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As Han was roughly escorted into the room by two surly-looking guards, Lando thought that this must be a record for shortest time before a plan falls apart. It’s only been twenty minutes and yet, they’ve been caught out. Han greets him with a wordless shrug and an apologetic smile, Lando responds with a slow, disappointed shake of his head.
“Ok, hot shot, you think you’ve got what it takes? One more game. I win, you join that scumbag smuggler friend of yours in our jail. If you win, well…you both can have your freedom.” The boss announced, pleased that he’d discovered their plan.
Lando gave a stiff nod, agreeing to the terms. Not that he has much choice, he was basically at the mercy of the boss of this crime syndicate who he, and Han, were trying to scam. It was Han who got caught first, and now it was up to Lando to save both of them. Again. As usual. Sure, sometimes, Han saved Lando, but most of the time it was Lando doing the saving.
The boss was smiling at him, it was an unfriendly, cold smile, and his eyes darted around the room, enjoying the attention from the small crowd surrounding the table.
Lando lowered his gaze to his cards, keeping his expression neutral. He could feel Han watching him from the other side of the room. He knows that he is good at Sabacc but he doesn’t trust the boss not to cheat.
His hand isn’t great, certainly not a winning one, he was about to lose. Kriff. It was time for a new plan. He blinks quickly, a subtle movement, but one that Han will hopefully see.
Everything happened quickly. The boss laid his hand on the table, triumph on his face, as he waited to see Lando’s losing hand. But, instead of laying the cards on the table, Lando swung one leg up heavily, knocking the table and sending the drinks, credits, and cards flying into the air. It was chaos, the boss shouted in anger, and two guards rushed forward, weapons raised. However, Lando was faster, having moved forward with the table, so that he managed to grab the boss’s blaster before rolling away and into a standing position.
Two shots and the guards are down, their weapons skidding across the floor towards Han, who grabs both of them. The crowd scatters in fright, leaving the boss unguarded and alone. He struggled to his feet, calling for backup on his comms device, as Han and Lando ran.
“That went well.” Han shouts, as he and Lando sprinted through the corridors, pushing people out of their way.
“I’m pretty sure he cheated anyway.”
“We should have just done that first then.”
“Well, I wanted to try winning.”
Lando smirked at Han, as they hurried into the ship. It wasn’t a successful scam, and, later, they will probably bicker about it, but, at that moment, they both smiled and laughed in relief as they collapsed into the seats in the cockpit.
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2.
It was during a game of Sabacc that Lando realised his feelings about Leia are more than just friendly. She had asked him if he could teach her how to play, her tone was light and curious, but she stared at him with that intense gaze of hers. Lando liked Leia, he admired her leadership, her bravery, her intelligence, and he was always willing to play Sabacc with a friend, but this request made his stomach do a little flip.
Alone, they sat at the round table in the Falcon. Han and Luke were...somewhere, doing...something. Probably flirting. Whatever it was, Lando wasn’t interested. All he could focus on was Leia. She sat opposite him, a small crease in her forehead as she frowned in concentration. Those beautiful brown eyes of hers intently watching as he laid the cards out, explaining each one. He paused, observing her for a moment, allowing himself to enjoy the small pleasure of being able to sit with her, quietly, away from war and violence and noise.
Leia gave a small, confident nod, indicating she understood the difference between the cards and that he should continue, so he did, describing the rules of the game, peppering his description with little, helpful tips. Her gaze leaves the cards and moves to study him as she asks thoughtful questions, proving that she has picked up the basic ideas quickly. Lando knew she would, and with a little practice, she could be a formidable player.
Shuffling the cards, Lando deals them, and they play their first game together. Lando sneaks glances at her, looking for any sign of bluffing or confusion, but there is none. Her face is perfectly expressionless and she is incrediblely calm, like she’s been playing this game forever. It’s at that exact moment that Lando’s stomach flutters again and he realises that he doesn’t just admire her as a confident leader and kind friend, he is attracted to her powerful spirit, her strong convictions, her charm and her beauty.
His mind races, wondering if, perhaps, she might be interested in a date. And it’s as he is thinking about how to ask her, that she lays her cards out, revealing a winning hand.
Oh. Lando hadn’t been paying attention, he hadn’t been concentrating on the game, and now, he’d lost. But that was ok, if he was going to lose to anyone, he’d rather it be a beautiful Rebel.
“Looks like you’ve got a natural talent for this.” He smiles at her, gazing into her eyes. The air in the room suddenly feels warmer.
“You didn’t just let me win then?” She asks, raising her eyebrows.
