The Right Hand

[Eugen Aker]

By now, Jyoti had settled into the position of Grandmaster, mostly an uneventful transition. The first such one that the Silver Order had seen in a while. She welcomed the quiet, but the paranoia within always kept her on edge expecting the worst.

That's why she was keen to get on with next phase of changes underway to ensure a strong foundation for the SJO for when the times got tough again.

She had called for Josh to meet her in her new office as Grandmaster, a wide airy room with large windows to let all the light filter through. By contrast to her old office, it was fairly sparse, save for couple potted plants behind her desk. She had mostly kept it in the style of Valae as a way to remember her friend.

While she waited for Josh, she sat there in her comfy rolling seat, working through reports on her computer. There was a steady flicker of lights across the holodisplays, pages between processed by the hundreds.

That was one such perk of being a cyborg, able to flip through forms just like a computer. That's the only thing that made the administrative portion of the job bearable these days.

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Since their last proper meeting, Josh had spent a fair bit of time working on, well... Everything, he supposed. The problems? They were still there, for the most part. They were not things that were just going to go away so easily. Though the Scherezade problem had at least settled down, even if it had not ended the way he had wanted. Her old ship, at her request, was in the care of the Silvers who she'd finally allowed to help her. It would likely be used to re-trigger her memories whenever she was ready. He'd given Jyoti what information on the matter that Scherezade had allowed him to share in order to ensure that they could do what she needed of them. Though he'd also shared his misgivings about the plan with Jyoti. Not that either of them were able to stop her. [member="Scherezade deWinter"] had made her decision. And Josh had already done all he could to try to stop it, but it was what it was. At the least, the issues relating to her weren't weighing as heavy. Madalena, as she was known now, was a much happier soul. And Josh's capability to look into her Darkness thing and other aspects of her problems was tied to what knowledge he gleamed from her. With her not having any memory, his progress in that department had been halted. Time would tell how that would develop in future, but for the time being, his stresses had been assuaged.

He had fixed things with [member="Tallia Farn"] to his relief and great assuage of stress. She was still upset at him for before, but their trust would likely be rebuilt. Slowly. His grief over his family, that would need time still. His stresses over Jason... He'd changed his schedule just a little to assuage most of that. It could not be fixed, at least not until Jason was a little older. But the more he was with his son, the more at ease on the matter he would be. The rest... Well, that was going to take time. As said, there was no easy cure all for it all.

But the man that stepped into Grandmaster Nooran's office far more resembled the man she'd known now, than before. He looked a far deal lighter, in a way. He looked like he'd slept a little better, the color had returned to his face and he just overall looked... Happier. Not to mention his reports had been more positive, his performance in missions had apparently been much better and seemed to indicate a better use of his wits than his strength. In truth, Josh had indeed found the balance between heart and mind again. As far as the Jedi were concerned, Josh was firing on all cylinders once again.

But the biggest difference was the word he spoke when he entered and his eyes met hers.

"Jyoti."

It was one of the first times he had formally greeted her by her first name instead of her formal title. It was something he was still adjusting to, but it just felt... Right, to call her by that. His expression was warm and gentle, and his tone reflected the same. While he didn't know the purpose he was called in here, if it was from Jyoti, he knew it was worth coming for. He looked around the office a bit... It was definitely different from Valae's... Yet different at the same time.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

As she felt Josh approach her door, she perked up and shut down her computer. A few moments later he was through the door, looking a great deal more spry than the last time they had a serious sit-down.

"Josh," she said with a smile and nod, then motioned for him to take a seat.

"As you and the rest of the Silver Order have plainly seen, the position of Master of the Order had remained vacant since my appointment as Grandmaster. This was intentional, as I wanted to take my time observing the Silver Assembly and beyond for a possible replacement. After some personal reflection and a recommendation from my immediate predecessor, you're currently in the running for the position."

There it was, the reason she had called for him. In her usual manner, the Echani had cut right through the chase so they could get to the heart of the matter.

"For the past week, I've been interviewing candidates in no particular order, and you're next on my list. Now, if you're up to being considered for the job, then I'd like to you answer some questions. What do you say?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

As Jyoti always did, she cut right to the chase. It was something he pretty much always expected from the Grandmaster at this point so he wasn't surprised at all. Though he was surprised when she would bring up that he was a candidate for the Master Of The Order role. He'd had his share of problems lately, he didn't think he'd be in the running. The revelation that Valae had directly recommended him as well, also surprised him. But he remained silent while she gave her briefing, giving her his full attention.

