A/N: New story- yay! Just some quick notes…

This will be the first in a series of three stories, the first two of which are already completed (if you're joining me now from the Jedi Council Forum boards, number two is Betrayal, Forgiveness, Redemption). This story is 6 parts long, and once it is up, the 2nd installment (11 parts) will immediately follow. I just started writing the 3rd installment, so can't say yet on a timeline for it.

Setting: During New Jedi Order, AU. This is an exploration of the ambiguous relationship hinted between Jaina and Kyp after Luke sends her to track him down and he asks for her help at Sernpidal. It's really the end of this and the subsequent story that are REALLY AU, this is more of a missing possibility fic that is very much written and designed to set up the second part.

Summary: During the two-ish months that it takes for a plan of action to be instated by Wedge and Kre'fey regarding the 'super weapon' Kyp's squadron uncovered in the ruins of Sernpidal, Kyp asks Jaina to apprentice herself to him. She agrees, with some reservations, and finds herself a little more over her head than she'd first anticipated…

Rating: M- for suggestive and sexual content (really, only part IV is a definitive M, but yeah… better safe than sorry).

Disclaimer: I am, of course, only playing with the toys of Lucasfilms and the authors of the NJO series.

An Informal Apprenticeship

Part I

She felt his dark eyes watching her the second she popped the canopy and leapt from her XJ X-wing. Unsure of what he was going for here, she thought it seemed best to simply ignore his shadowed presence across the hangar. As she strode purposefully towards the hangar bay doors, however, he chuckled low and deep and hurried to catch up and met her stride.

"Nice flying."

A cool look was shot over her shoulder and his smirk widened. "I flew for Rogue Squadron," she said disdainfully. "You wouldn't have asked me to fly with you if you didn't already know I fly well. So my guess is that you didn't come here, hang around the hangar and stalk me, just to tell me 'nice flying.' Am I right?"

"On the mark."

A sound that might have been an exasperated sigh escaped her lips. Turning abruptly down the corridor, she was mildly perturbed that he matched her pace still and anticipated her route. "What do you want, Master Durron?"

He grinned. "Master Durron, eh?" She said nothing. "I like that. Does that mean you've considered my second offer?"

She stopped dead in her tracks. He stood and waited until she spun angrily to face him. "I don't trust you," she practically growled. His eyes darkened. "You're arrogant and aggressive, and I'm only here because of our deal. Once General Antilles and Admiral Kre'fey deal with this gravitic weapon of yours and you come to meet with Master Skywalker, that will be it. And until then, you are my squadron commander. Having no formal military rank, the only proper accordance of respect would be to refer to you by your title among the Jedi order."

His unfaltering smile only served to infuriate her further. "That sounds like your twin brother talking," he murmured, leaning in close. "You've always been the one on the front lines, haven't you? You believe just as strongly as I do in showing the Vong what the consequences are of trying to take over this galaxy." She blinked, caught off-guard by his sudden change in demeanor. "So knock off the self-righteous attitude, Jaina, it isn't so very becoming to a pretty girl like yourself."

Unable to formulate a properly annoyed response to this, Jaina turned heel and continued heading towards her quarters. And he still followed. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"I'm not accustomed to giving up so easily when I want something."

Her spine tingled at his low tone. Stopping and turning once more as she reached her door, she leaned back against the wall and crossed her arms. "And just what is it, exactly, that you want?"

"I think you know."

Closing her eyes for a moment, she sighed. "Why should I stick around to be your apprentice? Why do you even want an apprentice? Surely it's just a waste of your time and… considerable abilities."

His brow rose curiously and that damned smirk just begged to be wiped off of his face. "Teaching others is never a waste- just as honing your own… considerable abilities… is never a waste. You aren't fully knighted yet; you can't ignore your Jedi training in favor of being a fighter pilot."

The corridor was completely still save the slight movements of the two of them. Kyp stood back, watching her, like a predator waiting to pounce. Jaina breathed shallowly, unnerved by the encounter though she could not pinpoint a reason for it. "And… if I accept," she spoke haltingly, "what sort of a training regimen might you be imposing? After all, I'm a very busy girl, what with my fighter piloting and all…"

"Oh," his eyes darkened once more, "I'm sure we could work around your considerably busy schedule. Some… late night exercises, perhaps."

"Hm," she stared unflinchingly into those dark eyes. "I'll sleep on it and give you my answer in the morning. If that's acceptable, Master Durron."

That damned smirk. "Oh, that's perfectly acceptable, Sticks." For a moment, she thought he would turn and leave… but then he strode forward, placed a hand against the wall at the side of her head, and leaned down close over her. "Say- why 'Sticks'?" his voice was low and rough.

She licked her lips, mouth suddenly dry. When his gaze dropped, she ducked under his arm and palmed the release panel to her quarters. Just before disappearing, she turned to his surprised visage and shrugged. "I'm good with a stick."

