The next morning, they had a breakfast of something similar to bread and something similar to cheese. The bread was good, but the whitish stuff was rather bland. "It's probably meant to be eaten with something else that we didn't know to buy," Drex remarked wrily. "But at least we won't go hungry. Besides, we still have some fruit."
Amare showed up just after they had finished washing the dishes and took them to the same assembly room as last night where a bunch of Force-sensitive Ha'en-Shin outcasts were already waiting. They were eager to learn more about the Jedi's concept of the Force and about the Temple, and especially about the way they trained the young.
"Why don't you answer that one?" Drex asked Kaden. "Tell them about the way in which you were raised, the things you learn and your way of life."
"Me?" Kade's head swivelled in the direction of Drex's face. Apparently so… He looked back at the expectant expressions of the Ha'en-Shin and stood. Talking wasn't something he was big on. He wasn't sure where to start so he did what anyone would do and started at the beginning. "I was brought to the Temple as an infant. From there, I was trained to use the Force – the powers that make you outcasts," he elaborated, "to serve the Republic and maintain peace." It was a recited speech, but one he happened to agree with. Mostly. There were still parts of a Jedi's life, such as conquering his temper and pride, that he didn't have down pat just yet. Kaden cleared his throat and was about to sit down when questions started coming so fast that J-7LI had trouble translating them all.
Drex smiled. He had suspected the outcasts would want more than the standard speech.
"They want to know in what ways, exactly, you learn to use the Force," J7LI told Kaden. "And whether there are things that you could use it for, but are not allowed to, like with AnShin's community. And whether you ever get to see your parents, and whether they would want to meet someone like you. The woman in the back wanted to know whether you go to school and whether you are allowed to mix with ordinary children. Then someone asked whether you also learn an ordinary profession or whether using the Force is a full-time occupation, and if the latter is the case, who pays you for it."
"Just answer as many of these as you can," Drex said, grinning. "I'll fill in the blanks."
Kaden gave Drex a dirty look but that was the extent of his protests. Those were a lot of questions. Kaden scratched his head, wishing he were anywhere but here. Right. One at a time, he told himself and took a moment to think.
"We are taught to use the Force very young, so young that I can't remember ever not knowing. They teach us by linking with us and by example. Yeah, there are some things we aren't allowed to do, like use the Force for personal gain or evil purposes. There's also some things we don't learn until we are much older in order to protect us from hurting ourselves or other people, like –" he coughed, feeling a pang of guilt wash over him – "Force-enhanced running, and building our first real lightsaber. Those are skills that we have to wait to learn and typically aren't trained in until taken as an apprentice. I'm still waiting," he told them, frowning slightly at his master as he did so; he felt safe enough here to throw that in, although he might not have, had they been alone in their apartment. He told them about the Jedi Order, how using the Force was indeed a full-time occupation, and that the Temple was supported by the Republic, to serve the republic. "We do mix with other children but we are schooled at the Temple. There we are taught all the usual things plus subjects relevant to becoming a Jedi; there are a lot of political classes on diplomacy and classes on using the Force to help heal." He glanced back over at Drex, wondering if he had managed to do a good enough job with that or if he should continue.
"We would be very interested to learn from you how you are teaching children with this special skill," Drex supplemented. "We are conducting talks with the Ha'en-Shin about the possibility to train children at the Temple. That would mean their children would learn to use their skills for good at an early age. It would also mean that these particular children would no longer be made outcasts, and thus not join your community. We would like to know how you feel about this and whether you think that you have a better future to offer to these children."
"Why don't you show us what you can do when you use the Force?" Amare proposed eagerly. "And what you do with those light-sabers of yours? They feel powerful to me."
"They are," Drex said. "Alright, we can demonstrate."
He reached out with his senses and decided that there was enough space in the assembly hall for a demonstration, save for the low table they were seated around. The table held bowls of nuts and jugs of water. Concentrating, Drex levitated the table from the ground until it was hovering over their heads. Ignoring the awed, and possibly shocked, sounds the Ha'en-Shin were making, he levitated the table towards a corner of the hall and set it down gently without spilling a drop of water from any of the jugs.
"This is one of the things the Force can be used for," he said calmly. "If you could make room for us and give us our sabers, my apprentice and I could show you how they can be used for defensive purposes."
"Soresu only," he added in an undertone, meant only for Kaden's ears.
Thanks to what felt like an eternity with his leg trapped in a splint, Kaden had not sparred in ages and so he jumped at the opportunity. Literally. His face fell at hearing Drex's reminder that it was to be 'Soresu only' but he didn't let on, at least not to anyone watching. To them, he appeared to be the very picture of Jedi serenity as he got to his feet and moved to stand where Drex bade.