This was business though... Did he address her as Jyoti still? Or was it Grandmaster now? Decisions, decisions...

Regardless, it was time to make a decision himself. Jyoti had chosen him as a candidate, and the more he thought on how he would have handled this in her shoes... He supposed that in her shoes, he would have looked at long term. Issues were issues, and in anyone, they could come and go. Long-term, one had to look at candidates for what they could offer in exactly that.

"Of course" He answered with a curt nod of his head. "Please proceed."

He was curious as to what questions she would present. One possibility came to mind, and it was one that he dreaded being asked. But Jyoti was not like the Republic's Masters. He doubted she would. She was better than that. The Silvers were better than that. And odds were it would not need to be asked - she would know the answer already.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

In a welcome change, Josh had dispensed with the banter, all business. He clearly understood how important this was to her.

"Thank you. As Master of the Order, you would be helping me lead thousands of Jedi, millions of other personnel, all working with our various allies and associates throughout Silver Space and beyond. I understand that you have more experience than most being a former Grandmaster, but as an independent organization with intergalactic reach greater than many governments, the scope of our responsibilities far more expansive than what's typical for most Jedi organizations."

She leaned forward, drawing a fingertip over the edge of her desk. "So my first question would be, are you prepared to take on this gargantuan task? Going further, would you be willing to step and replace me as Grandmaster if something were to happen?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

That... Was not an easy question to answer.

Jyoti knew that Josh's last tenure as Grandmaster had not been a very good one, and it had ended in controversial fashion. Being the leader, the true figurehead... It put one in a position to be a bigger target, and more susceptible to betrayal. It was not a position that Josh was very eager to be in again. But... This was a sacrifice that he could make. The future of the Silver Jedi Order was more important than his past struggles. And he knew this. And as Master Of The Order, he would need to be prepared for the possibility that something could happen to Jyoti. He would be the one expected to step in until she returned, and if not at all... Possibly take her place. Ordinarily, this was not an open and shut case like it was with the most recent succession. But if this was what Jyoti wished of him...

As far as the work was concerned... He'd done it before. And when he was a far less experienced man than he was now. Though he knew this job would be far different. But it was one he would be willing to learn all the same.

"Yes" He spoke calmly. "I am prepared. And if necessity dictates, I will do what needs to be done in the case of your absence."

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

As Josh spoke, the Echani also read his microexpressions, looking to see that he wasn't just telling her what he thought she wanted to hear. So far, he seemed honest with his responses.

She nodded. "Very good. That's really my most pressing concern. I don't think enough people appreciate the work that goes into maintaining the Silver Order, especially as we don't exist in a vacuum. We have to remain strong, or the Sith Empire and their lackeys will pounce."

"So that brings me onto my next question. The Master of the Order is a high profile position. With that comes a lot of attention that will put you in the crosshairs of many dangerous individuals. When said individuals are unable to strike at us, they often like to go after people we care about. Are you willing to accept that risk and place that burden on them?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

He knew this question was coming. It was an obvious one, and one he had answered the first time he was sworn in as Grandmaster. For Master Of The Order, the idea of being a target was the same. Jason. That was the most pressing concern. Could he handle that he or others could be in danger with his position? For Jason... He had taken precautions long ago. And took more by the day as he found them. He was already a target as a Jedi Master and member of the Assembly, and already being one of the more high profile Jedi apparently, as it was, according to some. He did not flaunt this position around lightly, blindly nor stupidly. He did not speak of it unless needed. For this position... That became even more important of a stance to take.

Jason, he was already prepared for this course. Others... It was true he could not guarantee the safety of everyone he cared about. But then again, most of them were Force Users themselves, and capable ones. And one of the people he cared about most was Jyoti herself. And odds were, nobody was going to mess with Jyoti to get to him.

Either way, this was a burden he had taken before. And one he was fine to take again.

"Yes" He answered, keeping it short, keeping it brief. "I understand what this position means in regards to risk."

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"In the event, you were chosen as Master of the Order, I'd make sure that Jason would have full-time security, including when you take him outside of the Rest. The same would go for any spouses or any others that join your household in the public eye."

So far so good, she was worried that he might call it quits at that point. Needless to say, he was quite attached to his son, especially after the inexplicable disappearance of Shmi.

