--some introspection and annoyance for Kyp, and the introduction of a cool OC. :P Nym roxxorz, and yes, his name is taken from the Starfighter games on PS2 (and Xbox, I believe; the sucky console). You will see more of Nym in future... (insert 'knowing smile' emoticon that really just looks like the yellow face is stoned)
--Yet again, I continue to not own Kyp, Jaina or Anakin (or any SW character). I just sorta own Nym, except for his name.

----------

Maybe it hadn't been such a great idea to ask her so soon.

Kyp frowned thoughtfully and glanced sideways at Jaina as they walked down the quiet corridor towards the rec room. She was being just as quiet; hadn't spoken a word since the turbolift, in fact. They had found two ration pack meals – apparently, the kitchen staff had left the Academy a few weeks earlier – waiting in the dining hall for them, and had eaten in silence.

No, I shouldn't have asked her already. Maybe I'm not ready for a new wingmate right now.

Kyp rolled his eyes. He had a feeling his brain was using a different definition of wingmate than himself. He did, of course, purely mean it in the squadron sense. Because of course, the only interest he had in Jaina was as a member of his squadron.

Yeah right, Kyp.

OK, maybe as a friend.

Try something a little more than that, Durron.

"No," he muttered to himself, ignoring Jaina's curious stare. He looked up, deciding to also ignore the taunting of his brain, and realised with a jolt that they were already at the door to the rec room.

Kyp reached up, pulled the door open, stared, and promptly shut it again.

"Huh?" Jaina glanced from Kyp to the door. "What's wrong?"

"We have the wrong room," Kyp announced. "Or possibly the wrong dimension."

"I don't get it…"

Kyp waved her to the door and, shrugging, Jaina pulled it open and looked in for herself. Seeing her stunned expression, Kyp smirked and glanced over her shoulder into the room once again.

Kyp knew his pilots pretty well, he thought. There was – had been – Alli, cheerful, no-nonsense kind of woman, who influenced – had influenced, he reminded himself bitterly – many of the other members of his squadron; Dayvie, who would mug a Ryn if it meant he had a deck to play sabacc with; Jak, who played a mean game of dejarik and often contributed tips to strategic plans… Most of them were the kind of guys – or girls – you wouldn't mind meeting in a bright Coruscanti night club, but would probably avoid in the lower levels. Well, being part of a rather vigilante squadron bred those kind of guys.

Which just made the scene in the rec room even stranger.

Around the table in the far left corner, a bright, airy and generally unsuitable-looking corner, Dayvie was running a game of sabacc against three of the Jedi trainees. The Coruscanti pilot had a good sabacc face, and was generally hard to read in the Force… but the kids weren't, and by the looks of things, young Sannah was beating him pretty badly indeed.

Jak was at the old dejarik table on the other side of the room, facing a young boy of around ten, and frowning at the pieces on the board. The boy was studying the table closely too and, with a sudden grin, made a quick move that caused Jak to swear loudly – and creatively – at him. The boy just grinned again, and saved the game into the board.

Most of the other pilots sat in the couches and chairs dotted around the room, talking either amongst themselves, or chatting curiously with the young apprentices. Valin seemed to be in a loud argument with Adi, while Anakin and Tahiri watched with amusement.

The youngest kids – aged around six or seven – were in the centre of the room, playing with old model ships and building blocks. The group were joined by Nym, who good-naturedly allowed the kids to crash the toy fighters into him as they "attacked" the "monster".

"Wow," Jaina managed eventually, glancing at Kyp. "Definitely the wrong dimension."

Kyp nodded as Jaina turned back and entered the room, making her way over to join her brother and Tahiri. He sighed and followed her in, stepping over the children as he headed over to speak with Kam and Tionne.

Nym glanced up as Kyp passed him and brushed a toy A-wing from his head. "Save me, Lead!" he groaned as yet another X-wing "shot" him.

Kyp smirked and shook his head. "You got yourself into it, you get yourself out."

Nym sighed and turned back to the kids. "I'm glad that's not your battle philosophy."

"No," Kyp agreed under his breath.

Kam looked up from the couch as Kyp approached. He didn't stand to greet the younger man, but waved him towards the soft chair beside the couch. "You made it back from your scout then."

"Uh, yeah. No more Peace Brigade in system." He tried to grin reassuringly, wondering fleetingly whether it was Kam or himself he was trying to reassure.

Kam nodded. "That's good news. But still no sign of anyone to pick us up?"

Kyp shook his head. "No sign of Karrde just yet."

Kam pulled a face. "Talon Karrde? Don't tell me Luke's asked him to help us."

Kyp shrugged and glanced across the room. "That's what Jaina and Anakin said."

"Ah yes…" Kam leaned forward with interest, ignoring a suspicious glance from Tionne. "How come they're with you?"

