Goah Galletti Story Part Three -
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.
Goah Galletti Story Part Three - Jewel of Janos1986
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, Jewel Of Janos was made during a busy year for
NHP. Cast of Characters Goah Galletti Jan Lomona Redd Garmich Pillot Alvarna Mandrala Enille GaralleCommander Terrov Commander Ster High Priest Gamatchinos |