The Millenium Falcon was in the midst of the asteroid field again, but surprisingly, there wasn't an Imperial ship to be seen. Han picked up the edge of the asteroid field on the scanners, and immediately turned the Falcon towards it. Within a few minutes they were flying through empty space again. Chewie barked, puzzled.

"I guess they must have thought we bought it. That's fine by me," Han replied. "Okay, let's get the hell out of here." He entered the coordinates for their next jump into the navicomputer, and within a few minutes it pinged. Han pulled back on the controls, and...

Nothing.

"Damn it," Han growled. He tried again. Still nothing.

"Okay, we're going to have to set down for repairs somewhere," Han finally said. He checked the charts, and after a minute of searching, came up with something. He sat back in the pilot's chair and said one word.

"Lando."

Chewie growled at the mention of that name, then barked twice. Han shrugged. "Bespin. It's the closest system, even though it's still pretty far. I think that the backup hyperdrive can get us there." Chewie growled again, then barked.

"Well, that was a long time ago. I'm sure he's forgotten about that," he replied. Chewie said nothing else.

A few minutes later, the Falcon took off towards Bespin.

* * *

Dawn on Bespin. The clouds that covered the planet glowed pink from the rising sun. The Milennium Falcon shot through the clouds, heading for its destination: Cloud City, a Tibanna gas mining colony that Lando was now the Baron-Administrator of. As they got closer, though, two twin pod cloud cars suddenly fell into formation on either side of the Falcon. They transmitted a query to the Falcon.

Inside the Falcon, Han was speaking into the transmitter. "No, I don't have a landing permit. I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian." Without warning, the cloud cars opened fire on the Falcon! Chewie barked in alarm, and Han shouted into the transmitter. "Whoa! Wait a minute! Let me explain!"

The voice of one of the cloud car pilots came back. "You will not deviate from your present course. Permission granted to land on platform three-two-seven."

"Thank you," Han snapped, then switched off the transmitter.

* * *

A few minutes later, the Falcon was soaring through the air immediately above Cloud City. Han manuevered the Falcon through the city's gleaming spires, then set the ship down on platform three-two-seven. With a shudder, the retrorockets fired, and the ship came to a complete stop. The gangplank lowered, and Han and Chewie walked out onto the platform. There was no one there.

Chewie growled. "Keep your eyes open, okay?" Han said.

The door in the tower that was connected to the platform slid open with a whoosh. Immediately a small group of people walked out and headed toward the Falcon. In the lead was Lando Calrissian, a tall, handsome black man. Behind him was a man with some kind of cybernetic device on his head, and behind him were several of Cloud City's Wing Guards. The man and guards stopped, but Lando kept walking toward the Falcon.

Han grinned and yelled "Hey!" as he walked toward Lando. His grin faded as he saw the grim expression on Lando's face. Lando came to within a foot of him, then stopped.

"Why, you slimy, double-crossing, no-good swindler! You've got a lot of guts coming here, after what you pulled," Lando snarled. Han, feigning surprise, pointed at himself with a "who, me?" expression on his face. Lando stepped forward, and without warning, smashed Han in the jaw with a quick punch! Han fell backwards and landed on the platform with a thud. Chewie roared and started to run toward them, but a wave from Han stopped him. Lando wasn't doing anything else.

Han rubbed his jaw. "Feel better?" he asked Lando. Lando glared down at him, his body tense - then he visibly relaxed.

"Yeah, I do," he said. He helped Han to his feet. The man with the cybernetic implants, Lobot, turned to the guards and pointed toward the door. The guards immediately turned and left the platform.

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Lando asked. Han, still rubbing his jaw, indicated the Falcon behind him as Chewie walked up to them. "Ahh...repairs. I thought you could help me out," he said.

Mock panic spread across Lando's face. "What have you done to my ship?"

"Your ship?" Han replied. "Hey - you lost her to me fair and square."

"I could very well turn you away," Lando said, "but even I've heard about your problems with the Empire. I think we're even now. What's the problem?"

"Hyperdrive."

"Man, I hate the thought of the Falcon without her heart. I'll have my men get to work on her right away."

"Thanks," Han said. Chewie growled at Lando.

"How're you doing, Chewbacca? Still hanging around with this loser?" Lando laughed. Chewie growled again, and Lando puts up his hands in defense. "Hey, I owed him one." Chewie growled again.

"It's okay, Chewie," Han said. Lando turned to him.

"Come on, I'll show you two around," Lando said. Together, the four of them walked to the door, which slid open immediately. They entered, and the door slid shut behind them.

* * *

Han, Chewie, Lando and Lobot walked through the corridors of Cloud City, engaged in small talk. The various residents of the city moved all around them, intent on their daily business. There were humans, Ugnaughts, and other assorted alien species everywhere.

"How's the gas mine? Is it paying off for you?" Han asked.

"Oh, not as well as I'd like," Lando replied. "We're a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had supply problems of every kind, I've had labor difficulties-"

He noticed Han grinning at him and stopped walking. "What's so funny?"

"You. Listen to you - you sound like a businessman, a responsible leader. Who'd have thought that, huh?" Han chuckled. Lando said nothing for a few seconds, then said "You know, seeing you sure brings back a few things."

"Yeah," Han said. Lando shook his head, then continued.

"Yeah, I'm responsible these days. It's the price you pay for being successful."

The two of them laughed, and the group continued walking. What they didn't notice was a small man dressed in dark robes who had stopped a little ways behind them. As they walked off, he ducked into a nearby room. There was a communications terminal in the room, which he quickly activated. He punched in a code, and within a few seconds a voice replied.

"Go ahead."

"That man you were looking for is here. He's touring the city with the Baron-Administrator now."

* * *

Fett grinned behind his helmet as Slave I soared through open space. Solo had gone to Bespin, just as Fett thought he might. "Any indication that he might be leaving soon?" he asked.

"No, his ship is being repaired. There's a problem with the hyperdrive."

"Excellent," he said. "You'll receive your payment after I've arrived."

The man signed off, and Fett turned toward Slave I's navicomputer. He wasn't very far from Bespin now. He punched the coordinates into the navicomputer, and in a few seconds his course was set. He would be there within an hour, and then this hunt would end.

Slave I surged forward into hyperspace.