It was close to lunchtime when Kade found himself entering Drex's quarters for the second time today. He never would have thought his day was going to turn out like this. "Who was your last padawan? And how long ago were they knighted?" he asked as he made his way to the kitchenette from where Drex had called him in. He was curious to learn more about the man's considerable past.
Drex smiled at Kaden.
"I'll tell you about her, and about Chatzis, my second padawan, but let's make some lunch while we talk," he proposed. "There is a Hrakian recipe for flatbread with spices and herbs that every single one of my padawans liked a lot so far. Is there anything you don't eat – from among the food suitable for humans?"
"No, I'll eat just about anything that isn't moving," the boy replied easily. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, washing his hands in the kitchen sink.
"As long as you don't move in with a Hutt, that should be easy to accommodate, then," Drex replied with a grin. "We can have the typical Hrakian side dish, which is chunks of cheese, pickles, and fruit for dessert. They are a simple people, for the most part. You could knead the dough while I ground the spices."
While they got to work, Drex told Kade: "Shmilla was thirteen when her master died and I took over. Luckily, we had had a pretty close relationship before and she adapted well enough. But at barely twenty-three years of age, I still found taking care of her quite a daunting task. I think I managed pretty well in the end, but it was a steep learning curve. When she was knighted, I was thirty-three. I thought I'd take on a new padawan at some point, but I actually went for ten years without that happening. I simply didn't meet anyone who would have been a good match, and it probably didn't help that I spent a lot of time away from the Temple on research and undercover missions that lasted for months, even up to two years. I wasn't really thinking about the padawan issue that much any more by the time I was forty-three when I ran into Chatzis, an eleven-year-old Zabrak, on my way to a mission briefing. I ended up stepping before the Council asking them to give the mission to someone else because I was going to train Chatzis instead. So that was what I did until I was fifty-five. By the time Chatzis was knighted, I was a member of the Jedi High Council and was really thinking of leaving the whole business of training padawans to other people... but there was Taishin. Taishin had just turned thirteen, she had not found a master, she was extremely strong in the Force, she was upset, desperate even, and she had taken to using the Force in a very troubling manner at the medical facility she had volunteered for, without much enthusiasm. Her case was taken before the Council and we decided that somebody would have to try and see whether her destructive tendencies could be brought under control. She was brought back to Coruscant, the Council talked to her, and I felt drawn to her very strongly. So, barely two weeks after Chatzis was knighted, I found myself with Taishin. Taishin was knighted a year ago."
Kade listened to the story of Drex's apprentices with great interest, although it was Taishin's story that prompted him to ask: "How did you help Taishin? With her problems I mean?" He could see a little of himself in that story and identified with her emotions.
"I was there for her," Drex replied simply. "I made it clear to her that I would never give up on her unless she decided to reject life as a Jedi entirely, which she didn't. For the first two years or so, she needed most of my time and attention; so much so that I resigned from the Council. She needed extreme firmness and consistent feedback, be it positive or negative. Some of her teachers could not deal with her, so I took over part of her lessons. To be honest, in the first half year or so it felt as if she ended up over my knees twice a day. But she needed to be shown her limits; and as time went on, she became more secure of her place and acted up less and less. In the end, she was a padawan that any master would have been proud of. Her mental discipline is exceptional, and she is extremely good at Force control."
This both heartened and scared Kade; on the one hand it was comforting to know Drex would not give up on him, but on the other, apparently he was also capable of being a lot firmer than he first thought.
"Concealing herself is her specialty. She is currently investigating a ring of drug smugglers on Nar Shaddaa and might be gone for a while. Shmilla is away on a diplomatic mission with her second padawan, but she will be back to the Temple soon. I expect Chbindru, her padawan, will be knighted not long after their return. Chatzis is around at the moment. He took on a padawan four years ago. Quarg is now fifteen. He likes sparring, a lot; in that respect, he's no different from you. Are you done kneading the dough? It looks good. Now you take small portions, form them into balls and press them until they are no thicker than your pinkie."
"Nar Shaddaa, now that place would be awesome," he said, a faraway expression on his face as he imagined himself in Taishin's position, infiltrating the smugglers ring and bringing them down.
It wasn't until Drex mentioned Chatzis' fifteen-year-old padawan, Quarg, that the boy pulled himself from the fantasy and grinned. "Maybe we can spar together. That way you can keep your edict of not focusing on saber training," he hedged while rolling the dough as instructed; it was fun squashing it flat and he did so with gusto.
"Maybe," Drex said, "but only with Chatzis's or my supervision. It you sparred with a fifteen-year-old without such supervision, that would count as unsupervised sparring. And you know that's not allowed."
