Jayne Best
Also known as: High Normaj Jayne
Born: 242 IE (as Jayne Chedowski)
Homeworld: Jefivah
Affiliation: Temple of Marilyn
Spouse: Douglas Best
Overview
Jayne Best, born Jayne Chedowski on Jefivah in 242 IE, is the High Normaj—the highest-ranking female cleric—of the Temple of Marilyn. A powerful spiritual and political figure in the Temple, she became the wife of Douglas Best and his chief of staff by 430 IE. Her met Best and his first wife, Carolyn, began after his appointment to the Compact Assembly, where they first met.
Jayne’s long-standing position within the Temple, combined with her pragmatic outlook and deep commitment to the faith, made her a significant counterbalance to the more theatrical leadership of the Temple, including the Grand Dimaj. She had already served as a cleric for 170 years prior to meeting Best.
Role and Influence
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As High Normaj, Jayne leads the Temple of Marilyn’s presence on Earth and is considered a living vessel of the Blessed Mother.
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She turned on her own fertility to assist Best through the intense side effects of Thulian rejuvenation and to help him fulfill the Temple’s demand for an amortal child—resulting in the birth of their daughter, Carolyn.
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She later proposed marriage to Best in symbolic and strategic terms, declaring it part of their shared mission. During this conversation, she revealed she would have married Carolyn Best (Douglas’s previous wife) had Douglas died.
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Known for both political insight and religious dedication, Jayne is a steadying presence in an often chaotic Temple leadership structure. She also becomes a vital part of Best’s diplomatic efforts during the later stages of the Amargosa crisis.
Disappearance and Later Life
In 432 IE, during a crisis on Amargosa, Jayne Best vanished under mysterious circumstances following an assassination attempt on her husband, Governor Douglas Best. While their daughters were quietly sent into hiding for protection—Naomi to Hanar and Carolyn into lycanth territory—Jayne herself was abducted and held by operatives linked to the extremist offshoot of the Temple of Marilyn. She was ultimately rescued in a covert mission led by Conner Duffy and Suicide, and spirited offworld to Thule for recovery.
Following her recuperation, Jayne chose to remain on Thule rather than return to Amargosa, citing both her ongoing medical needs and the importance of continuing the work she and Douglas had begun to bridge spiritual renewal with political reconstruction. On Thule, she assumed an advisory role to local leaders and Temple representatives engaged in research and outreach. She would remain on Thule for the next four years, though the planet could be accessed from Hanar, the wormhole between the two worlds kept secret until the merger of Hanar and the Metisian Republic.
Relationships:
Douglas Best: Jayne first met Douglas Best during his tenure in the Compact Assembly, long after his political fall from grace on Jefivah. After the death of his wife Carolyn and his subsequent Thulian rejuvenation, Jayne became not only his partner and spiritual anchor but also his chief of staff. Their bond deepened through shared loss, purpose, and the intense physical and emotional demands of Best’s transformation. Together, they navigated the volatile intersection of Temple influence and Compact politics with unwavering trust, a touch of dry wit, and a commitment to reshaping humanity’s future. They had a mutual agreement to hide their children and split up if someone attempted to assassinate either one of them. Best entrusted their daughters to Lattus Tishla after an attempt on his life until he could recover.
Carolyn Best: Jayne met Carolyn and Douglas Best at the same time, when First Minister Myra Gillorn ordered them relocated to a more secure compound near Quantonesia. At the time, Jayne was already a senior cleric, and the encounter marked the beginning of a deep friendship with Carolyn. The two women quickly formed a strong bond—Jayne drawn to Carolyn’s sharp political instincts and sense of mission, and Carolyn to Jayne’s calm wisdom and spiritual depth. Their friendship endured through personal and political upheaval, and after Carolyn’s death, Jayne honored her memory by naming her daughter Carolyn. She later told Douglas that, had he died, she would have married Carolyn instead—an act of love and continuity rather than convention.
Tol Germanicus: Tol Germanicus considers Jayne Best a valuable asset—both spiritually and politically. He recognizes her influence within the Temple and her stabilizing effect on Douglas Best. While not especially close, Tol encourages the Bests to work with her, viewing their alliance as essential to maintaining balance during the Compact’s upheaval following the Gelt Incursion.
Tishla: Jayne Best met Tishla during the final weeks before the Liberation of Amargosa. As Douglas Best coordinated diplomatic efforts, Jayne worked alongside Tishla and Assembly delegate Athena Jovann to plan Amargosa’s postwar recovery. Their collaboration included laying the groundwork for a Thulian Clinic on the planet, with Tishla using her authority among the Gelt settlers to help Jayne overcome cultural and logistical barriers. Though they came from vastly different worlds, the two women found common ground in their commitment to healing—both literal and societal—and in their shared understanding of leadership as a burden willingly carried.
Suicide: Jayne Best’s bond with Suicide began during the 432 IE crisis on Amargosa, when she was abducted amid a larger plot to destabilize the fragile postwar colony. Acting on orders from Athena Jovann—and with quiet backing from Admiral Eileen Burke—Suicide led the covert mission to recover Jayne, alongside JT Austin and Mitsuko Yamato. Following the successful extraction, Suicide personally escorted Jayne to Thule, where both women received medical treatment for their injuries.
Appearances: Chasing Eternity, Storming Amargosa, Suicide Run, Suicide Gambit