ANTHONY MACKIE // have you met LANDO CALRISSIAN yet? HE/THEY is now THIRTY-EIGHT years old DEMIMAN HUMAN, originally from SOCORRO but typically reside on THE LADY LUCK. after everything he’s gone through, he shows loyalty to THE REBELLION. they are best known for being a BUSINESSMAN & ENTREPRENEUR, & i hear he’s grown pretty SUAVE yet also HEDONISTIC at times; i hope they survive the galactic war. (APRIL)
L O A D I N G : // … 8ABY : MONTH TWO … //
lando ended up rather inebriated at the new republic fundraiser event, making a sizable donation to the new republic and promising to assist kylia horne with finding someone.
he continued flirting with jyn erso like the shameless bastard that he is.
he hired hedala fardi at one point for a supply run, looking to expand his enterprise of pilots and make a new acquaintance along the way.
lando calrissian asked his trusted friend han solo to assist him with picking up a supply shipment located on the planet of sernpidal, unaware of what was about to happen. he suffered from a sizable amount of guilt after the planet was devastated.
after sernpidal, he later learned that kylia horne was looking for her biological mother and attempted to help, trying to reduce his own guilt by putting good back into the galaxy again.
pandora galilee became the apple of his eye, albeit unintentionally. lando had always found her fun and charming, a remarkable woman, agreeing to get her on a date before all hell broke lose at the hapes consortium.
all things considered, lando was lucky at hapes. he fought alongside luke skywalker and rather begrudingly with seventh sister, getting out with only a few new scars along the way.
lando reconnected with vantir cessin to see if there was some kind of alliance with the corporate sector that could be made that would prove beneficial.
after the disaster at the hapes consortium, lando has delegated many of his responsibilities in his mining & droid businesses to trustworthy employees so that he can begin to shift his interests back toward helping the new republic in whatever way that he can.
“jade,” she said, firmly shaking his hand. it probably wasn’t wise to use her real name, but. she didn’t entirely care, at this point. she would make do. “mara jade.” she just wanted to get this done with quickly. “listen, i think some of the local thugs have the bright idea to try to steal the comm repair supplies.”
there’s not any familiarity in the name and lando didn’t linger on it as they shook. his brow did however quirk at the next words to come out of the woman’s mouth –– she must have been observant. he wondered what the cause behind that was. “well, it wouldn’t be the biggest surprise,” he started. “what makes you think that? seen something yourself, or just the local word?”
obi-wan had been trying to find the right words, not because he doubted lando would understand where he was coming from, but even if he was to ask for a personal favor he still had a duty to the order, whether he stood there as council member kenobi, o simply as obi-wan, what he said could be taken out of context, ❝the jedi order has always had a strong relationship with the republic❞ obi-wan paused, bitting his lip in an attempt to make the next words sound less dire, ❝and sometimes that relationship did not turn out the way it was expected…❞ that was the most diplomatic way he found to say it, ❝it’s no secret that the order is trying not to relay too much on the republic, and when it was just about slowly rebuilding we could get by, but now…❞
❝i am not asking you to become our sole sponsor, i mean some members have their personal assets, and we’ve had some donations as well, but unfortunately we are short on transportation, and this new threat well it requires us to be ready to move into battle at a moments notice❞ they were far too few, spread too thin, but if there was one less worry then it could give them a fighting chance, ❝so i guess what i’m asking if there are any ships, small vessels, whatever crafts you can spare, i know you still have your businesses to run, but anything you can lend us would be of help.❞
that little piece of the past was no surprise –– lando remembered when he had been young the way that people had talked about the jedi, and the drastic shift that had occurred after the end of the clone wars. his investment had not been deep enough to make the words on either side really sink in, not until he’d met luke. now, well, there was no denying the unique mysticism that came with it all. “of course,” he murmured along as obi-wan spoke, a gentle nudge for him to continue beyond the surface-level politeness that came with his specific word choices. he had to admit, he was pleasantly surprised by the ask for help, especially given the downfall of so many things that had happened in the past.
