|
Jewel of Janos 1986 story by Jonathan Hicks. Under a year after Episode IV - A New Hope Goah Galletti arrives on Draite
after leaving Tatooine to have an
overhaul done on the Phoenix, a
starship previously owned by his late brother Hindley. Galletti’s
co-pilot Mactin Selka is visiting
his brother Durne Selka, who is
currently working for Jan Lomona’s
Trac-Tran Transit Company. Jan
Lomona himself is aboard the Phoenix, having come aboard at Jabba the Hutts request whilst
Galletti was on Tatooine. Goah
takes the Phoenix to Lubo-care Draite refitters, a large starship
repair yard facility. Dropping her
onto Landing Platform Six Galletti
is forced to lie low as the Empire
is running an intensive sweep of the planet.
If Galletti and Lomona are found they’re as good as dead. Galletti
leaves Lomona and the Phoenix at Lubo-care, taking a speeder into town to
eat. Entering the Lighthouse Bar restaurant he comes into contact with two men – Pillot Alvarna, a native of Draite
and his friend Redd Garmich, an
elderly native of the planet Janos. Pillot has returned to his homeworld after
many years away and is eager to find new employment and Garmich longs to
return home to Janos. Galletti hires
Pillot as his temporary co-pilot until he hooks up with Mactin again, and
agrees to take Garmich to Janos.
Garmich wants the trip to be as low key as possible - he carries no
documentation and Imperials are everywhere.
Janites are among the least popular denizens of the Setnin Sector, so he desperately
wants to avoid the attention. Galletti
asks how he’s going to pay passage to Janos and Garmich reaches into his
jacket pocket. He pulls out a sliver
of Janos Jewel - a devastatingly
powerful crystal with massive explosive properties. Jewels like this would give the Empire a
huge advantage in weapons design. He
wants the shard returned to Janos to prevent that occurring - and to be with
his beloved wife Mandrala again. Goah
agrees - for a price. The journey to
Janos would be a good run out for the Phoenix and show how effective the
overhaul really was. Finishing their
meal and thanking the restaurant owner Enille
Garalle, they leave the restaurant in a hurry and accidentally run into
three Stormtroopers, knocking one over. Garmich panics and sprints away
towards Lubo-care refitters with Goah and Pillot on his tail. Enraged the troopers open fire, missing
Galletti and Pillot but hitting Garmich.
Goah catches the falling man and tries to lift him onto his
shoulders. Redd resists and gives him
the shard, telling him it must be
returned to Janos. Goah agrees and
sprints off with Pillot as the Troopers arrive and arrest Garmich. Comming ahead they arrive at the Phoenix and a waiting Jan Lomona. Galletti barely acknowledges Lomona as they
enter the Phoenix and prepare to lift off, and Pillot looks surprised. He has been selling information about
Lomona to Jabba the Hutt for many years but had never met him until now. Swiftly, Draite’s
atmosphere is cleared and Pillot and Lomona believe they are clear. However, the Star Destroyer Malevolent has come around from the far side of Janos’s moon and prepares to engage them. The comm crackles
and Goah answers - it’s Commander
Terrov, the man who captured and murdered his wife Tref Goodman. Angered that
he’s unable to do any lasting damage to Terrov, Goah dips and dives until
they are far enough away to jump safely to hyperspace. After
a long hyperspace journey they arrive at Janos. Lomona notes that it’s his first time on
Janos as Pillot informs Goah where to land the Phoenix. Galletti and Lomona exit the ship where they
are met by an honour guard of twenty Janos Executioners. Nervously the two men step forward. Goah reaches inside his pocket to take the
jewel out and finds that it is no longer there. Lomona runs back into the ship to find
Pillot, but he’s exited from another hatch and is on the run. Unbeknownst to both of them Pillot is an ex-Imperial Colonel who sold secrets
to all sides - rebel resistance cells, loyal Imperials and the underworld,
including Jabba the Hutt who he
had a regular agreement with.
Embarrassed and angry Galletti begins to pursue Pillot but is stopped
by three Executioners who bar his path.
Lashing out, Goah knocks one down and runs, followed by Lomona. With the entire honour guard of twenty on
their tails they leap off the high landing platform onto a low roof nearby
and flee, chasing Pillot whilst being chased by the Executioners, who don’t
know the details of Pillot’s deceit.
They enter the main area of town, dodging Janites as they do so and
catch a sight of Pillot in the distance.
He’s ducking into a small building, which they arrive at. The door is locked so Lomona blasts the
lock and enters. In the darkened room they find Pillot breathlessly handing
over the Janos shard to a black suited Imperial
Commander by the name of Commander
Ster. Galletti snatches the shard
away from the two men and secretes it into his pocket whilst Lomona drags the
Imperial out of the building and into the sunlight. Ster kicks and screams in defiance. As Lomona and Galletti turn back to Pillot
he has once again evaded them, slipping out of a back doorway into the
twisting streets of Janos. As Jan
subdues the Imperial with a punch the Executioners arrive, dragging Ster away
and clearing a space in the road. Without
any further preamble they execute the Imperial right there in the
street. Lomona and Galletti expect to
be next and begin their run back to the Phoenix, which they can clearly see
high on its landing platform from town.
Upon arrival twenty more Executioners block them off and realising
that they have no chance of escape they surrender. Goah explains the situation and tell the
lead Executioner about Redd Garmich and his desire to return to Janos, to
deliver the shard and to be re-united with his wife. Reaching into his pocket he pulls the Janos
shard into the bright sunlight, and as he does so a
dozen Executioners jump him. Backing
off Goah and Jan draw their weapons and begin to fire into the guards. A fight ensues until they are overpowered
and held down. The Executioners part,
revealing their High Priest Rani
Gamatchinos. Gamatchinos explains
that if Janos Jewel is subjected to direct sunlight it breaks down at a
molecular level and melts, causing poisonous radiation. Goah nods and finally hands over the
shard. Then, from the crowd of
Executioners Mandrala appears and is introduced to them. She asks if they will help find her
husband. Goah explains what has
happened to Redd and where he is currently being held. Goah agrees to take her to Draite after he
and Lomona rendezvous with Mactin Selka on Kooln. Jewel of Janos
1986 story by Jonathan Hicks
Under a year after Episode IV – A New Hope Histories – The very first meeting of Goah Galletti and Jan Lomona. The two of them are paired together, along
with ex-Imperial Pillot,
to travel to Janos. This is the first time Lomona has travelled
to Janos (as mentioned in Jan Lomona
and the Sirens of Amagad), and
one of the rare times Galletti and Lomona work together until the events in Tatooine Effect due to their falling
out over Goahs romance with Frans
Latka. Recorded on 12th,
13th and 14th November 1986, Goah Galletti Story Part Three - Jewel Of Janos was made during a busy year for NHP. Cast of
Characters Goah Galletti Jan
Lomona Redd
Garmich Pillot
Alvarna Mandrala Enille
Garalle
Commander
Terrov Commander
Ster High
Priest Gamatchinos |