Han, Leia, and Chewbacca spent an unsettled night in the cold cell. The Imperials kept the overhead lights on bright, so that sleep only came fitfully. Han kept himself curled around his princess. The next morning, they were fed—finally—and then Lando came for a visit.
Leia surreptitiously unsnapped the top of her white blouse and glided over to the administrator. "Lando," she breathed. "I'm so glad you're all right." She stood close to him, fixing her chestnut eyes on his.
Surprised but pleased at her apparent change of heart, Lando offered her a confident smile. "Of course I'm all right. Why wouldn't I be?"
"I know you know how to take care of yourself," she flattered, "but you can't trust Vader. He'll double-cross you."
Lando looked down at her, keeping his smile frozen in place. "I'll be fine." He appraised her. "Are you really a princess?"
Han rolled his eyes. This was too much.
Leia nodded. "The crown princess of Alderaan, the only heir of my mother the Queen." She paused meaningfully. "And since I'm the only member of my family left, I'm the sole heir to all the off-world wealth of my planet."
Lando shot Han a look. So that's why you like her, he said with his eyes. Han shook his head and looked away. He'd said he'd be nice to this loser, so he was going to be nice. Or at least mute.
A question from the petite princess made Lando look back at her. "How much of it would you like?"
"How much of what?" he replied dumbly.
"How much of my money would you like? As payment for saving us, I mean. A few hundred thousand?"
This time, the charming smile wouldn't appear on Lando's face. "I…I can't go against…I mean, I want to help, but I…you don't understand…."
Leia stayed close to him and looked right into his eyes. "I understand you better than you think I do. You're in charge of Cloud City. These are your people, and your first duty is to them. Vader threatened to destroy the city, didn't he? Or take it over and enslave everyone in service to the Empire? I understand duty, Baron Calrissian. I was raised to put my people first." She paused. "Vader made me face a similarly impossible choice as you've been given. I chose my friends in the Alliance over my home." Leia swallowed hard, refocused. "But you have to know that he'll never leave this city alone. It's too profitable. You've lost it. All you can do now is warn your people to evacuate, then cut your losses and run." She moved even closer to him, held her face close to his and touched his arm. "Take me with you," she whispered.
Gods, Han thought. She's a better smooth talker than I am. We might actually get out of here. He exchanged a look with Chewbacca, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as Han. The Wookiee looked admiringly at the princess.
"I can't," Lando stammered, though his resistance was crumbling. "If Vader catches me, I'm dead."
Han piped up from across the room. "Hey, you're probably dead anyway. Vader might just make an example out of you." Leia threw him a stern 'let me handle this' look.
"I know how much this city means to you, how proud you are of all you've accomplished here," Leia continued encouragingly. "It's a beautiful place. And you deserve to be compensated for its loss, at least financially if in no other way. But you have to get out of here, before the Empire sets up a permanent presence."
"Vader will hunt me down."
"Don't worry about that," Leia went on. "The Alliance will protect you, either in our base or on a safe-world, anywhere you want. Just help us get out."
Confused, Lando turned away from her. "I'm very sorry for what's happening to you. And I'll do my best to negotiate with Vader on your behalf. But…I have to go now." He couldn't meet her gaze. And he left.
Leia looked over at Han and shrugged.
"Well," he drawled, sauntering over to her, "I'd rescue you."
She grinned up at him as he draped an arm around her shoulders. "You always do."
Four hours later…
"Well, Calrissian, is he alive?" Vader asked impatiently. If the smuggler hadn't survived the carbon-freezing procedure, he couldn't use the method on Luke. He'd have to convince the boy to come with him willingly. But how? Should he suggest that Luke might have the opportunity to kill the Emperor in a face-to-face meeting? That possibility would surely convince any idealistic young rebel to come along to Coruscant. Or use his friend the princess, perhaps? Luke's feelings for her might be sufficient to….
Lando interrupted the Sith Lord's thoughts. "Yes, he's alive. And in perfect hibernation."
Relieved, Vader said, "Good. Reset the chamber for Skywalker."
He considered the princess, who was staring unblinkingly at the slab of the frozen Solo. The girl might come in handy as a bargaining tool with Luke, he mused. Torturing her would certainly anger the boy, maybe push him over the edge. Besides, he very much wanted to break Senator Organa's little girl. She had resisted or evaded Vader far too often, and her natural Force ability intrigued him. She probably wasn't even aware of her power. Her defenses were formidable, but so was her anger. What might he make out of her?
"Calrissian, bring the Princess and the Wookiee to my ship."
Lando whined, "You said they'd be left in the city under my supervision."
Vader rolled his eyes behind the mask. The man honestly thought he'd just leave a leader of the Rebellion roaming free? "I am altering the deal," he informed Calrissian. "Pray I don't alter it any further."
Calrissian stood and tried to take Organa's arm. She yanked it away viciously. Vader thought—and hoped—she might just turn and punch the man. He shared the princess's sentiment. Naïve fools needed a good punch sometimes.