A/N: This is the sequel to our previous story, "A Padawan, a Master and a Matchmaker". We thank all of those who gave us feedback and stayed with us and hope you're going to enjoy this story as well. Like its prequel, it emerged from online role-playing, so it involves alternating points of view that we will edit into story format. Also, it contains many scenes of discipline, including spanking, meted out by adults to children. If this bothers you or is not your cup of tea, don't read. We're neither intending this to be parenting advice literature nor a realistic description of childhood; it's fiction, and a type of fiction we happen to enjoy writing and hope some of you enjoy reading. :)

"I'm back," Kade called as he entered their quarters late Saturday afternoon, an unusual spring in his step.

Having earned yet another two weeks of punishment for breaking the ban on his lightsaber use, plus an additional week of community service, the past month had been tough on the boy. However, today was the first weekend he had walked the temple without drawing unwanted attention in over a month. With his lightsaber once again on his belt, and the restrictions lifted, he was positively beaming. In addition, Drex had informed him that Chatzis, one of his former apprentices, and Chatzis' fifteen-year-old apprentice, Quarg, would be visiting them soon.

As usual, Kaden made a beeline for the frozen juice boxes Drex kept in their cooler. He tossed his bag onto the table but was mindful to leave it directly in front of his chair; not that his blind Hrakian master would fall over it, mind you. As far as Kade was concerned, the man was far too capable, especially when it came to rooting out mischief. He had learned that lesson the hard way.

"Hello, padawan," Drex said, emerging from his room. "Chatzis just called and told me they arrived back earlier than expected. We could meet them for dinner and go out into the city."

Chatzis and Quarg had been called on a mission the day that Drex had taken Kaden as his padawan and had been away ever since. Their return had been scheduled for tonight, but their ship had already landed in the afternoon. Chatzis had just informed Drex that they were currently unpacking and would love to eat some proper food because all they had had for weeks had been seaweed.

Despite a credible effort at containing his excitement, Kade still grinned around his juice box and couldn't help the exuberant tone. "What was Chatzis like as a padawan? Oh, and what is Quarg like?" he wanted to know as he sat cross-legged on their common room floor; after six years with a Kushiban as his crèche master, Kaden was still not accustomed to having a master who was 193cm tall, and who did not require him to sit or kneel for every conversation.

Drex readily sat down opposite Kade; he did not mind sitting on the floor.

"Chatzis was probably the most easy-going of my padawans," he replied. "As you know, he's Zabrak. He sometimes was a bit too exuberant and got into trouble over silly pranks or illegal outings. But mostly, he was likeable, hard-working and committed to the Jedi Order. Quarg is human, and he loves sparring. He'd do almost anything for a good match, much like you. He's less silly than Chatzis was at that age, though. I think you'll like him."

Illegal outings? Kade's curiosity peaked at the possibilities, and he made a mental note to find out more.

"I think you're right, Quarg sounds pretty cool. Do you think Chatzis will let us spar?" the boy raised a brow which was most likely lost on Drex. "For that matter, will you? I mean, the restrictions ended and I have my lightsaber back and all," he reminded the man. After all, the prospects of having a sparring partner who shared his passion was exciting.

"Sure, we'll let you spar," Drex replied mildly. "As long as you have permission and one of your masters is present."

Quarg had permission to practice without supervision by now, but Kade didn't. And Drex would make a point of explicitly letting Quarg know about this restriction.

Kade frowned. "Why won't you let me spar without supervision and permission? I'm not stupid, you know, it's not like I'm gonna suddenly fly off the deep end, start frying people with Force lightning and become a Sith Lord," he quipped, but there was a hint of annoyance buried in his even tone.

"Because," Drex said calmly, "there are a lot of things that you cannot control reliably yet. Including your temper."

"I haven't lost my temper in ages," Kade defended himself. "Besides, Quarg will think I'm some sort of crèche baby if I need 'adult supervision' just to practice a little sparring."

