Jet Siquliak | Gallery |
“ | Not five hours ago getting too involved in a city’s politics nearly killed you. Do you really want to make the same mistake so soon? | ” |
—Jet Sikuliaq[src]
Jet Sikuliaq, also known as The Man in the Brown Jacket and formerly known as The Unnatural Disaster, is a no-nonsense professional pilot and thief. He has a sense of humor but does not find you funny.[2] During the events of the Juno Steel series, his reflective and very controlled personality can appear stoic.
Early Life[]
20 years before the events of Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (Part 1) Jet was a famous smuggler, traveling between The Outer Rim and the Solar Planets. In this stage of his life, he was known as the "Unnatural Disaster." Jet implies that he was unpredictable and irresponsible, and became more so through substance addiction to Neomethamphetamines.
During this time he traveled to Jupiter to rob the famous weapon designer M'Tendere. After tailing M'Tendere for some time, Jet stole the Iris of Jupiter and the Ruby Seven from them. Jet used the bomb during his escape, though it was not necessary, and killed 15 people in the process. He told Rita that he has killed a total of 24 people during his criminal career, most in self-defense, but often unnecessarily.
Some years later, he met Buddy Aurinko in her bar in the Cerberus Province. Possibly haunted by his former actions, he carried a gun to the meeting, not sure if he planned to harm her or himself. In a heartfelt conversation, Buddy told him that there might not be forgiveness, but there are still good things to be done. Jet eventually became her good friend and rescued Buddy from radiation poisoning in The Lighthouse in return. He sold his car to pay for her cybernetic eye and hospital stay.
At some unknown point before meeting Juno Steel, Jet had a friend with a cybernetic leg who sought its removal at a Hanataba Clinic. He memorized the instruction manual for Hanataba's and operated the machine to perform the surgery. Unfortunately, his friend did not solve the challenge confronted within his dream and died in his sleep some days after the surgery.
History[]
Peter Nureyev briefly mentions Jet Sikuliaq to Juno when telling him about the Ruby Seven's history.[3]
Jet was sent by Buddy Aurinko to tail Juno Steel and track his movements to see if he would be a good candidate for a job she was going to pull. Juno observes him from a distance a few times, assuming he was one of Pilot Pereyra's people, and nicknames him "Brown Jacket." He eventually finds Juno wandering the Martian desert and takes him to the Cerberus Province, where he introduces him to Buddy. The three of them work together to complete Buddy's sale, and Jacket and Juno both go along with her to save Vespa from Rasbach after the job goes awry.
After Buddy and Vespa are reunited, Jacket takes Juno to a Hanataba Clinic to have the THEIA Spectrum removed. He takes Juno back to The Boiler in Hyperion City, stating that he cannot visit any place more than three times, lest he become known. He gives Juno a set of hi-tech comms with Buddy's number, a bit of his own wisdom, and a podcast series digging into Jack Takano's disappearance. Then, after a (not very) tearful goodbye, Jacket drives away, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in his wake.
He returns to Hyperion City at Juno's request, when Juno is ready to accept Buddy's job offer. He negotiates the hire of both Juno and Rita to the Aurinko Crime Family, of which he is also a member.[4] At this point, he tells Juno for the first time that he is Jet Sikuliaq.
Jet, accompanied by Rita, encounters M'tendere again in pursuit of the Key. They have a series of difficult conversations about their prior acquaintance, and deeds each of them regret. M'tendere's workshop is attacked by Dark Matters agents, and the three of them escape in the Ruby Seven. M'tendere is killed during the escape, but use their dying breaths to teach Jet and Rita the song that functions as the Key. Jet subsequently observes, as narrator, that he has locked away the Unnatural Disaster and treated him as dead--but M'tendere has rightly reminded him that he is one person, and can unlock his past self and shake his hand, instead of disowning his actions and mistakes.
After they have obtained the cure mother Jet marries Buddy with Vespa on board of the Carte Blanche. Immediately after the wedding he and his family are confronted by Dark Matters and though they do their best to outsmart Director W, Jet and most of the Aurinko Crime Family are taken captive by Dark Matters. Jet helps Juno escape and tells him to trust in the Ruby Seven to show up for him and despite Juno's doubts Jet turns out to be right.
Jet is taken into Aurinko Permanent Corrections along with Vespa and Buddy. He is taken into a different section of the prison to them, and given personalised treatment consisting of regular injections of neomethamphetamine through a device attached to his neck. When Juno tries to talk him into taking it off and leaving with them, he impulsively calls the guards before immediately regreting it. He is led to his execution by Vespa and Juno in disguise. Before Director W can publicly execute the Unnatural Disaster, however, smoke fills the room thanks to Peter Nureyev, and Juno, Vespa and Buddy fight their way out alongside the other inmates. On the way out, Jet helps take out a few guards, saying that they've unleashed the Unnatural Disaster and now he has pointed his fury towards Dark Matters. He has to be dragged the rest of the way, as his heartrate is incredibly high.
The crew go to a Hanataba Clinic on Jupiter to recuperate, where Jet struggles through withdrawal and detox.
Once they escape from Dark Matters with their records clean, Jet helps Buddy and Vespa settle into retirement before striking out on his own to form a group, "The Aurinkos", to take down Dark Matters.
Personality[]
Jet is unflappable and very reserved. He has a sense of humor, but it is hard for some people (including Juno) to understand. He is often unexpectedly soft, such as when he cries actual tears when Juno and he first part ways, and he has what is often a very unique, wise way of thinking of things. For example, before helping Juno to remove the THEIA Spectrum in Juno Steel and the Monster's Reflection (Part 1), he says that although he has no proof for it, he chooses to believe in good things because if his actions affect the galaxy, then that which affects his actions affects the galaxy; therefore, it is in Juno's best interest that he believe he will survive the surgery. He has many similar lines and monologues.