Force, did it feel good to have his lightsaber back! He was practically bursting on the inside, but he knew that being overly exuberant would probably not go over well. He bowed low, took up a ready stance, ignited his blade and waited for an attack. He hated being relegated to Soresu; it went against his very nature. It also made him feel weak. As he continued to parry blows, he wondered if the Ha'en-Shin would think him too weak or childish to attack. What if they thought him incompetent, or handicapped because he was doing nothing but running away from each and every attack Drex threw at him? All these thoughts and more went through his head, so when his master came at him, his block was a little sloppy. However, he soon had his head back in the game. They sparred like this for a little while, Kaden's blocks becoming a little more forceful as they continued. He knew that disobeying the man was not going to win him any favours, but he also knew Drex was unlikely to call him on it when everyone was standing around. This gave the boy an idea… He waited until there was an opportunity and, instead of blocking the attack, he used the Force to jump high and threw in a minor attack sequence with the landing. It wasn't anything flashy, it was simply a sequence that demonstrated he could do more than stand there deflecting.
Drex was not impressed. Kaden's attack was rewarded with a defensive blow that was so forceful it had him clean on his back, his saber hurtling towards Drex who caught it deftly. Kaden might be exceptionally good with a saber, but he was no match for the several decades of experience that Drex had over him. Some of the younger spectators snickered although the reason for which this had happened was, of course, lost on them; it simply had looked funny.
"Do this again and I will embarrass you a lot more than this, right here, in public," Drex said sternly. "J-7LI, there's no need to translate this."
The droid, who had already opened her mouth, closed it again.
"Ooff!" the boy hissed as he hit the floor, the wind having been momentarily knocked out of him. As far as Kaden was concerned, there was nothing funny about this. His face heated with embarrassment but he was on his feet almost instantly. His temper flared in response, and he was desperate to try and save face here. In a low voice he said in a tone that matched his master's: "You wouldn't dare." He held his hand out expectantly, waiting for his lightsaber, his expression hard. He had not lost his temper in quite some time, but being put on his ass in front of everyone had irked him.
"Now you may translate," Drex told J-7LI, disigniting Kaden's saber and attaching it to his belt calmly, then letting his own follow. "You may explain to them that we have strict rules of discipline in the Jedi Order, in order to ensure that our apprentices learn to control their temper and do not inadvertently hurt anyone by using the Force. My apprentice has violated these rules repeatedly and I need to teach him a lesson that, unfortunately, cannot wait."
J-7LI stuttered and stammered, but she apparently brought this meaning across; the Ha'en-Shin went wide-eyed as Drex turned on Kaden.
Kaden's expression morphed from anger, to shocked, to horrified in the blink of an eye. Surely Drex wasn't going to… to… He wouldn't, would he? However, as Drex turned on him, his stomach lurched.
Drex did not usually punish his apprentice in public, but even if he had taken Kaden outside, there would have been no point to it; it would just have meant attracting the attention of the whole street. Besides, Drex thought that Kaden urgently needed to learn not to challenge his master's authority during missions in front of others. It was not only disrespectful, it could also seriously damage his own standing before their hosts. As to the question of how their hosts would take this public punishment, he trusted his instincts which told him that they might be surprised but would ultimately approve. Everything he had learned about this society so far told him that, while their rules might not be as oppressive as those of mainstream Ha'en-Shin society, they valued discipline and strove to ensure it. They could not have survived without it, after all.
Therefore, the look on his face was determined as he took a step towards Kaden.
And Kaden took one back, both hands raised in placation. "Wait, what? No! You - you can't do that," he stammered and cringed even more as his cowardly pleading was translated by their droid.
Drex was having none of it. He reached for Kaden's ear and used it to bend him forward. He then tucked him under his left arm and brought his right hand down onto the seat of his pants as hard as he could; and that was saying something, despite his age.
The boy might have lost his temper, but he was not completely suicidal. Therefore, when Drex took his ear he didn't resist. He did, however, hiss at the burn. Before he knew what had happened he was pinned under an arm and staring at his boots. He knew what was going to happen next so he took a death grip on the man's pant leg and tried to brace himself. Despite all this preparation, when Drex landed that first smack the boy let out a bark of pain. Force, his master was not playing with him; this hurt, it really fucking hurt. "You can't do this!" he repeated, this time quietly enough so that J7LI wouldn't translate.
