With her husband already gone for the morning, Ahsoka drove Sarah to school. As the two of them walked towards the classrooms, Sarah asked, "What if she's mean to me?"

"Sarah, we already talked about that. Just do what we said. And if she acts up during your retreat, just tell Madame Andrews or one of the chaperons," Ahsoka replied.

Sarah nodded her head.

As they turned the corner, Sarah's classmates were all there and waiting to start their morning. Madison and her mother were there as well.

"Madison, don't you have something to say?" her mother prompted her.

Madison sighed before saying, "Sorry, Sarah," rather plainly.

"Me too," Sarah replied softly.

"Sarah, apologize," Ahsoka whispered discreetly to Sarah."

"I... I'm sorry, too."

"I have to go, Please try to behave today. You don't want to miss your trip, do you?" Madison's mother stated before she left.

"Remember, Sarah, you'll be fine," Ahsoka said before she left.

Sarah turned and walked over to Molly. Elsewhere, Madison turned to David and Will and talked to them.

"I missed you Sarah, it was weird not having you here."

"I know. It was weird being at home and not learning anything," Sarah replied.

"At least you're back for our retreat. It should be fun."

"I hope she isn't mean again."

"Sarah, stop worrying about that. We have to work together. Madame Andrews told us about it on Friday."

Sarah looked down at the ground, slightly disappointed about what she missed. Finally, she made eye contact with her best friend again.

"What else did she say?"

"We're going to have to work together, on our own, and in small groups. If she's mean to anyone this week, she'd get in trouble. Besides, I have your back."

Sarah cracked a small smile as Madame Andrews arrived and opened the classroom.

"Good morning class. We have a busy Monday so we can prepare for tonight. I trust all of you will behave today," she told the class.


"Hey, Cara, what are you doing here?" the Grand Master said as his former padawan entered his office.

"You haven't checked your messages yet, have you?" she replied.

"Not yet. I just sat down."

"You might want to do that. Then you'll know why I'm here."

The Grand Master activated his datapad and checked his messages. The latest message from Master Cal was marked urgent. He opened it and read:

Due to a last-second cancellation, I've assigned you to chaperon this week's Upper Initiate Retreat. Sorry for the last-second notice.

"What? He can't do that, I chaperoned last year," he said.

"Actually, it was two years ago, master."

He thought to himself for a moment. "You're right. Sarah was eight when Ashley and I chaperoned. She's ten now. Still, I really don't want to chaperon this class."

"Because it's your daughter's class?"

"Exactly."

"Well, if anything, you've proven you don't play favorites after last week's incident. I'm sure that played a part in Cal's decision."

"Still, I don't want Sarah feeling too awkward being around her father for the next few days."

"Maybe it's a lesson to see how she'd react with you in charge. Once she's knighted, you'd be giving her assignments and such."

"I suppose it's possible, Cara. I better let Ahsoka know and make sure I go home and pack. This was not how I planned to spend my week. What time are we leaving?"

"Madame Andrews wants to leave no later than seven tonight."

"Perfect. I'll have more than enough time to pack and eat before I bring Sarah – and myself – here tonight."

"See you later," Cara said teasingly.


After taking drink of her beverage, Ahsoka sighed before she asked, "You have to go back again, so soon?"

"Master Cal needed someone at the last second after the original male chaperon broke his leg during a sporting event this weekend. Besides, I always enjoy watching our Jedi hopefuls," her husband replied.

"Don't you think it's a bad idea for you to chaperon Sarah? She might behave differently around you."

"It's no different from when I assigned you on missions or other tasks while we were engaged. When she's knighted, she may very well report to me in my official capacity. We may as well see how she responds to me as an authority figure."

"I guess you're right," Ahsoka said.

"I better get going. I have three days worth of appointments to reschedule and tasks to delegate."


Later that evening, Sarah packed for the retreat. She checked her list of things to bring and made sure she brought everything on the list and didn't pack anything on the list of items to leave home.

Across the hall, her father double-checked his travel bag to make sure he didn't forget anything. Satisfied that everything was there, he zipped up the compartments.

"Are you sure you'll be okay this time?" he asked Ahsoka.

"I'll be fine. You got me that body pillow, remember? And, in a worst-case scenario, I already have plans in place."

"What will you do for the next couple of days?"

