Agent Winter fumbled for her key card. Pulling it out of her bag, she quickly swiped the lock and entered her room. Tears blurred her vision as she threw her coat down on the couch, and walked into her bedroom. She couldn't think about it. If she did, she was sure to break down.

She couldn't resist. Like a reaper, the news crawled out of the shadows and grabbed her, making her face all the wrongs in the galaxy in a single moment. It was unbelievable. It was overwhelming. He was dead.

Tycho Celchu was dead.

With that one thought, Winter lost it. She fell onto her bed, weeping, sobbing, and crying, for him. Not for him, rather, but for herself. Tycho was in a better place now; she was going to be in all the hells there ever were for the rest of her life. Winter could hardly imagine her life without him. She needed him to get through the tedious routine of her day. She needed to know that someday, they would be in each other's arms once again.

That could never happen now. He was dead. She didn't even get a chance to say goodbye.

Tycho had been out of her life for the last three years. After the Battle of Endor, he had volunteered for an undercover mission to Coruscant; posing as an Imperial pilot on leave. His mission had been to collect data about the automated defense systems surrounding the planet, and to provide a cover for other Alliance agents while they used his ship as a satellite back to the rebel base.

On his way home, he had been pulled out of hyperspace and captured by Ysanne Isard. After spending one year getting tortured until he was catatonic, Celchu was sent to a high security prison on an unknown planet. There, his memory was almost completely erased.

After six months of searching, the Alliance declared Tycho dead. KIA. Winter was asked to speak at his funeral, but she refused, worried that she would be unable to uphold her cool image if she had to actually voice what the man meant to her. Winter had cried for months, unable to believe that the man she held so dear to her heart was gone forever.

Meanwhile, Tycho was alive and living at the penal colony. He regained a bit of him memory over time, and knew that he did not belong with the other prisoners. He had a more important mission in his life, getting back to the Alliance and to Winter. He escaped a year after he was placed in the colony, and somehow made his way back to the Alliance via Rebel cells on Imperial-occupied planets. When Tycho was analyzed and found to be only a moderate safety risk for the alliance, he had undergone intensive therapy to regain his entire memory. A high security watch was placed on his head, and it was impossible for Winter to have contact with him for 6 months. When the security shield had finally been lifted, Winter had been appalled to hear that she was being sent on an undercover assignment to Coruscant. She would have to wait another few months until she could be in contact with her beloved.

Now, she had just learned from Wedge that Tycho had been killed after a base on Novquizdor had been attacked. They had found no body, but the section of the station that he had been in was now in vacuum, so he was surely dead. Winter ran straight home without stopping. She had been determined to cry for him until she was alone in her apartment, but she had failed. When tears blocked her vision on one of Coruscant's many airways, she had been forced to pull into an ally. There, she cried her heart out for a full hour until she was able to compose herself enough to drive the few remaining blocks to her quarters. Winter turned around on her bed now, and looked up at the ceiling. Tears were streaming down her face, but she had finally been able to control her wailing.

Three years ago, Tycho and Winter had been in a deserted greenhouse room on a Mon Calamari cruiser, enjoying each other's company. She remembered relaxing in his arms, when he slowly pulled away from her with an odd smile on his face.

"What is it?" She asked. "What's wrong?" Tycho kissed her forehead, and touched his hand to her cheek before responding.

"I need to tell you something." He said softly. "I just found out today, but I still think that you are going to be upset with me."

Winter frowned and took his hand, leading him to a bench under a large Fanfu tree.

"Lets go sit down." She suggested. Tycho nodded absently, and allowed her to lead him across the humid room. When they were seated he took a deep breath, and them spoke.

"Winter, this morning Admiral Akbar told the squadron that we were going to start procedures in taking Coruscant." Winter gasped, but Tycho squeezed her hands and she let him continue. "They needed a volunteer to infiltrate the plant's defenses and gather information, and…and I said I would do it."

At that point, all of the color had drained from Winter's face. Tycho opened his mouth to say something more, but she silenced him with a finger against his lips. "You are the best man for the job, my love. I understand that you had to offer your services." Winter replaced her finger with warm lips, and after a long moment she drew back and looked into Tycho's eyes. "When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"So soon?" Winter tried, but her voice still managed to come out sounding choked. Tycho raised his hand, and pushed a loose strand of hair away from her face.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I wish we had more time together, Winter."

"So do I. It seems as if every time that we seem to be enjoying ourselves, the forces are just rallying to pull us apart."

"I know what you mean." He replied, wistfully.

"I wish we could just be together forever." Winter sighed, and took his hand in hers. An odd look came over Tycho them, and he turned his head to meet her gaze.

"Perhaps we can."

"What are you talking about, Tycho?" Tycho smiled, and began to speak.

"Winter, we have known each other for a long time now. I feel that I have known you for my entire life, in fact. I love you. I'm sure that I have said those three words to you before, but I want you to know that I mean them. I love you, Winter."

"I love you too, Tycho, but what are you getting at?"

"I just want us to be together forever. I'm tired of the galaxy pulling us in two separate directions. I want you to be with me, if not physically, them by spirit." Winter's eyes them grew wide as Tycho moved off the bench and keeled down in front of her, holding her hands so tightly that they began to grow white. "Winter, will you marry me?"

All the emotion that she possessed pushed her heart up into her throat. She found herself unable to speak, so she answered him with a passionate kiss. After several moments, Tycho pulled back and looked into her eyes.

"Is that a `yes'?" He asked smiling.

"Yes! Of course I say yes!" Tycho was beaming as he kissed her again, and them pulled them to their feet. They held each other tightly, and Winter could not help a tear of happiness from falling down her cheek.

"I love you, Tycho."

"And I love you, Winter." He replied. "Forever."

Forever. Just that single word had Winter gushing again. She buried her face in her pillow, and tried to let emotionless sleep overtake her. This was not destined, however. Her comlink sounded, jolting her out of her reverie. It was Wedge. I was time to pick up Corran and bring him to the rendezvous. Winter took a few minutes to compose herself, and them headed out.

Finis

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