Jan Lomona and the Delicate Deception 1998/1999 short story by Mark Newbold Three years after Episode IV - A New Hope Jan stepped carefully around the
still steaming corpse of the huge Luugar creature and raised his Blaster to the brim of
his cap. He was more than aware of the cold
vapour trail being released from his lips - the night air on Wennicas could bite hard and
leave a man gasping his last if unprotected. Jan
Lomona was far too wily a smuggler and traveller to be caught out in such a fashion. A thermal jacket covered his tall broad frame,
his legs encased in boots. His face was
peppered with a thin beard, growing through the frost on his cheeks. And his ocean blue eyes peered carefully around
the corner of the warehouse, searching for other Luugar creatures - or worse. He could see nothing, which he knew
from bitter experience didn’t necessarily mean that there was nothing there. Steeling himself against attack he rubbed his
fingers together and moved forward, running across the courtyard to the entrance of the
loading bays twenty meters away. Checking
left and right he flicked his Blaster back to stun and rolled across the wall to the
doorway. Time for a house call he thought to himself. I only hope
Jezzren’s not expecting it. Jan could see his own reflection in
the doorframe, his cold features etched into the chrome.
With regret he frowned. Jezzren had
been Glann Cipple’s aide and confidante for almost fifteen years, and a good friend
to Jan and many others besides. Once Cipples
successful mission to Abrogard had been completed Lomona knew, as did many others that
Glann would require certain loose threads tying up, the pre-eminent one being Jezzren and
his unforeseen deception. During the
difficult period of the mission to Abrogard Glann had known of the existence of a spy, a
spy he christened Naaven after Naaven Torr, an
operative with the shortsightedness to double-cross Cipple.
But no one, apart from Himbimimam who finally figured out who the mole was, could
ever guess that Jezzren had betrayed them. It’s always the ones you least expect who turn
around and stab you in the back thought Jan with a twinge of sorrow. Jezzren cited his reasons for his betrayal as
simple cash - he had a family he hardly ever saw and children’s mouths to feed. But Jan didn’t buy that. Glann
may be many things but he ain’t no miser. Jezzren
did well out of being such a trusted aide. There
had to be more to it than that. But what? Lomona knew that he was no great detective. He preferred to leave that kind of lateral
thinking to the likes of Carlonian Feese or Goah Galletti, men accustomed to the quick
thinking lives of assassins and bounty hunters. Lomona
was no slouch when it came to mind games, but he far preferred an easier ride. And there weren’t many easier rides in the
Setnin Sector than Jan Lomona. What was that?
Kids? Just what I need. Jan slipped his Imperial Caterers Guild cap
off, stuffed it into his pocket and peered over the window ledge. Yes, it was just as he had feared. There was Jezzren, seated at a short wooden table
surrounded by two children and his wife. Jan
could barely make out their surroundings, but it appeared that they had converted this
mid-town warehouse on Wennicas into some kind of home.
Not exactly the kind of retirement you were
looking for, eh Jezz? Lomona couldn’t help but recognise the looks on their
collective faces - happiness. Genuine
happiness that simple credits could never hope to buy.
Jezzren’s son and daughter laughed as he recounted some tall tale to them, his
wife smiling as she cleared the table. It
looked as complete a picture of a family as Jan had ever seen. And
Glann’s sent me here to end it. For
good. Lomona crouched back away from the
window, rubbing the bridge of his nose. He
parked himself on the floor and shook his head slowly.
Something didn’t quite add up here, but he couldn’t figure out what it
was. Cipple had quickly learned of
Jezzren’s location and even now, weeks after his deception he had yet to finish him
off. Why?
But it wasn’t that which bothered Lomona.
Why did Glann send me to kill Jezzren?
Why me and not Feese or Galletti? Or
Glann himself? It preyed on his mind as
he huddled from the increasing cold winds of Wennicas.
Why indeed send Lomona, a known smuggler and free trader to kill an enemy when he
has hundreds of assassins and ruthless employees to do the job. Jan shook his head again. It made no sense to him. Glann’s
known for his efficiency and this entire set
up is a million klicks from efficient. Jan
was so lost in his thoughts that he didn’t notice the soft touch of a shadow fall
across him, blocking the moonlights, or the hiss of breath until the attack had begun.
“Stang!” He managed to get
out before flipping himself forward to dodge the assault of another Luugar creature. Wennicas’s’ most vicious inhabitant, a
distant relation to the Wampa ice creature of Hoth, swung it’s massive forearm at
Lomona and brushed across his back as he dove out into the speeder lane. The impact knocked his trajectory off and he hit
the floor with a thump. Rolling onto his
back swiftly he kicked backwards with his feet and shuffled four meters backwards away
from the Luugar. It turned and growled
menacingly at him, teeth bared and claws out. Oh stang, like I really need this right now? He brought his Blaster to bear, fiddling for
the switch to change the setting to kill again, but the frost and cold had frozen the
switch firmly in place - he could only stun the beast. And even a P-48 Type three would
only make it angry. Or angrier. If that was possible. Jan rolled again and brought his
feet up, standing and digging into the snow for purchase to gain ground away from the
Luugar, but it was right behind him and as he began his escape the animal swung out again
and clipped him hard, this time sending him crashing into a parked speeder. Oww,
that hurt he thought as his knees buckled and a steady gush of blood began to dribble
from between his lips. It was warm, the
warmest sensation he’d felt since the bath he’d had that morning and he almost
welcomed its presence. But not as much as the
Luugar welcomed the sight and smell of it. Roaring
in triumph the creature swung around to face Jan, crouched and snarling. I think I’m in trouble. Hauling himself back to his feet
Jan gripped the Blaster and slung a dozen stun bolts at the advancing animal, but just as
he feared the barrage only served to make the beast angrier. It slowed down visibly but its advance didn’t
stop. Lomona had nowhere else to go, the
speeder being parked in a line bumper to bumper with two other vehicles. He couldn’t roll underneath, the anti gravity
pressure being sure to injure him. He
couldn’t roll over because these Wennicassian speeders had been fitted with
anti-weather bubbles, therefore protecting them from the bitter ravages of the eastern
trade winds. No, there was only one
alternative. He’d have to make the Blaster switch turn to the kill
setting. He turned his back briefly on the
Luugar and found the lip of the speeder door. Aligning
the switch with it he thumped down hard. Nothing,
the sweat from his fingers, or perhaps simply moisture in the air had conspired to freeze
his Blaster to a useless position. He Blasted
a few more stun bolts at the Luugar who was only meters away now. Again, he hammered the switch. Nothing. Again. Nothing. Come on Lady Luck, don’t let me
down!! Just as he thought it and just as
the Luugar’s arms were preparing to wrap themselves around Lomona in a deadly embrace
the switch released itself and enabled Jan to use the highest setting. Which he did, several times and to deadly effect. Seconds later yet another Luugar lay steaming by
the curbside. Jan Lomona blew out a trail of
freezing air. Jezzren if
you only knew the trouble you’ve caused you’d have flown a lot further away than
Wennicas. Like say, the Red Nebular. Glann Cipple ran his fingers down
the spine of the artefact and smiled thinly with appreciation. He could hardly remember a time when he had
seen such a perfect specimen of Brevnian craftsmanship, much less hold it in his hands. Eyeing its delicate curve and weight he felt
transported, away from the confines of his office on Amagad, away from the presence of his
wife Bella beside him. Art and ancient pieces
such as this statue meant almost everything to him. And
right now, holding this piece in his hands, he thought of no troubles - no problems. Life could hardly be any better….
“There’s someone outside, I’m certain of it.” Jezzren checked around the windows
edge again and drew back, glancing nervously at his wife and children who hid behind their
beds in the corner. He felt a twang of
regret, of guilt as he saw them cowering. Like criminals, like cowards. Like me.
He swallowed and made a move for his coat. “I’m
going out there to see what it is.”
