Tanus Spijek

Tanus Spijek was an Elom spy for the Alliance to Restore the Republic hired to carry messages between the planet Alderaan and the moon Yavin 4 during the Galactic Civil War. In the year 4 ABY, Spijek was on the planet Tatooine where he spent time in the palace of the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure and witnessed Luke Skywalker arrive to speak with the crime lord, and witnessed the Jedi killing Desilijic's pet rancor Pateesa. The Elom was amongst those who then accompanied the Hutt to the Great Pit of Carkoon on the sail barge Khetanna to witness the execution of Skywalker and several of his friends. The Jedi managed to free himself and with the help of his allies killed the Hutt and destroyed the barge.

Biography
The Elom Tanus Spijek was hired by the Alliance to Restore the Republic to act as a spy and messenger for them during the Galactic Civil War against the Galactic Empire. Spijek ferried messages between the planet Alderaan &mdash;where founding Alliance Bail Organa lived, and the moon Yavin 4, where the Alliance High Command were based for part of the war in the Great Temple of Massassi. In the year 0 BBY, the Empire destroyed Alderaan and soon after in 0 ABY the Alliance was forced to evacuated Yavin 4 following the Battle of Yavin.

In the year 4 ABY, Spijek was on the planet Tatooine and spent a night sleeping in the palace of the Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure. The Elom lay resting on the floor up against a wall alongside many members of Jabba's court in the crime lord's throne room, but was awoken when the Jedi Master Luke Skywalker arrived demanding audience with Jabba. The Jedi sought to persuade Desilijic to release several of his friends who the Hutt held hostage. Spijek stood to watch the two speak, and witnessed Skywalker threaten the Hutt with a DL-18 blaster pistol taken from the guard Nizuc Bek before being dropped into the rancor pit below the throne room.

After Desilijic's pet rancor Pateesa ate the Gamorrean Jubnuk, who had fallen in with Skywalker, it was killed by the Jedi, much to the horror of the Hutt and his court. Spijek and the crowd then watched as Skywalker and his friend Han Solo were dragged before Desilijic and sentenced to death through being eaten by the sarlacc at the Great Pit of Carkoon. The Elom then boarded the Hutt's sail barge Khetanna in order to travel to the pit and witness the executions. While traveling across the Dune Sea on the barge, Spijek spoke with the Ugnaught Yoxgit. Once above the pit, Skywalker managed to free himself and board the barge from the Bantha-II cargo skiff he had been transported on. Skywalker's ally Princess Leia Organa then killed Desilijic and together Skywalker and his allies destroyed the sail barge and escaped Tatooine.

Personality and traits
Tanus Spijek had mottled gray, brown and white fur, black eyes and gray and pink skin.

Behind the scenes
Tanus Spijek first appeared in the film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, which was released in May 28, 1983. The character was not named in the film, but was identified on a card in Jabba's Palace Limited set of the Star Wars Legends Customizable Card Game released by Wizards of the Coast in 1998. The name was an anagram of Justin Pakes, an employee of Wizards of the Coast at the time. The name was then first used in canon in the video game Star Wars: Force Collection, originally released in 2013.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi