A quick story for those of you who wanted to see Lando's feelings on Han's death. Spoilers ahead, though by now I'd hope everyone had seen the movie.
Lando Calrissian stood looking at the smoldering ash that had once been a funeral pyre. Han Solo's funeral pyre. He still felt numb about it all. Han was dead. Han Solo, the greatest pilot he'd ever known, one of the luckiest bastards to ever grace the universe was gone. How? He still didn't believe what people told him about his best friend's death. How could a son destroy his own father? Destroy his family like that. Lando had known Ben all his young life. He'd been there when Ben was born, giving Han his support. Ben had been such a smart kid. He could see a lot of Han in the boy. But…he had seen more as well. Leia of course, the dark eyes and hair were Leia's. But he could also see the Skywalker in him too. Lando had hoped that Ben wouldn't follow in Vader's footsteps. Hoped and prayed. His prayers had gone unanswered.
The ceremony had been nice. Han would have hated it, and loved it at the same time. He could hear his friend's voice in his mind. 'I'm amazed they didn't dance around me and pray to the gods to bring me back.' Lando lets himself smile, though it is a sad one. Han would have said something sarcastic, but he knew his friend would have enjoyed knowing all these people cared. It was just Han's way to seem put off by something when he really wasn't. Gods! He missed Han more than he thought he would already. They had become better friends in the years following the destruction of the second Death Star. Han had even been Lando's best man at his wedding to his Lily. He'd been there for Lando as well when she had died soon after their child was born. And again when said child was stolen from him. Han had been there through every hard time Lando had had, talking him down off the ledge, helping him see that even if his family was gone, there was still life. Han had saved him, and Lando still didn't know why. He'd asked Han once.
'Han, why? Why are you trying to make me live when there is no point?'
'Look, Lando, I'm not the greatest guy for giving advice. You know that. But I don't think Lily or Landin would want you to just give up. I don't want you to give up. Plus I know if our places were reversed, you wouldn't let me give up like this. So come on. Go take a shower cause, Buddy, you smell. Then put on some nice clothes and we'll go drink the night away and gamble what little credits you have left. Come on. There is bound to be some chump we can sucker into a game of Sabacc. I bet they wouldn't expect a couple of ex-Rebellion Generals would be such card sharks.'
'Han…'
'You're not gonna kiss me now and confess your love for me are you? I knew those capes meant something!'
'Shut up you old pirate! I wanted to say thank you.'
'No need to thank me. Just live, Lando. You still have people who need you.'
Lando feels the tear slide down his cheek and he wipes it away quickly. He really did miss Han. He was glad though that Han and Leia had had a chance to reconnect before Han died. He couldn't count the amount of times Han and he had been talking and the conversation had switched back to Leia. He had tried to help, but Han was stubborn.
'Han, go back to her. You're smell is chasing away my girlfriend.'
'What girlfriend? I ain't seen any girls in here.'
'Fine I don't have a girlfriend right now but you do need to go home.'
'Some friend you are. Kicking me out in my time of need.'
'I am not kicking you out, Han. I just think you need to work this out with Leia, not be here drinking yourself into a stupor every night and beating yourself up every day.'
'I don't want to work things out.'
'Bull shit!'
'Let me finish. I don't want to work things out because I just end up hurting her anyways. It's better this way.'
'Han old Buddy, if I believed this was better for both of you I wouldn't be saying anything. But you and I both know you miss her. And she misses you. Just suck up your pride or whatever is keeping you apart and go home.'
'It isn't that simple, Lando. I hurt her just by being there!'
'How?'
'He looks like me.'
"THAT is why you are staying away?! Good grief Han! I would punch you right now if my back didn't hurt so much…ah hell!'
'OW! Kest, Lando! What the hell was that for?'
'To hopefully knock some sense into you! Leia doesn't care if you look like Ben! She needs you and you need her! It's not your fault or hers that this bantha crap with Ben happened. But this stupid fight and separation between you two needs to stop! You want to get your son back, stop fighting with each other and start fighting for him! I know if I had the choice I would have fought for Landin. You don't give up on family, Han. You just don't.'
'Ah you don't understand shit, Lando. I'm out of here.'
'Han! Han!'
But Han had left. It would be months before Han and he spoke again. But that would be the last time he'd see the man in person. Lando can't help feeling a stab of pain in his heart at that. He wished he could hug his friend; tell the man how much he'd meant to him. Han was and always would be his brother. "I miss you, Han. I wish I could take your place. You didn't deserve to go like this."
Chewbacca had been watching Lando for a while now. Most of the other people were gone; Lando was the last one left. Even Leia had disappeared, and by the look of her tears Chewie knew it was to be alone. The little princess, she would always be that to him, always cried alone. Or with Han. So Chewie stayed behind, giving the woman her privacy. Walking over he places his paw on Lando's shoulder, woofing softly to him. ~'He really didn't.'~
Lando turns his head and nods to the Wookie. "Hey, Chewie." He looks back at the ash, some of it now being blown away on the wind.
~'He wouldn't want you to take his place, Lando. This was his fate. Not yours.'~
"What? To die by his own son's hand? No one deserves that!"
~'No, but it is what the fates decided. It was his choice to stop running from Ben. He tried his best. In the end Han loved his son and tried to make him see that. Unfortunately, Ben was no more and Kylo Ren showed that.'~
"I miss him, Chewie. He was the last family I had."
~'No, not the last. You still have me. And Leia, and Luke. We are your family. We will always be your family. Come; let's go have a drink for Han. We'll give him the Corellian send off. I'm sure we can get some pilots to join us.'~
"I don't know, Chewie. I'm not really in the partying mood."
~'Good thing then it's not a party but rather drinking ourselves into oblivion.'~ Chewbacca says as he turns Lando away from the ashes and back towards the base. ~'I know that Han would want that. Well he'd prefer it anyways. And I know he had quite the stash of alcohol on board the Falcon. Let's see if it is still there. I think he had some Jawa Brandy.'~
Lando smiles. "My favourite. Alright. But…one second." Stopping the Wookie he turns and walks back to the ashes. "Goodbye, Han. Goodbye my brother. I'll see you again soon enough." He smiles as he swears he hears a voice now, Han's, speaking only to him.
'Not too soon, Lando. Goodbye. And remember, we all still need you. Take good care of them.'
Lando smiles and turns back to where Chewbacca was standing. He walks over, wiping his eyes which had become filled with tears again. "Alright, let's go find us some alcohol and get this funeral really started."
~'That's the spirit. Oh! And you need to meet Finn. We found him on the Falcon with Rey. I think you'll like him.'~
Lando smiles at the Wookie, feeling a little better. He would never forget Han, he would miss him terribly, but he knew that with time, he would see him again. They all would be together again. And that was good enough for now.
And there you have it. I hope you all enjoy it. I will be updating my other story, To Live Again, very soon. I am going to throw in a mirror to Harrison Ford's own life but don't worry, nothing bad will happen. Anyways, I have lots more stories in mind, mostly Han centric. So stick around. Again, thank you to all the followers and reviews. You people make me happy!
