Ch 8 ~ It's Not The Difficulty of the Task, M'Lady
Winter awoke with a jolt. She was lying on a cold metal floor, her head buzzing with the uncomfortable after effects of a blaster shot, something that she was totally unaccustomed to. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, which she discovered immediately. Where in the world am I? What happened? Ok, think Winter…you were getting ready for the reception and Tycho came… Tycho! Where is he? Her question was answered moments later when she heard a yelp of pain. She twisted her body to find five men, dressed in rags and dirt covered outfits, surrounding Tycho. Tycho lay on the floor, his hands bound behind his back in a way that twisted his strong shoulder muscles. His dress uniform had been removed, No doubt to protect whoever these people are from any serious charges of kidnapping a uniformed Republic officer. This left Tycho in a black outfit he customarily wore under the dress uniform. Winter realized it was in rags and these men had been going at him for some time.
"Stop!" She cried, trying to sit up. "Leave him alone!" The men turned towards her with a half grin.
"The lady awakens. Let's get them both to the Captain." The man who spoke seemed to laugh at these words. Winter looked at them closely. Pirates. One of the men came over and gently lifted her up. "Don't worry, your Highness, we won't hurt you."
"I worry little for myself." She replied stubbornly, glaring at the men who roughly yanked Tycho to his feet. Tycho groaned against his will and finally Winter got a good look at him. She wanted to cry out, but held her tongue. The black outfit had been torn across his chest and she could see black and blue bruises already formed, unusually red in two places, which she could only assume meant broken ribs. His fair blond hair was matted with blood and his lip bled. She searched his handsome face, which was now bruised along his cheekbones. His left eye was badly bruised, so badly that it was swollen shut. He stumbled as they moved forward, his body shuddering. Please let him be ok. As they moved forward, he regained his footing and managed to give her a grin. They were escorted through numerous passages until they came to a door. Once the men were given access, they were escorted in.
There, sitting on a large desk, was a small, thin woman. She had short black hair, tied back by a red strip of cloth, which matched the red in her red and black striped shirt. She wore black pants and brown boots that came up to her knees, which matched the gloves she wore. She held a small ornate knife in one hand as she watched them. The men forced Tycho to his knees, painfully yanking his arms up behind him to slide a metal bar beneath his elbows so he was forced to remain almost upright. Winter was alarmed when his breathing became labored. The woman smiled with a strange grin at Tycho, who gave her half a perceptible nod. He knows her?
"I would apologize for the means used to get you here, but you'd never accept it and I w never apologize. My name is Tavira."
"Your crew shares your lack of manners. They beat my aide," Winter's voice held venom as she glared at Tavira. Tycho glanced up at her.
"Clechu had it coming to him. His actions cost me Eiattu."
Moff Tavira! I knew I had heard that name before! Tycho shifted uncomfortably beside her.
"Because of him, I am reduced to working with a privateer that thinks serving the Empire is somehow socially elevating." The venom in Tavira's voice made Winter cold. Tycho was in great danger around this woman.
"And you don't?"
"No, Princess, I do not. I am pragmatic, Kavil is a fool. With the New Republic's help, I could supplant him."
"You, join the New Republic?" Tycho scoffed, holding back a laugh.
"They must have hit you harder than reported, Clechu. I would take Kavil's fleet and make myself a warlord. Teradoc did it. And that idiot, Harsk. A woman would get it right."
"But they didn't have our help to do it." Winter said slowly.
"I don't need your help."
"Good, 'cause you won't get it." Tycho's voice was firm and angry as he spoke. Tavira stepped forward with her knife, anger clouding her dark eyes.
"I think we could work out some sort of accommodation, if we weren't prisoners." Winter stepped forward a bit to defuse the situation.
"You thought I was negotiating with you?" Tavira asked with half a laugh, stepping forward and placing her knife right below Tycho's chin.
"You weren't?"
"Why lower myself? I've told you what I will tell Mon Mothma. New Republic support will be your ransom, and I will have it soon or I'll be sending you two Alderaanians home for a long, cold vacation." Tavira moved the knife upwards and Tycho jerked his head away, but Tavira drew a short line across his cheek, causing a flow of blood. Winter glared at Tavira, afraid of what damage she might further inflict, but the woman drew back and called for her guards. "Make our guests…comfortable."
"Yes, ma'am."