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Her mortification wouldn't desist, even as she tried to meditate before bed. Had she really just… flirted with Kyp Durron? Kyp Durron, murderer of millions, former dark Jedi, Destroyer of Worlds… her cheeks burned again as she remembered her parting shot before lowering the door of her cabin.

I'm good with a stick?

That wasn't even innocent, Jedi academy flirtation there, that was… suggestive. Very suggestive.

He was a grown man. She was… well, grown, yes. But she was seventeen, he was some sixteen years her senior. He was her commander for however long she flew with his Dozen, and she was, potentially, going to be his apprentice.

Well, there was some hope… perhaps after humiliating herself so thoroughly tonight, he'd abandon the plan of apprenticing her and just send her on back to Master Skywalker with a time and place for a rendez-vous. After all… that's the only reason she'd come out here anyway…

Little did she know that, halfway across the ship that was orbiting Chandrila, Kyp felt her confliction roiling through the Force- and he reveled in it.

Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene. Scene.

Her nervous determination called to him from the moment she woke that morning. Arriving early at the morning briefing, he awaited her patiently as the other squadron commanders filed in. The last to enter the room, Jaina did not meet his gaze and slid into the furthest chair from him that she could find.

If that was how she wanted to play- fine then.

The meeting lasted forty-five minutes. Kyp estimated that his eyes were on Jaina for about forty of them. Within the first quarter hour, she had adopted a continually red, embarrassed look and looked intently at whoever was speaking, regardless what they were saying.

It certainly gave the impression that she was serious, detail-oriented, and alert; only Kyp knew that she was doing it to avoid his gaze. Of course, whenever he was speaking, her gaze dropped instantly to the table until the next person took up the discussion.

When the meeting was over, at least she wasn't naïve enough to imagine that he'd let her leave unhindered, after the games of the last forty-five minutes. She sat quietly in her chair, hands clasped in her lap, gaze lowered, cheeks pink, rocking unconsciously back and forth in her seat. He contemplated this for a minute or two, realizing that, more than anything, she looked guilty, like a child caught reprogramming the serving droid to sing its orders.

Smoothly, with the grace of a nexu on the prowl, he crossed the room and slid into the seat next to her. Her determination wavered as a tinge of discomfort laced her demeanor, and he was surprised when she spoke first.

"I think I should go."

He frowned. "Kre'fey won't be here for another month at least, you know that. And planning, staging, reconnaissance… those will probably take another month again once he is here before we can strike at Sernpidal."

"No, I mean… this was a bad idea. I pitched your concerns to General Antilles and he's taking care of them- and that's what you wanted, right? I should get back to Coruscant."

"They're out for Jedi blood on Coruscant."

She huffed in frustration. "Then I'll go where I'll be useful."

"You could be very useful here."

"But you don't need me."

"No- but that's why you'll stay." She turned and stared at him in surprised confusion. "Come on, Jaina… your entire life has been about your duty, going wherever the galaxy needs your help. Maybe you deserve a break from that. Stay here- we have at least a month and probably two or three until we can take care of this super-weapon they're growing. Relax; train with me; take a much-needed break from everything."

Frowning, she struggled to answer. "I've been taking a break," she finally muttered. "I was nearly blinded, I spent months recovering my full sight."

His mouth quirked. "And yet you still found yourself fighting off the Vong at every turn, didn't you? I heard about Duro…"

She shuddered involuntarily. Her mother had nearly been paralyzed when she had been tortured by Tsavong Lah, and the warmaster had shortly thereafter issued the call for the Jedi to be hunted down- her twin brother in particular. "Fine," she felt marginally guilty as she said it. "I'll stay. But," she paused and glanced down at her hands in her lap, "I still don't know how I feel about being your apprentice. After last night…"

It was his turn to frown, confused. "Last night?"

"Yes," she snapped. "We don't get along so well, you and I, and it's probably for the best if we don't exacerbate that by trying to make an apprenticeship work."

He sat back and regarded her coolly, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I disagree," he murmured lowly. "I think the potential is there for us to get along just fine- if you just stop fighting it."

Her voice was just shy of outraged. "Fighting it?"

"Your feelings betray you," he said silkily, almost mockingly. "And it's a dangerous game you're playing here." Her eyes widened and Kyp met her gaze evenly… before something in his eyes flickered and his look softened. "I'm sorry," he quickly soothed. "That was uncalled for."

For her part, Jaina wasn't entirely sure what had just happened- or what game he was talking about.

"How's this?" he started. "You stay, we'll work together for a few days- there's not much going on anyway. And if you still feel… uncomfortable… then you go back to Master Skywalker with the details for a meeting, and no hard feelings. Deal?"

Wondering how he'd made her somehow feel guilty about leaving, after she initially felt guilty about staying, Jaina nodded hesitantly. And as they strode from the room, Kyp gesturing her before him, she was reminded, not for the first time, how incredibly powerful he was- and how dangerous he could be.

End Part I

A/N: Expect a chapter or two a day :-)

I'd love to hear thoughts,

*~Lexi~*