Kyp shrugged nonchalantly again. "Anakin wanted to come out here to help the Academy… He asked for the Dozen's help, and I gave him it." Kyp didn't mention the specifics of his deal with Anakin. He wasn't even sure of the reasons behind them anyway.

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. I'm allowed to be concerned about the Academy's safety too, aren't I?" Kyp frowned. "I do care about this place, you know."

Kam looked like he was going to say something more, but Tionne's hand on his arm silenced him. He studied Kyp for a moment, as if trying to detect some malicious intent, and Kyp met his gaze determinedly. After a moment, he glanced away and back at the "space battle" between Nym and the kids on the floor. "Alright. So your Dozen will protect the Academy?"

Kyp nodded. "Until someone arrives to pick you up, however long that'll be."

"However long?" Kam glanced back at him curiously. "There's no pressing engagement that requires the Dozen's help in the immediate future?"

Kyp ignored the slight – but only slight – sarcasm in Kam's voice, and shook his head. "We'll stay here – and patrol the system – until someone comes. Whether that's a couple days or a couple weeks." He wasn't really sure where these words were coming from. They were crazy. Why was he saying this; offering to stay more than a couple days? Was he really this loyal to the Academy? Was it because he'd – implicitly – promised Anakin he'd fight for the Academy? Was it to prove something to Kam, or to himself… or to Jaina?

The last one, his brain told him, and Kyp groaned inwardly. It was probably right.

Kam nodded slowly. "Okay… Thanks. We could do with the security."

Tionne nodded her agreement and spoke up for the first time. "We can't let anything happen to the children… Your squadron's presence here will be reassuring."

Kyp half-smiled. "Well, it's no problem, really…" Who was he kidding? Weren't there at least twenty other locations that he could be more use at? Yeah. But none of those was the Jedi Academy, one of the few places he had ever called home… No, it was definitely worth staying here to fight for.

Tionne continued with a smile and glanced round the room. "Your pilots are already fitting in with us, in fact."

Kyp glanced round himself and laughed. Another trainee had joined the sabacc game, and already amassed a pile of "credits" – actually small pebbles from the jungle – larger than Dayvie's; Jak was losing in another game of dejarik against a twelve-year-old girl; and Nym had given up all pretence of a struggle and was lying on the floor, half-heartedly waving a model B-wing at the "attacking" X-wings and TIEs.

"Yeah," he agreed, "they seem to be."

He continued to look round the room as Kam and Tionne continued their conversation, studying each of his pilots in turn. His gaze fell on the furthest couch, where Anakin, Tahiri and Jaina sat, laughing and talking amongst themselves. After a moment, Jaina glanced up and met his eyes. She seemed momentarily unsure of herself, then smiled and turned back to her brother and his friend.

Okay, his brain started, you feel that stomach flip and explain your definition of wingmate to me again.

"Go away," he groaned to himself. "I don't need a voice in my head talking to me about anything."

His brain didn't answer; merely laughed evilly, making him groan again. "I especially don't need this so soon after-"

"After what?"

Kyp hadn't realised he was talking out loud, and looked up to see Tionne studying him closely, a worried expression on her face. "Uh… Nothing. I'm just… tired. I'm going to turn in – that is, if there's a room for me here."

"Of course. There's an empty corridor of rooms on the next floor up that your pilots can use…"

"Thanks." Kyp stood up before he could change his mind, nodding to Tionne as he turned to leave. He stumbled out of the room, almost tripping over Nym, and let out a sigh as the door closed behind him. "Definitely don't need this just now."

Need what? his brain asked innocently. You're the one jumping to conclusions here.

"And you can just kriff off back to whatever wasteland you came from. I'm going upstairs and to sleep, and you're not going to be bothering me when I wake up."

Kyp tried, as he made his way upstairs to one of the empty rooms, not to think about how insane he was slowly becoming. It would only hurt.

-----

Nym approached the closed door of his allocated room warily. He had woken up half an hour earlier, dressed, washed, and now intended to go down to the canteen and find some breakfast. The keyword being 'intended'.

He stood by the door for a moment, pressing an ear to listen for the noise of padding feet or giggling voices outside – the youngest Jedi trainees had taken to stalking him, or so it seemed. After a moment of silence, Nym decided it was safe – there were no children lying in wait to ambush him when he opened the door.

Still, he wasn't going to let his guard down, and as soon as he keyed the doorcode in, he hid just inside the doorway. Still no noise. Slowly, he poked his head outside and quickly scanned the corridor. Good. No sign of life.

The turbolift, which led directly to the canteen a few floors below, was about twenty metres down the corridor. Still no sign of children. He could run, and risk alerting the youngest students to his awake status, or he could creep down the corridor, flat against the wall, and let the risk grow with every second.