He took one of the flat loaves that Kade had produced and sprinkled it liberally with the mixture of herbs and spices he had just ground. He then tossed it into a large, oiled, pre-heated pan, shaking the pan slightly so the bread wouldn't stick. While it cooked, he put the cheese, pickles and fruit onto the table and showed Kade where to find plates, glasses and cutlery and where to wash his hands. While Kade set the table, Drex baked the rest of the loaves quickly, setting the finished ones onto a pre-heated plate in the oven. Finally, he put the whole stack onto the table.
"Well, tuck in," he told Kaden.
"Thanks," the boy said gratefully and filled his plate. It was delicious!
Drex's comment on unsupervised sparring had not been lost on the boy, and although he had anticipated that rule would most likely carry over from crèche, he wondered if the consequences would be quite as nasty. He glanced up at the elderly man opposite. He didn't look frail, and he had already surprised him with his strength.
"Would you still discipline me if I sparred without supervision, even though I'd be a padawan and not an initiate any more?" he questioned. He suspected the answer but was curious to know how strongly his prospective master felt about it.
Drex raised his eyebrows.
"I would discipline you especially if you did this as a padawan," he said decisively. "I'm sure you will agree that it makes sense to expect more from a padawan than from an immature initiate. The consequences of rule-breaking reflect that."
Okay, so that wasn't unexpected, but neither was it what Kaden wanted to hear. He took a mouthful of bread and chewed thoughtfully. "But if there is more responsibility as a padawan, and you get less leniency as a padawan, it stands to reason that there be more freedom also?" he hedged.
"Oh yes," Drex said mildly. "As soon as you have shown that you can handle it. It differs from padawan to padawan. It also differs from the creche where there was a single set of rules for everyone. As a padawan, you'll have a master who is responsible for you and only you. Some padawans might receive a lot of liberties with their schedule because they've proven to be diligent and well able to organise themselves. Others might be granted the right to practice kata or even sparring without supervision, within certain limits, because they have shown they can deal with the responsibility. On the other hand, there might be tighter control in areas where they need it. It depends a lot on the person. And on their age, of course; there'll be more freedom the older you become. For the beginning, don't expect too much. You'll have more freedom to move within the Temple, and your bedtime and curfew might be a little later than in the crèche, but that's about as far as it goes. The rest will come over time."
"I'm the oldest initiate in Master K'Mi's crèche group. Sometimes she lets me get up once the others are in their beds, and helps me with meditations, or we go for a walk in the gardens, or… raid the cookie jar," Kade admitted with a laugh. "I know she has another twenty students to take care of and all, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice to have that time with her."
He took a huge chunk of his bread; it really was delicious. He thought about everything Drex had said so far and had to admit that becoming a padawan didn't sound as daunting as his friends had made out.
"Can I ask you something personal?" Kade asked.
"Yes," said Drex.
Kade met the man with a curious expression. "If you believe the Force is leading you to become my master, and I feel the same, why are you making me wait? Do you think it might be wrong or that you really are too old and kinda don't wanna train another padawan? I'd understand." He would probably cry, but he'd understand.
"None of this," replied Drex. "I simply believe that the decision to become a padawan and train with one specific master is an enormous one. If you make that decision, you'll be stuck with me for ten to twelve years. Our relationship will be off to a much better start if both of us are clear about what we're getting ourselves into and feel that we have had the time and opportunity to really think things through. I don't want you to start your career as a padawan with the feeling that something beyond your control has been imposed upon you, and I don't want either of us to have second thoughts. We're no gods, after all; we're mortal beings and our brains take a while to process such things even if the will of the Force might seem clear. If you already feel certain about it, that's fine. I don't have any serious doubts either. But grant yourself the time to get to know me better. It will make you feel more comfortable, knowing what you are getting yourself into."
"Alright," he acquiesced. He did trust Drex, however, at the ripe old age of 'almost thirteen' Kaden did not quite understand the older man's hesitation. Sure, it was a huge decision, but what was the worst that could happen? To Kade, the worst he could imagine was not being chosen and having dared to hope only to have the rug ripped from beneath him. He was fast to squash that train of thought, though, as he reminded himself that such things were not up to him.
When they had finished, they washed the dishes together. Then, Drex showed Kade his quarters. They were standard fare: the kitchenette, a common room, a master bedroom and a padawan bedroom, each equipped with a small refresher.
Initially, Kade was surprised at being shown a padawan's bedroom, but after a little thought he could understand why keeping the same surroundings would be preferable to a blind person, even a Force-sensitive blind person.
Indeed, Drex had kept his quarters after each of his padawans had been knighted because reorienting himself in new surroundings was more of a hassle for him than it would have been for others. Besides, he occasionally looked after one of his grandpadawans when their masters went somewhere they could not take them; it was convenient to have a spare bedroom then.
"Would you like a tour of the main Temple?" Drex asked Kade. He knew that the initiates were usually restricted to the crèche wing and only got to see the other parts of the Temple sparingly.
"Yes, please. I've seen everywhere that isn't restricted to initiates, but it's been months since our last excursion through the Temple." He followed Drex from his quarters, smiling as a story came to mind.
