"The Angle" is a brief narrative contained within the From a Certain Point of View collection. This story, penned by Charles Soule, presents events through the perspective of Lando Calrissian.
Lando Calrissian finds himself engaged in a klikklak match against the Verosian individual named Jaff Basan. This game occurs at an illicit casino operated by Luck Luck Freidal. The unfolding game is abruptly halted when Imperial forces storm the establishment. These forces eliminate Freidal, confiscate all the funds, and expel everyone present. Lando, frustrated by his financial loss, proceeds to a bar situated across the city. There, he encounters his associate, Lobot. As a gesture of goodwill towards the bartender, Okkul, the gambler utilizes his remaining credit chip to cover the cost of drinks for everyone. Lando then informs Lobot of his current state of impoverishment, a consequence of the Imperial raid. He expresses confusion regarding the raid's occurrence, given Freidal's consistent payment of substantial bribes to maintain operations.
Lobot proposes that the Imperials' actions stem from a desire to assert dominance following recent happenings. Lando seeks clarification, prompting the cyborg to instruct Okkul to replay the holovid that has captured the attention of everyone in the galaxy. This footage was recently disseminated on the DarkNet by the Rebel Alliance. Okkul remarks that he has already viewed the recording ten times. Lando, a confirmed cynic who views heroic actions as foolish, initially dismisses the footage depicting a battle around a massive space station as fabricated propaganda. However, his perspective shifts when he spots a familiar starship entering the fray and engaging a trio of TIE fighters: an aged YT-1300 light freighter, the Millennium Falcon, which once belonged to Lando.
He implores Okkul, who believes Lando is acting strangely since they haven't reached the holovid's climax, to rewind the footage so he can re-examine the Falcon. Lando ultimately concludes that his former friend and fellow smuggler, Han Solo, was piloting the craft during the conflict. Lobot concurs with this analysis. Lando considers Han to be one of his genuine acquaintances. He struggles to comprehend why the Corellian, who shares his cynical outlook, has suddenly embraced heroism. Lando could accept Han being compensated for smuggling for the Rebellion, but Han's attack on an Imperial battle station is something else entirely. As the other bar patrons celebrate the Death Star's destruction depicted in the holovid, Lando proposes a toast to the memory of the greatest smuggler he knew. In the end, Lando resolves to ponder this revelation over several drinks, suspecting that he may be overlooking a crucial aspect of the situation.