"Oh, yes, I can," Drex replied calmly, meting out another hefty swat. "Ever since we arrived here, you have been challenging me and protesting your restrictions in smaller and bigger ways. This needs to stop. Your restrictions are in place for a reason, and you will accept them, just as you will accept my authority. In contrast to you, I have ample mission experience, so when I tell you what you need to do, you will obey, without backtalk or disrespect." While he talked, he had kept up his steady pace of hard swats, and he had not cared to keep his voice down either. J-7LI dutifully translated everything although she did seem a little embarrassed. Drex was not. He had given Kaden a chance to avoid this, after all, and the boy had chosen not to take it. He felt that pulling down Kaden's pants in front of spectators might be a bit much, but depending on how his padawan responded, it was an option he did not rule out. For now, he contented himself with spanking hard enough to be felt through a set of pants and underpants.
As Drex lectured, Kaden did his best to heed his words. There was only so much he could do from here, though, especially as each smack practically knocked the wind clean out of him. He started to struggle as much from the embarrassment of being punished in front of a crowd as from the pain which was, in his opinion, becoming intense far too quickly.
Unsurprisingly, it didn't take long before tears were forced onto his cheeks. Each swat now drew a heart-felt wail from the boy, as much from the pain as the humiliation. He endured a few more, all the while struggling to move his ass out of the way with no success. By the time Drex had landed six of the hardest smacks Kaden had ever felt from a hand before, the padawan was sniffling. His ass was burning and his face was red from both the exertion and shame. After another few he let his top half go limp and gave up any pretense that struggling was going to help; apparently, he was getting this hiding whether he wanted to submit to it or not.
Despite the strain on his arm, Drex did not let up on Kaden in the slightest. They had had a similar discussion last night, which Drex had ended immediately when Kaden had shown some contrition. It had not taken long for that contrition to evaporate. Drex intended to make sure that this time, the lesson lasted longer. He continued meting out hard swats at a measured pace, not giving the impression that he intended to stop anytime soon.
Usually if he surrendered like this, Drex either stopped or gave him a few more and then he stopped. This time he didn't; it would appear that Kade was not going to get out of this with his dignity intact. Yeah, it was not like there was much of it left at this point. Having his ass beat in front of all and sundry was a lesson in obedience and humility he wouldn't soon forget. He had stopped counting at nine; his backside felt as if it had been completely roasted. The situation was out of his control, and it was this realisation that had his sniffling turn into cries.
Drex gave Kaden a few more, then pulled him into an upright position. Without giving the boy much of a chance to process the punishment, he said in a low, stern voice, quietly enough for J-7LI not to overhear: "We are not finished yet, padawan. Tonight, when we get home, you will fetch my hairbrush, bring it to me and ask for the rest of your punishment. Is that understood?"
The second he was hauled upright, Kaden's hands flew directly to his ass and then, just as quickly, he relegated them to his sides; that had hurt like a fucker! But he was not about to stand there rubbing his ass like a swatted youngling, even if that was exactly what he felt like right now. "Yes. Master," he managed to get out without hiccoughing, because what else could he say? Arguing that he didn't want to cop it again later wasn't going to buy him any favours. He was crying but not bawling, and he didn't want to start! He tried to stand tall and control his sniffling, but despite his efforts, it was clear to anyone watching that he was well and truly chastened. He eyed his lightsaber that was still clipped to the man's belt and gave him an almost mournful expression; he didn't want to lose it when he'd just gotten it back!
Drex supposed that some would consider this a harsh punishment for a fairly minor infraction. But Drex had repeatedly made clear to Kaden that no infraction that involved the restrictions on the use of his lightsaber was considered minor; they all reliably earned Kaden a dose of his master's hairbrush. Not to speak of the fact that Kaden had been testing his limits since they had arrived here and Drex really intended to put a stop to this.
The Ha'en-Shin seemed curious, albeit unperturbed by this eventuality. It was Amare who spoke up first. "Perhaps a break from the demonstration of lightsabers?" J-7LI translated.
"Most definitely," Drex replied firmly. "Kaden, pick a quiet corner and meditate for half an hour. I will tell you when to stop."
Oh great. Now he was going to be send to a corner like a five-year-old. This just got better and better, Kaden thought morosely. He obeyed without question, though, because he knew to do anything else at this point would probably earn him more than a run-in with that horrid brush. He hated that damned thing, he really did, and he hoped fervently that his ass would have recovered by the time they returned to their apartment.