It was at that moment that his comlink beeped, and he pulled it from his belt before explaining: "I've been trying to track down Eeth to say thanks for helping me," he said, glancing at the reminder and clearing the screen. "Apparently his apprentice is back from that mission which is probably why I haven't seen him teaching many classes."

"He doesn't teach all that often anyway, what with his council duties," Drex agreed. "And stop worrying about other padawans thinking you're a baby. No twelve-year-old padawan that I know of has ever been allowed to spar without supervision. Including Quarg. And like it or not, you are still twelve. Not sixteen or twenty. Anyway, when did you think you'd seek out Master Koth? Shall we call him and ask when he's home?"

Kade wanted to argue that age was irrelevant, but he bit his tongue… Then promptly choked on it. "Uh, wait, no! You don't have to call him," the boy sputtered, "I don't want to intrude just to say thanks. I was hoping to catch him teaching a class some time."

"Unlikely," Drex said. "In fact, you would be lucky to catch him at the Temple at all these days. With his padawan moving on in her training, they are on missions more often than not. Better seek him out at his quarters, maybe in the evening after dinnertime."

That was something Kaden had not thought of, and he kicked himself for assuming that Eeth would be around when he finally worked up the courage. "I guess I might feel a bit intimidated too," he admitted, meeting his master with a grimace that was no doubt felt through their bond. "Maybe you have some reason to speak with him, and just happen to take me along?" he suggested. "Because that would be handy."

Drex smiled. "No, I don't have a reason to speak with him," he replied. "And if you are so intent on not being considered a baby, you should really work up the courage and just go. He'll appreciate the gesture. And he won't eat you."

So I have the responsibilities of a non-baby, but don't get any of the privileges! Kade thought, a frown crossing his brow briefly, but he didn't comment; apparently, the path to knighthood wasn't an easy one, or so he'd been told.

"Pff! That's not what I heard," the boy snorted at hearing Drex's comment on the councillor. "You do know there was a rumour going around that he did in fact eat younglings?" Kade informed him, a slight grin on his face. "Alright, would you give me his com code and I'll find out when he is home?"

"I know for a fact that he doesn't eat them, but he will be certain to paddle them if they give him cheek," Drex replied good-naturedly. "I'll give you his com code."

Eeth was, in fact, home, and he was interested to hear what Kaden wanted to talk to him about. He had been quite glad that things had worked out between Kaden and Drex; they were a good team, he thought.

When Eeth answered after barely a few seconds, the boy straightened. When the man suggested that now was a good time to visit, Kaden blanched.

"Ummm?" the boy hedged, having ended the transmission and yet still stood staring at the spot where Eeth's blue holographic image had disappeared. "It would appear that Master Koth is free now, would it be alright if I go?" he asked, and for once hoped that Drex would say no!

Drex, however, did not think this was going to be any easier if postponed.

"By all means, go," he said calmly. "No better time than the present."

He clapped Kade's shoulder.

"And I do promise he's not going to eat you," he added.

Kade swallowed. "You know there is usually a little bit of truth behind every rumour," he stated wryly, gaining his sense of humour back, if only for a moment.

Unfortunately for him, by the time he'd reached Eeth's quarters, he wasn't feeling quite as jovial. However, he decided that his master was right: he needed to man up.

Meanwhile, Eeth's seventeen-year-old apprentice, Raven Trebeck was sprawled out on their common room floor, her head buried in a healing manual. "Master?" she enquired, looking up at Eeth from over her data pad. She had sensed a rather young, nervous presence standing outside their door.

"It is a junior padawan I was teaching for a while when you were on that mission," Eeth replied, rising from his chair. "I helped find him a master. Would you mind retreating to your room for a moment once he is inside? I do not know what he wants, but he said he wanted to speak with me."

By now, Raven was more than a little curious. She rolled her eyes as the boy in question entered. He was clearly nervous. Eeth really needed to work on his reputation, and she told him as much through their bond while gathering up her work from the common room floor and giving the pair some privacy.

