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an involuntary little huff of amusement slipped past his lips at the mention of that grand ‘ 𝒈olden ‘ castle he supposedly called home—— playful , no bite to it at all .
he cleared his throat , lifted his spoon , and stirred it slowly through the stew while he gathered ⤸
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his thoughts .
think first , always . “ well , it’s good to know my reputation’s holding up so well , but i ought to tell you—- … “
he paused , lifting a piece of meat from the bowl with an easy , loose twist of the wrist . “ all those golden towers , they’re an ⤸
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CC mines tibanna gas , highly volatile AND explosive . he’s wired the place so he can ignite the gas giant itself if needed . it means his people and himself die too , but more importantly : vader DIES with them and the empire loses its main supply forever . he’s all in .
https://t.co/rOvpku9kQx biggest au twist for my portrayal is that vader occupies cloud city for weeks longer than canon , waiting for luke & the others to arrive . the ultimatum is ofc simple ? hand them over / lando gets to keep his city and 50,000 innocent people safe .
my headcanon is he agrees … but he sets his own terms too . he makes it crystal crystal clear : if so much as ONE person under his watch gets hurt , if the empire steps out of line even a little while they wait ? he goes absolutely full nuclear . Big Boom .
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digits popping buttons , collar hanging even more open——- a faint weariness settling soft across his face . glass held easy in one hand , the neon blue drink catching light .
boots propped right up on the nearest surface , give him a 𝒎inute …
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