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How did Tantia Tope work with Lakshmi Bai at Gwalior?

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Illustration of De Kantzow defending the treasury at Mainpuri during the Indian Rebellion of 1857, showing a British officer confronting armed sepoys inside a building as tensions rise during the uprising. — Indian Rebellion of 1857 Indian sepoys (soldiers) corner a British officer amid their attack on a treasury in Mainpuri, Uttar Pradesh.

Tantia Tope and Lakshmi Bai, the Rani of Jhansi, were key figures in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 who had known each other since childhood while training in the court of the peshwa.12

Their collaboration intensified during the later stages of the rebellion in central India:

Relief of Jhansi: In March 1858, Tantia Tope led an army to relieve Jhansi, which was under siege by British forces. Although his relief effort was defeated at the Battle of Betwa, he continued to support the Rani.12
Escape and Regrouping: After Lakshmi Bai escaped the fall of Jhansi, she joined forces with Tantia Tope at Kalpi.12
Assault on Gwalior: Together, they executed a successful dash to the city-fortress of Gwalior on June 1, 1858. They seized the city's treasury and arsenal and proclaimed Nana Sahib as the peshwa.12

Following the capture of Gwalior, the Rani marched to Morar to confront a British counterattack, where she was killed in combat. Tantia Tope continued to resist as a guerrilla fighter until his eventual betrayal and execution in 1859.21