Jana, the Witch

"Jana, the Witch, owner of the IRMINSUL, expresses her frustration with Llewellyn 709's strict military discipline, which she believes hinders the crew's effectiveness."
-- Events aboard the IRMINSUL (Booklet 075)

Jana, universally known as the Witch (German: die Hexe), is a recurring character in Die Terranauten, appearing in at least 10 of the saga's 99 booklets. A former pirate turned Terranaut Lodge Mistress, Jana is the owner and commander of the IRMINSUL -- a Driver freighter that becomes one of the Terranauts' primary warships -- and the custodian of the Connex Crystal, the precosmic artifact that ultimately proves decisive for the fate of the galaxy. Her arc traces a journey from independent pirate captain to the heart of cosmic events: from leading diplomatic missions and guerrilla raids during the Terranaut wars, through the expedition to alien civilizations aboard the JAMES COOK, to the confrontation with the Entities on their Central World.

Jana is fierce, independent, and uncompromising -- a woman whose psionic gifts earned her the epithet "the Witch" and whose temperament makes her a volatile but invaluable ally. Her relationship with Llewellyn 709 develops from professional tension into mutual dependence and affection, and her possession of the Connex Crystal places her at the intersection of the saga's deepest cosmic threads.

Biography

Origins: The Pirate Lodge Mistress

Before joining the Terranauts, Jana was a pirate -- a Driver of considerable PSI ability who operated independently of the established power structures. She commanded the IRMINSUL, a Driver freighter named after the sacred Saxon world tree, and led her own lodge of Drivers. This lodge included a diverse group of women: Kalia, the eldest and most analytical member; Lem Odebreit, the youngest, whose passive PSI abilities amplify the powers of the other lodge members; Mater Lian, a former Gray Guard Driver who had defected to Jana's pirate lodge; Ana Madashi and Tse Irlowna, both Zinti Drivers; and Shyla D'honor, a young platinum-blonde with measured deliberateness. The lodge would remain intact through the Terranaut wars and the JAMES COOK expedition, serving as the psionic backbone of multiple critical operations.

Jana's pirate background sets her apart from most Terranauts, who are either revolutionary idealists or military professionals. She is a pragmatist who joined the cause on her own terms, bringing her ship and her lodge as assets. This independence gives her both strength and friction: she is no one's subordinate, and she does not hesitate to challenge even Llewellyn 709 when she disagrees with his methods.

The Krisan Mission and the Terranaut Alliance (Booklets 067-068)

Jana first appears in the saga leading the IRMINSUL on a diplomatic mission to Krisan, a colony in the Mephisto System. The mission's objective is to persuade Krisan to join the Alliance of Free Worlds, as the collapsing Empire has abandoned all colonies beyond 500 light-years from Earth. Morgenstern, a Terranaut, travels aboard the IRMINSUL alongside Jana's crew, including young Lem Odebreit.

The mission proves disastrous. Max von Valdec, the renegade former Lord Colonel, has already plundered Krisan with his Super-Drivers, stripping its industrial plants and enslaving the population. Morgenstern, Myranda Llan, and Can Katzenstein depart in a Ringo to negotiate with the Krisaners but are ambushed, captured, and Llan and Katzenstein are killed. When the IRMINSUL and other Terranaut ships arrive, Valdec has already escaped with his fleet.

In Booklet 068, Jana -- now referred to as "Lodge Mistress Jana" -- hosts the Shadows of the Gray Guards (including Queen No, Queen Yella, and Queen Zan) at 34-Urt, a Guard base where the Terranauts are cooperating with the Shadows to investigate Valdec's activities. Jana and Angel, a child who serves as column leader, guide the Shadows aboard the IRMINSUL to the Aron System. There, a Kaiser Force flash triggered by Valdec's experiments on Lancia transforms the region into an unstable space-time zone, and Angel is killed by a super-driver clone during a confrontation with Valdec. The IRMINSUL observes the Aron System being consumed by a Dead Zone created by Cosmic Spores, and the ship withdraws toward Sarym.

These early appearances establish Jana's role: she is the ship commander, the provider of the vessel and the lodge that enable Terranaut operations. She is not yet a central figure in the narrative, but her ship and her lodge are essential infrastructure for the movement.

Commander of the Guerrilla War (Booklets 075, 077)

By the time of Booklet 075, set in the year 2503, Jana and the IRMINSUL have become central to the Terranaut military campaign. Llewellyn 709 has assumed overall command of the Terranauts and operates from Jana's ship. The IRMINSUL is en route to Finstermann, a wandering planet orbiting a Black Hole that serves as a Gray Guard base, with the objective of disrupting it.