"Alright, one more item. I know that you have skeletons in your closet, and I now you withhold things from me - you've already admitted as much. What I want to know, is there any compromising information out there that I should know about? Are you still involved in certain...questionable relationships?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

She knew him well, and knew where his concerns would be. And was willing to accommodate. He appreciated that dearly. Any fears he had of what she was going to ask were almost completely gone at this point, and he would visibly relax his shoulders a little. There had been just an inch of distrust, the possibility of questions being asked that he had been preparing to be asked of him since the moment he walked into the office of Grandmaster Arisa Yune for the first time. But Jyoti had proven once and for all that his worries would not be an issue. And that the Silver Jedi truly were what he had thought they were. At least he hoped.

Then came the final question. He simply nodded his head along with it while she spoke, though did pose a correction real quick.

"Had skeletons" Josh would quickly respond. "I had one last one and you now know it. At least as far as I know offhand."

He made a motion with his finger as if to give him a moment, and the Jedi did close his eyes as he would think back. It was pretty clear what he was doing, really. He wanted to be completely sure he hadn't glossed over something. Then he remembered. One last thing. One thing he hadn't thought relevant to talk about last time. But here... It seemed like the right time. A loose end, nothing more.

"I was taken hostage when I was in my mid-teens, my abilities were nullified with a modified slave collar and I was held in a slave camp for two years where I was beaten relentlessly while being made to work to the point that a normal person would have died. Whether through head trauma, or just the trauma of seeing the rest of the slaves be worked or beaten to death, I lost my memory and did not regain it until long after I escaped and was found by the Republic's Jedi. I still have a collar scar on the back of my neck. I recently started having nightmares about the ordeal again. It doesn't seem like an important thing to withhold, but I remembered it's not on record and having off-record details about the Master Of The Order come up could be a problem" Josh would explain, keeping calm as best he could without it. Though the memory was very painful, and he shifted uncomfortably while telling it. "Republic never bothered to ask about it."

"Now you know everything."

And that was it. That was the last one, as far as withholding things from her... Hmm... Super detailed specifics on Scherezade maybe? He hadn't told her exactly the details of Gerwald and Katrine, but that was personal to Scherezade, and not something he would disclose without permission. That was out of courtesy, and it was a courtesy he would afford Jyoti if she ever told him of her personal life. That he'd started drinking heavily and excessively since the divorce? Irrelevant. He'd overcome that hurdle since. It wasn't compromising, more just a natural reaction to something that huge, and one he had been able to get past. It was no longer a factor, and no longer a secret to be kept. But now it was time to answer the question proper. The thing was... He'd already corrected her the fact he was not actually dating [member="Scherezade deWinter"] as Jyoti had seemed to originally believe. What was the purpose of this question? He needed more information. He needed to be sure. Did she not believe him about Scherezade? It was probably that, but... It was best he collected information prior to his answer.

"Relationships. Specify, please" He spoke, keeping it to just the question.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

"I'm sorry to hear that," she replied as she sat back in her chair. "I'm glad you were able to get away. As for the Republic, it was many things, but thorough wasn't one of them."

If both the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Alliance had vetted their people closer, then they may have avoided all the sleeper agents and tyrants that had destroyed them from within.

"Josh, don't play coy with me. You may not see it, but you like to dance pretty close to the Dark, often with less than scrupulous characters as the conductor."

He probably thought she was talking about Scherezade, but in fact it was another woman who had once been part of the Dominion. She detested almost every single member of that decrepit organization, most of whom had later betrayed the Silver Order even after they had stood by them.

If there was one thing she hated in this world, it was a traitor.

"If there's anything you need to come clean about, now is the time. If something compromising comes out later, then we'll have a problem."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

The Jedi just continued to look Jyoti in the eyes. He wasn't playing coy. He was being completely serious. He had completely assumed she was talking about Scherezade. Who else could she mean? "Hmm..." The Jedi mused aloud, folding his arms as he tried to think of who else she could be referring to that she would have known about.

Oh.

Yes, right. Ra. The woman he brought with him to the Echani festivities that Jyoti herself had invited him to... And then left him to find his own +1 on short notice. She had come once, though it was easy to tell she was a Sith if one were skilled enough despite her disguise. Josh had intercepted her, ensured it went off without a hitch, done his part to plant seeds in her regarding the Sith... And of course had sent a report to Valae the minute he realized what he was dealing with. Of course Jyoti would know her.

