Chapter 4: Arrival
"Lord Vader, we have detected the location of the Millennium Falcon."
Darth Vader made a note to himself to enforce a minimum IQ requirement when he became Emperor.
"And what is that location" he asked very dangerously. Even the naïve, normally oblivious techie detected the dark lord's lethal impatience.
"Cloud City, Bespin."
"Set a connection with the baron there."
"Yes, m'lord."
Despite the impression he gave, Darth Vader was very pleased. Not only would he get his hands on Skywalker... his son, he had a feeling he would find out more about his strange vision. The only two things that could spoil his mood was an uncanny techie and a too-canny redhead. From his experience and the tight schedule, it would be one day before he arrived at Bespin. Good. Time will be on my side.
On the screen before him came the tight features of the baron's face. He was clearly nervous, devoted. This would be easy.
"Lord Vader," the baron greeted stiffly.
"Calrissian," Darth Vader began, "a cargo ship by the name of the Millennium Falcon will be boarding into your city in short time. When they land, you will hold them without arousing their suspicion until my arrival."
The baron dismayed at the mention of the ship's mention, and before he could muster a gulp of defiance, Vader swiftly leaned the knife on his neck.
"In return for you cooperation, your city's mining business will be spared from Imperial interference."
Lando Clarissian, who didn't even know the Empire had discovered Cloud City's underground mining industry, was broken. He was good friend, a smuggling buddy, but he was also a baron, responsible for thousands of lives and livelihoods. He unconsciously drew a deep, deep breath.
"Cloud City will be happy to cooperate with the Empire."
Meanwhile, in Cloud City...
"This is the Millennium Falcon, requesting permission to land."
Static followed, but not for long.
"Permission granted."
"Thanks," added Han.
"So you know Lando as well?" asked Jaina casually.
"Yeah, we used to be smuggling buddies. Good as friends as two smugglers could be. You know him also?" Han asked.
Jaina carefully planned her answer.
"Yeah, I saw him a few times at the Coruscant landing pad, where I learned to fly. I've heard good things about him, and I talked to him a few times. I doubt he remembers me."
Han seemed satisfied with her answer, concentrating on the docking bay below.
For two more precious moments Jaina had peace of mind, then it left, aching her. What was she going to do about Lando? He has positively no intentions about joining the Alliance, and here were Han and Leia, ready to pick him up! Oh shit, what now!?! Okay, Jaina, calm down. Think. Vader!!! Of course, Vader made a deal with Lando. Lando will want us to stay so Vader will capture us. As crazy as it sounds, thought Jaina, we need to be captured. Just long enough for me to talk with Vader. And Luke, he will come. It will take a while for Vader's fleet to come, so we have time. Luke, please come soon! Oh well, it isn't as if I have much of a choice! I just need to play along and keep my cool. I'll tell Leia that I sense security threats. That should do it.
As they climbed out of the cargo ship, Jaina stopped Leia short.
"Um, Miss Leia?"
"Just call me Leia," she smiled.
"Yes, Leia, I think we should stay here a little longer, in Bespin." "Why is that? Something wrong?" Leia asked, now fully attentive to Jaina's every move.
"Umm," Jaina started, nervous at the analysis, "I just sensed something in the force, it felt like... black, dark, dark, dark black, and it was coming nearby," Jaina continued slowly, trying to sound like she was recounting it.
"Okay, Jaina, if you sensed danger, I'm sure Baron Calirssian will be happy to lodge us. There he is now."
Jaina spotted a procession of several people, with Lando in the lead. He had a huge smile on his face. Soon Jaina had one also.
"Han, where have you been?"
He slapped Dad's back in perfect friendliness and then turned to greet the beautiful young woman. Jaina's sense went into full gear again and she stepped in front of her mom before she could utter a word about Rebel matters.