It is during this campaign that Jana's character comes into sharp focus. She is skeptical of Llewellyn's strict military discipline, believing it hinders the crew's effectiveness. The tension between them is both professional and personal -- two strong-willed leaders forced into close quarters during a desperate war. Jana's frustration is not mere stubbornness; she understands that Drivers and pirates operate differently from soldiers, and she resents having her ship treated as a military vessel.

During the Finstermann operation, Jana's lodge provides critical parakinetic assistance for the combat group's escape in a stratospheric jet. But then something extraordinary happens: Jana is incapacitated by a mysterious force linked to her medallion. Kalia determines that an alien entity is involved. This is the first appearance of the Connex Crystal -- described at this point only as "an extremely rare and mysterious object with unknown properties" -- and the beginning of Jana's connection to the saga's deepest cosmic thread.

In Booklet 077, the IRMINSUL continues its guerrilla campaign in the BF-1930-12 system (the Shondyke II sector). Llewellyn struggles with internal conflicts, including his growing feelings for Jana. Jana's presence is a constant counterweight to his militarism: where he is calculating and driven, she is direct and instinctive. At the end of the booklet, Jana recounts the story of her medallion and its connection to David terGorden, deepening the mystery of the artifact she carries.

The JAMES COOK Expedition: Genessos and the Entity (Booklets 091-092)

When the Terranauts launch the JAMES COOK on a peace mission to seek forgiveness from cosmic civilizations for the damage caused by Kaiser Force, Jana and her lodge are part of the crew. The ship carries a tense alliance: Terranauts, Super-Drivers Isis 31 and Thor 51, and Frost, Max von Valdec's representative.

On the journey to Genessos, the homeworld of the Genessans, tensions between the Terranauts and the condescending Super-Drivers erupt into violence. Jana physically assaults Frost after provocation from Isis 31 (Booklet 091). This is no impulsive act from a minor figure -- it is Jana, the Witch, former pirate, refusing to tolerate the arrogance of Valdec's faction. The IRMINSUL lodge then attempts to overpower Isis 31 with combined PSI energy, but the Super-Driver withstands the attack. Llewellyn reprimands the lodge and prevents further escalation, illustrating both the limits of Jana's confrontational approach and the danger of the Super-Drivers' power.

In Booklet 092, the crisis deepens. As the JAMES COOK returns toward Genessos after sensing that something is amiss, Jana is attacked by a Banshee -- an isolated soul condemned to Space II -- revealing a "sucking Moloch" drawing energy from Space II. This psychic assault on Jana is the first evidence of the Entity's destructive influence, and it is her psionic sensitivity -- the gift that earned her the name "Witch" -- that makes her the first to detect the cosmic threat.

On Genessos, Jana accompanies Llewellyn and Cantos as they investigate the plague called "the Swinging" that is devastating the planet. When Cantos collapses from a PSI shock, Jana and Llewellyn attempt to help him but are overwhelmed by a PSI attack and must be rescued by Thor 51. The group travels to the Tafelberg (Table Mountain), where they encounter the Guardians of the Heritage. In the climactic ritual to save Genessos, Jana serves as one of the members of the Lodge that penetrates the Entity's core: Llewellyn leads, Thor 51 and Jana bundle energies, Lineasker steers, and Cantos sacrifices himself as "the needle" to inoculate the Entity. Jana, Llewellyn, and Cantos are swept into a surreal landscape -- a silver lake with a black sun -- and experience terrifying visions before Cantos merges with the Entity and halts the destruction.

After the Entity crisis is resolved, the group departs Genessos on Cantos's spaceship, heading to Hephaistos.

The Galactic Archive: The Connex Crystal Revealed (Booklet 093)

At Hephaistos, the artificial world known as the Galactic Archive, the Connex Crystal's true significance is finally revealed -- and with it, Jana's central importance to the cosmic narrative. An Entity, a member of the galaxy's most ancient supercivilization, has traveled to Hephaistos specifically to seize the Crystal, which it knows is in the possession of a human.

As Llewellyn 709 leads a delegation through the Pyramid of Knowledge, encountering strange manifestations generated from their subconscious desires, Jana disappears. She is drawn toward the Entity by the Crystal's influence, pulled by forces beyond her control. Her disappearance triggers a desperate search, and Llewellyn discovers that Jana's vanishing is connected to the Connex Crystal and the Entity seeking it.

A confrontation erupts on a hilltop. Thor 51 attacks the Entity and is gruesomely killed. Llewellyn, aided by the New Steerers (Scanner Cloud, Morgenstern, and Hege Krotzer), thwarts the Entity and rescues Jana, securing the Connex Crystal. This moment is pivotal: it confirms that Jana has been carrying one of the saga's most powerful artifacts -- a precosmic object that contains the Old Knowledge of the universe before the Big Bang and serves as the key to reactivating the Intercosmic Anti-Entropy System (the Long Row).