Tycho leaned against the cold cell wall, his body aching. He was glad, however, that the guards had removed the cuffs that held him. Winter had managed to tell him why she was really here, and not Leia. Leia and Wedge were on their own mission, talking with Sate Pestage on how to gain access and finally control of Coruscant. Winter was meant to be a decoy, just to draw off attention, so it was obvious that the Republic's leader was in fact actually around.
"I knew this mission would be dangerous, but not this way. I apologize for getting you into it." Winter said softly from the cell across from Tycho. Tycho glanced at her through the bars.
"You didn't get me into this," he told her confidently.
"Sure I did. I suggested we use Rogue Squadron…and you specifically for this duty. I wanted to see you again…" her confession was soft, and she had no idea that her words practically made all Tycho's pain disappear.
"I'm glad for that, despite where we are. If I'd not been ordered on this assignment, I would have volunteered for it. And I like talking to you about Winter." He got up from his seat and gripped the bars, looking at her earnestly.
"Sorry about the deception." She blushed, and even though the cell lights shined red, it did not hide it.
"Don't be. I was glad to learn where I stand. And before you apologize again for where that is, look, others are less in danger because we're here, right?"
"True. But what do you think will happen to us when Tavira learns Leia is elsewhere?" Tycho watched Winter give a soft shudder. Strange, I didn't think she would be afraid.
"She's not the most gracious of hostesses, is she? Question is whether she'll pull us from the cells or just shoot us in here."
Winter stood up and came to the bars so she could see him clearly. She crossed her arms and glanced up at the ceiling. "Dying in one of these cells isn't how I want to go out."
"We're not dying in these cells, I promise you that. We're getting out when the time is right, and Tavira will pay for the lack of hospitality." Tycho said slowly, a smile touching his lips. He reached one hand through the bars, reaching towards her.
"You Rogues have a rep for doing impossible, but getting us out of here has to take even your skills." Winter replied dubiously as she too reached for his hand. The cells were far apart and they could not touch, separated by mere inches.
"It is not the difficulty of the task, M'Lady, but the degree of motivation," Tycho said, his face lighting up. Winter cocked her head to one side in confusion, unsure of what he meant. "You once rewarded me with a kiss, and for the chance at another, I'll tear this ship apart. Believe it." The way he said it, she had no choice. There could be no denying the fact that he would do as he said, Rogue or no Rogue. As a man…in love.
Winter awoke with a jolt. She was lying on a cold metal floor, her head buzzing with the uncomfortable after effects of a blaster shot, something that she was totally unaccustomed to. Her hands were cuffed in front of her, which she discovered immediately. Where in the world am I? What happened? Ok, think Winter…you were getting ready for the reception and Tycho came… Tycho! Where is he? Her question was answered moments later when she heard a yelp of pain. She twisted her body to find five men, dressed in rags and dirt covered outfits, surrounding Tycho. Tycho lay on the floor, his hands bound behind his back in a way that twisted his strong shoulder muscles. His dress uniform had been removed, No doubt to protect whoever these people are from any serious charges of kidnapping a uniformed Republic officer. This left Tycho in a black outfit he customarily wore under the dress uniform. Winter realized it was in rags and these men had been going at him for some time.
"Stop!" She cried, trying to sit up. "Leave him alone!" The men turned towards her with a half grin.
"The lady awakens. Let's get them both to the Captain." The man who spoke seemed to laugh at these words. Winter looked at them closely. Pirates. One of the men came over and gently lifted her up. "Don't worry, your Highness, we won't hurt you."
"I worry little for myself." She replied stubbornly, glaring at the men who roughly yanked Tycho to his feet. Tycho groaned against his will and finally Winter got a good look at him. She wanted to cry out, but held her tongue. The black outfit had been torn across his chest and she could see black and blue bruises already formed, unusually red in two places, which she could only assume meant broken ribs. His fair blond hair was matted with blood and his lip bled. She searched his handsome face, which was now bruised along his cheekbones. His left eye was badly bruised, so badly that it was swollen shut. He stumbled as they moved forward, his body shuddering. Please let him be ok. As they moved forward, he regained his footing and managed to give her a grin. They were escorted through numerous passages until they came to a door. Once the men were given access, they were escorted in.
There, sitting on a large desk, was a small, thin woman. She had short black hair, tied back by a red strip of cloth, which matched the red in her red and black striped shirt. She wore black pants and brown boots that came up to her knees, which matched the gloves she wore. She held a small ornate knife in one hand as she watched them. The men forced Tycho to his knees, painfully yanking his arms up behind him to slide a metal bar beneath his elbows so he was forced to remain almost upright. Winter was alarmed when his breathing became labored. The woman smiled with a strange grin at Tycho, who gave her half a perceptible nod. He knows her?