Jet is very fond of the Ruby 7, although he does not always understand it, and often calls it "Ruby," although he has expressed that others should use its full title. Though he frequently stresses that it is a car without free will, he often treats it like a person. He is incredibly surprised when the Ruby reveals itself to be sentient. Jet states that he does not experience romantic or sexual attraction to Rita or anyone else and never has in Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (Part 1).
Jet is very private with personal details, especially around strangers, likely due to being a wanted criminal.
Abilities[]
Jet Siquliak is a master of all vehicles, including cars, hover-cycles, and ships, not only when it comes to handling them but to repairing them as well. Because of his size, he is very strong and seems to be a decent fighter and shot. This probably goes back to his days as a smuggler between the Outer Rim and the Inner Planets. He is also very good at self-care, which goes back to his new start with Buddy after his earlier criminal career.
Relationships[]
Buddy Aurinko[]
Jet cares about Buddy very much, and they are very close friends. Buddy mentions that they have seen each other every day for the past eight years. They are also occasionally business partners, as seen when they were working together to pull off the sale of Buddy's stolen goods. Jet Siquliak is very devoted to Buddy and her well being, going so far as to sell his car to pay for her cybernetic eye. It has also been revealed that it was Buddy's advice about moving on from the past that led Jet to try and better himself from the man he used to be in the days when he set off M'tendere's bomb and took the lives of the 15 people surrounding him.
Juno Steel[]
Upon first meeting, Jet Siquliak did not seem to feel very strongly one way or another towards Juno. He could become irritated by his sense of humor, but did seem to care about his well being.
After spending about a month with Juno, Jacket grows fond of his presence, even crying when he drops him off in Hyperion City.[5]
Jet and Juno get to interact more once they start working together in the Aurinko Crime Family. Juno sees Jet as somebody who gives him advice, but realizes that Jet also needs his company and support occasionally (and that he just does not get the big guy's humour).
When the rest of the crew has been capture by Dark Matters, Jet opens an airlock for Juno to climb out and get away to save the rest of the family, before being captured himself.
When Jet is imprisoned in Aurinko Permanent Corrections and high on neomethamphetamine, he and Juno share a conversation regarding their previous addictions, where Juno tries to convince Jet to get clean again, and Jet encourages Juno to let loose and go back to how he was. Juno remains patient with Jet as he struggles through his recovery in the Hanataba Clinic, even as the entire crew becomes hopeless.
Rita[]
Jet has been a big fan of Rita's work as a hacker long before they even met. While she has been a fan of his, due to him being a main character in some of her favorite streams. In contrast to Juno, Jet tells Rita his full name pretty much right after they met. He also states that Rita feels to him like "exactly the right person at the right time in life" in Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (Part 1). By the end of the third season they have become dear friends.
Peter Nureyev[]
When they start working together it seems that Nureyev is looking for Jets approval, probably because Jet is his idol. Jet however is very suspicious about the thief who does not want to share his real name. Before Jet is captured he reveals to Juno, that to him Nureyev is part of the family and he believes that he will come to safe everyone, but fail due to his solitary nature and overconfidence.[6]
Ruby 7[]
The Ruby 7 has been with Jet the longest, and holds memories of being driven around by Jet as a dear comfort.[7] Even before Jet finds out the Ruby is sentient, he is shown to care deeply for it and be defensive of who gets to drive it. The Ruby helps Jet set back his recovery by synthesising Neomethamphetamine for him while he is in detox.[8] It is unknown if Jet manipulated the Ruby into doing this, if he merely asked, or if the Ruby gave them to him of its own accord. The Ruby sees Jet and the rest of the crew as its own family.
Episode Appearances[]
Trivia[]
- Jet tore the lighthouse door off its hinges when Buddy didn't open at the right time, as he was very concerned about her.
- Sikuliaq, pronounced "see-KOO-lee-ack," is an Inupiat word meaning "young sea ice."
- Jet's name is spelled multiple ways across scripts for different episodes. Although Harley Takagi Kaner cited "Siquliak" as the correct spelling of the name on Twitter[9], they immediately followed this by acknowledging the inconsistency, and "shuffling this responsibility to Kevin Vibert."[10] It was also spelled a third way in the Train From Nowhere (Part 2) script.
- A National Science Foundation research vessel named the RV Sikuliaq[11] may be the character's namesake. This ship's name (and the spelling thereof) were chosen in consultation with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Alaska Native Language Center.[12]
- There are many stream specials that are based off Jet's criminal history, including Gone in a Laser-Flash, Saturnian Safecrackers, Black Hole Bandits, and possibly even Just Dragons: The Story of One Hundred Dragons but Not Any People.[13]
- Harley Takagi Kaner credits Kevin Vibert with choosing Jet's first name, saying he did so because it's "super cool."[14]
- Jet is explicitly aromantic and asexual.[15]
- Jet has killed twenty-four people in his career.[15]
- According to the live-show, Juno Steel and the Things We Buried, Jet uses reading glasses.
References[]
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Stolen City (Part 1)
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Time Gone By (Part 1) Script notes
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Train from Nowhere (Part 2)
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Soul of the People (Part 2)
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Long Way Home (Part 1)
- ↑ Juno Steel and What Lies Beyond (Part 3)
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Thief's Honor (Part 1)
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Blank Slate (Part 1)
- ↑ Sophie Kaner Twitter, Jan 29/2019
- ↑ https://twitter.com/sophiekaner/status/1090609609826553857
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ Juno Steel and the Man in Glass (Part 1)
- ↑ Sophie Kaner Tweet 12 November 2019
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 Juno Steel and the Tools of Rust (Part 2)