Jana's role as the Crystal's custodian is not incidental. The Crystal responds to specific individuals and exerts influence over those near it. That it chose Jana -- a former pirate, a woman of fierce independence and powerful PSI gifts -- as its bearer suggests a deeper compatibility between the Witch and the ancient artifact. The Crystal's first manifestation was through her medallion (Booklet 075), and its connection to David terGorden, revealed through the story Jana told in Booklet 077, foreshadows the Crystal's ultimate destiny: absorption by David, the Heir of Power.

Star City and the Pyramid of Knowledge (Booklet 095)

At Star City, the Terranauts navigate the Pyramid of Knowledge in a desperate attempt to contact the Entities before Valdec's fleet arrives with the Kaiser Force Lance. Jana carries the Crystal of Death -- another name for the Connex Crystal -- and uses it to absorb the KF-emissions that are destabilizing the Archive, but the effort drains her strength. The Crystal's power is immense, but wielding it comes at a physical cost.

When David terGorden and Narda arrive in the Collector, David finds the Connex Crystal and uses it to stabilize the Archive. The group then travels through the Sphere Tunnel to the Central World of the Entities.

The Central World of the Entities (Booklet 096)

In the saga's climactic booklets, Jana arrives on the Central World of the Entities alongside David terGorden and Narda after being separated from others during the transfer. Llewellyn 709 remains in his psionic coma. Jana is concerned about his condition and assists as David attempts to contact the Entities and prevent the Final Strike against humanity.

The group encounters the Wandering Healers Symia and Alia, who attempt to stabilize Llewellyn. Jana accompanies David through the alien landscape of the Central World -- a place of metabiotopes, Quasi-Reals, and ancient beings. When David ultimately absorbs the Connex Crystal and gains the Old Knowledge, Jana's role as its custodian comes to an end. The artifact she carried from the pirate days through the guerrilla wars and across the galaxy has reached its destined bearer.

Jana's last recorded appearance is on the Central World of the Entities, where the Terranauts negotiate with the ancient civilizations for the survival of humanity.

Key Actions (Chronological)

• Commands the IRMINSUL on a diplomatic mission to Krisan to persuade the colony to join the Alliance of Free Worlds (067)
• Hosts the Shadows (Queen No, Queen Yella, Queen Zan) at 34-Urt alongside Angel; guides them aboard the IRMINSUL to the Aron System (068)
• Provides parakinetic assistance with her lodge during the Terranaut assault on the Gray Guard base at Finstermann (075)
• Is incapacitated by a mysterious force linked to her medallion, revealing the first hint of the Connex Crystal (075)
• Clashes with Llewellyn 709 over military discipline aboard the IRMINSUL during the guerrilla war (075)
• Recounts the story of her medallion and its connection to David terGorden (077)
• Physically assaults Frost after provocation from Isis 31 aboard the JAMES COOK (091)
• Leads the IRMINSUL lodge in a PSI attack against Isis 31; the Super-Driver withstands the assault (091)
• Is attacked by a Banshee, revealing the "sucking Moloch" -- the Entity -- drawing energy from Space II (092)
• Accompanies Llewellyn and Cantos to investigate the "Swinging" plague on Genessos; is overwhelmed by a PSI attack and rescued by Thor 51 (092)
• Serves as part of the Lodge at the Tafelberg that penetrates the Entity's core; bundles energies alongside Thor 51 while Cantos sacrifices himself (092)
• Is swept into a surreal landscape -- a silver lake with a black sun -- during the Entity confrontation (092)
• Disappears on Hephaistos, drawn toward an Entity by the Connex Crystal's influence (093)
• Is rescued by Llewellyn 709 and the New Steerers after the Entity is thwarted (093)
• Uses the Crystal of Death to absorb KF-emissions at Star City, draining her strength (095)
• Arrives on the Central World of the Entities with David terGorden and Narda (096)
• Assists David in his attempts to contact the Entities and tends to the comatose Llewellyn 709 (096)

Relationships

Core Partnerships

Lodge Members

Other Key Relationships

Abilities and Traits

PSI Powers

Jana is a Driver of considerable psionic ability -- powerful enough to earn the epithet "the Witch" (die Hexe). Her specific gifts include:

• Lodge Leadership: As Lodge Mistress, Jana coordinates the combined PSI abilities of her lodge members, directing their collective power for parakinetic operations (075), offensive PSI assaults (091), and energy bundling during the Tafelberg ritual (092).
• Psionic Sensitivity: Jana is the first to detect the Entity's influence through a Banshee attack (092), suggesting heightened sensitivity to disturbances in Space II.
• Connex Crystal Affinity: The precosmic artifact chose Jana as its custodian. Her medallion -- linked to the Crystal -- resonates with forces beyond ordinary Driver perception, incapacitating her (075) and drawing her toward the Entity on Hephaistos (093). She is able to use the "Crystal of Death" to absorb KF-emissions (095), a feat that drains her but demonstrates her ability to channel the Crystal's power.
• Combat PSI: Jana is willing and able to use her abilities aggressively, as demonstrated by the IRMINSUL lodge's coordinated attack on Isis 31 (091).

