Early Days at Bespin
It was evening on Bespin's Cloud City. In the Yorith Bespin, a ritzy hotel, four beings were gathered around a Sabacc table. There was Ch'aro Pronf, a Quarren, manager of Cloud City, R'ben Renfok, a Sullustian, Rijo Cordoba, a Twi'lek, and a young human rouge named Lando Calrissian.
Lando looked at his cards. The last time he played at this hotel, he had lost the Millennium Falcon to Han Solo. That son of a nerf. I'll never forgive him for what he did to me at Ylesia. Lando had in his hand an Idiot, a two, and a Commander of sabers. Almost an Idiot's array. Drat, he was going to have to bluff. Meanwhile, Ch'aro Prenf was not doing well. He had already bet all his money, and now thrown in his position as manager of Cloud City. He looked at his opponents. The human was good. He didn't know about the others. It was a good thing Quarrens couldn't sweat because he would be doing it.
Lando put the Idiot into the interference field. The Quarren was looking nervous. He lay down the three. The Sullustan and the Twi'lek bailed out. The Quarren stayed in. After all, his position was on the line. Lando was about to lay down the Commander, when all the cards outside the interference field randomized. His Commander changed into a three. Yes! Now he had an Idiot's Array! He turned to Ch'aro Prenf and said, "Well, I guess you called my bluff." Then he lay down his three. "The problem is, I wasn't bluffing." He reached in and grabbed the Sabacc pot. He now owned Cloud City!
Later that day, Ch'aro showed Lando around. He was introduced to Lobot, a cyborg, his assistant.
"Hello, Manager Calrissian." said Lobot.
"Manager Calrissian?" Lando said, "I don't like the sound of that. Can't I be called something classier?"
"What do you suggest I call you?" said Lobot.
"Baron Administrator has a nice ring to it." Lando replied.
Baron Administrator Lando Calrissian flew in a Cloud Car and saw the beautiful view of the place he had just won. It was stunning. This was his lot in life, he just knew it. He landed and had just gotten out when a blaster bolt whizzed over his head. He ducked and pulled his blaster out reflexively. He spun to see R'ben Renfrod, the Sullustan with a blaster pointed at him. "This place was supposed to be mine!" he said with a sneer, "It would've been if that fool Prenf hadn't bet it away!"
Suddenly, he slumped over, and Lando saw Rijo Cardoba behind him, blaster drawn. "Hi," he said, "that finished it."
Lando took him to his new office and asked him to explain what was going on. Rijo was the head of Bespin Security and was working undercover in the Sabacc game when Lando won Cloud City. "We've been watching Prenf and Renfrok for a long time." he said. "Turns out, they were trying to use these facilities as a secret manufacturing plant for illegal weapons. If you hadn't shown up and got Renfrok all riled up, chances are we wouldn't have caught them doing anything wrong."
Lando pondered for a moment, and then asked, "But why did Prenf gamble it away?"
"Well, he was taking a spice called Pyrepenol at the time, and he was pretty stoned. Plus, he needed some major credits to pay off some Imperial debts." Rijo got out of his chair and said. "I'd better get back to the station and write a report on all this. If you have any trouble, don't hesitate to call me."
Lando stared out he window of his office. This might not be as easy as he thought.