“i’m sure it would be quite easy for me to get some transportation arranged,” lando spoke confidently. that was more than doable for him. ships and transportation were easier than dealing with a direct flow of cash given that there were plenty of other arrangements that could be made in the meanwhile. “i would be happy to go through my roster and figure out what would work out best for everyone involved, obi-wan. that’s not a problem for me in the slightest, rest assured.”
“A certain way is a funny way of saying relying on massive campaign donations, and allowing anyone who pays them the highest price to dictate their actual concerns.” Vantir chuckled a little, leaning back in his seat, “You know when I used to trade my services for money, I was far more expensive then some politicians make themselves. Its good to know I would have been a far more expensive buy to sellout whatever planet I would have represented.”
Simply bringing their drink to their lips, as Lando mentioned being happy to set something up to help the New Republic. “Right now, what my higher ups wouldn’t miss if I negotiated with you, four months supply of bacta, usually priced at about 56 million credits, for you though, I can get it knocked down to say, 26 million, now I imagine if that’s too much you can find someone to get you the money. Also I have 5 older Arquitens-class light cruisers, newer ones would sell for a total of 20 million credits, but due to their age, I can talk to our Kuat member, and probably get them sold to you for 10 million.” A sly grin on his face, followed by a wink, “And just cause we’re friends, I’ll throw in a 10 hour credit for my personal services.”
lando could certainly appreciate the bluntness in which vantir approached it, a breath drawing in through his nose before offering a small nod of his head in agreement. “well, perhaps it’s naive of me, but it’d be nice to see some change about that.” he wasn’t a naive man, and knew it would not just go away. things were never that simple or straightforward. corruption would always exist. still, the galaxy needed to move past getting caught up in the same destructive cycles that had torn apart the last republic.
vantir was offering big numbers and even bigger discounts. that much bacta would make a significant difference given the shortage that had been problematic in the last months, and especially with all that had happened –– all that could still happen. “too much?” he laughed. “and i thought you were here to charm me, not insult me,” he jested easily, lips remaining lifted in an easy smile. “ah, there’s that charm that i was expecting. i’d have to give a look at the light cruisers myself to see if that’s really the deal you’re setting it up to be, but a price like that on bacta... well, i’d be a fool to say no.”
In truth, Cassian had only known about Lando what had once been told. They had been around through the same time, even despite this rift business but Cassian had been so set on their own mission and their own agenda and making things right. When the plan to steal the death star plans had been presented to him and from Jyn? There was no way they were able to say no to such a thing. “Where shall we start?” Cassian begins, another sip of the liquid as it burns down their throat, a welcome distraction from everything else going on in their mind and the galaxy around them. “That so? Glad to know that we made an impact. As long as it saved lives, that was one of the goals. No one deserves the continued suffer at the hands of the Empire.”
a deep chuckle escaped from lando’s lips at the question. there was another time where such an ask from them would have been simple, no big deal –– not necessarily between himself and cassian, given the circumstances, but... just a question like that. before the rift, the galaxy had been a much simpler place. there’d even been a brief period resembling something close to peace, but that was apparently gone now. “it was a long war after that, but you all certainly set it off with a bang,” he responded with a slight chuckle, taking another sip from his drink before he leaned back in his seat. “where do we start, though... that’s a good question. i would’ve assumed you have more questions about all of this that i might just have an answer or two for.”
“Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.“ (From Vantir)
@vantircessin
“i’m surprised that you think i need the reminder.” there was no offense to be found in lando’s relaxed response, his brow offering a small raise. people’s loyalties were fickle, easily bought. he knew that he was certainly taking some risks with his attempts at indepedent business and more personal loyalties to the new republic, but he thought himself to be prepared for any potential backlash on that regard.
“ love is like ghosts ; few have seen it, but everybody talks. ”
the comment was more insightful than what he had been prepared for, and lando was certain that it was obvious from the raise of his brow. they did not habitually hide what they were thinking, after all. “an apt comparison,” he remarked with a thoughtful nod of his head, arms crossing at his chest. love. real love. it was something that he’d been actively seeking after for some time now but perhaps the consistency of his flirtations had worked against him, too. “you sound like you know a thing or two about love.”
pandora says ... “There’s no point in being grown up if you can’t act childish at times.“
“you’re telling me?” there’s a teasing tilt in his tone, lips spreading wide in a smile. lando certainly didn’t shy away from such a thing, even within the attempt of an air of responsibility that he tried to maintain. his days as a child hadn’t been traditionally childish, but that had been his own choice. he’d put money over morality and wouldn’t do that anymore. “alright, miss galilee. game on. what’re we doing? board games? podrace betting? amusement parks?”
