Leana's muscles screamed as she once again balanced on her hands, holding herself in a handstand. Luke balanced beside her, the two of them continuing on with the training the sinking X-Wings had interrupted. Yoda observed them from the ground, beside the astromech droids, his cane in hand.

"Concentrate, Luke," Yoda said, his own attention focused on a rather large beetle, making its way across the ground in front of the Jedi Master. "Concentrate, Leana. Now."

Leana turned her focus to the supply cases nearby, using the Force to elevate them. Luke did the same, the two cases rising up.

"Have you done it yet?" Yoda asked, still watching the beetle.

"Yeah," Leana said.

"Good!" Yoda exclaimed, clapping lightly as he looked up. "Both of you. Feel the Force flow. Yes. Now, use the Force to lift your astrodroids."

Leana extended her concentration to include R4-14, inducing the droid to rise into the air to join the supply cases. Luke lifted up R2-D2 as well, the droids whistling at each other uneasily.

"Good," Yoda repeated, nodding approvingly. Lifting his hand, he grabbed the beetle with the Force and sent it floating through the air until he landed on one of the supply cases. The insect looked disoriented for a moment, then unveiled its wings and took off. "Dang it. Okay, focus. Calm, yes. Through the Force things you may see. Other places. The future. The past. Old friends." Yoda shuddered. "Dead friends. Sandwiches."

"Sandwiches?" Luke repeated.

"Sandwiches," Yoda said, nodding again. "Now concentrate. No more questions, either of you."

"But I didn't ask any questions," Leana protested.

"Well, don't even think about it, then!" Yoda declared.

Leana sighed and closed her eyes, centering herself in the Force. The area fell quiet, the only sounds being the noise of the insects and birds of the swamp. Despite being upside down, she was able to feel a sense of peace, as she rested in the Force.

Images suddenly seared the back of her eyelids and Leana felt her blood run cold. She could see Ben strapped to a torture table, saw Lucas dueling with Vader across a dark floor, and saw Lumina speaking from a circular podium. Then she saw blue crackling lightning, filling the air and torching her skin, and heard rain rhythmically pounding on a roof as pain throbbed through her body. But there was someone else there – she could sense them, even if she didn't know who they were.

"Han! Leia!" Luke shouted beside her, startling Leana enough to send her toppling to the ground, along with the supply cases and the astromech droids. Alarmed beeps came from the droids as Luke collapsed, he and Leana quickly pulling themselves into upright sitting positions.

"What was that?" Yoda exclaimed. "Control, Luke, control. You must learn control. You must!"

"I saw a city in the clouds," Luke panted, glancing from Yoda to Leana with wide eyes.

"I don't care if you saw somebody wearing a hat made out of raspberry jelly," Yoda said, jabbing a finger at Luke. "You need to focus!"

"It's a raspberry beret," Leana told Yoda. "Not raspberry jelly."

"What are you talking about?" Yoda demanded.

"The Prince song," Leana said, confused. "About the girl who wore the raspberry beret? That's what you were referencing, right?"

"Unless her hat was made out of raspberry jelly, then no," Yoda told her flatly.

"Han, Leia... they were in pain," Luke said softly, glancing up at the Jedi Master.

"It is the future that you see," Yoda said to him.

What I saw, was that the future, too?

"Future?" Luke repeated. "Will they die?"

Yoda shrugged. "I don't know. It's pretty darn difficult to see."

"Always in motion is the future," Leana said quietly.

Luke jumped to his feet. "I have to go save them."

Leana also rose. "Luke! Don't. It's a bad idea." They won't die, I promise. But she couldn't promise that. She didn't know that for sure.

"Leana, I can't leave them to suffer!" Luke exclaimed. "I have to go to them. I have to go now."

"Luke," Yoda said quietly. "You must decide how to serve them best. If you leave now, you might be able to help them."

"See?" Luke said to Leana. "Yoda thinks it's a good idea." Leana just rolled her eyes at him.

"But," Yoda interrupted, looking grim. "You would destroy all that they had worked for."

"No, he doesn't think it's a good idea," Leana said to Luke quietly.

Luke was silent and Leana waited for his answer. She wanted to stay, she wanted to continue on with her Jedi training, but she also longed to go to Bespin, to find her friends and put her training to good use against Vader. And the image of Ben on the torture rack bothered her, as did Lucas fighting the Sith Lord.

Both torture and a duel with Vader occur in this movie.

"I must go, though, Master Yoda," Luke said eventually, and Leana wasn't going to argue with him anymore about it.

"I had hoped that you would learn," Yoda said. "I had hoped you would learn to listen, son of Skywalker. This is exactly what your father would have done."

Luke stiffened. "And how is that a bad thing? He was a great Jedi Knight."

Until he wasn't.

Yoda didn't reply to Luke's comment, but Leana could tell from his expression that he was thinking along the same lines as she was.

****

"This sucks," Lucas sighed, leaning on the back of Lumina's chair. His legs ached from standing the entire flight and he couldn't wait to get out into breathable air again. And who was delaying them but red tape and Cloud City bureaucrats.