For the first time in his life, Nym wished he had some Jedi powers himself.

Keying the door shut behind him, Nym took a deep breath and hesitated a second. Not yet, not yet… now! He set off, sprinting down the corridor to the turbolift at the far end, hoping silently that he wouldn't be found. Not that – if he admitted it to himself – he particularly minded playing with the children… He just wasn't sure he could handle another toy 'space battle' this early in the morning.

Skidding to a halt in front of the turbolift, Nym thanked whatever being had seen fit to grant him temporary respite from the children, and hit the call button. Within seconds, the door opened and he almost fell against the inside wall, relieved as he was to have apparently made it, child-free. Barely looking at what he was doing, Nym hit the button that would take the lift down to the canteen and closed his eyes, grinning to himself.

"Hi."

No, Nym, you just imagined that. There is no child in the turbolift. You're alone. Open your eyes and check. Nym nodded to himself, opened his eyes and glanced round the 'lift.

Oh, the voice in his head continued nonchalantly, guess I was wrong.

"You're Nym, aren't you?" The child was only a few inches shorter than Nym himself, and it was obvious that, before long, he would no longer really be a child. "You were playing with the kids yesterday, and the day before, in the rec room."

Kids? You're still a kid yourself, Nym almost said, before remembering that he really didn't want any huffy children to have to deal with. Not in the morning, anyway. "Yes," he answered instead.

"I thought so." The boy nodded, mostly to himself. "Jysella likes you."

Nym blinked, and tried desperately to work out who Jysella was. Unfortunately, he doubted that this was female attention worth bothering about, as the only females on-planet over eighteen were the Jedi Master Tionne – beautiful, but married – and Adi Tallen – Dozen Four – who had already rejected Nym several times in the past few months. Not that he cared, of course. Well, and there was Jaina Solo. But even if Nym was interested in her, he didn't fancy death at the hands of Han Solo.

"Jysella's my little sister," the boy added helpfully, ignoring the pilot's crystal-clear thoughts. "She was the one with the A-wing in the rec room the other night."

Ah, that little – er, delightful child… "Well, tell her she's already showing some great piloting prowess, and I'm sure she'll be even better with a real ship. When she's older."

The boy grinned. "Of course she'll be a great pilot, she's a Horn! But she'll be glad to know you think so."

Wow, that's some arrogance. Is the name supposed to mean something to me? "Um, OK then, kid." There was a brief pause, and Nym wondered if he should say something else, when the lift jolted to a stop. Nym looked up and had to bite his tongue to keep from hissing a triumphant yes!

"Nice meeting you, kid," he called back as he exited the turbolift, glad to see the boy was headed towards a different floor.

"Valin," the boy corrected him indignantly.

Nym waved vaguely back at him without turning round, and sighed with relief when he heard the 'lift move on to the next floor. Yeah, he definitely couldn't handle kids this early in the morning.

As he entered the canteen through the open arch, Nym was surprised to see that only two people were in the room, sat at a table on the far side of the hall. He paused in the archway and glanced at his wrist-chrono, noticing with a wince that he hadn't actually adjusted it from Coruscant time yet. Guess I wasn't that early for breakfast yesterday morning after all.

Nym leaned against the wall as he reset the time on his chrono, and after a moment, conversation drifted across the empty hall towards him. He looked up as he heard the familiar voice of his squadron leader, and noted with interest that the other occupant of the room was Jaina Solo. Guess they both eat a little late in the morning. Like me, he added to himself with a wry smile.

"Well… have you decided yet?"

"What?" The young pilot sighed as she apparently realised what Kyp was getting at. "No, I told you, I can't just decide like that. It depends on a lot of things."

"Hmph. Like what?"

"Well, Anakin, for a start. What he decides to do. And whether the Yuuzhan Vong show up before Karrde gets here-"

"They won't," Kyp assured her.

"Never counted you as an optimist, Durron. You know fine well they probably will. And…" Jaina sighed again. "I just don't know. Can't you find someone else?"

There was a short pause, and Nym realised suddenly that neither of them knew he was listening in, and that he probably shouldn't be. It all sounded pretty suspicious to him. He took a step forward, to head towards them and either stop their conversation, or find out what was going on, but Kyp's voice stopped him.

"No one else as good as you, no."

Whoa boy, Nym, don't draw any conclusions from that. They could be talking about smashball partners, for all you know. Which was a weak excuse, because Nym knew fine well that the only sport Kyp Durron was interested in was flying.

"Don't do that, Kyp. It's not going to make anything easier for me to decide."

OK, this is getting a little tense. Obviously not smashball teams. Making a quick decision, Nym strode forward, quickly approaching the occupied table. He tried to grin reassuringly at both pilots, and plonked himself down on the bench next to Jaina. "Morning."