"Right."

He'd found it, clearly. The Jedi cleared his throat. "I've found a close friendship with the woman called Ra, yes. Though as far as I have been told, she left the Sith after they turned on her. Though I am sure there's more to her story than she's letting on. I also know now, after some additional research, that she was part of the Dominion. I suppose that would explain your question."

That he had found out after their last talk.

"I was also close with Commenor's Queen, who I didn't know about... Certain aspects about her until witnesses came forward with the truth after Commenor was ruined. I have not seen nor heard from her since. Obviously, my guard has gone back up. If I even see them again.

Aside from that... The last time I had anything of the sort, I had a close romantic relationship with a darksider a long time ago. But she was killed by her own people when I was still with the Republic. Tried to leave. We both know by now how the Sith handle leaving. Odds are, I won't be engaging in a romantic relationship with someone that far gone to the dark side again. Someone who's turned from it, perhaps, but as-is... I know now how much of a conflict of interest it can be."

Intention was to keep it short and sweet, but it was clear now that Jyoti wanted detail. She wanted information. Any and all information that could potentially be a problem if she was not made aware of sooner. The last part was mainly just to give her proper perspective that aside from Ra and Scherezade, there had not been others for a very long time.

Not really surprising. Their last meeting made it very clear why he had not had a close relationship with any darksiders until recently.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Josh spilled the beans, revealing that he did have some relations with the former Dominion agent named Ra. However, she hadn't known that Ra had been a Sith. She held back her surprise, but that was quite the revelation. Thus far, intentionally or not, Josh had the best track record rooting out Sith.

Or was it little Josh?

She wanted to make a quip on the matter, but held back as it was a serious interview.

He also indicated that he knew something about Kay that would paint her in a less than stellar light. Honestly, Jyoti already found the woman antagonistic, associating with all sorts of Dark Siders and allowing corruption to run rampant through the CSA. The Sith had actually done her a favor by eliminating an annoying roadblock to the Core, all the while slapping themselves on the back about another apparent victory.

Even locusts had their purpose.

"If you have anything important to say about Ra, Queen Ka, or anyone else, then I would like you to prepare full detailed reports that I can review. Commenor is of particular interest to the Silver Order for obvious reasons."

"As for the relationships themselves...yes, it would be in the best interest of the Order not to pursue romance with these people. However, there is benefit to maintaining these connections. You and they have access to circles that I don't."

"Well, that's all I really have at this time. What questions do you have for me?"

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

Josh had filed a report when he'd intercepted Ra's entry into the Rest the first time, though he wouldn't know whether Jyoti had read it or not. Regardless, Ra had so far done a great deal to earn his trust and admiration. Whether this would lead to something else remained to be seen. But Jason was indeed attached to her. Something to consider. Regardless, Josh would nod his head when Jyoti would request that he file a report on the things that he knew.

"Of course, Grandmaster. I will begin filing a detailed report on these matters as soon as our meeting has concluded."

After a moment of thought, though, he did want to bring something to attention right out of the gate as he then realized Jyoti did not know. It was better she knew straight up if Commenor was of interest to her.

"A once-silenced witness to a slaughter she perpetuated came to me in hopes of ensuring this knowledge became known not too long ago. Lady Kay is a Sith Lord, and a close associate of the ones that laid waste to Commenor" Josh would speak, looking Jyoti in the eyes. "Whether she still is or not after the Sith sacked Commenor, is not knowledge I am privy to."

Josh did not like to admit it, but he was furious. Lady Kay was a woman he had grown to trust, a woman that he had once called his closest friend. They had worked together many times, he had saved her life many times. They'd had picnics, and worked together to try and regain her memory. He had intended to bring Jason to Commenor the next time they met, for she had earned that level of trust. But to know the whole time this had only been a facade, an illusion of what Lady Kay was truly like... It shook him. She and Ra were different matters. Ra had not hid the truth from him at all, she had been honest from day one. Lady Kay had been nothing but a liar the entire time. A spider laying a web... All while hiding the terrible things she had been doing right under his nose.

And Josh detested liars and traitors as much as Jyoti did traitors.

Jyoti would recommend he not engage in romantics with either Kay nor Ra, and he opened his mouth on instinct to respond with a quip but decided against it. He decided to leave the decision as to if quips would be allowed in this discussion up to the Grandmaster.