Kade, for his part, entered Eeth's quarters doing his best not to appear as if he were sweating bullets.

"Master Eeth," he said, offering a slight bow. "I came because I wanted to say thank you for helping me find a master," he started, then turned and swallowed as he saw the older teenager dragging a pile of what looked to be class work into her bedroom. Force, she was strikingly beautiful, and for a moment Kaden simply stared at the petite blonde's retreating form. What was wrong with him? He'd never noticed girls before. Force, not now, puberty was the last thing he needed right now! Not to mention the fact that Eeth's apprentice was the last girl in the universe he wanted to be crushing over; the man would cut off his balls, he was certain of it.

"Uh, I-I mean," he cleared his throat and swallowed, forcing his attention back onto Eeth as the bedroom door closed behind the girl. "I mean, you didn't have to do that and," he met the man with an earnest expression, "if you hadn't, it might have taken me longer to find my master. I might not have found him at all."

"You are very welcome," Eeth said calmly. "Do sit down."

When Kade had complied, Eeth sat down opposite him.

"True, I did not have to do it," Eeth told him. "But then, as Jedi, we do a lot of things we don't actually HAVE to do. And I felt it was important to find you a master. Your skills might have taken a dangerous turn without proper training."

"I know," Kade agreed, the single reply serving to answer each of Eeth statements. "I just thought that it…." he paused. "…It felt like the right thing to do because for me, what you did was more than duty, it was also an act of kindness and it felt personal to me. Thank you for that, Master Eeth," the boy said earnestly and lowered his head in gratitude before meeting the older Jedi's gaze once again. "If I can do anything to repay the favour, I will." And Kade meant it; he might be a little terrified of the man, but thus far he had not been grumbled at, told off, spanked, paddled or eaten, so it was looking rather good from his point of view.

Eeth smiled.

"Thank you, padawan Kaden," he replied. "I might just get back to you on that. I trust things are going well with your training?"

Define 'going well,' Kade thought, his nose wrinkling. "It's a bit tougher than I imagined, and coincidently, so is Master Drex," the boy admitted through a crooked grin. "But I think I will survive." Force, Raven looked as if she were made of glass, and she survived this long with Eeth, so surely he could survive Drex. Surely….

"Oh, you will," Eeth assured him. "The transition to padawanhood is always a little tough. And Drex Zaryth is not as easy-going as he might make you think. But he is committed and ultimately a very kind person, as hard as that may be to believe if you have just had a run-in with his more unyielding side. Well, I wish you good luck with your padawanhood."

It was true: Drex was kind, committed and easy-going. However, Kade had also recently experienced his more 'unyielding' side, as Eeth had so tactfully put it, and he had no intention of earning another run-in with that side of his master, ever!

"Thanks," he said gratefully, and got to his feet. He shot a curious glance at the door in which his apprentice had disappeared through, briefly wondering if she was just antisocial or if Eeth had asked her to clear out. And he was still wondering an hour later while staring blankly at his chemistry assignment.

A little later, Drex knocked at Kaden's door.

"We need to get going, padawan," he called. "We're going to meet Chatzis and Quarg at the speeder garage."

"Coming," Kade said, placing his data pad aside carefully. Ever since having had to clean every data pad in master K'Mi's crèche group for losing his temper and pelting his own into the wall, he had unwittingly taken far better care of it. Kade smiled at the memory of the Kushiban as he pulled on his boots. She had been good to him for so many years and he had not seen her in over a month; in fact, he had not seen any of his crèche mates.

As he left his room he wondered what his crèche group was doing now. It was almost six in the evening, so they'd probably be finishing homework and getting ready for dinner.

He was still lost in thought as he followed Drex from their quarters. However, as they entered the turbo lift that would take them to the hangar level, the boy snorted to hide a chuckle; Drex had a straw from his juice box stuck to the back of his cloak. Not wanting a lecture on being mindful of cleaning up his messes, the padawan tried to inconspicuously dislodge it but was struggling.

Drex, of course, noticed what Kade was doing almost instantly.