"I would apologize for the means used to get you here, but you'd never accept it and I w never apologize. My name is Tavira."
"Your crew shares your lack of manners. They beat my aide," Winter's voice held venom as she glared at Tavira. Tycho glanced up at her.
"Clechu had it coming to him. His actions cost me Eiattu."
Moff Tavira! I knew I had heard that name before! Tycho shifted uncomfortably beside her.
"Because of him, I am reduced to working with a privateer that thinks serving the Empire is somehow socially elevating." The venom in Tavira's voice made Winter cold. Tycho was in great danger around this woman.
"And you don't?"
"No, Princess, I do not. I am pragmatic, Kavil is a fool. With the New Republic's help, I could supplant him."
"You, join the New Republic?" Tycho scoffed, holding back a laugh.
"They must have hit you harder than reported, Clechu. I would take Kavil's fleet and make myself a warlord. Teradoc did it. And that idiot, Harsk. A woman would get it right."
"But they didn't have our help to do it." Winter said slowly.
"I don't need your help."
"Good, 'cause you won't get it." Tycho's voice was firm and angry as he spoke. Tavira stepped forward with her knife, anger clouding her dark eyes.
"I think we could work out some sort of accommodation, if we weren't prisoners." Winter stepped forward a bit to defuse the situation.
"You thought I was negotiating with you?" Tavira asked with half a laugh, stepping forward and placing her knife right below Tycho's chin.
"You weren't?"
"Why lower myself? I've told you what I will tell Mon Mothma. New Republic support will be your ransom, and I will have it soon or I'll be sending you two Alderaanians home for a long, cold vacation." Tavira moved the knife upwards and Tycho jerked his head away, but Tavira drew a short line across his cheek, causing a flow of blood. Winter glared at Tavira, afraid of what damage she might further inflict, but the woman drew back and called for her guards. "Make our guests…comfortable."
"Yes, ma'am."
Tycho leaned against the cold cell wall, his body aching. He was glad, however, that the guards had removed the cuffs that held him. Winter had managed to tell him why she was really here, and not Leia. Leia and Wedge were on their own mission, talking with Sate Pestage on how to gain access and finally control of Coruscant. Winter was meant to be a decoy, just to draw off attention, so it was obvious that the Republic's leader was in fact actually around.
"I knew this mission would be dangerous, but not this way. I apologize for getting you into it." Winter said softly from the cell across from Tycho. Tycho glanced at her through the bars.
"You didn't get me into this," he told her confidently.
"Sure I did. I suggested we use Rogue Squadron…and you specifically for this duty. I wanted to see you again…" her confession was soft, and she had no idea that her words practically made all Tycho's pain disappear.
"I'm glad for that, despite where we are. If I'd not been ordered on this assignment, I would have volunteered for it. And I like talking to you about Winter." He got up from his seat and gripped the bars, looking at her earnestly.
"Sorry about the deception." She blushed, and even though the cell lights shined red, it did not hide it.
"Don't be. I was glad to learn where I stand. And before you apologize again for where that is, look, others are less in danger because we're here, right?"
"True. But what do you think will happen to us when Tavira learns Leia is elsewhere?" Tycho watched Winter give a soft shudder. Strange, I didn't think she would be afraid.
"She's not the most gracious of hostesses, is she? Question is whether she'll pull us from the cells or just shoot us in here."
Winter stood up and came to the bars so she could see him clearly. She crossed her arms and glanced up at the ceiling. "Dying in one of these cells isn't how I want to go out."
"We're not dying in these cells, I promise you that. We're getting out when the time is right, and Tavira will pay for the lack of hospitality." Tycho said slowly, a smile touching his lips. He reached one hand through the bars, reaching towards her.
"You Rogues have a rep for doing impossible, but getting us out of here has to take even your skills." Winter replied dubiously as she too reached for his hand. The cells were far apart and they could not touch, separated by mere inches.
"It is not the difficulty of the task, M'Lady, but the degree of motivation," Tycho said, his face lighting up. Winter cocked her head to one side in confusion, unsure of what he meant. "You once rewarded me with a kiss, and for the chance at another, I'll tear this ship apart. Believe it." The way he said it, she had no choice. There could be no denying the fact that he would do as he said, Rogue or no Rogue. As a man…in love.