Turning towards the Ha'en-Shin, Drex bowed and said: "I apologise for the interruption. We train our youngsters to handle deadly weapons, but only and exclusively for defensive purposes. Therefore, we cannot allow them to ignore restrictions or act on their temper. I am truly sorry for having made you watch this scene, but it was necessary."
'You're sorry for making them watch!' Kaden thought incredulously as he walked away. He had overheard the comment and it grated. What about him? He had just had his ass kicked and been sent to a corner like a youngling. Did he get no apology? Apparently not – not that he actually expected one; it was just his thought process at the moment. It had also not gone unnoticed that Drex had not given back his lightsaber. He really hoped that was only because he was about to hand both back to the Ha'en-Shin because it would seriously bite to lose his weapon during a mission. That was quite possibly worse than any punishment Drex could mete out. Silently he knelt, wincing as his ass made contact with his heels. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes; meditation was not something the boy had trouble with, but doing it on a roasted ass had never been easy.
Drex unclipped the two lightsabers from his belt and held them out to Amare. "I believe our twenty-four hours are not up yet," he said with a faint smile.
Amare made to accept them, but an old man called Hanshenin interrupted her. "He says that as a member of the Council of Elders, he allows you to keep your weapons," J-7LI translated. "He will also ask your guards to stop supervising you. Seeing how seriously you take the use of the Force and the discipline it involves has made him fully confident that you are not a threat."
Drex was surprised; he had not thought this little scene would have a negative impact but had not counted on such a positive impact either. "Thank you for your trust," he said solemnly and bowed again, clipping both his own saber and Kaden's back to his belt.
Drex took a seat with their hosts and explained to them the purpose of meditation, which led to a discussion of the Jedi creed and the principles governing the Order. He also learned a bit more about the ways in which the Force was used in this society. Most of the techniques they had developed were rudimentary compared to what Drex was used to, but they did know the importance of mental discipline and used various types of meditation. They had also discovered the possibility of connecting with each other through the Force. Some of those present were able to light fires or levitate objects, but claimed they would never be able to raise a whole table like they had witnessed Drex do. They were surprised to hear Drex tell them that size did not matter, that it was all in their heads.
"We know that the Force can be used for aggressive purposes, and even to kill," Hanshenin said. "That is why discipline is so important to us. We allow those who have these gifts to develop them for defensive purposes because we can never be sure to be entirely safe from attacks. The Ha'en-Shin have been known to blame the outcasts when they faced internal problems or external threats, and we are on our guard. Still, we are aware that we need to be very careful not to cross certain limits, and that is why we can relate to the way you disciplined your apprentice."
It appeared that some of the youths that were made outcasts, whether Force-sensitive or not, had issues with aggression and were rebellious to an extent that needed to be curbed even by outcast society in order to prevent serious problems. Therefore, each new arrival below the age of twenty was placed with a guardian or a pair of guardians and some fundamental rules were quite strictly enforced. For the most part, this seemed to work well, especially since the outcasts had various towns and communities that operated a little differently from each other and accommodated a wide range of occupations and lifestyles. Still, there were rare cases in which people had to be expelled even from outcast society; this mainly concerned cases of repeated physical aggression.
Although meditating, Kaden was still aware – at some level – of what was going on around him. Not enough to follow a conversation in any detail, but enough to sense that their hosts were not put out by the clusterfuck of events that landed him here.
By the time Kaden's half hour was up, Drex had learned a lot. Amare and a few others went to fetch snacks and drinks so everyone could have a break while Drex went to release Kaden from meditation.
"Time is up, Padawan," he said gently, kneeling next to Kaden and resting a hand on his shoulder.
A second before Drex knelt, Kaden opened his eyes. When the man knelt by his side he turned to face him. He hadn't yet forgiven him for having punished him in front of all and sundry, but neither could he dispute that he had been out of line. "Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have disobeyed you. I shouldn't have pushed you, but, I did. I don't know why I did." Well, that part wasn't entirely true. However, admitting that he'd let his temper flare and acted out because he didn't think Drex would do anything about it wasn't a confession he was ready to make. Hell, what had he been thinking? Even had he been spared the humiliation they still had to go back to their apartment at one point.
"You're forgiven," said Drex softly, squeezing Kaden's shoulder briefly and affectionately. "Now come. There will be a break; after that, we will discuss the schedule for the upcoming days."
The longing look Kaden had thrown at his saber had not escaped him, but he was not ready to hand it back just yet. If Kaden was compliant tonight about the second part of his punishment, his chances were good, though.