“Jezzren, no.” His wife
Samerra moved from her hiding spot and walked right up to him. “If it is someone from Amagad then
you’ll be a sitting Glawp. Don’t
try to be a hero, not now.” Jezzren frowned, his eyebrows
knitting together in sorrow, as he looked his wife in the eye.
“Samerra…what I did, I did for you and the children. To give you all a better life. To spend some real time with you, not to just say
goodnight when I got home and try not to wake you up when I left in the morning.” He looked at the hard floor again. “But I’ve failed. I’ve failed you so badly. This,” He gestured at the warehouse around
them. “this was not what I had in mind. I had plans for us.
To travel to Gista. Stay with my
brother Marekk for a few weeks. Then travel
out towards the Core Worlds. Maybe find a new
life on Correllia, or Selonia. If only
I’d been more careful.” Jezzren
frowned at the ground again. Samerra shook
her head and took his face in her hands.
“I love you, no matter where we are. The
children love you. You’re their father,
and my husband. Whatever we do we do
together, understand?” Jezzren nodded sorrowfully. He understood all to well. I promised
you paradise and gave you purgatory. I
only hope you’re as forgiving of me in twenty years time as you are now.
“Just let me check outside. I
won’t be able to settle unless I know we’re going to be okay.” Samerra, seeing that he
wouldn’t let the situation rest, moved aside and allowed him to wrap his coat around
him. Then, bracing herself against the icy
blast, let Jezzren outside and heaved the door too, before the deadly Wennicassian weather
bled the heat from the warehouse. Jezzren corrected the goggles
around his eyes and activated the night-vision facility.
The blizzard had increased in intensity, hurling icy darts of ice all around. Jezzren was well protected from the assault -
money was one thing that his household was not short of.
The opportunity to spend it freely, however, was.
He moved parallel to the warehouse to the corner and checked left and right. He spied the still steaming corpse of a Luugar
creature resting against a landspeeder. Strange, he thought.
Luugars usually only hunt if there’s
a scent to follow. And I’m the only one
here -
“Hands up Jezz. And turn around
slowly.” Jezzren closed his eyes in defeat
as he raised his arms high above him. Turning
around he saw the unmistakable figure of Jan Lomona, Blaster pointing directly at his
heart. He paused momentarily, unsure of his
situation. Lomona? Why
would Glann send a free trader to assassinate me when he’s got people like Galletti
and Feese to do those jobs? Unless
I’m not worth the prestige. Or unless
Lomona’s changed his line of work in the past few weeks. Jan waved the Blaster nozzle at the
smaller man before him.
“Why’d you do it Jezzren? Why
betray Glann after fifteen years?” Jezzren shrugged and shook his
head.
“Do we have to discuss it here? I’m
freezing to death.”
“I wouldn’t think the cold would make much of a difference in the
afterlife. That is, if you believe in an
afterlife?” Jan frowned inwardly. Jeez. Is
that the sort of thing Goah would say? No
wonder I’m a free trader. The lines are
way better.
“I guess you know where I’m staying at the moment? I bet Glann’s had spies tailing me ever since
I left Amagad.” This time it was Jan who shook his
head.
“No pal. We got a confirmed ID
five weeks ago. One of Glanns guys saw you
here in the marketplace and checked in. Otherwise,
I doubt we’d have found you. I was
sent here to find you after I’d finished another job on Tatooine.” So it was just me being paranoid? Seeing agents in the shadows, thinking I was being
tailed every step of the way for the past few weeks.
Dammit! Jezzren looked
downwards and sighed. Everything had gone
wrong, almost from the minute he decided to cheat on his employer Cipple back on Amagad. Why did everything have to be either so bland or
so disastrous? Guys like me aren’t meant to have easy lives. We just make up the numbers for folk like Lomona
to look good.
