Star Wars: Duel of the Fates

Chapter 20

They walked away from the Millennium Falcon towards a large edifice set against the sand of Pasaana.

A huge metal door stood closed in front of them. Poe tapped loudly on it and a metal arm with a spherical eyepiece came out.

"Eh hi," Poe said waving, "I'm Poe Dameron...we're here to see Lando Calrissian."

The eye moved along where they stood together, dipping down to see BB-8 and up for Chewie.

Retracting swiftly back into the door, the eyepiece disappeared.

The doors lifted upwards to reveal a small group of people the other side. Lando Calrissian stepped forwards grinning and thumping Chewie in the arm.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming here," he said cheerfully before pulling Poe into a hug, "How you doing? It's been far too long."

Poe pulled back, "Sadly we're in a hurry and in need of parts, General."

"Of course," he said before leading them inside the through a complicated series of passages and buildings, "I'll get my team to help you get everything that you need. You'll be out of here before you know it."

"Thank you."

"Who are your friends?" he asked.

"This is Rey and Finn."

"Oh," Lando said looking them over, "The Rey and the Finn. It's a pleasure to meet you both."

They came out into a large space filled with every kind of ship and shuttle you could imagine, in all stages of decay and rust.

Finn let out a low appreciative whistle as Chewie grumbled to himself, going across to a partially deconstructed A-Wing.

A girl with dark skin approached them, her wild hair barely kept away from her face by some repurposed cream and red helmet component.

"I'm sure you all remember Jannah," Lando said.

She stooped down beside BB-8 and winked, then in turn threw her arms around Finn, Rey and Poe, "It's so good to see you all."

Lando smiled, "You'll have to send our regards to Leia. I assume that she's far too busy running the Resistance to come visit an old man like me."

Rey swallowed, her vision beginning to blur with tears.

Placing his hands on his hips, Poe looked down. BB-8 drew closer to him and he sighed heavily, "The cruiser was damaged...when a boy we rescued from the First Order took a pot-shot at one of our engines. Leia stopped it but she...she saved everyone but herself."

The grin vanished from Lando's face as he covered his mouth and took a step back. He went across to where Chewie was placing an energy converter into his shoulder bag. They stood side by side for a long moment. Lando nodded his head and gently rested a hand on Chewie's shoulder. The wookiee tilted his head and they looked at each other as Lando pressed his lips together.

He gave Chewie's shoulder a squeeze and walked back towards the others, "I'm so sorry. She was a wonderful woman...and a good friend."

Silence followed.

"I should really go find five new power conduits," Rey said gesturing behind her to a series of old imperial TIE fighters.

"I'll come and help you," Finn said.

Jannah followed them, "There's always a few hidden away above the solar ionisation reactor."

Lando looked at Poe, "You got a list of what you need?"

Poe held it out to him.

"Finnick!" Lando shouted.

An Imroosian ran out from one of the buildings, his pale skin almost blinding in the intense sunlight. His lumpy bald head offset his dark eye sockets, his skin covered in thin crack like lines.

Lando passed him the list, "Get everyone on this as quickly as you can. Me and Dameron will find the two arrays."

He led Poe and BB-8 down the far walkway, leaving Chewie to climb up into the side of the A-Wing and begin detaching another energy converter.