Darkness Rises & Light To Meet It

City In The Clouds

"Now what do we have here?" Lando's melodic voice carried from across the crosswalk that led to the landing station.

Ben tried not to cringe at the site of his 'uncle', this surely was his worst plan yet, but he knew Lando would help them. Well, at least he's help Rey, Poe and the others not necessarily him. Calrissian was well dressed, perhaps over dressed, and as always a cape draped across his shoulders.

Rey walked slightly ahead of him greeting Lando with a polite smile. "Hey Lando, we need your help."

A grand smile plastered itself onto his lips as Calrissian took Rey's hand and kissed it in welcome. "The lovely Rey we meet at long last. Leia had nothing but good things to say about you."

Ben forced himself to look at his uncle. "Lando, I believ-"

Lando met his nephew's solum eyes and offered him his hand. Ben took it questionably as Lando proceeded to speak. "It's good to see you Ben." Calrissian looked Ben over then back up to his eyes. "You're mother caught me up on everything." With his free hand Lando punched his not so little nephew right in the face, then patted him on the shoulder, not missing a beat he continued. "No hard feelings. Your friends arrived just before you. They are in the dining hall. This way."

Ben rubbed his chin and shrugged when Rey gave him a look that he couldn't quite make out. Shock? Humor? Following them he looked around Cloud City and the massive super Center they walked into. Han and Leia had taken him to the floating city many times. He used to run through its winding halls pretending to shoot down imaginary ships, play hide and seek with his father, and late at night Lando would sneak into his room and give him pointers on women and the like. Even went things got tough at home Lando was always there to help. Even now he clearly knew everything that had transpired and he did not seem to care. No he cared he just didn't act on it.

Entering the lavish dining room a protocol droid motioned them to their seats across from Poe and Zay while Lando sat at the head of the table, an empty seat beside him.

"You made it." Poe said, leaning against the back of his chair comfortably. "When I saw that knight of whatever show up I was wondering if you made it out okay."

Ben smirked, "You were worried about us because of one knight?"

"I was talking to Rey and if I remember correctly the last time you encountered one of your own knights she," He pointed at Rey, locking eyes with Ben. "Had to go save your ass."

"Nice to see you too." Ben looked over at Lando and the empty seat beside him. Lightening his tone he attempted a semi-normal conversation. "How is aunt Kaasha?"

"Fine as always. She'll be along shortly." Lando's eyes flicked between Rey and Ben, flashing his winning smile.

Ben felt his stomach twist into knots, suppressing a cringe, he knew that look from his uncle, it never lead anywhere good.

"Now, lets discuss the reason you're all here." Lando said.

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Dinner felt never ending, though he knew it had only been at most two hours. Two hours of back and forth head-butting  between himself and Dameron. Two hours of headache inducing planning and picking his brain for information. Two hours of Lando and Kaasha sharing unspoken words with glances at their nephew and Rey. The later, if he was being honest, is what made the whole event unbearable. Lando has a reputation of being overly... charismatic and that was before he married Kaasha. Put the two of them together and there was bound to be trouble.

Why do they keep looking at us like that?

Ben pushed his chair in close to the table when they were done and went to follow everyone out of the dining hall when someone cleared their throat behind him. He froze, hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, he knew that sound all too well. Turning he faced Lando and Kaasha arms intertwined.