things and we're in great shape."
"The sooner the better," Leia said, moving towards him. "Something's wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost."
Han put his hands on her shoulders and gently kissed her forehead. "Relax," he said, touching his hand to her cheek. "I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out."
"I don't trust Lando," Leia said, as she drew back and sat down, looking up at him.
"Well, I don't trust him, either," Han said as he settled down beside her. "But he is my friend. Besides, we'll soon be gone."
"And then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" Leia said. He'd take her to the rendezvous point, she was certain of that, and then he'd go, and the thought was making her more sad than angry now.
Han looked at her with mixed emotions in his eyes, but was spared trying to come up with an answer when the door opened again. This time Chewbacca walked in, carrying a box with pieces of C3P0 in it. "What happened?" Leia exclaimed.
Han translated Chewie's response. "Where? Found him in a junk pile?"
"Oh, what a mess," Leia said. That bad feeling was getting worse. "Chewie, do you think you can repair him?"
Chewie looked at the droid parts and shrugged at Leia. "Lando's got people who can fix him," Han suggested.
"No, thanks," Leia said. Not until they found out just how this happened.
Almost on cue, Lando stepped into the room. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not really," Leia said, deceptively calm.
Lando looked Leia over and gave her a big smile. "You look absolutely beautiful," he said. "You truly belong here with us among the clouds."
"Thank you," Leia said coolly. She could see Han rolling his eyes out of the corner of her eye.
"Will you join me for a little refreshment?" Lando said, offering his hand to Leia. "Everyone's invited, of course," he added after Chewie perked up at the mention of food.
Leia took Lando's hand, but Han quickly swooped in to take her arm instead. As they turned to go, Lando noticed Threepio's remains. "Having trouble with you droid?" he asked.
After exchanging a glance with Leia, Han said, "No. No problem. Why?"
The group left the room, and Lando led them through the white corridors of Cloud City. "So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire," he explained as they walked.
"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asked.
"No, not actually," Lando said. "Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?" Han said.
"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here," Lando said. "But things have developed that will ensure security. I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."
They stopped before a large white door, and Lando pushed a button to make it slide open. A long dining table stretched along the length of the room, but it was who was seated at the end of the table that made Leia's heart stop. Vader.
Han spotted him at the same time as Leia and immediately drew his blaster, firing four shots that Vader easily deflected by holding up his hand, before using the Force to yank the blaster away.
"We would be honored," Vader said, "if you would join us." As he spoke, the bounty hunter Boba Fett stepped up beside him, and a dozen stormtroppers swarmed behind them, cutting off any escape.
"I had no choice," Lando said. "They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," Han said.
Leia gave Lando a dark look. If they got out of this, he was going to answer for this betrayal. But for now, she steeled herself for what was surely to come. She'd survived being Vader's captive before, she could do it again. That didn't stop her for reaching for Han's hand as the doors closed behind them.
The last few days had been a whirlwind, to put it lightly. First the emergency evacuation of Hoth after the base had been discovered by an Imperial probe. The base had been damaged in the resulting ground battle, and she wasn't able to reach her ship. Fortunately, she'd been with Han (since he'd refused to leave until he made sure she was safely on her ship, which she might have been touched by if he hadn't been practically dragging her through the corridors), and they were able to escape on the Falcon, just steps ahead of Vader. Unfortunately, the Falcon's hyperdrive had been damaged, and they weren't able to evade the pursuing TIE fighters and Star Destroyers, despite some impressive (she grudgingly had to admit) flying by Han. Then there'd been a race through an asteroid field, hiding out in what turned out to be the belly of a space slug, and then a clever maneuver (again, she grudgingly had to admit) where Han had attached the Falcon to one of the Star Destroyers, then detached to float away when the ship dumped its garbage. And now they were in Cloud City, seeking help from Han's old friend Lando in getting the Falcon repaired.
And there'd been a kiss, a kiss she was trying not to think to hard about because it was ridiculous and insane and just the heat of the moment and it didn't matter that Han was supposed to be the father of her children because he was arrogant and disrespectful and unreliable and a scoundrel and....
Luke would be laughing at her now if he knew, wherever he was. Hopefully at the rendezvous point, waiting for them to show up.
Now she paced her quarters in Cloud City, waiting for Han to report on the Falcon's condition. Lando's people had found clothes for her, and it had been nice to get clean and comfortable, but they had far too much work to do to stay here long. And she didn't know if it was being worried about Luke or troubled by what had happened with Han, but she had a feeling she couldn't shake that something was seriously wrong.
She was looking out the window when Han finally returned. "The ship is almost finished," he said. "Two or three more things and we're in great shape."
"The sooner the better," Leia said, moving towards him. "Something's wrong here. No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost."
Han put his hands on her shoulders and gently kissed her forehead. "Relax," he said, touching his hand to her cheek. "I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out."
"I don't trust Lando," Leia said, as she drew back and sat down, looking up at him.
"Well, I don't trust him, either," Han said as he settled down beside her. "But he is my friend. Besides, we'll soon be gone."
"And then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" Leia said. He'd take her to the rendezvous point, she was certain of that, and then he'd go, and the thought was making her more sad than angry now.
Han looked at her with mixed emotions in his eyes, but was spared trying to come up with an answer when the door opened again. This time Chewbacca walked in, carrying a box with pieces of C3P0 in it. "What happened?" Leia exclaimed.
Han translated Chewie's response. "Where? Found him in a junk pile?"
"Oh, what a mess," Leia said. That bad feeling was getting worse. "Chewie, do you think you can repair him?"
Chewie looked at the droid parts and shrugged at Leia. "Lando's got people who can fix him," Han suggested.
"No, thanks," Leia said. Not until they found out just how this happened.
Almost on cue, Lando stepped into the room. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"
"Not really," Leia said, deceptively calm.
Lando looked Leia over and gave her a big smile. "You look absolutely beautiful," he said. "You truly belong here with us among the clouds."
"Thank you," Leia said coolly. She could see Han rolling his eyes out of the corner of her eye.
"Will you join me for a little refreshment?" Lando said, offering his hand to Leia. "Everyone's invited, of course," he added after Chewie perked up at the mention of food.
Leia took Lando's hand, but Han quickly swooped in to take her arm instead. As they turned to go, Lando noticed Threepio's remains. "Having trouble with you droid?" he asked.
After exchanging a glance with Leia, Han said, "No. No problem. Why?"
The group left the room, and Lando led them through the white corridors of Cloud City. "So you see, since we're a small operation, we don't fall into the jurisdiction of the Empire," he explained as they walked.
"So you're part of the mining guild then?" Leia asked.
"No, not actually," Lando said. "Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."
"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?" Han said.
"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here," Lando said. "But things have developed that will ensure security. I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."
They stopped before a large white door, and Lando pushed a button to make it slide open. A long dining table stretched along the length of the room, but it was who was seated at the end of the table that made Leia's heart stop. Vader.
Han spotted him at the same time as Leia and immediately drew his blaster, firing four shots that Vader easily deflected by holding up his hand, before using the Force to yank the blaster away.
"We would be honored," Vader said, "if you would join us." As he spoke, the bounty hunter Boba Fett stepped up beside him, and a dozen stormtroppers swarmed behind them, cutting off any escape.
"I had no choice," Lando said. "They arrived right before you did. I'm sorry."
"I'm sorry, too," Han said.
Leia gave Lando a dark look. If they got out of this, he was going to answer for this betrayal. But for now, she steeled herself for what was surely to come. She'd survived being Vader's captive before, she could do it again. That didn't stop her for reaching for Han's hand as the doors closed behind them.