The moment Clary leaves the Dagobah system, she steers in the direction of Lando Calrissian's home. Although she hasn't felt any dire need to head to his cloud city, he's the first person she can think of who can help her with her worries about Han. Without knowing where her brother is, Clary's thoughts immediately travel to Lando: she trusts him, not as much as she should, but she can recall in the past how he's helped aid her and Han in their dangerous missions, and how he had taken care of her when Han had to go on a dangerous shipment of spices, nearly entangling him with Imperial affairs; thankfully, he had managed to talk his way out of that situation, but Clary knows his charisma will have a faulting point soon.

She breathes in deeply, and her thoughts suddenly divert to Luke still training on Dagobah. She wonders what he's doing, what other tasks Yoda might be putting him through, and if he's thinking of her. Clary feels her cheeks warm immediately at the sudden selfish thought, and ashamed, bites the inside of her cheek as she slowly nears the planet Bespin. She quickly flips a switch and her ship steers in the direction of the desolate planet. She can't help but think back to Luke, again, and her cheeks continue to burn.

She remembers feeling sad when she had looked at Luke, and finally realizing why that had frightened her. But now, she discerns, she feels everything looking at him. It's overwhelming and it makes her head reel, but it's a feeling that's not entirely uncomfortable. She's used to her mind racing, and Luke just seems to intensify that.

She's brought out of her distracting thoughts when the console beeps, warning her of her approach to Tibanna gaseous conditions. She silences the alarm and turns left, travelling until she finally spots the small gas mining colony of Cloud City; the moment she sees the station, familiarity rushes through her. She quickens the speed of her ship, pulse pounding in her ears as she hopes for Han's safety and that Lando can help ease her worries.

Clary squints from her lack of sight from the huge billowing clouds surrounding her destination. Before she even has the chance to glance down at her controls, a cloud car appears to her right, moving towards her small ship, letting out two sharp lasers that barely graze the sides. Exclaiming in surprise, Clary manages to steady her ship as she looks around fervently. She can spy the small colony growing larger as she continues to dodge the fire being aimed at her.

"I don't have a landing permit, but please connect me to Lando Calrissian," Clary says into the transmitter attached to her helmet. She adjusts it as sharply turns the ship, avoiding another flak burst that could have taken her out for good.

"What business do you have with Calrissian?" replies the intercom voice. Clary refrains from cursing as the cloud ship continues to flank her, still attempting to aim her out of her course.

"Maybe if you stop shooting at me I can explain myself!" she snaps, flipping another switch as her ship rocks dangerously. She tries to turn to the left to avoid the one cloud car gaining speed but she's nearly thrown over as she runs into another cloud car, a twin-pod to the other, appears on her left side, the gaseous like clouds billowing around it, preventing Clary from even seeing it in the first place.

Immediately, she steers her ship upwards to avoid a sudden crash, but the cloud cars continue to follow her, firing at both sides of her ship. It rattles from the sudden flaks and Clary feels the controls trembling in her hands.

"State your name and business," the voice grunts, and Clary realizes it sounds familiar, but she knows for certain it isn't Lando.

"Clary Solo," Clary says; at the mention of her name she notices the cloud cars hesitate, as if the person speaking behind the intercom—the person responsible for all of this—has given the command to stop. "I'm here to speak with Lando Calrissian. My brother and I were old friends with him."

Silence. Clary can feel her heart beating, either from the present fear that her request for permission to land will be denied, or from the exhilaration of attempting to avoid the flaks coming from the cloud cars as they chased her through sector.

"Permission granted to land on Platform 327," the voice finally says and Clary can hear the line go dead on the other side. She presses a button on the side of her helmet, somewhat grateful for how the situation turned out, but she can feel her stomach churning. She feels suspicious about the ferocity of the cloud cars, and she wonders when the security of Cloud City had gotten so tight. She figures she'll ask Lando once she sees him. That is, Clary thinks bitterly as the platform comes into view, if I see him.

