Chapter 7: Lando

"Excuse me, Miss, but I was sent by Captain Solo to wake you," Threepio said.

Leia awoke and was immediately nauseous. She rushed to a 'fresher and vomited.

"Are you alright ma'am? Should I get Captain Solo?"

"I'm alright, Threepio," she said roughly. "I'll just be happy when we land." She grabbed a mint and headed to the cockpit– she still was pretty nauseous, but she was hoping her stomach would calm down.

As they flew into Bespin, the clouds were a gorgeous pink.

Leia entered the cockpit as Han was arguing with someone through his communicator. He looked up as she grabbed the back of his chair for support, shutting her eyes. Please calm down, baby, she thought.

"Hey, you alright?" Han looked her up and down, but she grabbed her stomach as she felt a burp coming, and she gave him a look saying they'd better land soon. He nodded, and she looked out the window.

"No, I don't have a landing permit..." he sighed. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." Han was getting more and more frustrated. A patrol ship suddenly fired two laser blasts at them. "Wait a minute! Let me explain!" Han yelled into the communicator.

"You will not deviate from your present course," a mechanical voice told them.

"Rather touchy, aren't they?" asked Threepio.

"I thought you knew this person," Leia asked.

Chewie said something to Han, and he answered, "That was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that." Leia couldn't believe him. It was always something.

"I thought you were going to protect... us..." she hinted.

"I am– I will! It'll all be fine..." he told her. He grumbled to himself, "I hope."

"Permission granted to land on Platform 3-2-7," the mechanical voice came through again.

"Thank you." To reassure Leia, Han said, "Nothing to worry about. We go way back, Lando and me."

The feeling in her gut changed from sick to sensing danger. Somehow she knew this wasn't right. Something was about to happen. Reading Han's emotions, she asked, "Who's worried?"

They landed on the platform, and they started to get ready to get off the ship. Han let Chewie and Threepio go ahead, and then he pulled Leia aside.

"Maybe you should stay on the ship. Stay hidden."

"Hidden?"

"Well, I mean, I'm sure it's going to be alright, but just in case..." He was worried.

"I can handle myself just fine," she insisted. "I can shoot a blaster better than you!"

"You haven't proven that," he warned. He was getting agitated. He just wanted to protect her. "Besides, you shouldn't even go near a blaster in your condition."

She paused, suddenly realizing what he was talking about. "In my condition?! Han, I'm the same person– there's nothing different. I can take care of myself, and I don't need you to baby me!" She tried to rush off, and he grabbed her wrist more roughly than he had meant to.

"Ow, you're hurting me." He let go, visibly sorry for having tweaked her small wrist. He knew he wasn't any good at mushy stuff. He looked at her apologetically.

"Who's babying? I'm just saying..." he trailed off as Threepio joined them near the door. He whispered, "You need to be careful, and if you're not, I've got your back."

"We'll finish this conversation later..." she said through her gritted teeth. "I'm telling you that nothing is different– don't treat me any differently."

The door opened and they stepped out onto the platform. Han wasn't very satisfied with how that conversation had gone, but he needed to put on a grin for Lando.

"No one to greet us," Threepio stated.

"I don't like this..." Leia said, shaking her head.

"Well, what would you like?" Han said roughly.

"They did let us land..." Threepio added.

Han approached her, and she could feel how sorry he was in his look. "Look, don't worry. Everything's going to be fine. Trust me."

A door opened, and a bunch of people started walking toward them.

"See? My friend," Han said. He walked over to Chewie and told him, "Keep your eyes open, huh?" Chewie nodded in agreement.

"Hey!" Han greeted too cheerfully. Lando walked across the platform quickly, stopping halfway to leave space between them.

He called out, "Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler. You've got a lot of guts coming here after what you pulled."

Leia's stomach clinched in concern. Han gave Lando a confused, pouty look, and Lando came at him. Leia and Chewie were ready to fight when he instead went in for a hug. They all breathed a sigh of relief.

"How you doin' you old pirate? So good to see you!" Lando laughed.

Leia still wasn't convinced. Something was telling her there was danger near.

"Well, he seems friendly," Threepio said.

"Yes," she said sarcastically. "Very friendly."