❛ of course not. ❜ what could she say ? she liked to feel flattered on occasion and lando was so WARM with his words. the easy affection was comfortable. she sipped her drink as he spoke, nodding along. ❛ i wouldn’t expect anything less. do you still visit often ? ❜ she was moving between chandrila, onderon, and coruscant so frequently for work these days that she did not get to visit the galaxy’s finer hideaways as much as she had hoped.
an easy chuckle escaped from his lips, pausing to take another sip out of his own drink. “not as often as i would like to,” he answered honestly. lando didn’t necessarily take a hands on approach to many of the operations of his businesses, there was simply too much and what was the point in hiring people he trusted if he did not let them do what they were supposed to? “but i’m always looking for a good excuse to go back and see it. do you plan on giving me a reason?”
mara wasn’t running. she wasn’t a person who ran, even with the mess with — skywalker & solo & the hell that was sure to follow it. she was still in new republic territory, wasn’t she ? & force knew it was harder to hide here than the outskirts of the galaxy she had learned to call home. riosa wasn’t the bright center of the galaxy, but it sure was close enough to catch a hint of the shine of it.
she hadn’t settled in much, but she knew enough to pinpoint the local trouble, to see who they were coming for. & she had no reason to care about this guy, but — “you’ve been bringing supplies to repair the comms, yeah ? “ she approached, hands carefully still at her side.
lando hadn’t heard her approach, which was mildly alarming –– he considered himself to be the kind of person who really did stay aware of his surroundings at all times, but there was also no denying that he was incredibly exhausted from the last few weeks of working nonstop. he’d wanted a business empire. he had one. but it was certainly proving to be just as much work as they could have imagined it to be.
“yeah, that’s me.” the exhaustion doesn’t show in the brilliant smile that he had to offer, stepping forward and offering her his hand as he looked her over. “lando calrissian. is there something that i can do for you, miss...?”
The more she looked around at things the more Sabe was frustrated about what happened, lack of comms, growing unrest. She really wanted, no, needed to get back home and help figure all of these things out. Things were taking too long for her liking. After a few moments she could feel someone watching her and she stood up straighter but then saw the man there and relaxed just a little bit.
It didn’t take long for her to realise that he had mistaken her for Padme, but it was something that she had just gotten used to over the years. For a lesser person it might be disheartening to see people not happy to see her per se. “Do I now? I thought I had given up the helpless look many years ago,” she said slightly bemused. “But no you’re right, the comms being out isn’t helping tht at all. What about you?”
.
well, whoever this oddly similar appearing woman was, she certainly seemed to have a good attitude despite the chaos that was going on around them, and lando certainly respected that. there weren’t enough people in the galaxy who could do that, as far as he was concerned. the smile on his expression deepened just a hair, taking a relaxed stance as his hands moved to rest on his hips, giving a slight ripple to the deep purple cape that he had on.
“well, helpless is a stretch. how about just a little confused?” lando quipped back, maintaining his usual jovial tone. they certainly knew better than to call any woman helpless, after all. not a lesson that needed to be learned twice, in his opinion. “comms aren’t working for me, either, and it looks like... just about non one here, going off the bitching. there must be some kind of blockage going on.”
Vantir smiled, shrugging. “I always raise the point, being a smooth talker is after all, all part of the job as an Ambassador, and you know the best way to get to a politician,” Grinning, and winking at Lando, in jest “Or someone with an opinion of themself far too big? It’s fluffing their ego.” Vantir had always considered themself a people person, good at making them feel relaxed, and comfortable around them. It was a skill required in almost all of their professions, except when they worked with the fathier, though they were just naturally superior to people.
Leaning back in his seat, they brought a drink to their lips as Lando spoke, humming a little once the glass was set back down. “Oh no, not them, lets just say, I can get them these things cheaper if I sell them to you, rather than directly to them. Lets call it the, Rebel Sympathies I still harbor somewhat. Right now the CSA is cracking down on prices for galactic governments, raising them where they can. These objects won’t be missed if I sell them to you at a lesser rate, and then you see they just so happen to end up in the New Republic’s hands.”
