Chapter 20: Storm Clouds

It was dawn on the gaseous Bespin planet.

As the Ebon Hawk began its approach through the planet's atmosphere, it soared past several of Bespin's many moons. The planet itself glowed with the same soft pink hue of dawn that tinted the hull of the ancient powerful starship. As the ship neared, it swerved to avoid a billowing canyon of clouds that swirled up around the planet.

When Luke Organa finally lowered his ship through the clouds, he and his droid crew got their first glimpse of the gaseous world of Bespin. And as they maneuvered through the clouds, they noticed that they were being followed by some kind of flying vehicle. Luke recognized the craft as a twin-pod cloud car.

"Ebon Hawk, you are expected." Came a call over the comm. "Permission granted to land on Platform 327."

Luke smiled as he nodded. "Platform 327, copy." He turned the Hawk towards the immense city that floated in the clouds. As the Ebon Hawk approached the city, it became evident that the expansive city structure was supported from below by a thin unipod. The base of this supporting stalk was a large round reactor that floated through the billowing sea of clouds.

HK-47 looked at the city, and sounded miffed. "Observation: A very unstable looking structure. I'm surprised it is capable of staying in one spot."

Luke looked over at the red droid with a smile. "I keep forgetting that you've been deactivated for a long time. Repulsor technology has come a long way since you were on last."

HK-47 looked at the young prince for a moment. "Observation: Organic meatbags create very strange technologies. It is not logical."

Luke mouthed the words "organic meatbags?" as he landed the Ebon Hawk.

----

Lasindra "Stormy" Tashara was a very beautiful tawny colored Twi'lek from Ryloth. She stood six foot four, most of her height from her long legs. She had a figure that made most males want her, and a smile that made the rest melt. But while most males saw her as a Twi'lek slave girl, or a pleasure toy, she actually had a gift most males overlooked.

She was incredibly intelligent.

She had earned her freedom from slavery long ago with the power of her mind. She not only was a free woman, but she also was now amongst the richest persons in the outer regions of the Empire. She had been the administrator of the Fenris Tabana gas refineries before…

That was the reason she had called the meeting with the Prince from Alderaan. The Rebellion needed to know what she knew.

She stood near the main door wearing a business suit with a short skirt, a business jacket, and an ocular headpeace that covered her left eye. She was in constant contact with computers all over the quadrant, overseeing contacts, information about her business, and other… legally challenged information.

All in all, the business suit only made her more attractive.

None of this slipped past the Baron Administrator of Cloud City, Lando Calrissian. Ever since she had shown up on Cloud City, he had been nothing but a gentleman to her the entire time, showing her around, presenting her with a fine meal fit for a queen, and even getting her a royal suite for her stay.

While she had been flattered, she had been too worried about what had happened on Fenris to really allow herself to relax.

Lando, a handsome black man perhaps the same age as Han Solo was clad in elegant gray pants, blue shirt, and a flowing blue cape. He stood smiling next to Stormy on Platform 327, waiting for the Hawk's crew to disembark.

He walked forward as Luke disembarked, followed by HK-47, Artoo Detoo and T3-M4. "Prince Organa? I'm Lando Calrissian, administrator of this facility. Welcome to Cloud City." He said, offering his hand and stepping forward.

Suddenly he found his hand intercepted by the droid standing besides Luke. "Observation: He is unarmed." The droid said after a moment looking at him. Lando and Luke both had been caught completely unprepared.

"Uhm… Hk? Its ok." Luke said after a moment. He finally accepted Lando's hand. "Thank you, Lando Calrissian?… sorry for my droid here… he seems a little overprotective."

"That's ok, and just call me Lando." The administrator said. "I think you know Lasindra here."

Luke smiled and bowed to Lasindra. "It's been a while, Stormy. I haven't seen you since you graduated business classes on Alderaan."

Stormy shook Luke's hand with that winning smile. "I've missed you as well, Prince Organa. We have much to discuss."

HK-47 once again looked right at Lando. "Demand: I will scan the meeting room before any meeting is to take place."

Lando was about to speak, but Luke beat him to it. "It's all right HK. I think we can trust the administrator, right?"

Lando nodded and smiled. "Of course, we're all friends here. I've had a feast prepared for your arrival. This way, please."

----

"The Fenris Tabana gas refinery is lost." Stormy said after the meeting began. Luke, Lando and Stormy sat around a square table, with HK-47 standing protectively over Luke's left shoulder, Artoo on one side, T3 on the other, beeping with Stormy's personal pink astromech R2-KT.

"How did this happen?" Luke asked. The Fenris refinery is where the Rebellion got most of their tabana gas for their blasters. This was not good.

"My facility was attacked by groups of individuals wearing Black Sun insiginias… but they were backed up by individuals wearing Stormtrooper armor. Since my facility is officially a part of the Empire, there would be no need for the Empire to attack their own facility just to steal the gas stores. The strange thing is, they used a new type of soldier I've never seen before." Stormy explained. "Kay-Tee? Could you please show the recording?"

The pink astromech beeped an affirmative, and activated her holocamera. Before them floated what looked like a black garbed stormtrooper….

If he was the size of a Kentarian.

Heavy plate armor, with a huge autocannon under one arm, and what looked like rocket pods on its shoulders. "What in the Force's name is that?" Luke breathed.

Lando kept his gaze locked on the hologram, trying to figure out contingencies if this group decided to pay a visit to his own facility.

"This single soldier was able to sweep aside my personal guard of six Mandalorian mercenaries, and over a hundred paid security guards. The only weapon that even phased it was the Mandalorian rockets, and even then it wasn't enough." Stormy said. The recording went on to show the battle. The huge stormtrooper led forces into the facility, destroying anything that came against it. "I think that there is a new player involved… and they plan on taking on all comers with these soldiers."

Luke nodded slowly. This was most certainly not good at all. "I'll inform Alliance Command. My father needs to know about this."