WARNING: The following article contains spoilers for Star Wars: Lando – Double or Nothing #6 by Rodney Barnes, Paolo Villanelli, Andres Mossa and Joe Caramagna, on sale now.


When Solo: A Star Wars Story was announced, one of the things fans looked forward to most was seeing how Han Solo (Alden Ehrenreich) would eventually win the Millennium Falcon from Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover). Their initial game of sabacc lived up to expectations, though Lando emerged victorious thanks to some sleight of hand.

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Still, he saw there was money to be made off Han when the hotshot pilot announced his intention to steal a shipment of coaxium fuel for Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany). Lando offered up the Falcon to make the famous Kessel Run so he could get his own cut. The catch, though, was that they'd have to break it out of an Imperial impound lot.

Audiences never got this piece of history regarding the spaceship before, so it came as quite a surprise that the Empire had the Falcon in its possession. Now, thanks to the Lando - Double or Nothing finale, we find out just how this came to be.

In the film, the reason for the Falcon's impoundment remained a mystery. Lando preferred to deflect the question, but, come Issue #6 of his miniseries, everything falls into place as the smuggler plays messiah to a group of enslaved aliens. Lando leads the Petrusian slaves in revolt against Stormtroopers at the droid factories of Kullgroon, shocking L3-37, who sees him in an all-new light when he says there's more to life than making money.

However, as good as his intentions are, Lando proves to be a bumbling leader that talks a big game and doesn't really deliver. Nonetheless, the person who hired him, Kristiss, has all the bases covered when it comes to breaking her people free. When the Empire's troops swarm the would-be liberators on the ground, they're attacked by droids the slaves reprogrammed to use in battle. L3-37 sees this and, being a rebel herself, decides to dock the Falcon and join the fray. After all, she can't stand to see droids fighting without her.

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Lando's scared because, while the tide's turning, he knows the Falcon is unattended. He decides to take the altruistic route and clear out their enemies. Sadly, as time ticks down, the Stormtroopers begin to force Lando, Kristiss and company back, which means they are pushed further away from the Falcon. A heartbroken Lando is forced to abandon his ship and retreat, living to fight another day. As Lando says, it feels "dirty" leaving it behind, but he has no choice.

They escape in an Imperial ship that Kristiss' trusty crew hijacked and, with L3-37 there to hack communications, they figure out the Falcon is going to be impounded on Vandor. Thus, this is a prelude to the aforementioned sabacc game, acting as the catalyst for Lando to partner with Han and Chewbacca. In true Star Wars fashion, the ever-reliable Han and Chewie turn out to be just the thieves he was looking for, as they would go on to help him break the ship out.

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It was a friendship forged in subterfuge, which would remain turbulent over the years (culminating in Lando's betrayal in The Empire Strikes Back). But now we know the circumstances of their bond didn't begin with a card game, but when Lando decided to make a major sacrifice in the Kullgroon uprising. Thus, we're finally able to glimpse a piece of history that was hidden until now, showing that no matter how much of a scoundrel he was, Lando really had heroism flowing through his veins.