When Lando betrayed Han in Empire Strikes Back, he handed him over to Vader. Vader waited for him in the dining room on Cloud City. We may wonder what Vader was doing or thinking before they arrived. He most likely exchanged some words with Boba Fett about his plans to capture Luke.
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The Deal and Lunch with Vader
In Empire Strikes Back, Lando Calrissian made a deal with Darth Vader to hand over Han and company to save Cloud City. In the scene, Lando walks with Han, Leia, and Chewie presumably to “refreshments” or lunch, and indicates how they have managed to avoid Imperial interference.
Lando was being deceptive and brought them into Vader’s waiting arms. Han astutely asks along the way, “Aren’t afraid the Empire is going to find out about this little operation.” Lando responds that the possibility “looms like a shadow over everything”, but he had managed to make “a deal that’ll keep the Empire out of here forever.”
Once Lando opened the door, that deal awaited all of them. Han instinctively drew his blaster and fired multiple shots at Vader, who blocked them with his hand and levitated the weapon away from Han. He then said, “We would be honored if you would join us”, with Boba Fett appearing behind him.
As stormtroopers enclosed them from behind, Lando explained how they arrived right before Han did and that he had no choice but to make the deal. Lando was “sorry” and Han was “sorry too.” And with that, we are left to wonder what happened in the room before their arrival.
What Was Vader Doing/Thinking Before Solo Arrived?
Some fans speculate that Vader told Fett “to hide behind the corner and just stand there,” and how “they both just wait[ed] in that room. In silence.” That would make sense, given the terse nature of both Vader and Fett. One post suggests that they could have made “small talk” but that seems unlikely, given these dark, brooding characters.
Based on this memorable scene, Vader and Fett were characters of few words. Here, Vader only spoke to the group of bounty hunters about the “substantial reward” for the one who tracked down the Falcon. He stressed that Han and crew should be brought in alive, and said directly to Boba, “No disintegration”, to which Fett replied, “As you wish.”
With conversation at a minimum, we could envision Vader saying in the Cloud City room, “Wait for them concealed behind that wall.” And, Boba stated again, “As you wish.”
If the room was silent, then Vader most likely pondered his plan to lure in Luke and capture him in the carbon-freezing chamber. He was probably thinking of the details about how to duel with him, but not too harshly, just enough to draw him into that freezing zone.
However, if the two did speak with one another, it could have been a relatively more lengthy exchange about Fett’s role in the scheme. This video draws on the comics and provides a meeting between Vader and Fett on Tatooine. It was their first encounter when Vader was trying to track down Luke. At first, it appeared that Vader would not say much, but he proceeded to explain “Fett’s mission in detail”, including how this was the boy who had been with Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Falcon. And, Vader wanted him brought in alive.
Similarly, Vader could have taken the time in the lunchroom to inform Fett of how he would get Solo as his bounty after they tested the carbon freezing on him. He probably would add how he would first aid with detaining the group and setting up the trap for Luke.
What Happened After Han’s Arrival?
In the original scene, we only saw Han indicate his displeasure with Lando after firing some blaster shots at Vader. Afterward, we are not sure what transpired.
One post speculates that before Boba appears, Han’s “bravado and bluster” would be on “full blast” with him insulting Vader. That is, until the Boba and the stormtroopers were unveiled, and then Han would definitely be “sorry.” Another fan points out, though, that the dialogue may be more subdued since “in the entire series Han and Vader never speak a word to each other.”
It seems we have a parallel dynamic between Vader and Han as with Vader and Boba. Most likely not much talking, but maybe Han would continue to mouth off since he felt he had nothing to lose. That is, until he realized that his words were putting Leia and Chewie in jeopardy, and then he would probably stop talking.
Vader would brush off Han’s words both few and many, confident in the prospect of capturing Luke and dispatching with the mouthy Han. We can assume not much lunch was eaten.
Yet, in the storybook version, a meal was eaten, and in the Robot Chicken cartoon episode, Vader asks Leia about Alderaan while Fett and Han “non-verbally taunt each other with the food.” So, the food could have been a way to communicate.
Vader Before and After Han’s Arrival
We might expect that not much was said between Vader and Boba before Han arrived at the Cloud City dining room. If they did speak, it was most likely about the plans to capture Luke and send Han off with Fett. Afterward, the tone was probably similar with few remarks and sparse food consumed.