Note: Dialogue marked with <> are directly from the
comic Masquerade by Michael Stackpole. No plagiarism
is intended by the use of his words.

Masqueraded Moments
Aggy

What could she say to him? What words could take away
the hurts she had inflicted upon him over the past few
months?

She lifted her head, forcing her gaze away from the
featureless ferrosteel of the floor. He was sprawled
across his bunk, caged in a cell that was a mirror
image of her own. She winced as she stared at the
wounds Tavia had inflicted on the Rogue. He was no
longer in those awful binders the guards had forced
him into, but the tension in his back clearly showed
that the restraints had twisted his body painfully. A
growing bruise radiated from his left eye, a vivid
purple almost looked black against the pallor of his
skin. His other eye was closed as he fought to
control the tremors that periodically racked his
abused body. His lips were swollen; a spot of dried
blood still marking a cut made by a ring worn by one
of the guards.

Guilt ravaged her as she stared at the beaten pilot.
How many times had she caused him pain? How many
times had the lies she told to protect her cover ended
with Tycho getting hurt? She had always known that he
would not jeopardize her missions. No matter what
tortures the Empire devised, the Rogue would never
betray the New Republic.

He would never betray her…

And how had she repaid that loyalty? With snide
comments meant to humiliate him and drive him away
before her feelings for him deepened.

Had Tycho truly deserved to be treated so poorly?
Especially after all he had ever shown her was
kindness and trust?

She ran a hand through her artificially darkened hair,
twisting a strand between her fingers as guilt twisted
itself around her heart.

It was not Tycho’s fault that her work required a
certain level of emotional detachment. It was not his
fault that her commanding officers saw her as little
more than a pretty noble playing spy games instead of
an important part of Intel operations.

During the struggles of the Rebellion, her ability to
blend into Imperial strongholds had given the Alliance
a desperately needed edge. But she was rarely seen as
an asset.

She had always found it strange that a Rebellion led
by a princess would be filled with so much chauvinism.

In an effort to prove herself to these fools, she had
lost part of her humanity. As she struggled to
perform at a level far above her male counterparts,
she became more distant and frigid. She lost part of
her femininity in an effort to fit into a man’s world.

Since everyone else around her saw being female as
just another ‘ass’et for infiltrating some Moff’s
household, slowly she had began seeing herself in the
same way. Only acting female when the mission
required a woman’s touch, the rest of the time acting
as asexual as a droid. All blasters, combat fatigues
and unyielding, inhuman intensity.

Then somehow Tycho managed to break through those
emotional walls. At first she had seen him as a
reminder of the past, of a homeland annihilated, and
after learning that he had been an Imperial cadet, a
reminder of the Empire that had destroyed Alderaan.

But slowly, he had shown her that he was more than a
bittersweet reminder of a lost home. That he was
deeper than the dense flyboy stereotype she attempted
to cast him as. No, Tycho was far more than that.

Tycho possessed a complexity that allowed him to defy
all definitions. There was a nobility of soul that
allowed him to accept hardships with a rare grace that
she always found amazing. No matter how much sorrow
entered his life, the Rogue still managed to continue,
never letting his grief get the better of him.

She wished she had dealt with the death of Alderaan
with such dignity…

And beneath that dignity was a personality that should
have been at odds with his aristocratic bearing.
Accepting, and occasionally aiding Wes in his pranks.
A temper that could rage as hot as the suns of
Tatooine. A steadfast loyalty to the Squadron that
never wavered no matter what assignments were forced
upon them.

Despite, or maybe because of this complexity, he had
somehow fallen in love with her. Her! How could
someone so generous and compassionate fall in love
with someone who had shown him nothing but
indifference?

Hells, the only time she had ever shown Tycho her true
emotions was on Tattoine. She had been so sure she
had lost him during that final dogfight. His x-wing
had shattered against the desert sands. And
Wedge…Gods, she had been so furious when Wedge had
finally admitted that Tycho was safe. That the Rogue
had ejected from his ship before impact.

Wedge still eyed her nervously whenever she was
nearby, fearing that she would make another attempt at
breaking his jaw.

That had been one sign of her true feelings for Tycho,
that and the intense, desperate kiss they had shared
when he had finally returned to the squadron’s
improvised base.

She had dreamed about that kiss for months…

And now, because of her, Tycho was again in danger.
It was all because of her that he was lying injured in
a cage. She was the one who had requested that he
accompany her while she impersonated Leia. If she had
not specifically asked for Tycho…

“I’m sorry.” She didn’t know she had spoken aloud
until Tycho answered.

“For what?” His voice sounded tired but strong. He
slowly eased himself into a sitting position.

“For this.” She gestured widely to include their
cells, “For you getting hurt.” She sighed, letting
the gravity of the situation finally sink in. <”I
knew the mission would be dangerous, but not this way.
I apologize for getting you into it.”

Tycho shook his head cautiously, careful of his
injuries. <”You didn’t get me into this.”>

Winter let out a quiet growl. <”Sure I did. I
suggested we use Rogue Squadron and you specifically
for this duty. I wanted to see you again…”>

<”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 liked talking to you about
Winter.”>

She blushed at the mention of that conversation. A
conversation during which he had discussed his
feelings for Winter while she pretended to be the
Princess. Shame broke through her pretended
indifference. <”Sorry about the deception.”> she
murmured softly.

Tycho smiled, easing her embarrassment. <”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?”>

Hesitantly, she returned the smile; suddenly feeling
exposed as they discussed emotions she had denied for
so long. She stood and began pacing the minuscule
length of her cell, considering their situation from
as many angles as possible. <”True. But what do you
think will happen when Tavira learns Leia is
elsewhere?”>

Instantly, Tycho became serious, wincing as the cut on
his lip opened up again. Absentmindedly, he wiped
away the blood that began seeping from the wound.
<”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.”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she smiled wryly at
the Rogue. “Dying in one of these cells isn’t how I
want to go out.”

Slowly, Tycho stood, reaching through the bars.
Tentatively, Winter stretched out to touch his hand.
<”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.”

She would have laughed at his arrogance, but from
previous experience, Tycho had a way of making such
outrages statements into truth. <”You Rogues have a
rep for doing the impossible, but getting us out of
here has to tax even your skills.”

The intensity in his voice startled her. The quiet
determination that was etched into his very being was
frightening. <”It’s not the difficulty of the task,
M’Lady, but the degree of motivation. You once
rewarded me with a kiss, and for the chance at
another, I’ll tear this ship apart. Believe it…”>

Confronted with such resolve, how could she not
believe? If he could tear down the walls around her
heart and find a way to thaw her frigid reserve, how
could she doubt that he could save them both? After
all, Rogues had a way of making the impossible happen.