The clouds have fully parted now and the platform is in the full view. Clary glances to her left and right to see the cloud cars still following her. She wonders if the voice she had been speaking with came from one of them, but she's distracted for her thoughts as she sees the Millennium Falcon, in all its shining glory, resting farther to the side of the platform. Her heart races and all the dread that had been filling and consuming Clary suddenly vanish at the sight. By the time Clary lands her small ship, the two cloud cars that have been following her land beside her as well, as if still guarding her. Clary eyes them warily, but gets out of the ship nonetheless, pulling of her helmet and retrieving a blaster in hand as she climbs out, stepping onto the platform.

She glances around the gleaming white metropolis, memories of when she was younger filling her with a vague sense of hope. She remembers Lando to be kind, charismatic, and generous; she hopes he's still the same, despite the many years of never communicating; after the stunt Han had pulled with him, Clary hopes his attitude towards the Solos is the same as it was before the epidemic.

Around the same time Clary had gotten out of her ship, the pilots of the cloud cars have exited their vehicles as well, starting towards Clary in an almost threatening manner. Clary looks at them warily, gripping tighter onto her blaster. Before she can say anything to them, a voice from behind her calls out:

"Well, if it isn't Clary Solo."

Clary turns to see Lando Calrissian, still the same suave man she remembers him to be. A look of relief washes over Clary and she finds herself smiling as she approaches her old family friend. He holds his arms out and pulls her into a tight hug, tighter than Clary would have expected, but she hugs him back nonetheless, the relief still coursing through her veins, making her spine tingle.

Lando pulls away, grinning. "It's like I'm hosting a Solo family reunion." Clary's eyebrows furrow at his words but Lando doesn't touch on the subject any further as he nods to one of the men from the cloud cars. "Sorry for the tight security, but what with people landing to-and-fro, and the threat from the Rebellion and all, I need to make sure that this place is safe."

Clary merely nods, biting her tongue as she holds back a stinging retort about how his guards could be considerate enough to not shoot first, ask questions later.

"Your brother arrived here not long before you did," Lando continues, nodding to the Millennium Falcon behind them. Clary glances back at it before returning her gaze to Lando. "They're already waiting inside. I'd escort you myself but I have...other business to attend to." Clary notices his gaze shift slightly, and her suspicion about the tight security grows as Lando turns to one of the pilots of the cloud cars, nodding to him. "Cal, on the other hand, can lead you inside."

Clary glances at the man and the minute she looks at him she feels as if she already knows him. The feeling startles her as the man merely gives a brisk nod. Clary looks back at Lando warily, unsure about the decision, but Lando has already turned to speak with the other pilot and the two guards that had followed him out.

"Well, come on," Cal says, gaining Clary's attention. She looks back at him to see he has his arm offered to her. She hesitates before taking it as he leads her into the well-known metropolis. The minute they walk past the doors they're greeted by a decorated passageway. Clary barely has time to look at the art, that had not been present the years before when she had been in Cloud City, as Cal continue to leads her through the plazas.

The silence that has fallen over the two makes Clary feel anxious; it's uncomfortable and she feels as if she's suffocating from it. She clears her throat and Cal glances her way.

"I'm Clary, by the way," Clary says, as if introducing herself will clear some of the tension. "Clary So—"

"Yeah, I know," Cal interrupts. Clary clenches her jaw slightly in frustration at his discreet tone and looks away harshly, offended by it. She dislikes the discomfort from walking with him, and she's thinking back to the "business" Lando had spoken of, remembering his hesitation. She looks around suspiciously, spotting a few pedestrians walking by. She glances back at Cal, but he's looking straight ahead, as if purposefully avoiding Clary altogether. She turns away, hoping they'll reach their destination soon.

As if her prayers have been answered, Cal stops in front of a large door, lowering his arm. He nods to it, looking back at Clary. As Clary meets his gaze, she wishes she never had: his green eyes are piercing, and remind her slightly of Yoda—they seem to bore into her, as if they can look through her and know every part of her just by a glance.