"After dinner, I'm going to work on the ship. I'm very close to finishing work on the engines. If I'm busy with that, I won't have time to feel lonely like I did last time."

"It sounds like you'll be occupied. I can only hope you make more progress. Are you sure you'll be okay, though."

Ahsoka took a deep breath. The truth was she didn't know, but she had to do whatever she could to keep herself from feeling alone. Ahsoka then felt her husband hug her close and press his arms into her sides. With Sarah across the hall, she knew he wasn't trying to be intimate; instead, he was trying to reassure her.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," he told her as he kissed her darkened lips.

"I'll be fine," she repeated, hoping to convince herself.

After a roughly 35-mile [56 km] trip, the initiates, their instructor, and their chaperons arrived at their destination. The monks that owned the retreat grounds occasionally rented their facilities to other interested groups.

After the group settled into the main retreat house, the adults went over the ground rules.

"Master, you've been here the most, have we forgotten anything important?" Madame Andrews asked her superior.

"Just two things, I think," he replied. "First, you might have noticed the wall full of coffee mugs. There's well over 50 of them. When we're done here, you'll have a chance to find one for yourself. You'll use that for drinking the entire time, and you're responsible to keep your own mugs clean. We'll also shuffle them around at meal times so you sit next to different people. If anyone switches mugs to be with their friends, Master Cara has been instructed to cut your hands off with her lightsaber. But that gets messy, so just don't move your mugs after we put them on the table."

All six initiates giggled in response.

"Seriously, though, there is one very important item I need to tell you. There is a lake on the grounds behind the monastery. If you wish to go take a look and admire the view, please go with someone else or even a chaperon. There is a dock that goes out to the lake, but I'd discourage you from stepping out on it. There's a lean-to you can sit in. That might be better. So, enjoy the lake, but from a safe distance. Are there any questions?"

After seeing there weren't any, he stated, "Let's go get our room assignments, settle in, and pick our mugs. We'll have a meditation session in ten minutes and a small reflection activity before we go to bed. We'll have a busy day tomorrow, so make sure you sleep well."

A short time later, the initiates were shown their rooms. Despite the large number of rooms to choose from, the three boys shared a room and the three girls had a room across the hall. The adults chose rooms adjacent to their charges.

Sarah gulped nervously. A few days ago, she was suspended for fighting with Madison. Now, she'd be sharing a room with her for the next couple of nights.

"Sarah, do you want the top or bottom bunk?" Molly asked.

"I better take the bottom. I might forget I'm on top and fall out," Sarah replied.

"Okay. I think it'll be fun to sleep on top."

Sarah placed her travel bag on a small ledge. As Madison looked over at the other bunk, she went to place her bag on the ledge but stopped.

"It's okay, you can leave it there," Sarah said softly.

"Thanks," Madison stated before she left the small room and headed back upstairs.

"Molly, I'm nervous. What if she causes trouble again?"

"Don't be so scared, Sarah. We're here to have fun and show we're ready to learn more cool stuff. Don't worry about that. She wouldn't dare do anything bad with your dad around."

Sarah nodded. "I guess you're right."


As the group finished breakfast the next morning, Brian, Madison, and Will went downstairs to the recreation room. They had some spare time before the first activity of the morning. David, Molly, and Sarah were selected to do dishes under Master Cara's charge.

"I've never done dishes before," David stated.

"I've helped my father," Sarah stated.

"Actually, breakfast and lunch are easy to clean up. Tonight's dinner will be messier," Master Cara stated.

"What about tomorrow's dinner?" Molly asked.

"Usually, we go back to the main road and pick up a pizza or subs."

Molly nodded. She could only wonder if doing the dishes was an official activity or not.


"Class, gather around," Madame Andrews stated.

After everyone stood near to her, she told them about the first activity of the day.

"Today, we will see how well you work individually. We will have a scavenger hunt this morning, but not in the usual sense."

The last comment drew the initiates' attention.

"We've hidden 24 plastics eggs around the area here. Don't worry, they're all brightly colored so you can't miss them. Once all 24 are found, or we reach the time limit, you will open your eggs and find a slip of paper with a word or phrase inside. All the words have a common theme. Based on your clues, you will write down what you think that theme is. The more clues you find, the better your chances."