“So, what are you going to do with me then?” Asked Jezzren. Lomona frowned and slightly lowered
his Blaster muzzle. Now there’s the question. He was still unsure of what direction to take
with this. Kill him now and be done with it? But what about his wife and kids? I’ve
got Paige and Frans to worry about now – how can I deprive Jezzren’s family of
their Father, however crooked he’s been? And
I can’t help but think back to what Glann said when he sent me out here – `Deal
with Jezzren. Do what you must. But I never want to lay eyes on him again,
understand?’ Jan shook his head at
Jezzren and the smaller man tensed. That’s not a death warrant, it’s a license to
use my disgression.
“Why couldn’t you just fly into the Core Worlds, eh? Take your family and disappear forever?” Jan lowered his Blaster. “Why’d you have to go and make
everything so damned hard?” Jezzren glanced up, unsure of what
answer to give. Is this a change of heart? For my children’s sake I prey it is. Jan cursed something Huttese under
his breath and put away his Blaster.
“You’re lucky it’s the Fifth Day of Shallamballa or else you’d
be visiting your family as a poltergeist.” He
managed a weary smile. “As it is,
you’d better tell them to pack their things and be ready to lift off in twenty
minutes.” Jezzren released a long breath and
smiled back at Jan.
“I can’t think of anything to say…”
“Don’t say anything. I just
hope I don’t regret this generosity someday.”
“You won’t. And neither will
I.” Twelve minutes later Jezzren appeared at the door of the warehouse with Samerra and his two children wrapped in thick coats, carrying their bags and belongings. He walked towards Samerra and took the large case from her small hands and lifted their daughter into the crook of his arm. She giggled, unaware of the severity of the situation and how near she had come to being the daughter of a single parent. Lomona began striding down the road towards the hazy lights of the starport a kilometre away. Jezzren jogged alongside the silent smuggler.
“I know that you’re going out on a limb for us Captain Lomona, but where
exactly are you taking us?” He paused,
his mind turning over a lurching with horror in time with his stomach. Maybe this
is just a ruse to get us to come quietly. Maybe
he’s taking us to Glann right now. Jan looked down at Jezzren.
“Where do you want to go?” Before he could answer, the little
girl turned to Jan and smiled broadly.
“Daddy want to visit Marekk.”
“Seetah…” Began Jezzren.
“Who’s Marekk?” Asked
Lomona. “And more to the point, where is Marekk?”
“Marekk is my brother. He lives
on Gista, near the mining facilities on the east continent.” He sighed.
“We were planning on staying with Marekk whilst we sorted our situation
out.” Jan nodded as he turned the corner
to begin the long walk alongside the open starport, passing snow covered starships and
freighters.
“Sounds as good a place as any. Besides,
Gista’s not too far from Wennicas. And
I’m certain our old friend Gaalent will appreciate a visit.” They both managed a smile at that. Gaalent operated from the mines of Gista and had
plans to begin a run to the Core Worlds – a plan, which proved to be so much hot air. He threatened Lomona’s life and offended
Glann Cipple. A visit by the assassin Goah
Galletti followed, but Jan was still unsure whether it was a simple courtesy call or
something much darker. His curiosity demanded
to be satiated. Jan checked the sky.
“We’d better hurry. This
storm’s getting worse by the second and we’ve got plenty to do.” He’d just reached that perfect
moment of comfort, when the body is totally relaxed, the temperature just right and the
soft music not too loud to disturb but just loud enough to encourage sleep when there was
an almighty knocking at the door. Marekk
almost choked with shock and rubbed his eyes with balled fists as he strode to the door.
“Who the hell would knock my door at
this time of night?” He began, until he
realised that he was staring into the broad chest of a very tall A-desandian male and the
fresh giggling face of a two-year-old infant girl.
“Seetah?” He laughed and
took her from the arms of the A-desandian, his head still obscured from view by the short
door. Seetah opened her arms and hugged her
uncle. “What are you doing here
baby?” His mind was still reeling and
his thought processes were scrambled. Why was
his niece being handed to him by a strange A-desandian?