Temperament

Jana is defined by her fierce independence, her directness, and her refusal to be subordinated. She is not afraid to challenge Llewellyn 709's authority on her own ship (075), to physically assault Frost when provoked (091), or to lead her lodge into a PSI confrontation with a Super-Driver (091). She is a former pirate who chose to join the Terranauts rather than being recruited -- a distinction that colors every interaction. Her frustration with military discipline is not a weakness but a reflection of her belief that Drivers and pirates operate most effectively through trust and instinct, not chains of command.

At the same time, Jana is deeply loyal to her lodge and to the people she cares about. She is concerned for Llewellyn's well-being during his coma (096), and she endures the physical cost of using the Connex Crystal to protect her companions at Star City (095).

Appearances (10 booklets)

The Connex Crystal: Jana's Cosmic Burden

Jana's most distinctive narrative role is as the custodian of the Connex Crystal -- the precosmic artifact that contains the Old Knowledge of the universe before the Big Bang. The Crystal first manifests through Jana's medallion in Booklet 075, incapacitating her during the Finstermann operation. By Booklet 094, Luther Straightwire identifies Jana as the Crystal's current possessor and explains that David terGorden must retrieve it to fulfill his destiny as one of the nine Spectra.

The Crystal's presence in Jana's keeping is not arbitrary. The artifact has a quasi-sentient quality, responding to specific individuals. That it attached itself to a pirate Lodge Mistress of extraordinary PSI sensitivity rather than to any of the saga's more cosmically significant figures suggests that Jana possesses qualities the Crystal requires in a custodian: independence of will, psionic depth, and perhaps a certain resistance to the temptation to exploit its power. Jana carries the Crystal through years of guerrilla warfare and interstellar voyaging without ever attempting to use it for personal gain -- a contrast to Frost and Valdec, who would weaponize any artifact they found.

When the Entity on Hephaistos attempts to seize the Crystal, it is Jana who is drawn toward it, not by choice but by the Crystal's own pull (093). At Star City, she actively wields it as the "Crystal of Death" to absorb deadly KF-emissions (095). Her custodianship bridges the gap between the Crystal's first mysterious appearance and David's absorption of it on the Central World of the Entities (096), making Jana an essential link in the chain of cosmic destiny.

Notes

• Jana is referred to by several variant names across the saga's booklets: "Jana," "Jana, the Witch," "Jana the Witch," "Lodge Mistress Jana," and "Lodge Master Jana." These all refer to the same character. A separate "Sister Jana" (Schwester Jana) appears elsewhere in the saga as a nurse and is a different individual.
• The IRMINSUL, Jana's ship, is named after the Irminsul -- the great pillar or world tree of Saxon mythology, sacred to the Germanic peoples. This mirrors the saga's broader botanical-mystical theme, connecting Jana's vessel to Yggdrasil, the World Tree, and the Ancients' plant civilization. The ship serves as the primary Terranaut warship during the guerrilla campaigns of the mid-saga (Booklets 067-077) and as transport for the JAMES COOK expedition (Booklets 090-096).
• Jana's lodge -- Kalia, Lem Odebreit, Mater Lian, Ana Madashi, Tse Irlowna, Shyla D'honor, and others -- remains remarkably stable throughout her appearances. This continuity gives the IRMINSUL crew a distinct identity within the Terranaut faction, functioning as a tightly bonded family rather than a military unit.
• The "Crystal of Death" mentioned in Booklet 095 appears to be another name for the Connex Crystal, or at least an aspect of it. Jana's ability to use it to absorb KF-emissions suggests that the Crystal has defensive as well as informational functions.
• Jana's pirate origins are referenced repeatedly but never fully detailed in the booklets covered by this wiki. Her past remains one of the saga's background mysteries -- how she acquired the IRMINSUL, how she assembled her lodge, and how she came into possession of the medallion linked to the Connex Crystal are questions the narrative leaves open.

See Also

• Llewellyn 709
• David terGorden
• Connex Crystal
• IRMINSUL
• JAMES COOK
• Kalia
• Lem Odebreit
• Mater Lian
• Morgenstern
• Dime Mow
• Silent Chorp
• Frost
• Isis 31
• Thor 51
• Cantos
• Narda
• Entity
• Genessos
• Hephaistos
• Star City
• Central World of the Entities
• Terranauts
• Drivers
• Space II
• Kaiser Force

Jana, the Witch, appears in at least 10 of 99 booklets of Die Terranauten. She is the saga's embodiment of fierce independence placed in service of cosmic destiny -- a pirate who became a guardian, carrying the knowledge of a dead universe through war and across the galaxy until it reached the hands that could wield it.