"Baron Calrissian," she asked breathed out, "we are so happy about your decision to join the Rebel Alliance, though I'm afraid we'll have to stay a little while due to security measures. You wouldn't mind if we stayed a couple of days or so, would you?"
"What are you talking about?" piped in Dad.
"Jaina sensed danger with the force. She's a force-sensitive," Leia answered. It didn't seem to mind Han, though. Or Lando.
A grin seemed to tickle Lando's confused face like a mountain of relief.
"Of course, of course you can stay. Anything for the Alliance," he quickly added. "Just follow me."
Han, Leia, and Jaina followed Lando through the breathtaking halls where the elegance of the clouds unveiled beside them. Despite the beautiful sight laid before her, Jaina remained unsettled. Even as she sipped the creamy soup served for dinner, she couldn't help but trace Vader's location, coming closer and closer. It wasn't the darkness of his presence that unnerved... okay, scared her most. It was his almost mechanical control of all that darkness and turmoil. And she was expected to make him an honorable human being again. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me.
Before Jaina realized it, it was time for bed. She found herself beside her future parents being led to a room. She shook herself out of her daydreams. I wonder if Mom and Dad will share a room. That kiss between Mom and Uncle Luke... ughh.
The part about a kiss struck another chord. Wait, what about Han and Leia's kiss! Didn't they have their first kiss on their way to Bespin?
"Han, Miss Leia, here is your room," Lando interrupted, smoothly gesturing with his velvet-clad arm a one-bed room. Mom and Dad's disapproval could have been sliced.
"We are not a couple," Leia finally stated. Dad looked disgusted.
Lando tried to hide his amusement.
"Not to worry, Miss Leia can stay here while Han can sleep in the room next to Jaina's."
Leia conquered her uneasiness with a firm handshake to Lando and a expression of thanks.
Jaina drifted away until she heard her name and saw an comfortable room waiting. She gave her own thanks, and fell into bed, cool cloth wrapped against her tired, bare legs and a soft pillow throwing her into a deep crevasse of sleep and refuge.
"Lord Vader, we have detected the location of the Millennium Falcon."
Darth Vader made a note to himself to enforce a minimum IQ requirement when he became Emperor.
"And what is that location" he asked very dangerously. Even the naïve, normally oblivious techie detected the dark lord's lethal impatience.
"Cloud City, Bespin."
"Set a connection with the baron there."
"Yes, m'lord."
Despite the impression he gave, Darth Vader was very pleased. Not only would he get his hands on Skywalker... his son, he had a feeling he would find out more about his strange vision. The only two things that could spoil his mood was an uncanny techie and a too-canny redhead. From his experience and the tight schedule, it would be one day before he arrived at Bespin. Good. Time will be on my side.
On the screen before him came the tight features of the baron's face. He was clearly nervous, devoted. This would be easy.
"Lord Vader," the baron greeted stiffly.
"Calrissian," Darth Vader began, "a cargo ship by the name of the Millennium Falcon will be boarding into your city in short time. When they land, you will hold them without arousing their suspicion until my arrival."
The baron dismayed at the mention of the ship's mention, and before he could muster a gulp of defiance, Vader swiftly leaned the knife on his neck.
"In return for you cooperation, your city's mining business will be spared from Imperial interference."
Lando Clarissian, who didn't even know the Empire had discovered Cloud City's underground mining industry, was broken. He was good friend, a smuggling buddy, but he was also a baron, responsible for thousands of lives and livelihoods. He unconsciously drew a deep, deep breath.
"Cloud City will be happy to cooperate with the Empire."
Meanwhile, in Cloud City...
"This is the Millennium Falcon, requesting permission to land."
Static followed, but not for long.
"Permission granted."
"Thanks," added Han.
"So you know Lando as well?" asked Jaina casually.
"Yeah, we used to be smuggling buddies. Good as friends as two smugglers could be. You know him also?" Han asked.
Jaina carefully planned her answer.