"No, I don't have a landing permit," Han said into the comlink, exasperation laced through his voice. The Cloud City Control Wing Guard, hovering near them in two cloud cars, was determined to keep Lucas locked up in the Falcon's cockpit and away from all the fresh Bespin air. At least, he hoped it was fresh air. "I'm trying to reach Lando Calrissian."

A warning laser streaked past the cockpit, coming way too close for comfort. "Hey!" Han exclaimed. "Whoa! Wait a second! Let me explain!" He held up his free hand, as if showing them he wasn't armed, although he was.

"Hurry up!" Lucas shouted. "Explain already!"

"Do not deviate from your present course," the Cloud City pilot ordered.

"Our present course is to land," Lucas sighed. "Isn't that pretty obvious?"

"I thought you knew this person, Han," Leia said quietly, lifting an eyebrow.

"I did," Han said, as Chewbacca moaned. "Maybe he's forgotten. It was a long time ago."

"Whatever it was, there's trouble waiting below," Lumina warned everybody. "Everyone be on alert."

"Whatever," Han said dismissively, leading Lumina to glare at the back of his head.

"Permission granted to land on Platform 327," the Cloud City pilot declared, the cloud cars pivoting in the air and flanking the Falcon.

Han sighed dramatically. "Finally. Thank you, sir." Turning to the others, he mimicked the pilot's voice as he said. "Permission granted to land on Platform 327."

A tense laugh rippled through the cockpit, which ended abruptly as the pilot said tersely, "Sir, I'm still on the line."

"Then get off," Han told him rudely, ending the communication. "No one asked you to stay." He directed the Falcon toward the designated platform, the cloud cars keeping beside them with one pilot looking very disgruntled. Lucas peered out the viewport as they approached Cloud City, the elegant structure glistening white in the sun.

"Whoa," Lumina breathed, leaning forward in her seat. "Look at that."

The Falcon landed on Platform 327, the cloud cars flying off after making sure they had indeed landed. The group stood and filed out of the cockpit, Han hitting the controls to lower the ramp before leading the way down to the platform. Chewbacca, Leia, Lumina, Lucas, and C-3PO followed along behind him.

There was no one there.

"Okay, then," Han said, glancing around.

"Oh dear," C-3PO said worriedly. "There's no one to meet us."

"I don't like this," Leia remarked grimly.

"You've been listening to Lu too much," Han said dismissively. Lumina glowered at the smuggler.

"Lumina. It's Lumina. Three syllables, Han. Not one."

"Whatever, Lu."

"Well they did let us land," C-3PO pointed out.

"Yeah, and the Death Star also let people land," Lucas countered. "It was taking off again that was the problem."

"Not for us," Han bragged.

"Yeah, and you led them all the way back to the Rebel base," Lumina reminded him, lifting an eyebrow. "Which would have been blown up –"

"If it wasn't for me," Han interrupted, scowling at Lumina before glancing to Leia. "Look, don't worry. Whatever you are thinking to the contrary right now, I do know this person. Trust me."

The door at the other end of the platform suddenly slid upward, drawing everyone's gazes. Lando Calrissian, with his signature cape, and Lobot, with his signature cybernetic implant, strode toward them, six Cloud City guards following behind them.

"Nothing to worry about," Han said, stepping forward and looking to Lando. Lucas frowned. The dialogue is misplaced. Han was supposed to say that before we landed. "Hey, Lando."

Lando came to a halt. "Why, you double-crossing, slimy, no-good swindler! You have a lot of guts coming back here after what you pulled."

"Me?" Han asked, almost indignantly, pointing to himself.

"You," Lando affirmed, pointing at Han as he approached. Suddenly, he lifted his fists and threw a punch at the smuggler, who quickly raised his arms to block it. But Lando only lightly tapped Han on the arm with his fist before laughing and giving Han a hug. "How you doing, you old pirate?"

"Worse, now that the rum's gone," Han replied, and the two laughed.

Wait just a mynock minute. Did Han just reference Pirates of the Caribbean? How? How would he know that quote? It's from earth, not from Star Wars!

Lobot surveyed Lumina, Lucas, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Leia before silently ordering the guards back inside.

"So good to see you!" Lando exclaimed. "I never thought I would catch up with you, Han. Where you been?"

Han waved his hand in the air. "Oh, around."

"He seems very friendly," C-3PO said, sounding relieved.

"But looks can be deceiving," Lumina retorted. Lucas could see the tension in her shoulders; it practically radiated off of her. "Evil designs are easily hidden. Especially when it's hidden behind a smile and charm. So watch out."

"Easy, Lu," Lucas murmured. "No need to take his head off."

"So, what brings you here, Han?" Lando was asking.

Han gestured back to the Falcon. "Repairs."

"Hyperdrive broke," Lucas elaborated, when Lando glanced back at the ship.

"I thought you could help me out," Han added.

