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The sun was rising slowly over the clouds, turning the sky from dark blue to soft orange, it was a beautiful sight. Ships flew in and out of the city in a steady stream, not as busy as during the day or early evening, but not what anyone would call quiet. There was no such thing as a quiet time in Cloud City, this was a city that was constantly awake. Lando smiled to himself and took a sip of his caff. He’d never really been an early morning person, unless of course he’d not slept and the late night had turned into the early morning, but here, in Cloud City, he’d had to adjust. And now? Well, he found he couldn’t sleep late, he wanted to be up early. He enjoyed waking up early and watching the sunrise. Oh, how things had changed.
Lando rested his forearms on the parapet of the balcony and contemplated the past month - a new job, a new life, a whole new planet. There he was, a Baron-Administrator of a city, it seemed bizarre and unreal, and he still wasn’t used to the title yet. He liked it, there was a certain grandeur to it, but Baron-Administrator Calrissian was a bit of a mouthful, it lacked the elegance of Captain Calrissian. Nevertheless, there were quiet a few acquaintances, both friendly and not so friendly, who would be impressed, and in some cases, downright shocked, by his new title.
To say he had jumped in at the deep end would be an understatement. He had a head for numbers, he was a people person, he was smart, and he was confident, but running a city? It was unlike anything he’d ever imagined. There were so many tiny details, important meetings, new customs, and just incredibly difficult adminstrative duties that he hadn’t expected. But he was learning fast, and he’d always enjoyed a challenge. And this was one hell of a challenge. But it was also one of the best opportunities he’d ever had, he had the chance to be successful and to finally settle down.
He was responsible now, if things went wrong, then he would be accountable. He had power, yes, but there were consequences, and he found that he didn’t want to disappoint a single citizen of Cloud City. He wanted them to feel proud of him and of the city itself.
It was good to be in this position, very good, but he knew that it wouldn’t feel truly great until he made every single citizen proud. Things needed to change, to adjust, there would be no more corruption on the highest levels, there would be equality in pay and living standards, there would be a comfortable living wage for every citizen. That was the basic stuff, he also wanted to provide free healthcare and education, he wanted to give the citizens more time off, he wanted to encourage innovation and experimentation so that Cloud City could be on the forefront of invention and creation. Oh, he had dreams, but he knew that they would be a reality, with a lot of hard work on his part, but they were viable.
Lando finished the last dregs of his caff and smiled to himself once again. Yes, this was his city, and it would be exceptional.