"Anything stuck to my cloak, padawan?" he asked mildly. "Why all the secrecy?"

"Not anymore," Kade replied, his face pinkening from the effort at trying to contain his amusement. He deftly snagged the straw just as the doors slid open, and stuffed it into his pant pocket. He would pass by a trash receptacle at some point.

"Yes, I'm sure it's quite hilarious," Drex said drily, picking up on Kaden's amusement. "Could you enlighten me, please? I'm blind, as you might have noticed."

Kade dropped the stupid grin he had on his face, and he shot Drex a beseeching expression that was no doubt lost on the blind Jedi. "Well, it was kinda funny," he explained, then coughed once at seeing the expression on Drex's face. "You might have had a juice box straw stuck to the back of your cloak," he elaborated, shifting his weight uncomfortably as the lift stopped and a Quermian woman entered.

"If you feel that you have to live off fruit juice, at least don't leave the straws lying around," Drex said. "You drink too much of that stuff anyway. I noticed this morning that the last batch I bought is gone already."

He was not going to buy more in a hurry; he had the feeling that every time his apprentice entered their quarters, the first thing he did was to get a juice pack from the cooler. It might contain vitamins, but it also contained a lot of sugar. And straws that could be left lying around.

"Sorry," the boy replied and was mid eye-roll when the lift doors slid open, revealing the temple's speeder garage; he still thought it was kinda funny, but wasn't about to say as much.

"Grandmaster!" Quarg called, striding toward the pair and hugging Drex. "My master is already getting us a speeder, he'll be here in a moment." He disengaged from Drex and held out a hand to Kaden. "Hi, I'm Quarg," he said, grinning at the boy. "You must be Kaden."

Despite being three years older, Quarg was barely taller than Kaden, but just as stocky. He had short, sandy hair and a broad, friendly face with a broad nose. He was not particularly handsome, but he looked the kind of person that got along with everyone. Looking at him, one would not have believed how fast he could be when sparring.

"Hello, Quarg, yeah, I'm Kade," the boy said and accepted the offered hand with a smile.

Chatzis was also smiling as he pulled up beside the small group, set the engine to idle and vaulted down to land next to Quarg. It was not the most masterly way to exit a speeder, but then again, Chatzis had always pushed the envelope when it came to such things. "It's good to see you again, old man," he said with humour in his tone as he pulled the senior Jedi into a hearty hug, clapping him on the back once before releasing him. "And you must be Kaden Lightbane," he said, in the same pleased tone, then bent down, pulling the boy into a hug. Chatzis was even heftier than Quarg and stood about half a head shorter than Drex.

Kade accepted the hug a little stiffly, albeit sincerely. The Zabrak man was not as tall as Drex, and unlike Eeth Koth did not have many facial tattoos, nor did he seem to have the same sense of seriousness etched into his fierce-looking, horned appearance. "It's good to meet you, Chatzis."

"Come on then, let's get a wriggle on or we'll end up stuck in traffic and I hate traffic," Chatzis said. Once they were all seated, he leant over slightly so as only Drex would hear him and whispered: "You want to drive?" He was teasing, of course, but it was more than that, it was also the young master's way of letting the man know that, despite having to take the driver's seat, he respected his position as the superior Jedi in their group.

Drex nudged his former padawan with his elbow.

"Just get going," he replied. "Do we know where we're going? Do you have anything specific in mind?"

"I thought we'd head to the Coruscant night markets and grab a bite to eat," Chatzis suggested, taking the nudge in stride. "Besides, they've got some of the best nerf steaks and aric tongue in Coruscant," he reminded the older Jedi, and shot a glance into the back seats. "Sound good to you two?" he asked, glancing from Quarg to Kade.

Kade shrugged. "Aric Tongue is one of my favourites," he announced, then shot a questioning expression at Quarg; he didn't want to answer for him, after all.

"I love Nerf steaks," Quarg said enthusiastically. "Especially with hot sauce and especially with buba fries. And, anyway, the night markets are great."

