The Love of a Kenobi

Journey to Cloud City

"Bespin. It's pretty far, but I think we can make it." Han said.

"(reading from the computer) A mining colony?" Leia asked.

"Yeah, a Tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it. We go back a long way, Lando and me." Han said.

"Can you trust him?" Leia asked.

"No. But he has no love for the Empire, I can tell you that." Han said.

Chewie barks over the intercom. Han quickly changes his readouts and stretches to look out the cockpit window.

"(into intercom) Here we go, Chewie. Stand by. Detach!" Han said.

Han leans back in his chair and gives Leia an invisible smile. She thinks for a moment, shakes her head, a grin creeps across her face, and she gives him a quick kiss.

"You do have your moments. A few, but you have them." Leia said.

Ana looked at them confused because the last time she saw them they were fighting a lot. "You two are full of surprises," Ana remarked, shaking her head with a small smile.

The powerful pirate starship blasts through space as it heads toward the soft pink planet of Bespin. It is down on the gaseous planet. Huge billowing clouds form a canyon as the ship banks around them, heading toward the system's Cloud City. Suddenly, two twin-pod cloud cars appear and move toward the Falcon. The cloud cars draw up alongside the starship. One of the cloud cars opens fire on the Falcon, its dissension rocking the ship. Chewie barks his concern.

"(into transmitter) No, I don't have a landing permit. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." Han said.

More dissension bursts outside the cockpit window and rattles the ship's interior. Leia and Ana looked worried.

"(into transmitter) Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain." Han said.

INTERCOM VOICE: "You will not deviate from your present course."

"Touchy, aren't they?" 3PO asked.

"I thought you knew this person." Leia said.

Chewie barks and growls at his boss.

"(to Chewie) Well, that was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that." Han said.

INTERCOM VOICE: "Permission granted to land on Platform Three-two-seven."

"(into transmitter) Thank you." Han said.

Angry, Han snaps off the intercom. Chewie looks at him and grunts. Han turns to the worried princess, her droid, and Ana.

"There's nothing to worry about. We go back, Lando and me." Han said.

Leia and Ana don't look convinced.

"Who's worried?" Leia asked.

Ana added, "I hope you're right, Han. We can't afford any more surprises."

The cloud's part to reveal a full view of the city as it bobs in and out of the cloud surface. The cloud cars and the Falcon head for the gleaming white metropolis. With the cloud cars still guarding it, the Falcon lands on one of the Cloud City's platforms. Han, Ana, and Leia stand at the open door, armed. Behind them, Chewie, also armed, surveys the scene warily.

"Oh. No one to meet us." 3PO said.

"I don't like this." Leia said.

"Well, what would you like?" Han asked.

"Well, they did let us land." 3PO said.

Ana glanced around, her hand resting on her lightsaber. "Stay alert. This could be a trap."