“Brother?” Marekk turned again, to see his
brother Jezzren and his sister-in-law Samerra slip around the towering man and enter his
apartment. And from behind the mans leg he
could see his nephew Duuloh peer nervously into the homely room. He smiled dumbly.
“Jezz, why are you here? Shouldn’t
you be on Amagad?” Jezzren shook his head as he took
his brother in a fierce hug.
“Amagad is the last place I want to be right now.” He motioned to Jan who saw the signal and entered
the room. “This is Jan Lomona. He’s…helping me out at the moment.” Marekk nodded, visibly impressed.
“The captain Lomona? It’s a privilege. I’ve heard so much about you.” Lomona smiled.
“All good I hope.”
“That very much depends.” He
looked at Samerra. “Why are you
here?” Jan raised his hands to intercept
the reminiscing.
“Jezzren will tell you later in infinite detail. But I need a quiet word with you
now…alone.” Marekk opened an adjourning doorway
and motioned for Jan to enter. Once inside
Marekk crossed his arms and faced Lomona.
“Right Captain. What is this
about?” Jan paused a moment and sucked air
through his teeth. How do I say this without giving too much away? The guy thinks I’m a celebrity – I
don’t want to spoil the image for him. Oh
hell, just tell him straight!
“I’ll
be abrupt. If Jezzren or his family leave
this rock, I want to know about it. If you
don’t tell me about it, I’ll know anyway. I
know way too many people on this rock for them to leave without me finding out.” He paused and stepped closer to Marekk, lowering
his voice. “I could have shot Jezzren
for what he did across Glann. I’d have
been more than justified, but Cipple gave me some latitude and I’ve decided to use
it.” He stepped back and eyed Marekk
with a narrow glare. “Don’t make
me regret it.” Marekk nodded and offered Jan his
hand, which the smuggler took.
“I don’t yet know what my brother’s done, but I do know that
you’re a man of your word. My family
will stay here until I get the word from you for them to leave, not before.” Jan Lomona released Marekk’s
grip and fixed him with a stare.
“Make it happen.” The Berone Sunrise powered down on the landing platform
outside Glann Cipples Fortress and steamed quietly in the soft rain. Wrapping his overcoat about him he exited the
huge Stock Heavy Freighter and entered the building, swiftly being ushered through the
lobby and into the turbo lift. Shaking water
from his coat he stepped out of the lift and walked the short corridor to the double doors
of Cipples office.
Glann Cipple sat impassively, facing towards the window with its majestic view
of the city of Amagad. His city of Amagad.
Jan seated himself without invitation and eased back into the couch.
“You
won’t have any more troubles with Jezzren.” Cipple twisted the seat slightly
and raised a tumbler of Geenau Whiskey to his lips.
“I’d better not.” Jan frowned. Surely this was what Glann wanted, a happy ending
for all? Okay, so Jezzren deserved to be shot
for what he’d done, but Glann now had the runs to the Core via Abrogard. He’d bested Dressel and Treece and all his
other opponents. And if he wanted Jezzren as
a corpse he’d have sent Carlonian Feese or Goah Galletti. Or worse still he’d have gone himself.
“I hope you’re right. For
Jezzren’s sake.” Lomona stood and
slipped his coat back on and with a shrug he left the room. Glann swivelled the seat around and
watched the door close behind the smuggler.
“Not for Jezzren’s sake Jan. For
yours.”
Jan Lomona and the Delicate Deception1998/1999 short story by Mark Newbold Three years after Episode IV – A New Hope Histories - Set a few short weeks after the events
depicted in Jan Lomona and the Sirens of Amagad, the short Delicate
Deception story tells of what happened to Glann
Cipples traitorous secretary Jezzren after his betrayal of his former
employer. Taking place on the worlds of Wennicas, Gista and Amagad, this mini tale sets up an
interesting moral dilemma for Jan - follow Cipples orders to the letter, or use a little
disgression and allow a man and his family to live. Cast of Characters Jan Lomona Jezzren Samerra Glann Cipple Bella Cipple Marekk Seetah Duuloh |