"Your friends and brother are in there," he says. Clary nods, and as she reaches for the door, Cal grabs her hand, preventing her from opening it. She looks back at him and he leans in closely to her, whispering so only she can hear him. "If you continue to look around like you're already suspicious of this place, you'll find out things you're better off knowing nothing about."

His voice brings back such familiarity it makes Clary's spine shiver. She meets his gaze coldly, and he returns it with a hardened expression. He looks around warily before looking back at Clary. He gives a small nod before walking down the corridor, back from where they had come from. Clary waits until his retreating figure is out of sight before opening the door; she doesn't realize her hands are shaking until she removes it from the base of the door as it zaps open.

Almost immediately, Leia rushes towards her and hugs her tightly. Clary gasps from the sudden gesture and looks around for Han. She sees him standing farther off in the room, and his eyes widen at the sight of her.

"How did you get here?" Leia asks.

"I flew," Clary replies. Leia gives her a redundant look and Clary manages to smile, but her suspicions about Cloud City continue to throb in the back of her mind.

"How did you know we would be here?" Leia continues to question. Clary considers the thought before saying, "Lando's an old friend."

She looks back at Han, and at the sight of her brother being alive and well overwhelms her. Before she can think, she races to him and collides into him, hugging him as tightly as she can. Han grunts from her sudden gesture, but doesn't remark anything about Clary's actions as he hugs her just as tightly. The two siblings say nothing for a moment, and the dream Clary had about Han seems to replay in her mind; she remains holding onto Han, resting her head against his shoulder. She feels tears sting her eyes and she pulls away, wiping at them with the back of her hand.

"I'm glad you're safe," she manages to say. She feels him eyeing her unsurely but he says nothing; he doesn't have to. He understands Clary without needing to say any words at all.

"I always am," he replies and Clary looks up to see that familiar smug smile on his face. Clary finds herself grinning and turns away from her brother at the sound of the doors zapping open again and Chewbacca roaring out in dismay as he enters the quarters, carrying a box of what appeared to be parts of C-3P0.

"What happened?" Leia exclaims as Chewbacca sets the box down on a nearby table, growling and whining his explanation. Clary listens but stares at the dismembered C-3P0, confirming her suspicions about the colony. She thinks back to what appeared to be Cal's threat, and she's tempted to ask Han about it, but he's kneeling beside Leia next to the table as Chewbacca lifts what appears to be 3P0's leg.

"Where?" Han asks. "You found in him a junk pile?"

Before Chewbacca can reply Leia sighs. "Oh, what a mess." She glances up at the Wookiee as she asks, "Chewie, do you think you can repair him?"

Chewbacca stares at the array of robot parts before shrugging his shoulders as he whines sadly.

"I probably could," Dana says. "If I had the right tools, that is." Clary glances at the girl, surprised as steps out of the corner she had been standing near. Clary realizes Dana is good at going unnoticed, remaining quiet and sincere. She gives Clary a nod, a look of relief washing over her. "Glad to see you're doing well, kid."

Clary feels her face warm and she gives a small smile, nodding to the girl. She wants to thank Dana and question her on how she knew Clary needed the X-wing to head to Dagobah, she wants to know how she had managed to get to Cloud City safely, she wants to know what happened, but decides to save all of that for another time as she looks back at the broken C-3P0.

"It's not safe here," Clary says. Upon her statement, Chewbacca looks up from the mess of C-3P0, and roars in exclamation as he turns away from the box, nearly knocking it off of the table, and rushing to Clary, lifting her off her feet into a tight Wookiee-hug. Clary gasps from her shortness of breath from the pressure the Wookiee has on her and she laughs as Chewbacca continues to roar on.

"I'm glad to be back too, Chewie, but put me down!" She struggles against his grip, feeling her lungs tighten slightly, and the Wookiee reluctantly puts her back on her feet. She turns back to Wookiee, smiling. She hears Dana laugh from behind her and glances back at the group.

"What do you mean, 'it's not safe here'?" Han asks, gaining his sister's attention. She looks back at him, then to Leia, before sighing.