Jaina glanced at him nervously, and Kyp didn't greet him with his typical smirk. Yep… definitely tense. Now Nym was desperate to find out why.

Jaina coughed and stood up, pushing her tray into the centre of the table for the cleaning droid to collect later. "Um, guess I'll be off. Training to do. And everything."

Nym saw Kyp glance at Jaina's plate – still half full – and frown. "Don't go, Sticks, at least finish your breakfast."

Jaina shook her head. "All full." She half-smiled at Nym, then walked hurriedly out of the canteen before Kyp could say anything else. Nym watched her leave, and turned to Kyp with a curious expression on his face.

"Don't even ask," Kyp warned him.

"Why not?"

"Because I won't tell you."

"But what is there not to tell me?"

Kyp narrowed his eyes at Nym, but it was more with amusement than anger. He sighed and shrugged. "She's impossible."

"She's a Solo," Nym reasoned. He was well acquainted with the tales – some true, some otherwise – of Han Solo.

Kyp nodded absently, then shook his head. "Not just that. Jaina… she isn't sure she wants to join the Dozen."

Nym frowned. "I thought she already had."

"Hm. But how do I persuade her to stay?"

OK, Kyp was asking him for advice. Nym wondered if, maybe, he had woken up in another universe. That would maybe be a less embarrassing reason for my chrono being wrong, too. "Well…" He thought for a moment. "How did you persuade me to join?"

Kyp smirked at him. "You begged me to join, because you wanted to escape some less-than-appealing attention on Coruscant."

Nym nodded thoughtfully, and conceded this point to Kyp. "In that case, I'm all out of ideas. Maybe you should just go crawling on hands and knees, begging her to join because the squadron would be useless without her?"

Kyp glared at him. "You realise you're part of this 'useless' squadron, don't you?"

Nym nodded thoughtfully again. He hesitated before asking his next question. "Why do you want her in the squadron so badly, anyway?"

Kyp shrugged nonchalantly. "Why would I want any good pilot in my squadron? Like you said, she's a Solo. Great pilot."

Oh, right. Well, that does make sense… Which in itself was unusual for Kyp, Nym thought slowly.

"Anyway. Enough about that. What about Adi, huh?" Kyp smirked. "How are you and she getting along lately?"

What the-? That's what we were talking about? The situation suddenly made a whole lot more sense to Nym. Kyp wasn't just talking about Jaina sticking around as a pilot in the Dozen. He wanted her to stick around… for him.

"Nym? You awake?"

"Oh." Nym shook his head to try and clear it, and smiled wryly. "Me and Adi? Well… we're not not getting along. We just aren't, um, the best of friends, I suppose."

Kyp smirked knowingly. "You mean she still thinks you're a scruffy nerfherder and says she wouldn't go out with you if you were the last man in the galaxy?"

Nym glared at the older man, then sighed. "Pretty much."

"You know what that really means though, right?"

Nym glanced at him, slightly suspicious. "What?"

Kyp grinned. "She's obviously playing hard to get."

"Hard to get," Nym repeated disbelievingly.

Kyp nodded. "All the most successful relationships start with the woman hating the man. Han and Leia Solo, Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker… Among other examples."

Nym frowned. "They never hated each other, did they?"

"Heh, trust me. I hear Mara tried to kill Luke a few times." Kyp trailed off and frowned thoughtfully. "Of course, Han was a little drunk when he told me that story, so maybe not… but the point is still the same. Give Adi a little more time, convince her what a great guy you are, and then it'll all fall into place."

Nym nodded slowly and considered it. Well, maybe it would work. If he left Adi alone for a while, maybe she would change her mind and realise that she actually did want to go out with him. "Maybe," he started carefully, "that's all Jaina needs, too."

"What?"

"You know… give her time, and maybe she'll decide to stick with you."

Kyp looked at him sharply, and Nym smiled inwardly. Definitely some tension there. "In the squadron," he added airily.

"Right, the squadron. Of course. Good idea. Give her time to decide." Kyp was still staring at Nym, eyes narrowed suspiciously, and Nym decided that he didn't want to push any limits. Only a fool would make Kyp Durron angry with him, and Nym had long ago decided he wasn't a fool.

"Anyway," he said quickly, standing up and grabbing a couple of pieces of fruit from the bowl on the table, "I better go. Need to check a couple things on my fighter, and then hide from the kids a while longer. See you round, Lead."

"Hmph. Remember, you and Four are patrolling the system from fourteen-hundred, right?"

Great, paired with Adi again. That'll be fun. "Sure thing. Bye, then." And Nym turned, walking as fast as he could without actually running towards the exit, and the turbolift beyond. As he reached the archway exit, he almost thought he heard Kyp muttering something about following his own relationship advice.

Almost, but not quite.

--