Umar Hoister

In TE 332, 11-year-old Jef Leonov met Umar Hoister at a re-creation of the Battle of Gaugamela on the original soil. During the victory celebration, Umar taught Jef some simple tumbling. A tenday later, the Emperor hired Umar to coach Jef and his sister Anna in self-defense. A few months later, Jef and Umar became lovers (it is important to remember that Jef was well beyond puberty, having been aged by daily sessions under the Memory Crown).

Some historians contend that Jef "fell under the pernicious Schmidt/Hoister influence" -- this overstates the case, but Jef did become more sympathetic to the Hoisters and Emperor Alak feared (probably rightly) that the Hoisters would use Jef's sympathy and their growing influence to bring themselves closer to the Throne. Umar had a drop of Imperial blood (as did virtually everyone else) and Jef refused to father a Carroll Heir. So Alex sidestepped Jef and allowed Lura Carroll to be born.