"That's fine with me," Drex, who happened to like nerf steaks and aric tongue as well, said mildly. "Let's get going, then."

"Buba fries, now you're talking," Chatzis agreed jovially as they took off into the afternoon traffic.

"So," Quarg asked Kaden, "how are you finding life as a padawan?"

Kade had to think about that for a moment before replying, "It's great. Although I have to admit it's a lot tougher than crèche. There's so much homework and…" He paused, unwilling to admit that his hairbrush-wielding master didn't let him get away with anything, so decided on a counter instead. "What about you?" he wanted to know.

Chatzis had a feeling he knew what the boy was thinking, and the edge of his mouth quirked into a lopsided grin; sure, his former master was easy-going but his relaxed, calm manner often gave younglings in his care a false sense of security when it came to dealing with mischief. "Are you giving that boy a hard time already?" he teased, his tone light as he steered them into the fast lane heading directly for the open air markets.

"Only when he deserves it," Drex said serenely. "Just as I did with you. Right now, we are fine."

Quarg grinned. He knew exactly what Drex was talking about, having had the pleasure to stay with the man for a little more than a month once when his master had been sent on a mission without him. Drex never gave the impression of being upset or annoyed, but that did not mean he was any less strict. As a matter of fact, the same was true for Chatzis. Chatzis was actually quite a fun-loving person, but when you crossed certain limits, he was very capable of putting his foot down. He had probably learned that from Drex, Quarg thought.

"Being a padawan is what I've always wanted," he told Kade. "And so I'm happy to be one. That doesn't mean it's always easy, though. It'd be a lot more fun if there was a lot less work. But then, this isn't exactly about me having fun, and I knew that when I accepted my master's offer, so all in all, I'm fine with it."

Kade understood exactly what Quarg was saying as he felt the same way.

Fifteen minutes later Chatzis landed their speeder in one of the parking zones and killed the engine. "You know the rules," he said simply, winking at his apprentice then vaulted from the speeder.

Kade followed his example and vaulted to the ground, catching his first glance of the markets; the place was enormous. "Whoa, it would take a full day to see every stall," he guessed, not bothering to hide the awe in his voice.

"Or more," Drex said drily. "Stay with me at all times. This place is crowded, so you have to actively try not to get lost – just like the last time we went to the markets."

"Sure," Kade replied, but was not really paying attention as there was far too much going on around him.

"I once lost my master, uh, not quite by accident, when we were here," Quarg told Kade in an undertone as they followed their masters towards the upper levels of the markets. "I wanted to buy something that I wasn't sure he'd approve of. Well, he wasn't too happy."

"I bet," Kade agreed, because if Chatzis was anything like Drex, he could imagine what deliberately getting lost would earn him. The boy winced at the thought, and for a moment wondered if his master was the type to wallop him on the spot or if he'd wait until they got home; either way, he wasn't keen on finding out.

"What did you want to buy that he wouldn't approve of?" he added curiously. Drex had taken time to show him all the illegal stalls in the last markets they'd visited, so he knew there was no shortage of illegal items, but what Quarg could possibly want that was illegal, the boy didn't know.

"Well, there was this teacher we wanted to play a prank on, and there was this stall that sold really good paint bombs," Quarg said a little apologetically. "Obviously, I couldn't tell my master what they were for, so I thought it'd be better to get lost for a moment or two... Turned out it wasn't."

"Real paint bombs?" Kade whispered rhetorically, his mind already concocting several scenarios in which having access to such a 'weapon' would be incredibly satisfying, although ultimately painful if he were caught. "If they sell paint bombs, they probably sell other types as well. And Force can I think of some deserving uses for stink, flour and ink bombs," he conspired.

Meanwhile Chatzis was leading them up and left towards the food stalls. "Remember, be careful what you order here," he said, glancing at his padawan and directing their group towards four empty chairs.