"As you can see on the map we've provided, there is a fence that will provide part of the boundary. The remaining boundaries will be marked by pylons that mark the edges. If you stray across the boundaries, you will be disqualified," Master Cara told everyone.

"This is a chance for us to assess your investigative skills. Sometimes, it's important to look for clues and figure out what they mean. This is your chance to show us what you can do."

"Alright, your time starts now. The rest of us will be watching to make sure you complete the task appropriately and don't cheat. Good luck," Madame Andrews said.

The initiates quickly spread out. Some plastic eggs were easy to find, but it didn't take long before those were all gathered. The remainder were hidden more strategically.

Sarah approached one of the marked corners of the boundaries. A pylon with markings denoting the imaginary boundary lines stood in front of her. As she looked around, a bright yellow object drew her attention. Sure enough, she found an egg. However, it was in the crook of a tree outside the boundaries. How could she get it if stepping over the line wasn't allowed?

As she pondered her options, she heard something rustle. She didn't need her enhanced senses to see her father watching behind another tree.

"Are you spying on me?" Sarah asked her father.

"No, initiate. I'm watching the boundaries to make sure nobody crosses them."

"I see an egg! But it's in that tree, how do I get it?"

"That's up to you to figure out, Initiate Sarah."

"Can you get it for me?" Sarah asked eagerly.

Her father chuckled. "Nice try, but I'm not allowed to help anyone. You have to figure it out all by yourself."

Sarah thought about the situation some more while her father moved to conceal himself better. Suddenly, she had an idea. She stretched out her hand. The egg rattled around before it zoomed from its position and into Sarah's right hand. She had her clue, and she didn't have to step over the boundary to get it. She then walked off to see if she could find more. Her father slowly smiled to himself and recorded notes in his datapad.


Back in the retreat house, everyone wrote down their clue words and did their best to figure out the common theme and turned in their papers. The chaperons looked at the results and Madame Andrews announced the results.

"Class, I'm impressed that you did well with this first task. The word we were looking for was 'knighthood,' but two of you put down 'Jedi.' so, you came pretty close."

The initiates looked at each other with visible disappointment.

"It's okay though. It was hard to draw conclusions with limited information, wasn't it?"

Slowly, each of the initiates nodded.

"That's why as Jedi, you'll present reports of your missions and your findings. That way, your information can be pooled together and shared to see what we can learn."

"You'll have an hour of free time before lunch. Brian, Madison, and Will are going to be the dish crew this time."


After dinner ended, all three girls were selected by random draw to be the dish crew."

"I didn't know you cooked," David told the Grand Master.

"Madame Andrews, Master Cara, and I take turns with the meals. Everybody helps out here, ourselves included."

"That's cool, I guess. At least cleaning up is girls work."

The Grand Master looked at David suspiciously before asking, "Is that so?"

"Well, yeah."

"If you really think so, I need to teach you that everybody helps out here, and that everyone has a hand in cleaning up. Guys, come join me. You can help me put everything away while David here sweeps up and cleans off the tables. And once you're done helping me with the leftovers, one of you can wipe the tables clean and the other can help David."

David shook his head. He could also tell his classmates weren't too enthusiastic about being asked to be part of the teaching moment.

Once the cleanup finished, the group spent time discussing the Jedi Code in more detail than usual. As darkness slowly settled in, the initiates were surprised to learn their next session would take place next.

"What are we doing now?" Madison asked.

"You'll see," Master Cara said. She opened up a box and removed laser tag equipment.

"All right!" Brian called out.

"We've extended the boundaries some so you can use more of the surrounding area for strategy. Three shots eliminates you from the game and the last person left wins," Madame Andrews told everyone.

"And as before, there will be boundaries. And if you step across them, one of your chaperons will shoot you with this gun that automatically records three hits against you. So if you break any of the rules and we catch you, you're disqualified right then and there."

"Can we shoot you?" Madison asked.

"We don't have targets, so no."

As soon as everyone received their targets and pistol, they were very eager to head outside. This had to be more fun than searching for words written inside plastic eggs.


Sarah did her best to hide in a tree-lined area on the edge of a hill. Between the drop off in elevation and her enhanced senses, she felt she had a natural advantage.

