Pearls of Wisdom 1990/1999 short story by Mark Newbold Six years after Episode IV – A New Hope “You’d love that, wouldn’t you.” Whispered Jan Lomona into Leaara’s ear as he pulled her even closer to him. “I mean, it’d really get that old Womp Rat of a husband of yours off his comfy butt if he saw us making out.” Leaara nodded and smiled a sweet smile. Jan liked it. “You know him, Jan. He won’t interrupt a meeting just to pay you. Maybe this will grab his attention.” Leaara wrapped her hands around the back of Jan’s head and opened up into a deep serious kiss, which even took Lomona by surprise. Wow, he thought. I never
knew Leaara could pack such a kiss. One of
the perks of the job, I guess. As long as
Frans doesn’t find out. Sure enough, the theatrically staged kiss had the desired effect and the doors to Lall Handers office slid open as the security camera’s hovering near to the ceiling swung around the corner. Jan gave Leaara a friendly wink and entered the office. “Clever way to get an early appointment Lomona. Ignore the queue, just play tonsil Hard-Ball with the bosses wife.” “Don’t worry Lall. I wouldn’t do it if it didn’t turn me on so much. Or her.” Lall Hander smirked and pointed towards an empty seat close to the large greel wood desk. Hander was Jan’s latest employer and a friend of many years. Lomona hadn’t worked with Hander for almost six years, but he had a window in his operations with the Trac-Tran Transit Company and Glann was deep in negotiations with a fellow ganglord and so Jan had the time and the desire to come out to the Arintak System and run for his old friend again. Hander had agreed to pay Jan his fee after he returned from his trip out to Turners World, delivering seventy cases of highly illegal DL-8 spice and various other toxic substances. And now the job was done it was time for him to return to the central systems of the Setnin Sector after he had picked up his pay. Hander had kept him waiting for almost an hour, and in a business where swift payment was seen as a bonus and not a certainty Jan could forgive the tardiness. However, lack of payment bred contempt, even when the recipient was someone as financially comfortable as Jan. But the credits weren’t the most important issue it was the principle, and Jan Lomona liked to see himself as a man of principles. Albeit ones that only applied to Jan Lomona. Anyway, he had his reputation to think
about. Staying at the top of an intrinsically
cutthroat game for almost two decades owed much to a reputation that he had lovingly
nourished. And despite his friendship with
Lall and his mock flirting with Leaara, he couldn’t allow that reputation to be
tarnished. After all, I’ve still got a Stock Heavy Freighter
to run, a daughter to bring up, a fiancée to live with.
Jabba always paid up…eventually. Glann
never misses a payment, and even I’ve got taxes to pay in these enlightened
post-Empire days. Hell, even the Rebellion
pay up on time. There’s enough charity in this galaxy for now. Air’s free. I’m not. “So you’re here for your pay? Four thousand credits and a bottle of vintage Duarga?” Jan nodded and crossed his legs. “That’s right Lall. Cash and good wine for a job well done.” Lomona smiled at the big man. Lall wouldn’t contest a run out to Turners World that went as smoothly as this had, would he? It was done and dusted in sixteen hours – Lall went to sleep and I was slicing up soldiers on Turners. I should ask him for extra. Frans is gonna kill me as it is, I haven’t seen her for almost a month. Lall leaned forward and rested on his elbows. “You know that I have several substantial holdings on Chancai.” Jan nodded slowly. Hander had been a silent partner in several businesses on Chancai, all of which were related by one thing - Lall’s inability to pay his rent on time. As a consequence there were several alter ego’s belonging to Hander that drew money from the Bank of Zelon. On Chancai, if the rent wasn’t paid the tenant never stayed. Jan’s friend Grin had found that out to his cost. He had rented a Holo-printers store on Level 15 and managed to stay in the unit for about a month. Lall Hander boasted a similar record. Lall continued. “Times have been rather lean around the Arintak System lately. All the tasty jobs are going to the central systems…Amagad, Wennicas, even Cawbate.” “What are you saying Lall? Thinking of packing it all in?” Hander shook his head vigorously. “I really wish I could Lomona. But that cute wife of mine is an expensive treasure to keep, and even though I know you two are just kidding about, maybe the next guy will be more serious.” Jan leaned back into his seat and crossed his eyebrows. “You don’t think she just wants you for the credits, do you?” “No. But why risk finding out?” Jan smirked at the logic. Yeah, why risk it? “This operation needs cash.” “So what are you saying Lall? You pulling out of Chancai after all these years? Trying to make friends?” Lall poured two drinks and handed the larger tumbler to Jan who accepted it with a nod and tossed back a large mouthful. Half a glass of vintage Geenau Whiskey had just been downed and Jan hadn’t even blinked at the bite. Noticing Lall’s reaction to this Jan laughed and leaned forward. “You should know about us A-desandians and alcohol by now. We mix very well. Too well in fact. This stuff goes down like spring water.” Lall smiled and continued, rubbing his palms in a nervous manner as he did so. “My partners absolutely don’t wish to pull out of Chancai. It’s making them far too much profit for that. But I negotiated from a position of weakness. I don’t make half as much profit from the Chancai operations as I should. So, I need the cash I have tied up there to start something else.” He frowned and shrugged his broad shoulders. “As you can see, I’m in a bit of a predicament.” “You sure are Lall. So why are you telling me?” “Because Lomona, you’re not just a trader, you’re a businessman. You ran that city on A-desando for half a year, made it a centre of commerce in the sector. You’re financially stable, you could pack this all in whenever you want. So the reason I’m asking you is because I value your opinion.” Lall turned his palms upwards and shrugged his shoulders again. “What would you do?” Jan’s face betrayed no signs of emotion but inside he swelled. I had no idea that people thought like that of me. Sure, Ecaps City was a success but it was my hometown. If you can’t do it for your own people, then who can you do it for? Jan crossed his legs and pondered the question. “Well…for a start I’d figure out a way to freeze your joint Bank of Zelon account. That’ll tie up all of your joint earnings and will force them to sell some of their assets to pay a lawyer to get them out of the legal mess they’ll be thrown into. Of course, you’ll have to pay your wedge but you’ll get your slice of the profits in the end. You could bung the Rent Commission a couple of thousand credits and ask them to triple the rent on the units for the next few months until they’re forced to sell.” He scratched his scalp in thought. “Or better still I could get my lawyer Trace Dallagra, who’s a legal expert, to scan the deeds and cook up a water tight loophole to get you out of the contract and away with your cash…make them buy you out.” Jan smiled. “Apart from that I’d say gratuitous physical violence is your only answer.” Lall nodded slowly and stood to his feet, offering Jan an outstretched hand with a credit stick in it. “Cash it in at the usual place.” “Food kiosk at the Chancai Hard-Ball Stadium, Level 8?” “That’s right. And here’s your Duarga.” Jan accepted the vintage wine and turned to leave. Lall folded his arms. “I’ll think about what you said Lomona.” Jan Lomona smiled and shrugged modestly. “You do that Lall. My pearls of wisdom are absolutely free.” Pearls of Wisdom 1990/1999 short story by Mark Newbold Six years after Episode IV – A New Hope Histories – Written in 1990 during a busy
time of Role-playing, Pearls of Wisdom shows Jan
Lomona in a role he is rarely seen in – advisor.
Working for old friend Lall Hander, Jan
is tapped for his extensive knowledge and experience by Hander who needs to extricate
himself from a tricky situation. Cast of Characters Jan Lomona Leaara Hander Lall Hander |