"Lando seems to be acting strangely, isn't he?" she questions. "He's not like he was before."

"That was a long time ago, Clary—"

"He's changed," Clary retorts. "People don't change on a whim, Han. Something's happened."

Han hesitates, his jaw clenching. Clary can tell he knows she's right, but from his stubbornness, it's hardly likely he'll agree with her.

Chewbacca has returned the attention back to the broken C-3P0 as he whines, lifting up the robot's arm. The wires still seem to be intact, but something or someone far more skilled in repairs can be the only one to fix him correctly, Clary realizes. She looks back at Han and he sighs.

"Lando's got people who can fix him," he says.

"No, thanks," Leia mutters. Clary smiles, glad the princess agrees with her, but they're interrupted by the door buzzing as it slides open, revealing Cal and Lando.

"Sorry," Lando says, walking in. Cal follows behind him and Clary glances to Han; he watches him suspiciously as Lando nods to the group. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Leia shakes her head slowly. "Not really."

Lando smiles, walking towards Leia, who appears to have some look of dread at his approach. He looks her up and down and Clary is reminded of the Lando she once knew. "You look absolutely beautiful. You truly belong here with us among the clouds."

Clary snorts but covers up her failed attempt by coughing slightly. Lando glances her way and Leia does as well, amusement flashing in her eyes. Clary notices Cal watching her and a small smile is tugging at his lips. Clary looks away as Han continues to watch the whole situation with cold, calculating eyes. Dana, too, stands suspicious, arms crossed over her chest as she surveys the group quietly.

"Thank you," Leia says, distracted and cold. Lando ignores her obvious attempts of turning him down as he offers her his arm.

"Will you join me for some refreshments?"

Clary eyes Lando warily, but Chewbacca barks excitedly at the mention of food. Lando glances to the Wookiee, smiling. "Everyone's invited, of course."

Leia hesitantly takes Lando's offered arm, and they start forward. Before making it towards the door, Lando notices C-3P0's remains in the box, and narrows his eyes.

"Having trouble with your droid?"

Clary exchanges a quick glance with Han and Leia as Han shakes his head. He takes Leia by her arm that had been lowered at Lando's question and meets Lando's gaze. "No, no problem. Why?"

He leads Leia out of the room before Lando can reply. He glances at Clary as if she'll give an answer, but he sighs, turning to follow after the two. He's stopped as Dana walks up to him, taking his arm as she flashes him a charismatic smile that nearly beats his own; Chewbacca races after them as well, calling after Clary with a sharp yip. She glances at Cal, who continues to watch her with piercing green eyes. He doesn't offer her his arm this time as he nods to the door; she follows after him, glad they're not walking alone, and the door zaps shut behind them.

As they walk down the corridor, Clary can see Leia walking between Han and Lando, with Dana beside him, as they take the lead, with Chewbacca trailing a short distance behind. Cal remains walking at a slow pace, glancing around the tall pure white columns surrounding the corridors every now and again. Clary watches him, suspicious of his actions, but looks ahead as Lando starts a conversation.

"As you see...we're a small operation, we don't fall into the...uh, jurisdiction of the Empire."

"So you're part of the mining guild, then?" Leia asks.

Lando shakes his head. "No, not really. Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...which is advantageous for everybody since our customers are anxious to avoid attracting attention to themselves."

They continue down the corridor, and turn left. Clary can see a large doorway at the far end of the corridor they're now walking down. She notices Cal stiffen slightly at the sight of it and his gaze shifts to Han as he looks at Lando, eyes narrowed.

"Aren't you afraid the Empire's going to find out about this little operation and shut you down?"

"That's always been a danger looming like a shadow over everything we've built here..." Lando glances back at Cal who gives a small shrug of his shoulders. His silence throughout most of the conversation makes Clary suspicious, but then again, she hasn't said anything either.

"But things have developed that will ensure security," Lando continues. "I've just made a deal that will keep the Empire out of here forever."