Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs - Second
Son
1987 story by Mark Newbold Three years before Episode IV - A New Hope Jan
Lomona is heavily involved in a free-lance weapons smuggling operation with
his friend Latti Tellex when he is contacted by an envoy called Sasn from the
second government of Agubia, an Imperial-occupied world, who wants a trade
route up and running at a good price and in the shortest time possible. With his knowledge, experience and
reputation preceding him he contacts his Ishi Tibb friend Ocern Gabe, a
fellow smuggler on the verge of retirement, to join him in the mission. Once together the two of them drop Latti
off on Amagad and head for the Gervlin System and Agubia. En
route to the Gervlin System an Imperial Interdictor pulls the Berone Sunrise
out of hyperspace. Accompanying the
Interdictor is the Imperial Star destroyer Barbarian, captained by Jan’s
elder brother Hijjin. Once tractored
inside the docking Bay of the Barbarian the Sunrise is thoroughly searched,
but Jan is confident that his cargo compartments are up to the job of hiding
any illegal cargo he may have stashed away.
The commander of the search team, Commander Tastor, fines him 100
credits for possessing an illegal bottle of Duarga wine and asks to see his
documents. Jan shows Tastor his false
papers, pays and asks when he can leave. Commander Tastor moves away from the
Sunrise and speaks into a com-link.
Jan looks around the docking bay and sees who Tastor is speaking to -
a figure high in the bay, partially hidden from Lomona. Once he’s given permission to leave he
thinks no more of it and blasts away towards Agubia. In the eaves of the bay, Hijjin decides to
contact his brother once he’s on the ground and away from fellow Imperial
eyes. Jan
and Ocern dock on Agubia and travel to the Salern Tarr restaurant to meet
Sasn, the attaché of the Agubian government.
Whilst waiting for Sasn to arrive the two smugglers discuss all manner
of things - Ocern’s imminent retirement, the cargo of illegal weapons they
have stashed in the secured holds to take to Afagard in the Garda System,
life in general. However, just as
their Agubian government contact enters the restaurant he is stopped by four
heavily armoured Imperial Stormtroopers and led, protesting, to a troop
wagon. Four more Troopers enter the
restaurant and begin checking ID cards.
Once the Stormtroopers arrive at Jan and Ocern’s table their ID’s are
registered as fakes and are told to accompany them. Jan isn’t willing to go along with this -
he knows that their fake ID’s are just too good to be spotted as fakes. He’s informed that the captain of the
Barbarian wishes to resolve any ID problems right away and issue new
licenses. Unable to think of a decent
reason to resist Jan and Ocern go along quietly. The
two of them are taken to comfortable and spacious cells for the night, and
after an easy sleep they are taken to a shuttle and ferried up to the ISD
Barbarian, which is waiting in orbit.
Once aboard they are separated and taken to separate rooms - Jan is
led to a briefing room by Interrogation Officer Doksop and Ocern to a room
where he’s given correct licenses, ID’s and is quickly shuttled back down to
the Agubian surface. Meanwhile Jan is
waiting for an officer to question him when the door is opened and in walks his
brother Hijjin. Ordering the guards to
leave the room the two men embrace - they haven’t
seen each other for several years.
After a few minutes friendly discussion the subject turns to family
matters. Their mother Sierra is
gravely ill and she wishes to see her two remaining sons together for one
final time. Jan is adamant - there is
no way he’s returning to A-desando, under no circumstances. Hijjin tries to persuade him otherwise but
the younger Lomonas mind is set.
Knowing he’ll have to take no for an answer Hijjin reluctantly hands
Jan his new ID’s and licenses, tells him he’s interrogated the government
official Sasn and to give up on the Agubian trade route, and allows him to
return to the planet. Jan
returns to Dock 42 and finds Ocern tinkering away on the Sunrise. He tells Ocern the trade route deal is off
and that they’re leaving soon. Ocern
nods and asks what happened on the Barbarian. Lomona says he’ll tell him once
they’ve entered hyperspace, and after he’s had a drink. Jan heads around the corner from the
docking bays and enters a noisy, smelly overcrowded Cantina. He drinks a few Duargas to clear his head
and leaves through the rear exit, crossing a field to get some fresh air. Whilst walking slowly he is approached by a
tall man in a trench coat - it’s Hijjin, out of uniform. The two brothers restart their argument
about their Mother, which soon escalates to shouting and eventually into a
brawl. They roll across the dirty
floor, swearing and yelling at each other.
After a few minutes they charge each other and Jan grips his brother
in a headlock, but the momentum of Hijjins charge takes him off his feet and
the older brothers neck is snapped.
Overcome with grief, Jan collects himself enough to roll the body into
the undergrowth, swap clothing and ID’s with Hijjin and return to the Sunrise
in docking bay 42. Paying Portmaster
Oldorn as he races through the gate the Berone Sunrise is soon powered up and
ready to blast away from Agubia, which it does in a burst of flame. Jan Lomona: The Solo Runs -
Second Son
1987 story by Mark Newbold Three years before Episode IV - A New Hope Histories - Recorded on 2nd, 5th and
6th November 1987, Second
Son was the first part of the four-part NHP Solo Runs series
depicting Lomonas time on A-desando before the events of A New Hope. The stories
served to illustrate Jan’s background and history, his family background and
his ties with the Setnin Sector underground. Cast of
Characters Jan
Lomona Captain
Hijjin Lomona Ocern
Gabe Latti
Tellex Sasn Commander
Tastor Interrogation
Officer Doksop Portmaster Oldorn
|