Then she asked about if he had any questions of his own. Josh pondered this for a moment, before speaking.

"Yes" He spoke. "Since taking the position of Master Of The Order and later Grandmaster, you appear to have begun to lessen your time on the field by a great deal. I wish to know if you expect the same of me" Josh would ask. It was not something Jyoti had brought up, so he figured it was not the case. But the both of them knew that Josh's capabilities lay best on the field. And truthfully, Josh had tried this once when he had been Grandmaster back in the Republic days. It had not been a happy matrimony for him. It was something he preferred to clear up right away.

"I am also curious about the more detailed specifics about the job and the role I would be playing in order to better prepare myself should the decision be made in my favor. But I suppose that will either come or not come with time, depending on said decision."

Josh was not a man to leave bases uncovered, if he could help it.

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]

 

[Eugen Aker]

Josh went on to share some more dirt about Kay, including a major revelation about her being Force Sensitive and she had hold back from cringing, not wanting to hear about any more bad news that she was in no position to act upon.

She sighed, cracking her knuckles. "Josh, don't you start going formal on me. It's an interview, but we're still cool." She chuckled to herself, but then she pursed her lips again in mild annoyance over Kay. "There is a reason that I wanted you to throw this all into a report instead of you just telling me things. There's nothing to be done about Kay. Short of her eating a baby live on the holonet, she will still have flocks of unflinching supporters. It would be a nightmare trying to dislodge her from Commenor even if she is guilty. All this is good for is giving us another reason for us to distrust her - as if I didn't need another. That said, I like to think the people of Commenor are at least question their future with her as their head."

With her questioning out of the way, she let Josh take his turn inquiring about the position, asking all the usual questions about time commitments and the like.

"Well, at its core, you would be helping me lead all aspects of the Silver Order as commander-in-chief, spiritual guide, instructor, etc. I'm definitely not going to throw everything at you right now, though. In the short term, your main job will be to look over the Silver Rest when I'm abroad. I'd also like you to stay on as Battlemaster. Gradually you may pick up additional responsibilities as needed. You'll get training for everything, and will be shadowing me for a while first. Day-to-day, I already have other aspects of running the SJO delegated among the rest of the Silver Assembly."

"Yes, you're probably going to have to cut back on fieldwork, and also the types of assignments you do to maintain good optics. However, I would like you to take on a least a few missions here and there, just to maintain your edge and keep in touch with the rest of the Order as a whole."

[member="Josh DragonsFlame"]

 

[Josh Dragovalor]

"You've been so formal, I almost forgot" The Battlemaster quipped with a light smirk crossing his features. "Well, since I guess it's allowed... I was about to say that you don't have to worry. Kay is a little - a lot, actually - too old for me. I'd say you're more my type" He joked, his expression brightening a little. His tone was still far more calm and reserved than what she'd come to expect from him though. This was a business meeting, and a very important one at that. But he did at least relax a little.

Either way, Jyoti would explain why she wanted it all in a report, and he nodded his head in turn. He'd mainly just brought up top of the head since it seemed a little too important to wait until a report could be drawn up and she had a vested interest in Commenor. But she was right. There was nothing they could do about her right now except for being wary of her. And Commenor, for that matter.

He couldn't hide the frown from his expression at her answer regarding missions. He had expected it, though he hadn't expected it to be to that level. But Josh would nod his head in understanding. Josh was not a man that could sit idly while people were hurting, and the more he took assignments, as he quite frequently took them alone or with partners outside of the Order, the more that others could be delegated to other assignments and better the Silver Jedi's reach and capability as a whole. It was only a small margin, only a small increase... But to Josh, every bit helped. That would be diminished now. But Jyoti needed someone to help her with keeping things in order, running the Rest's day to day operations. All in all, this would likely be a far bigger contribution to the Silver Jedi Order. Having two people at this level of work would make a lot of difference.

And Josh understood the bigger picture.

At the least, she wasn't telling him to give it up entirely. He'd have lost his mind before long if she had. He supposed at the least, he could be here, on Kashyyk, with Jason more should he be appointed.

Regardless, that and her definition of his duties was satisfactory, and he would nod his head again. "I have no more questions from the top of my head at the moment. Thank you, Jyoti."

[member="Jyoti Nooran"]