Idle gossip

How did Han know that Lando owned Bespin?

~:~:~

The door of the main cantina on Nar Shadaa opened with its usual squeal. In a booth at the back, Han Solo paused in scooping up his sabacc cards, and leaned back to see the newcomer.

His fellow card player raised an eyebrow. "Anyone you know?"

Han sank down again and shook his head. "Jus' checking."

"Ah." The other man peered sadly down the neck of his empty ale bottle, cast a wistful look between the bar and the small pile of credits beside Han's half-full bottle, and then shuffled his cards with bright determination. "Say, I heard there's one person you don't have to look out for any more!"

"Huh?"

"Lando Calrissian!"

Han took a long swig at his ale. "And why would I be looking out for Lando Calrissian? He doesn't hang out round here working for Jabba."

"Doesn't need to any more."

Han put the bottle down. "Any more? Never has. Lando's never been that desperate."

"Not like you and I," the other man sighed. "And he's got luckier again this time. Won a whole planet at sabacc. Bespin! Mining colony! Credits galore! Raking it-!"

"Shut your mouth..." Han yawned. "Lando wants to be respectable and all that trouble, what's that to me? You gonna deal?"

His companion slowly laid down a few tattered cards and then paused, mind clearly elsewhere. "D'ya think you or I'll ever get that lucky?"

Han tossed a couple of credits into the pool. " 'Bout as likely as marrying royalty, I'd say. Gonna finish dealing?"

~:~:~