Jan van Aert

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"I'll work with anyone so long as they fill my pockets."

―Jan to Edward Kenway, 1725.

Jan van Aert was a Dutchman who served as Chief Navigator for the Dutch East India Company during the 1720s. He primarily operated out of the company's headquarters in the Portuguese colony of Macau.

In 1725, Jan, under the Templars' influence, allied with fellow businessmen Alan Jacob and Sun to sabotage a rival trading company led by Lee Huiyin. However, Jan eventually betrayed his allies and established a lucrative partnership with the Assassin Edward Kenway and his organization, the Zhang Wei Union, whom he later accompanied in their search for the lost city of Angkor, rumored to house a valuable treasure.

Biography

Alliance against Lee

Jan: "And I suppose you have a plan, Alan?"

Alan: "Naturally. I always have a plan. However, there's a catch. Unless you both lend me your support... the plan is meaningless."

—Jan and Alan Jacob discussing the latter's plan to deal with Lee, 1725.

In February 1725, Jan collaborated with Alan Jacob, a representative of the Far East Company, and Sun, the head of the Hualien Trading Company, to sabotage the rival trading company led by Lee Huiyin and benefit their own respective businesses in the process. To this end, they hired Shimazu clan ninja led by the Templar Shimazu Saito to eliminate Lee at her own residence, the Mandarin's House.

Jan meeting with Alan and Sun to discuss about Lee

After the ninja failed to kill Lee, Alan called an emergency meeting with Jan and Sun at St. Dominic's Church to discuss their next course of action. During the meeting, Jan remarked that the ninja's failure might be a sign they were not as strong as they had thought, but Alan pointed out that all the ninja had been allegedly killed by a single skilled warrior. Unbeknowst to them, the Assassin Edward Kenway was watching the meeting from above after following Alan there and suspected one of them of being a Templar.

Jan listened to Alan's plan to cripple Lee's company, which required Jan to use his standing in the Dutch East India Company to detain Lee's ships in the Macau harbor. Jan remarked that his role in the operation was suspiciously easy and questioned Alan's motives. Seeing that Sun was just as hesitant to follow his lead, Alan then showed the two a "treasure" he had acquired to entice their cooperation, promising them unprecedented wealth.

Having been convinced to go along with Alan's plan, Jan later did as he had been told and, when several of Lee's ships were attacked by pirates at sea, he prevented the Dutch Navy from sending any ships to their rescue. He also contributed to Alan's plan to frame Lee's company for opium trafficking, having her ships detained in the harbor under the pretense of being investigated for smuggling illegal narcotics.

Jan meeting with Alan and Sun at the harbor

However, this plan was thwarted by Edward Kenway, who exposed the Far East Company for smuggling the opium into Macau. Unable to cover this up due to the large number of witnesses, Jan had no choice but to comply to the orders of the Dutch East India Company's resident officials and detain one of the Far East Company's ships.

When Jan later met with Alan and Sun at the harbor to discuss, he was accused by the former of betraying their agreement and attempting to sabotage his company. Their fight was broken up by Sun, who suspected that Lee had somehow learned about their plan and had sabotaged it. He then reminded Jan and Alan that they could not end their alliance until they had dealt with Lee.

Partnership with the Zhang Wei Union

Jan: "I look forward to working together, Mr. Zhang."

Zhang: "Likewise. I hope that our partnership may be prosperous."

—Jan and Zhang securing a partnership between their companies, 1725.

After Edward and his organization, the Zhang Wei Union, protected a Dutch East India Company ship from pirates near the Philippines, Jan met with the Assassin upon his return to Macau. Claiming that he was in Edward's debt for bringing his vessel back safely, Jan asked him to talk in private.

Jan making Edward a business proposition

Aware of Edward's former activities in the Caribbean, Jan requested his aid in riding the Paracel Islands of pirates who had overrun them, in order to allow his company to resume trade operations there. In exchange, he promised to let the Assassin keep any goods he looted from the pirates and to secure a five-year partnership between the Dutch East India Company and the Zhang Wei Union, which led Edward to accept his offer.

Edward was ultimately successful in his task, eliminating the pirates and taking their ships for himself. Upon the Assassin's return to Macau, an impressed Jan offered to help him register his new ships and kept his promise of a five-year contract between his company and the Zhang Wei Union. However, Edward referred him to his associate Zhang, who he claimed was the true head of the Union. This amused Jan, but he nonetheless shook hands with Zhang, marking the beginning of a lucrative partnership between their organizations.

Jan leading company soldiers to help Edward

Sometime later, Jan intervened in a fight between Lee and Sun, after being informed of the situation by Edward's friend John Young. Arriving with several armed men to back up Edward, Jan warned both Lee and Sun to stand down or else they would face the consequences for disrupting the order in Macau. Ultimately, both Lee and Sun retreated, and Edward thanked Jan for his assistance in breaking up the fight.

Journey to the Philippines

"You will not be leaving us out of a good old adventure! Lead the way, you salty dog!"

―Jan to Edward after saving him from Lee's ship, 1725.

Sometime following Sun's death, which allowed Lee to become Macau's dominant merchant, Jan learned that Edward and his associates had left Macau to pursue a possible lead to the location of the lost Khmer city of Angkor. Deciding to follow them, he assumed command of one of the company's vessels and came to Edward's rescue when his ship, the Fenghuang, was attacked by one of Lee's vessels near the Philippines.

Personality and traits

Jan was a greedy businessman motivated mainly by his desire to increase his company's profits by any means necessary. As such, he had no real loyalties and would work with anyone as long as it benefited him. Jan was willing to go to extreme lengths to achieve his goals and was not above breaking the law or sabotaging his rivals for his personal benefit. However, he was limited in what he could do due to having to obey the orders of his higher-ups in the company.

Jan was the most reluctant member of the alliance against Lee, frequently doubting the others' plans, and eventually betrayed his associates by forming a partnership with Edward Kenway. As shown during his meeting with Edward, Jan was a skilled negotiator, maintaing a friendly façade throughout and appealing to the Assassin's interests to get him to accept his offer. However, he was also prone to anger when confronted or accused of doing something he had not done, as shown during his fight with Alan Jacob.

Despite his questionable loyalty, Jan did appear to hold Edward in high regard due to the stories he had heard about the Assassin's exploits in the Caribbean. As such, he maintained his partnership with him and his organization and came to their aid more than once.

Gallery

• 
  Close-up of Jan
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  Sun breaking up Jan and Alan's fight
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  Jan asking Edward to talk in private
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  Jan being impressed by Edward's haul
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  Jan and Zhang shaking hands

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple

References

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