Hi all! This would be my first Jedi Knight: Jedi Academy ficlet. It's a small one-shot, and there's a reference in there to shanesnest's story "Kyle Katarn: The Rise & Fall", so cookies to anyone who spots the vague reference! Jaden Korr (in this, she's a Twi'leki female), Kyle Katarn, Jan Ors and Luke Skywalker are not my creations, nor is the Star Wars 'verse! I'm just a poor uni student who gets ideas that won't go away. Enjoy, and cookies for reviewers!

Jaden Korr shivered under her blanket as she lay on the floor of Kyle's ship, wishing she could get to sleep

Jaden Korr shivered under her blanket as she lay on the floor of Kyle's ship, on their way to Byss, wishing she could get to sleep. They had a mission the next day, Well, later this morning, anyway, she thought dismally. The Twi'leki shivered again, wishing she had hair just so it could cushion her head a bit against the cold hard floor. The leather headdress didn't do much.

"Cold?" Kyle's voice broke through the darkness somewhere to the left of her.

"Yeah." She replied, not seeing the point in being stubborn. She practically heard his smirk.

"Don't you have a couple of blankets?" He asked, turning onto his back. He was closer to the engine room, and a bit of residual heat had been wafting out towards him. He doubted it went any further, though.

"I have the one the Academy gave everyone. I didn't think that it would get this cold out here." She admitted, clutching the blanket closer. Kyle gave an amused chuckle.

"Space is cold, and it's not like you wear much." He replied, casually resting an arm behind his head.

"Excuse me?" Her tone was very frosty, even as she glanced down at where her golden tunic and tight pants would be.

"Ah… you should try long sleeves, like me, that's all." He bit his bottom lip. He had figured out, from Jan, that you never insult what a female wears. It had always came back to bite him when he least expected it. Jaden sighed.

"I tried that once, on Hoth. It really didn't work. Too restrictive." She shivered again. Kyle sighed.

"Come here."

"Master Ka… ah… Kyle?" She asked, confused.

"You can get warmer if we conserve body heat. Now come here." He told her. She frowned, but shifted over to lie next to him. Kyle sighed again.

"Will you loosen up?" He muttered to her, shifting so he could cover both of them with the blankets. Jaden glared at him again, a faint blush spreading across her pale cheeks. She was normally a very private person, one that never relied on anyone for anything, much less body heat in space.

She shivered again, a cold chill racking through her body. Kyle frowned and brought his fingertips against her arm. His eyes widened as he felt how cold she was.

"Hey!" She growled at him, wriggling away. Kyle sighed.

"Jaden, sharing blankets and body heat will warm you up so you don't freeze to death." He told her patiently, settling down comfortably. He felt her tense a little further, then relax as he scooted a little closer to her.

"I'm from a warm planet. It never got this cold there." She confessed, curling up beside him a bit more comfortably than what she normally would allow. This is a bit of an abnormal situation, though, She reminded herself. Kyle chuckled.

"It does take a bit of getting used to, doesn't it?" He mused, closing his eyes. Jaden gave a small smile.

"Yeah." She murmured, yawning. She had warmed up a bit, but she was determined not to let Kyle know that.

"Get some rest. You'll need it." He muttered to her as she yawned again. She nodded, aware that he couldn't see her in the dark, and settled down.

Kyle listened as Jaden's breathing evened out, and sighed to himself. It was hard enough that the young jedi was somewhat of an independent soul, but with Rosh's possible defection hanging over their heads, it had driven her to seclusion. Luke had warned him that her inability to trust would put them in a difficult position, but he had never thought that she'd be willing to…well, not die, but freeze until she had hypothermia before she accepted any help.

He sighed, and, even though he knew he shouldn't, because all it would do was screw up the tentative master/pupil relationship that they had achieved, he leaned down and kissed her forehead, between the straps of her leather headdress. He eyes flew open, and she stared at him, stared into his eyes, trying to find out what he wanted from her, what he wanted for himself. He swallowed, adam's apple bobbing.

"Just… ah… checking your temperature." He said gruffly, surprised at his own voice in the near darkness. Great, Katarn, just great. You're already too damn close, and now she'll report you for sexual harassment. Jaden raised an eyebrow, golden lips quirking into a microscopic grin.

"Somehow, I don't think so." She replied softly in the silence. Kyle swallowed again. He hadn't really been in this type of situation for years, and he was having trouble suppressing everything.

"Uh…" He started, stopping once the Twi'leki raised her other eyebrow, eyes widening.

"Is that your lightsaber, or are you just happy to see me?" She murmured to him, the corner of her mouth curling up in a suppressed grin. Kyle cleared his throat and started to move back in embarrassment, but was surprised when a small hand curled around him, clearly not wanting him to move. He gave her a puzzled look, but settled down again under the blankets.

"I haven't had anyone close to me like this. Not since my family were murdered." She whispered, closing her eyes. She didn't want to see his face, the pity creeping onto it, the look that would re-appear every time he glanced at her.

Kyle gave her a startled glance as she told him her reasoning. He understood, and maybe this was what Luke was talking about when he advised Kyle to talk to her, find out why she was as she was.

"My parents were murdered too. They told me the rebels had done it, so I would go through the Imperial Academy." He told her, staring off into the darkness. Jaden opened her eyes, chancing a glance at her mentor. He glanced down at her and met her eyes for an instant before she had to look away from his intense stare.

"Never think you're alone, Jaden. You aren't. Not anymore." He murmured, closing his eyes. She smiled, letting her head drop slowly to the floor of the ship.

"Thanks, Kyle."

"That's okay, kiddo. Now get some rest." He ordered, getting as comfortable as he could.

When she awoke, Kyle was already in the cockpit, checking something on the navigator, probably if there were other ships in the area. She gave a half smile in his direction, knowing he would sense it. She gathered up the blankets and folded them neatly, contemplating on the night before. Knowing the direction that the conversation could have gone, she was thankful that it went the way it did.

The blankets went into a small hold area near the back of the ship, and Jaden had time enough to realise, in the small crevice off the main area of the ship, that the night before she had had the best sleep since… Actually, I can't remember when.She mused, wondering what would happen when they came back from this mission. Would he be receptive to the idea of sleeping near her? What would the others at the academy think? Would Master Skywalker kick her out of the Order for something which sounded dirty, but was completely innocent? Would Rosh, if they got him back, underst…

"Stop thinking, kid." A voice came from behind her. Jaden jumped and spun around as best as she could in the small space. Kyle grinned at her, leaning against the wall.

"Don't do that!" She exclaimed, shaking her head. Kyle laughed.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself. Don't worry about what everyone's going to think about it, if they ever found out. I'm not telling anyone. It's not their business." He folded his arms and stared at her.

"Okay, Kyle. I just… I can't help it." She replied, squeezing out of the nook that housed most of their supplies.

"Don't worry about it. We're coming up on Byss, so let's just concentrate on the mission, yeah?" Jaden nodded, her mind whirring away, thinking of everything that she was told about Byss. Kyle lead the way to the cockpit, and they both sat down, absently checking over the systems.

"I don't sense the dark side here." She commented, peering out towards the asteroids. Kyle send a sidewards glance towards his pupil. Yeah, she'll be okay, he thought, focusing on sensing around him. At least, I hope she will.

Like I said, cookies for reviewers! Big, homemade chocolate chip and macadamia nut cookies! That's bribery if ever I saw it. Now, get reviewing!