“No. I always play to win. Except when I’m beaten by a worth opponent, of course.”
Leia beams happily, returning his intense stare, “You know I’m not actually that interested in cards, right?”
Lando is thrown slightly, and he tilts his head curiously, “You’re not?”
“I just wanted....” She trails off, glancing away, a faint blush spreading across her cheeks, before gathering her confidence and looking back at him. “I wanted...an excuse to spend some more time with you.”
“Oh. Well, you don’t ever need an excuse. I’m always happy to spend time with you, Leia.”
“Good.” She nods, pleased.
They are about to move closer to one another, when the tension is broken by Han and Luke, who come barrelling in, talking loudly. Another time, Lando thinks to himself. It seems, by the way Leia looks longingly at him, that she shares that hope.
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3.
Lando had been cocky, he’d been careless, and, above all, he’d been foolish. He knew how much Han loved the Falcon, he’d known it for years, and had spent many a time winding Han up and making him jealous of his ship. And yet, he’d never imagined he’d lose the ship in the game to Han of all people.
It had been a lively, high-stakes game that had, eventually, just ended up being Han and Lando. And Lando had only bet the Falcon because he’d been so sure, so confident, that Han had nothing, that he couldn’t possibly win against Lando. So, after Lando had laid his cards on the table in a triumphant flourish, when Han had thrown the cards down, a beaming grin on his face, Lando couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.
He felt sick, light-headed, and embarrassed as he stared at Han’s winning hand of cards. The noise of the busy cantina seemed to fade away, and all Lando could hear was his own heart thudding in his chest. A white-hot burst of anger shot through him and he jumped up, swiftly turning and storming outside into the street. It was raining lightly and the cool, quiet air of the night was in stark contrast to the loud, steamy interior of the bar.
“So, shall we go get my ship right now? I can’t wait-” Han’s smirking voice broke the silence.
Lando spun around, interrupting him, “The Millenium Falcon is my ship.” Enunciating each word carefully, he finished his sentence by crossing his arms, defiant.
“What?” Han spluttered in surprise. “You-you...can’t be serious? I won. Fair and square. You bet the Falcon. You lost. I won.”
“She’s mine. I’ve worked so hard on her, she’s perfect.” Lando hated the whine that came into his voice. But it was true, he’d spent so much money improving, adding, tweaking, perfecting that ship. The Falcon was too good for anyone else.
Han stood in front of him, a satisfied smirk on his face, “So, what....you want me to go back in there and tell them you don’t pay your debts?”
That is the last thing Lando wants. That is the kind of rumour that would spread quickly in the gambling circles and it is the kind of thing that would get him banned from games.
So, he just scowled unhappily, and they walked in silence to the shipyard. Lando could tell that Han was desperate to boast about what he was going to do to the Falcon, but, thankfully, he didn’t. It was a quick handover, they swapped their possessions around and Lando was left trying to fit all his belongings into the battered, hunk of junk and spare parts that Han called a ship, while Han and Chewie were enjoying the spacious, clean surroundings of the Falcon.
It was awful. Lando stood in the rain, his clothing soaked, as they took off, in his ship. He watched until the Falcon, the ship he had spent so much time, energy, and money into making the best, was nothing more than a tiny dot in the night sky.
Lando wanted to cry, but he didn’t, instead, he took several deep breaths and tried to calm himself. One day, one day, he would fly the Millenium Falcon again. He was sure.
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4.
It’s his mother who first teaches him to play Sabacc, producing a worn but ornate pack of cards from her desk drawer. She says she hasn’t played in years, not since she was a teenager. But Lando sees a smile in her eyes that tells him that’s not entirely true. It’s not a lie. It’s a secret. Perhaps she practiced all by herself.
Lando will always remember the soft cadence of her voice as she explains the rules and makes it easy for him to understand. She has always been a good teacher, able to describe everything in such a way that he is always able to grasp any kind of concept. This is different though, he can tell, even though he is just a child, that she has a special connection to this game.
He loses, of course, it’s his first time and she has played so many times. Exactly how many times, Lando will never know. But he loves it. It’s like a whole new world has opened up to him. He gets it, it’s a game that he’s so very good at. Natural talent? Inherited skill? He’s not sure, he doesn’t really care, to be honest, all he knows is that this is a game that he wants nothing more than to play over and over again.
His father tuts when he walks in on them in the middle of a game, but Lando sees a mischievous look pass between his parents that makes him think that this game brings back memories for them. A look that suggests his father is not actually unhappy that Lando is learning to play.