"Yeah, I saw him a few times at the Coruscant landing pad, where I learned to fly. I've heard good things about him, and I talked to him a few times. I doubt he remembers me."
Han seemed satisfied with her answer, concentrating on the docking bay below.
For two more precious moments Jaina had peace of mind, then it left, aching her. What was she going to do about Lando? He has positively no intentions about joining the Alliance, and here were Han and Leia, ready to pick him up! Oh shit, what now!?! Okay, Jaina, calm down. Think. Vader!!! Of course, Vader made a deal with Lando. Lando will want us to stay so Vader will capture us. As crazy as it sounds, thought Jaina, we need to be captured. Just long enough for me to talk with Vader. And Luke, he will come. It will take a while for Vader's fleet to come, so we have time. Luke, please come soon! Oh well, it isn't as if I have much of a choice! I just need to play along and keep my cool. I'll tell Leia that I sense security threats. That should do it.
As they climbed out of the cargo ship, Jaina stopped Leia short.
"Um, Miss Leia?"
"Just call me Leia," she smiled.
"Yes, Leia, I think we should stay here a little longer, in Bespin." "Why is that? Something wrong?" Leia asked, now fully attentive to Jaina's every move.
"Umm," Jaina started, nervous at the analysis, "I just sensed something in the force, it felt like... black, dark, dark, dark black, and it was coming nearby," Jaina continued slowly, trying to sound like she was recounting it.
"Okay, Jaina, if you sensed danger, I'm sure Baron Calirssian will be happy to lodge us. There he is now."
Jaina spotted a procession of several people, with Lando in the lead. He had a huge smile on his face. Soon Jaina had one also.
"Han, where have you been?"
He slapped Dad's back in perfect friendliness and then turned to greet the beautiful young woman. Jaina's sense went into full gear again and she stepped in front of her mom before she could utter a word about Rebel matters.
"Baron Calrissian," she asked breathed out, "we are so happy about your decision to join the Rebel Alliance, though I'm afraid we'll have to stay a little while due to security measures. You wouldn't mind if we stayed a couple of days or so, would you?"
"What are you talking about?" piped in Dad.
"Jaina sensed danger with the force. She's a force-sensitive," Leia answered. It didn't seem to mind Han, though. Or Lando.
A grin seemed to tickle Lando's confused face like a mountain of relief.
"Of course, of course you can stay. Anything for the Alliance," he quickly added. "Just follow me."
Han, Leia, and Jaina followed Lando through the breathtaking halls where the elegance of the clouds unveiled beside them. Despite the beautiful sight laid before her, Jaina remained unsettled. Even as she sipped the creamy soup served for dinner, she couldn't help but trace Vader's location, coming closer and closer. It wasn't the darkness of his presence that unnerved... okay, scared her most. It was his almost mechanical control of all that darkness and turmoil. And she was expected to make him an honorable human being again. Boy, do I have my work cut out for me.
Before Jaina realized it, it was time for bed. She found herself beside her future parents being led to a room. She shook herself out of her daydreams. I wonder if Mom and Dad will share a room. That kiss between Mom and Uncle Luke... ughh.
The part about a kiss struck another chord. Wait, what about Han and Leia's kiss! Didn't they have their first kiss on their way to Bespin?
"Han, Miss Leia, here is your room," Lando interrupted, smoothly gesturing with his velvet-clad arm a one-bed room. Mom and Dad's disapproval could have been sliced.
"We are not a couple," Leia finally stated. Dad looked disgusted.
Lando tried to hide his amusement.
"Not to worry, Miss Leia can stay here while Han can sleep in the room next to Jaina's."
Leia conquered her uneasiness with a firm handshake to Lando and a expression of thanks.
Jaina drifted away until she heard her name and saw an comfortable room waiting. She gave her own thanks, and fell into bed, cool cloth wrapped against her tired, bare legs and a soft pillow throwing her into a deep crevasse of sleep and refuge.