"My favourite place so far is that huge garden with the silos. I remember Master K'Mi took a few of us older initiates there one afternoon, after we'd bugged her for hours," he added, grinning. "You try finding it, there was a rumour going around that there was this massive blue spider from an off-world planet creeping about and we really wanted to see. We found nothing, not a thing! Although Master K'Mi says I'm personally responsible for an additional twelve grey hairs in her fur after I climbed the silo to get a better view. She wasn't too happy about that. Anyway, I think it was just another tall story, like the ones about Councillor Koth, and Master Healer Ithin."
"I think there's quite a lot of truth in the stories about Master Ithin and Master Koth," Drex remarked. "If you ever find yourself confined to the Healers' Wing, you'd better mind Master Ithin. She doesn't tend to find disobedience particularly amusing."
Kade snorted. "Neither does Master Koth, although I doubt he actually eats younglings like Drebin said. Besides, I've seen him up close and he doesn't have the teeth for it." He had been going for a deadpan delivery but couldn't keep the humour from creeping in.
Drex chuckled and waved his hand to open the door to the turbolift. He activated the voice control and said: "Central spire."
He took Kade up to the top of the spire where they had an opportunity to glance into the currently empty Council chamber. Then Drex showed Kaden his favourite meditation garden. After that, he took him many levels down to the main speeder garage.
"One thing I really don't do is piloting a speeder, at least not on Coruscant," he explained to Kade. "I'm fine in the woods or anywhere where it's all about sensing the objects that might get in your way. But on Coruscant I'd have to be able to read traffic signs, which I can't. I can't pilot space ships either, not without support. That's why it is important to me that my padawans learn these skills at the earliest opportunity. It enormously expands the range of things we can do as a team. Would that be alright with you?"
"Would that be alright with me? Master Zaryth, are you seriously asking me that?" The initiate was working hard to control his excitement at the prospects. The speeder garage had the boy wide-eyed; he simply couldn't believe the number of different speeders and the sheer enormity of the hangar. For safety reasons, this was the one place K'Mi had refused to take her students, so this was a first for Kaden.
"Well, yes," Drex said, his voice rich with amusement. "I thought you might like it, but I still wanted to ask. Shmilla, for example, was not at all keen on it and Chatzis was fairly indifferent; he much preferred running and swimming to riding a speeder. Taishin loved it. So much so that she frequently got into trouble for doing stuff she wasn't supposed to. Of course, what I said about responsibility and living up to it goes for speeder driving as well. That said, for practical reasons, I will make sure to enroll you for piloting lessons as soon as possible. Whether you are allowed to drive in actual practice will depend on the laws of the respective planets, though."
Kaden didn't want to say it but, well he could understand how Taishin could find trouble wanting to do more than she was allowed here, because he felt the same; he wasn't even a padawan and already the boy was entertaining ideas of piloting them through Coruscant's congested skyways.
Drex took Kaden on a tour around the garage, after which they went on to the space ship hangars.
Those got the same response from Kade, that being one of awe and an underlying desperation to jump into the pilot's seat and take off!
Next, they did a tour of the gyms. Some of them, Kade had seen before, but there were a few he had not and very much wanted to try out. "Master K'Mi's been holding out on me," he commented, because the aerial equipment and trampoline rooms with hooks in the ceilings were all new to the boy. From K'Mi's perspective it had been a matter of damage control when it came to Kaden: she knew he loved to climb and had the fearless nature of most twelve-year-old boys. The two were not a good mix and she had thought it best to avoid it altogether, at least until he had a master with the time to monitor him more closely than she could afford to.
"For good reason, probably," Drex said, grinning. "We'll work out here occasionally. It's probably needless to say, but I'll say it nonetheless: The aerials gym is off-limits for now unless you've got my explicit permission to use it and an adult to supervise you, whether you use it with or without a saber."
"So, I'm just experienced and old enough to know what I'm missing out on, but too inexperienced and young to be allowed the privilege. That sucks," Kade said, feeling hard done-by. He planned to give his crèche master an earful over leaving him in the dark all this time.
"I told you you'd get to use the aerials gym," Drex said mildly. "Lose the attitude."
Kade grunted in response, but otherwise did not comment. Instead, he focused on watching the master-padawan team currently occupying the room with a mixture of awe and jealousy.
You know," Drex said, "if you had asked politely, instead of uttering complaints, I might just have found an empty aerials gym for you. Oh well. Come on, let's go to the main dining hall and have a snack."
The initiate frowned, but otherwise remained silent. That was until Drex turned from the training rooms and headed towards the dining hall. "Wait," he rushed to speak up. "Would you find an empty aerials gym for me, please?" he asked politely, hoping it wasn't too late.
"After our snack," Drex replied. "Be warned, though: Whining and complaining will not usually buy you any such favours."
Again Kade found himself feeling oddly humbled at being told off by Drex, however mildly, and dropped his gaze for a moment before following.