"My people will fix it," Lando promised. "They're very good at doing what I tell them to do." He looked at Chewbacca as he laughed. "Hey, Chewbacca. How you doing? Still hanging around with this loser?"

Chewbacca barked, curling his lip away from his fangs momentarily. Lando then turned to Leia. "Hello. I am Lando Calrissian, the administrator of this facility. And who are you?"

"I'm Leia," the princess said, her voice and manner reserved.

"Leia," Lando echoed, as Han stepped to Leia's side, almost protectively.

"All right. Don't make the rest of us feel left out. There's more for you to meet, Lando."

Lucas stepped up. "Hi, Lando. I'm Lucas Skylark."

Lando nodded and glanced at Lumina, holding out his hand as if to take hers. "And this beauty is?"

Lucas saw Lumina's lip curl in disgust. He knew she hated Lando in this movie, hated him because of his betrayal. Although he, Ben, and Leana had been able to see, more or less, where he had been coming from in cooperating with the Empire, Lumina had stubbornly refused to allow him any justification. She hated betrayal, hated Anakin for betraying the Jedi, and hated Lando for betraying Han.

However, Lumina had been fine with Lando in Return of the Jedi.

"Lumina Duly," she introduced herself, her voice dripping with disdain as she ignored his outstretched hand. Crossing her arms, she stepped past him, resolutely walking toward the door.

"What's the matter with her?" Lando asked, of nobody in particular, as he gazed after her.

"She doesn't like flat leavers," Lucas told him, following Lumina.

Lando's jaw dropped.

"C-3PO, human cyborg relations," C-3PO introduced, but Lando ignored him.

"I'll take you inside," he said, hurrying after the others. "Follow me."

The group walked into Cloud City, the door sliding closed behind them. "It's a pity the Falcon is having problems," Lando remarked. "That ship saved my life more than once. She's the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Han said. "I do own her now, you know. Fair and square. How's the gas mine, by the way? Is it paying off?"

"Well, not as much as I'd like it to," Lando answered, pressing his lips together. "We are a small outpost and not very self-sufficient. I've had all kinds of supply problems. Also tons of labor difficulties. The union is trying to twist my arm into offering raises and more vacation days. And –"

"Are you listening to yourself, Lando?" Han interrupted, laughing. "You sound like a businessman. A responsible leader. Who would have thought that?"

Lando grinned. "It's the price you pay for being successful, Han. Since you're mocking me about it, I'm guessing you haven't found that success yet."

"Ouch!" Han exclaimed, also grinning. He and Lando laughed, and Leia even smiled, seeming to relax at the sight of the old friends' camaraderie. Lumina, however, kept her arms crossed, her expression stony. Lando glanced back at her with his charismatic smile, but she just shot him a glare.

I bet Lumina's so miffed Lando's trying to flirt with her.

Lucas felt a pang of sadness that Ben couldn't be there with them to grin at Lumina's obvious dislike of Lando Calrissian. I still can't believe he's dead.

Wait a minute. Is Threepio still with us, or has he disappeared by now?

Lucas had completely forgotten about the droid disappearing on their way through Cloud City. He glanced over his shoulder, didn't see C-3PO at all, and came to a halt. Beside him, Chewbacca moaned, and Lucas nodded. "Yep. He's gone."

The two walked back, Lucas wondering whether he should go through the door and confront the stormtrooper that shot C-3PO, or if he should just wait until later. Resting his hand on his lightsaber hilt, he frowned as he reached the door the droid had vanished through.

Or, one of the doors the droid might have vanished through.

Three doors, lined up right next to each other, stared back at Lucas as he and Chewbacca stopped. "Three? Don't remember that."

Chewbacca barked, the sound tapering off into a sort of snuffle-moan. Lucas frowned, hoping he had understood the correct meaning.

"I mean, I don't remember there being three doors when we passed by the first time," he told the Wookiee, hoping he hadn't actually been asking what time was the best to pluck a parrot. In Lucas' opinion, the answer to that was either never, or when it was dead and unable to attack you. "Should we look behind these doors, Chewie?"

The Wookiee growled assent, and Lucas unclipped his lightsaber from his belt. Stepping toward the first door, he expected it to slide upward, but it didn't budge and he smacked into it. "Ouch." Rubbing his forehead as the Wookiee snuffled, his way of expressing laughter, Lucas examined the control panel. "Oh, wait, it's locked. We don't have access."

Chewbacca barked.

"Well, I guess Threepio would have trouble getting through a locked door without Artoo, yes," Lucas agreed, his stomach twisting. He knew that the droid had gone through one of the doors anyway, but the only way for him to follow would be by using his lightsaber to cut through, and he might have a problem explaining to the Wookiee why he was ruining Lando's doors without any solid reasoning to go on. "I guess we should head back, then. Don't know which door's the right one, anyhow."

Still unsettled by the lock and the knowledge that the Imperials were already so close to them – again – Lucas and Chewbacca jogged back down the corridor, after their friends.