"I'll just go for the nerf steak with buba fries," Quarg said comfortably. "My master and I just returned from a stint to Nar Shaddaa where we were supposed to find an undercover Jedi agent and fly him out. Weeks and weeks of nothing but space ship food and the goo that goes for food on Nar Shaddaa. I could eat a whole nerf right now."

"I couldn't," Drex said peacefully, "but I'll have the same as you."

"You?" Quarg asked Kade, handing him a menu.

"You went to Nar Shaddaa? Force I heard that place is rough. I bet the Jedi you flew out was glad you came," Kade said. He paused for a moment. "Did you find him?" Truth be told, Kade would love to go on such a mission but knew it was probably well out of his league, for now at least.

"We did," Chatzis replied. "And just in the nick of time, too," he added, then tapped the menu in front of Kade. Their mission to Nar Shadda had been taxing on more than their palate; however, he didn't feel it was his place to go into details given the little he knew about Kade.

"C'mon Kid," he clapped him on the back gently. "Make a choice or we'll all be done before you've even started."

"Pff!" Kade replied, feigning a little indignation as he punched in his order.

The meal was delicious, and for once Kade did not ask for more; in fact, the boy didn't even ask for dessert.

After dinner, Drex proposed to take a stroll through the markets before returning back to the Temple. Chatzis agreed cheerfully. He took Drex by the arm as if he had done this a thousand times before, which he probably had, and they set off, leaving Quarg and Kade to stroll behind them.

Kade watched as Chatzis took his master by the arm. He felt bad for not having thought to do so himself and lowered his head guiltily.

"My master says you're really good at sparring?" Quarg half-told, half-asked Kade.

Quarg's question caused a slight smile. "I'm pretty good, I guess, but I really love anything to do with lightsaber combat so I spent a lot of my spare time in crèche learning everything I could about the different styles," Kade explained. "Not that I get to do much of it now," he added in a slightly sullen tone. Drex had confiscated his weapon and banned him from sparring for just over a month, and he'd only just recently come off the restriction. "Drex tells me you're pretty good yourself, and that you love it, too. I'd love to spar with you sometime; it would be fun," the boy said, his smile now broader and earnest.

"Sure," Quarg said readily. "Drex is not that big on teaching you fun stuff where saber work is concerned, is he? The time I spent with him, it felt like all we ever did was practice defensive moves. It wasn't really all we did... but it sure felt like it. I guess he'll want to supervise us, huh?"

"No, he sure isn't" Kade agreed, frowning slightly. "But I have to admit that, as much as I don't care for it, my defences have improved. And yeah, he wants to supervise, sorry about that, but, yeah…" He gave the boy an apologetic expression.

Quarg laughed. "Don't worry about it. How about tomorrow? Are you free? I'm sure one of our masters or both could come."

"As far as I know," Kade replied. "Sunday is the only day I don't have classes or 'other commitments'," the boy stated, pleased that his stint with the community service section of the temple was over with. "How about before lunch?" Kade suggested.

Chatzis was pleased to hear the two seemed to be getting along, not that he'd suspected otherwise; Quarg was an easy-going, likeable young man. As for Kaden, he was edgier than his own apprentice but Chatzis sensed that he had a kind, genuine heart. "You are right, he does remind me a little of Taishin," Chatzis commented quietly to his former master as he led the man towards a music stall.

"A bit," Drex agreed. "Not as volatile, but much more prideful. But he will learn, like we all did."

Neither Drex nor Chatzis were adverse to the idea of getting together on Sunday morning to have a sparring session.

"Sure," said Drex. "Why not? Chatzis, we can have a go against each other, too, if you like."

"Well, it has been quite a while since I've been tossed around a gym, not that young Quarg here is far from doing so," Chatzis stated jovially, pleased at the arrangement and sending his apprentice a wave of pride across their bond.

Kaden picked up a disk from the pile he was perusing. "'The Yentles', you've got to be joking," he stated quietly, replacing the disk so fast that anyone watching would think it burned him. The Yentles were a new-age hippy type grunge band who were famous for wearing ridiculously wide legged pants and sung about flowers and other girly things.