Suddenly, she heard a soft rustling. She crouched lower. Although her chest target was hidden, the target on her back remained open to attack. When she thought she saw a red light blinking, she quickly aimed her pistol and fired. When she heard Madison say, "Hey, who got me?!" a short distance away, she smiled to herself.

"Gotcha," she whispered.

Elsewhere, Molly sneaked alongside the far fence and quickly turned. She missed Master Cara in the darkness and bumped into her.

"Am I out-of-bounds?" Molly asked nervously.

"Do you see the boundary marking?" Master Cara asked in reply.

Molly nodded.

"What do you think?"

"Umm, we're both in bounds."

"That's right. But I might suggest you keep moving. You wouldn't want to make yourself an open target, would you?"

"Yeah, you're right. See ya!" Molly replied softly before sneaking off into the darkness.


With the time limit close at hand, the chaperons communicated between themselves that Sarah and Will were the last two left. However, they purposely didn't reveal locations, lest they give one an unfair advantage over the other. However, neither one proved victorious when time ran out, so Madame Andrews blew her whistle and called for Sarah and Will to join the group.

"Time is up, so let me see how many times you've both been hit," she said.

Sarah pointed to her target with one lamp lit. Will's target also showed one hit.

"It appears we have a tie," Master Cara told the group.

"Actually, I have a proposition for our initiates," the Grand Master stated.

Everyone turned to face him.

"If I told you I had a way to break the tie, would you want to use the tie-breaker, or would the two of you prefer to settle for a tie?"

Sarah and Will looked at each other. What should they do?

"Let's break the tie," Will suggested.

Sarah nodded her head. They made it that far. Somebody had to win. Wasn't that the point of the activity?

"Okay, then. What you might not know is that the game logs all shots and I have access to that record. To break the tie, I'll see which of the two you went the longest before you were hit." He then accessed the game records.

"Initiate Will, you were hit 17 minutes and 33 seconds into the game. Initiate Sarah, you were hit after 16 minutes and 15 seconds. Therefore, Initiate Will wins on the tie breaker."

Sarah gave a small sigh. It came down to a minute and 18 seconds.

"You both did a great job. And, it was obvious everyone had fun tonight. Some of you figured out this was about strategy, which was impressive. A couple of you appeared to enjoy shooting your classmates more than anything. When you're on a mission, you'll need to be aware of your surroundings and not make yourself an easy target for an enemy," Master Cara said.

"Will we do this again?" David asked.

"Probably not. We have other activities planned for tomorrow," Madame Andrews replied.

David nodded.

"We have time for a small snack when we go back inside before you have to go back to your rooms. Let's head back," The Grand Master said.


As the initiates slowly filed into their rooms, they had a half hour before lights out. Outside in a living room space, the adults planned the next day's activities.

"Do you want to do the guys against the girls first or the pairs first tomorrow?" Master Cara asked Madame Andrews.

"Let's do the three groups of two. If we do the battle of the sexes first, there might be too much bragging and nobody will be able to focus," she replied.

"Good point. What's the meal schedule for tomorrow?"

"I did breakfast today. I guess you two will handle it tomorrow," Madame Andrews answered.

"I guess that means I get to make my French Toast again like I did two years ago," The Grand Master said.

Master Cara shook her head. "I never thought I'd see the day you looked forward to cooking, master."

"Your thoughts betray you, my former padawan. You may think I'm domesticated, but it's part of being a husband and father. Besides, I look forward to your assistance."

"Alright. I'm going to get to bed so I get enough sleep before I have to help cook breakfast," Master Cara said before she left for her room.

"Master, wait," Madame Andrews said. Her superior stopped and turned back around.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"Well, instructors usually don't usually get this luxury. What do you think of the class so far?"

"It's still early, but a couple of them seem to know there is a bigger purpose to these activities, even if they aren't sure what it is. A couple more are eager to impress us all. And a couple aren't sure what we're all doing and why, but they seem eager to do a good job – or have fun if nothing else."

Madame Andrews chuckled. "I should have known you said that. But I'm curious and your thoughts about Madison and Sarah."

"There is a bit of a tension between the two, still."

"I've sensed it, too. Do you think they'll finally start to get along?"

"They're going to have to by tomorrow night. Our last activity of the day requires all six of them to work together. If they don't get along, the group won't succeed."

"I guess you're right. We'll find out tomorrow night. See you in the morning."