.
honestly, it was rather rare and refreshing to meet someone who actually managed to match the same kind of blossoming, even overwhelming confidence that lando had carried with him for his entire life. it was the kind of charismatic energy that brought a wide smile to his lips. “well, politicians have set themselves up a certain way,” they said with an easy chuckle. not the hardest group to take advantage of, unfortunately. hopefully that was something that would change with the new republic. he had faith in leia. hopefully the others would follow suit.
“oh? is that so?” it’s not a surprise, that the new republic would get a certain kind of upcharge that an independent vendor like himself wouldn’t. or rather, his own business endeavors, wildly varied, might earn a certain kind of discount with the hope in the future, the favor would be returned. “i’d be happy to get something set up with you. i’ve got plenty of friends over there that i can pass it on to. how much are you thinking?”
he had a point, but she shrugged anyways. “you never know.” but she let that thread of conversation die mercifully quickly. her expression darkened slightly, lips pressing into a thin line. she didn’t want to think that — that breaking down was an option. she couldn’t let herself think that it was. because if she started, she probably wouldn’t be able to stop, & too many people needed her right now. han, republic intelligence, the galaxy as a whole with the hell that was heading towards them … her comm was ringing almost nonstop. “it’s not that simple. i have — work to do.” she sighed, a hand coming back to cradle her forehead momentarily. “i have to compartmentalize.” & stars, could she forgive herself for that ? her husband under surgery, & she was taking calls from senators. the next unlucky bastard might get an earful about that.
it wasn’t as though there was anything in his life that really came close to the pressure or the magnitude of what leia was going through –– he had gotten himself into trouble by choice, for the most part, and never had it thrust upon him. no, they had always actively gone after it, craved the excitement and the adrenaline that came with it. pieces of him still ached for that now, even if he had mellowed out in the last few years. “you and everyone else. you’re not the only person, or even the only senator, working to make things better. isn’t the whole point of a democracy that one person can’t make or break the whole thing?” he pointed out with a raise of his brow. it wasn’t like they wanted her to hurt, he just didn’t think that she was going herself any favors by burying it away and trying to ignore it all.
❛ charmer, ❜ she teases, but it is undeniably fond. lando is growing on her more quickly than she would like to admit. there is something SPECIAL about him – even if she cannot yet say exactly what. ❛ to the two of us, ❜ she echoes, lightly clinking her glass against his. it is unfortunately hard not to immediately fall back on WORK for conversation. she catches herself before she can begin. ❛ is cloud city still as beautiful as i remember it ? ❜ she has not been there in far too long.
“would you have it any other way?” lando replied back without missing a beat, his smile somehow managing to stretch just a hair wider. sure, they were guilty of laying it on thick –– but with it being such a consistent part of who he was, especially who he was around her, he was certain that she liked it. after their glasses had clinked together, he took a sip from his own. “oh, of course,” he answered confidently, though it had been more time than he would have liked since he had been there. “no matter what else might be going on in the galaxy, cloud city is always perfectly serene.”
❝oh i absolutely skipped that one❞ jyn said shaking her head, it had been close to the liberation of coruscant, when jyn had yet again lead another squadron to their death, but this was meant to be a celebration of life, she had mourned them, and she would honor them, ❝so you’ve always been a people person then?❞ jyn asked trying to keep the rhythm, ❝does it come natural to you or is it something you had to learn as a business man?❞ she added with a teasing smile, ❝i think purple might truly be my color❞ she said with a laugh, ❝it honestly feels like something out of a holodrama…❞
“lucky you,” lando chuckled. for the most part, despite the fact that he had certainly felt the euphoric effects of the drugs that some of the consumables there had been laced with, everything had gone fine for him. he’d been curious and creative enough during his life that it was far from his first high and there’d been nothing alarming about it for him. “oh, absolutely. i was born this way but it certainly helps with the business aspect of things,” he answered honestly. it’d helped just as much as a smuggler, too, or so he would be eager to claim. “it is. and we can absolutely make it like something out of a holodrama, if that’s what you’d like.”