Lando asked Han, "What are you doing here?"

"Ah, repairs. I thought you could help me out."

"What have you done to my ship?" Lando asked quickly.

"Your ship?" Han countered. "Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square."

Chewie, Threepio, and Leia approached them.

"How you doin' Chewbacca?" Lando asked. "You still hanging around with this loser?"

Leia chuckled. Maybe Lando does have some redeeming qualities.

She looked at Lando with an I'm-warning-you stare.

"Hello. What have we here?" He asked. Pig... she thought.

Turning on the charm, he said, "Welcome, I'm Lando Calrissian. I'm the administrator of this facility. And who might you be?"

Don't patronize me... she thought. "Leia," she answered simply.

"Welcome Leia," he kissed her hand, and she shot a glance at Han. He suddenly got a little protective and grabbed her hand from Lando saying, "Alright, alright, you old smoothie." She chuckled again as Han led her away.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her as they headed toward the door.

"I know you are..." she whispered back. "I'm sorry too."

They followed Lando on a tour of the facility, and then he brought them somewhere to rest, get washed up, and change.

An hour later, Leia paced back and forth in the sky-high apartment Lando had brought them to.

"The ship's almost finished. Only two or three more things, and we're in good shape," Han announced.

"The sooner the better. Something's wrong here," she snapped. "No one has seen or knows anything about Threepio. He's been gone too long to have gotten lost." Her temper was really getting out of control. For some reason she felt totally responsible for that robot– almost a maternal instinct (even though he was just a droid and never had a mother.)

Han grabbed her shoulders to calm her down. He kissed her on top of her head, and she took a quick breath.

"Relax," he said calmly. "I'll talk to Lando and see what I can find out." He placed a hand on her cheek as he talked.

"I don't trust Lando," she said slowly as she pulled away from him.

"Well, I don't trust him either. But he is my friend. Besides... we'll soon be gone."

"Then you're as good as gone, aren't you?" He looked in her eyes then down at her abdomen.

"I don't know anymore..." he admitted, looking back into her eyes.

Chewie came back with bits of Threepio piled into a box.

"What happened?" Leia asked.

Chewie grumbled an answer.

"Where?" Han asked.

Chewy bellowed loudly.

"Found him in a junk pile?"

"What a mess..." Leia said. "Chewie, you think you can repair him?"

Chewie shrugged. He would try.

"Lando's got people that can fix him." Han offered.

"No thanks." She gave him a warning look to say Don't bring it up again.

As if on cue, Lando entered. "I'm sorry. Am I interrupting anything?"

"Not really." Leia pulled the front of her jacket tighter over her middle. Lando gave her a bad feeling, and her gut was wrenching every time she looked at him. Plus, it was more proper for her to be more covered up– even though she had changed into her comfortable outfit.

"You look absolutely beautiful," Lando stated, looking her up and down.

Please stop that... she thought.

"You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

"Thank you," she reluctantly accepted the compliment. Han glared at Lando. Friendship really didn't mean anything with him when a pretty woman came into the picture. Han knew that before, but it had never mattered to him so much.

"Would you join me for a little refreshment?" he said, extending his hand to her. Chewie griped at him. "Everyone's invited, of course." Leia took his hand weakly, but Han came and extended an arm to her while Lando was distracted by the pile of Threepio parts. Leia gladly took Han's elbow instead of Lando's hand.

"Having trouble with your droid?" Lando asked.

"No," Han answered. "No problem. Why?"

They walked down the hall together, and they chatted about the mining facility. Han asked, "Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation, shut you down?"

"It's always been a danger that looms like a shadow over everything we've built. But things have developed that'll ensure security." As they reached the door, Lando added, "I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."

The door opened, and Darth Vader's heavy, mechanical breath filled the room. He stood up, and Han pulled out his blaster. He shot at Vader several times, but Vader blocked each shot then yanked the blaster from his hands with the Force.

Vader spoke calmly, "We would be honored if you would join us." Boba Fett appeared from a corner, and storm troops jumped out behind them. They were trapped.

"I had no choice. They arrived here right before you did. I'm sorry," Lando said dryly.

Han grabbed Leia's hand. "I'm sorry too." They shared a glance and then reluctantly entered the room.