So, Lando and his mother spend many afternoons and evenings playing Sabacc, betting on silly things like whether Lando will clean his room or not, or whether his mother will make her special chocolate cheesecake, and making small talk about Sabacc. Lando finds that he doesn’t really have much interest in the bets, but he loves the practice and the comfortable time he spends with his mother. The game is exciting and smart and he enjoys the fact that he has a stunning ability to win. It doesn’t take long for him to become better and better.
Later, as an adult, when he is gambling for real, he always remembers playing with his mother.
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5.
Lando overheard a life changing conversation purely by accident. He was attempting to get the attention of the bartender, usually something that he never had trouble with but on this occasion he did, and so he was leaning against the bar listening to the other patrons.
There was a man, a Baron-Administrator, of a mining colony who was a terrible gambler. Apparently, and Lando took this with a large grain of salt, he was in so much debt that he had taken to betting his job, his livelihood, in high-stakes games. He was a good card player they said, but a really talented gambler could, if they were clever and lucky enough, win the job off him.
It peaked Lando’s interest, he had been wanting to go straight for awhile now and a mining colony was the perfect legitimate business. However, he was cautious because two gossips at a bar didn’t mean anything really. Lando needed to see this guy for himself.
It wasn’t hard to locate him. There were only a few high stakes games in this town and, before long, Lando was in the shadows, watching the nervous-looking Baron-Administrator, whose eyes were entranced by the credits on the table, get more and more into debt. The other players had money but they weren’t gamblers, not really, they just had money to throw into games. This guy, these games, well....for someone like Lando, they were were easy pickings.
To win that alluring prize of Baron-Administrator, he first needed to lull this guy into a false sense of security. That meant, he needed to lose. Not a lot, but just enough that it would be easy for the job to become a viable option to bet. And he was right, it was so very simple to lose and to let this guy fall into his trap. As he did, he let himself imagine what it would be like to have that job. Perfection.
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6.
‘Busy’ didn’t begin to describe the past few weeks at Cloud City. There were intricate expansion deals, drastic health and safety changes, long and complicated contracts, and more admin that Lando had ever set eyes on in his life. But he was working through it, slowly and carefully. It was exhausting though, and he wanted nothing more than a relaxing deep sleep and to not think about work for awhile.
However, he didn’t stop or take a break, because as tiring as this was, and at times, it was very tiring, he loved the fact that these changes were going to make the citizens happier, safer, and give them better futures. It was so satisfying to know that such boring administration could produce such worthwhile results. He’s really making a difference to Cloud City and he loves it.
Lando’s comms device dinged softly, and he glanced over to see what was happening next. His calendar was blocked off in neon pink for the next two hours, until the end of his working day, but, strangely, there was no name or information. Lando was about to call his assistant to find out who he was meeting with when the door to his office opened and a man stepped inside, the door closing quickly behind him.
“What are you doing here?” Lando asked, not unhappily, a surprised expression on his face.
“Wanted to see you.” Han smiled, strolling towards Lando’s desk and slipping into the seat opposite him.
“Yeah? Well, as much as I love the fact you’re here...I do have a meeting.” He replied apologetically.
“I know. I’m your meeting.”
Lando let out a confused laugh, leaning back in his chair, “You made an appointment to see me?”
Han just shrugged, “Thought you could use a break.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of Sabacc cards, placing them in the middle of the desk.
“We haven’t played in forever.”
“I know.” Han dealt the cards swiftly. “Missed it.”
“What, missed me kicking your ass?”
“Ha! We’ll see about that.”
It was fun, playing together for the first time in ages, and it alleviated the pressure Lando was feeling. But it didn’t take long before the game became competitive. It was Lando’s night though and he won, tossing the cards happily onto the desk.
“You know, I didn’t think you’d want to play cards.”
“Huh?”
“Thought you’d want to....fool around.” Lando murmured, a small smirk on his face. Recently, Han had become almost obsessed with fooling around in Lando’s new office and it had surprised Lando that this wasn’t the first suggestion.
“Oh...I do. I scheduled that for the second half of the meeting.” Han slowly stood up, hopping onto the desk, in what was clearly an attempt at a seductive move but was ruined by the fact he accidentally managed to knock over Lando’s glass of water.
“Kriff.” Han muttered, using his sleeve to mop up the mess. “That was supposed to be sexy.”
Lando leaned over the desk, pressing a kiss to Han’s lips, “It was sexy....I mean...for you.”
Han laughed, rolling over the desk towards Lando, knocking over even more things.
It was a very good meeting.