"Aw, come now, the Yentles had quite a few hits in the last decade, although I must admit they would have to be getting a bit long in the tooth now," Chatzis stated. "Come on, it's getting late," he said after glancing at his watch. "And Master Drex needs his beauty rest," he added cheekily.

Kade grinned at the comment and stepped up to his master's side, taking his arm as Chatzis had earlier. "I can remember the way back," he announced, wondering if Drex would let him lead. It wasn't that he didn't want to spend time with Quarg, he did; however, he wanted to prove that he was neither unwilling nor thoughtless when it came to compensating for his master's blindness.

Drex replied: "That's good. Lead the way, then."

Chatzis did not intervene. Instead, he let the two be and put an arm around Quarg's shoulder. "You find anything you like?"

"Thanks, but you know I'm not that interested in music," Quarg said with a smile. He suppressed a yawn. "Besides, I'm jet-lagged," he added. "I'm looking forward to my bed."

Chatzis agreed.

Drex clamped the two records he had bought, after a discussion with a salesperson, under his other arm and allowed Kade to lead him towards the parking. He would have found the way himself if necessary, but this way was faster and required less concentration, so he was fine with it.

None of his records, incidentally, had anything to do with the Yentles; one was a classical Alderaanian opera and the other one contained experimental electronic music. Drex had always loved music. He was familiar with a wide range of music styles from all over the galaxy, both traditional and modern, and he knew quite a bit about their history and theory as well. Listening to music was one of the things he really liked doing, but never as a background noise; he only liked to listen to music when he was able to focus entirely on it.

Although not as effective at weaving through the crowds as Chatzis had been, Kaden nevertheless managed to lead Drex back to their shuttle without incident, unless of course you consider a slight detour by a confectionary stall an incident?

Chatzis was still chewing on the piece of caramel he'd bought from the confectionary stall when they arrived at the temple. The alien vendor had not been kidding, he really was going to wear his jaw out before he got through it.

Kade, for his part, had bought the biggest bag of liquorice Drex would allow and planned to share it with his friend Ganar. The Kel Dor had a weakness for kivi flavoured liquorice so the boy had gotten two long strips especially for him. "I'll see you tomorrow," Kade said amiably. He had enjoyed spending time with Chatzis and Quarg and was looking forward to their gym session the next day.

"Tomorrow," Chatzis agreed, and turned his attention to Quarg. "C'mon kid, let's hit the sack. We'll need our rest if we're going to kick these two around the gym tomorrow." He bid farewell to Drex and Kade.

Kade knew that Drex could navigate the temple just as well as any sighted being, so he did not offer to lead him as they wandered back to their quarters. "Thank you for taking me. I really like Chatzis, and Quarg is gonna be great fun to hang around," the boy said, the smile on his face clear in his tone of voice. "I'm interested to see what you make of that experimental electronic music you bought; the classical I kinda expected, but I didn't think you'd be into electronic," he commented. Most adults he knew considered that sort of music nothing more than an irritating racket, but he guessed that to the sightless, sounds would be a bit like colours and shapes.

"It's more the experimental than the electronic part that I'm interested in," Drex replied, guessing some of Kade's thoughts. "Truth be told, it's probably going to be too experimental for your liking. It builds upon a lot of musical theory, but also on sounds that occur in nature. I like listening to music that gives me something to think about."

Once back at their quarters, he sent Kade to his room to get ready for bed.

Kade exited his room showered and dressed in what passed for pyjamas these days. During his years in crèche, the boy preferred full flannelette pyjamas, but since becoming a padawan he'd taken to sleeping bare-chested with only a pair of long sleep pants. It somehow made him feel more grown up.

During their meditation, the boy took the opportunity to convey his gratitude at being taken into Coruscant. Drex had meant what he had said when he had told Kaden that real-life experience was important. Consequently, Kade had seen more of the city since becoming a padawan than he had in ten years during crèche, and he was thankful for it.C