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The first time Lando ever sees Han, he is sitting in his usual place on the steps outside the kitchen of his father's restaurant. He likes to sit here after school, the steps are at the end of an alleyway and look out onto a busy street, where there's always something going on - deals, fights, the occasional illegal gambling game. He likes to people watch, especially here, it's exciting and so very far away from the type of life he has. Lando's father owns several successful businesses - restaurants, repair shops, clothing stores - and so Lando's family is wealthy and well-respected around town. Lando goes to the best school, he always has the newest clothes and gadgets, he never wants for anything, but he finds it all terribly boring.
Lando lives in a world filled with luxury, which has it’s advantages, but there is no excitement. Every brief glimpse he’s had of the seedy, dangerous side of town has fascinated him. He wants to know what it’s like to live in a world like that, so he sits on the steps and watches, which, at the moment, is as close as he will get to it.
It is on a particularly warm afternoon when Lando sees a blur rush past, an angry man jogging heavily behind, shouting expletives. The blur ducks into a crowd of people and disappears. At least, disappears according to the angry man who carries on down the street. But Lando was watching, and he sees the blur, who weaved around several people, has not disappeared down the street but in fact has snuck into the alley. The blur is a teenage boy, probably the same age as him, who is red-faced and sweaty, wearing rumpled clothing.
Lando is instantly intrigued, he wonders where this boy is from, why he’s being chased, what his story is. Before he can really think about it, he’s asking a question.
“Why’s he chasing you?”
The boy, who had been peering around the corner of the alleyway to look out on to the street, turns around suddenly and notices Lando, blinking in surprise.
“Nothing...I mean,” the boy pauses, grimacing slightly, “he thinks I stole something.”
“Did you?”
Stealing? Pursuit? Lando knew this boy would be interesting.
“No.” He glances away, “I just borrowed it.”
“What was it?” Lando asks curiously.
“A ship.”
“You stole a ship?!” A gleeful expression spreads across his face and Lando momentarily thinks that, perhaps, this boy is the coolest person he’s ever met.
“Shhh!” The boy cautions, but a half-smile creeps across his face, as if he is pleased that Lando is so impressed.
“Where’s the ship?” Lando jumps up off the step in one swift motion, walking quickly over to the boy.
“I...er...sort of crashed it.” He says awkwardly, an embarrassed look on his face.
“That is so....cool.” Lando doesn’t mean to be so openly enthusiastic, but he can’t help it. He’s always dreamt of doing something risky and adventurous and it’s thrilling to meet a kid who actually has done stuff like that.
Lando feels a desperate need to become friends with this boy. It’s strange, even though they have only spoken briefly, Lando has an odd idea that this kid, whoever he is, will be very important in his life.
“Do you want a drink?” He asks, feeling nervous that the boy will refuse, that he will leave and Lando will have lost his chance at friendship.
“Uh.” He frowns. “Ok...”
Lando turns, walks across the alley, and opens the kitchen door, motioning for the boy to follow. They enter into the busy kitchen of the restaurant, heat and steam blasting them, it’s noisy, full of shouting and clanking. Lando leads the boy through the lively workplace, dodging the chefs and waiters as they move rapidly around, nodding and smiling to various people as he goes. They go from the kitchen, full of smells and rowdiness, into a long quiet corridor which ends in a large door. Lando opens it and they walk into a grand dining room, decorated in an opulent fashion. It’s packed and every table is taken, they stroll around to the main entrance, where there is a queue.
Lando smiles as the maître d' notices them and hurries over. Two more waiters appear, and within seconds they have brought a table and two chairs and placed them in the middle of the dining room. As they sit down, the maître d' materializes with two tall, frosty glasses filled with bubbly soda topped with sweet ice-cream.
The boy clears his throat, glancing around in disbelief.
“My dad owns the place.” Lando says like it’s no big deal, and it’s not to him, but he can tell it is to the other kid so he wants to put him at ease. He gestures to the ice-cream sodas and takes a sip of his. The kid is nervous, as if he can’t quite believe that he’s gone from being chased to sitting in one of the fanciest restaurants in town. However, once he starts to drink, he relaxes, the tension easing from his shoulders.
“I’m Lando Calrissian, by the way.” Lando reaches across the table and holds out his hand, like he’s been taught to do.
The boy looks unsure, as if it’s the first time anyone’s ever introduced themselves, but he takes Lando’s hand tentatively and gives it a firm shake, “I’m Han Solo.”