Kaden, however, wasn't keen on facing the Ha'en-Shin. He stood, but did not follow. "You keeping my saber?" he asked, wanting to stall as much as he wanted to know the answer.
The expression on Drex's face could best be described as politely disbelieving.
"Tell me why you were punished just now, padawan," he said pointedly.
The expression was noted and had the padawan looking at his boots. He scratched at his head and tried to project confidence, but probably wasn't doing a very good job at fooling his own master. He sighed, not particularly wanting to restate this but finding little other option. "Because I used Ataru when you forbid it, was disrespectful when you corrected me and I caused a scene in front of our hosts whilst on a mission," he recited, thinking that he had it covered and inwardly cringing at how bad that sounded. Still, the fact that they were on a mission and he was without his lightsaber didn't sit well with him.
"That should about answer your question, then," Drex said calmly.
Kaden still did not follow. He looked at the Ha'en-Shin then back at Drex. "But, we're on a mission. What if I need it?"
"You may take my word for it that you do not need it right now," Drex said, a hint of steel in his voice. "After all, until a short while ago, the outcasts were holding our weapons and yet, nothing bad happened to us. More importantly, I told you to come and rejoin the group and I am not willing to entertain an argument about this."
In Kaden's opinion, there was a difference between the outcasts holding their weapons and Drex holding their weapons! A very big difference. He wasn't willing to say as much, though. Instead, he said in his defense, "I'm not arguing with you," only to realise the irony in that statement. "I'm… it's just… Can't we go back to our apartment and be done with this already? You just walloped me in front of everyone, is all." His cheeks were slightly pink and his gaze was downcast; there was no way he wanted to go back over there.
"Padawan, we still have things to discuss," Drex said sternly. "You will accompany me back to our hosts. And that was not a request, it was an order. Now come."
Cowed, Kaden complied. It was hard on his pride, not to mention humiliating, to return to the group after they had witnessed what just happened. He did his best to hold his head high, though, because he was a Jedi and Jedi didn't… Ah hell who was he kidding? This sucked! It wasn't easy, not at all. He winced upon taking his seat, and was noticeably uncomfortable during the discussions. Yet, eventually the discussion naturally drew any lingering attention away from him.
They agreed with their hosts to stay for at least a week. They would have daily meetings with the Force-sensitive outcasts in the evenings so as not to keep them from their regular work any longer. During the day, individual sessions with persons who were interested in specific skills or techniques could be scheduled. Apart from that, Drex and Kaden were free to explore. Amare would be ready to accompany them if and when they desired it. After the week was over, they would decide on returning to Mashen or extending their stay. Before returning, they would meet the Council of Elders to discuss the impact and desirability of an agreement with the Ha'en-Shin about training Force-sensitive children at the Temple.
A teenage boy of about Kaden's age who had been introduced as Innimo and seemed to be have a natural aptitude for performing Force suggestions approached Drex and asked whether he might meet up with Kaden at some point.
"Sure," Drex readily agreed. "Kaden does not have to spend all his time here in my company. We would just need to divide up J-7LI between us fairly. Would you like to, Kaden?"
Innimo caught Kaden's attention immediately, firstly because he was about his age, and secondly because he was strong in the Force, something his master was able to confirm. "Sure, why not. I'd like to see what you guys do for fun around here," he said in way of response when Drex asked if he'd like to spend some time with Innimo.
Innimo needed to meet his teacher today, but he proposed to pick up Kaden the next morning after breakfast, something that Drex readily agreed with. He could explore the city or meet with some of the elders to work on Force control techniques in the meantime. This was something that did not require an interpreter.
When the meeting was concluded, Amare showed them to a market where they could buy food at various stalls, then excused herself to go to work for the afternoon. People generally seemed rather busy; there was a lot of building going on and everyone seemed to have things to do.
"Did you want to go to the park?" Drex asked Kaden. "As far as I remember, you made an appointment with a few local youngsters yesterday. Alternatively, you can join me for my meeting with Hanshenin; he wanted me to introduce him to Jedi meditation techniques."
"No offense, but I'll take the park and leave meditation 101 to you and Hanshenin." Kade had been curious about what the youngsters would have to say to him, and about what else they did for fun here. Of course, he was also going to find out what he could about their lifestyle.
"You are free to spend your afternoon at the park," said Drex. "You may take J-7LI, but I will need her later to do some grocery shopping. I'll drop by the park and pick her up when I'm finished with Hanshenin. You may either join me then or stay at the park some more. In any case, be back at our apartment at half past six at the latest."
"Okay," Kaden replied and took off, J-7LI in tow.