Khoovi raised his hand, and stood on his seat to make himself more visible.

"Is this necessary?" he asked. "Personal questions could be saved for after lectures. Couldn't we just begin the lesson?"

He kept his eyes on the droid, but was aware of all the looks being directed at him now. He was aware of the shifts in perception of most the class; hikes in amusement and pleasure, some condescension and curiosity. He ignored them.

They didn't matter. Not yet.