Home, A Strange Word In My Mouth

ooc: a collection of thoughts spanning across the 18ish months between The Reckoning and the present timeline of You're a Criminal as Long as You're Mine. They may not be in chronological order.

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Bellataine

So her mother was still alive. And she had a sister. House Tankreyd stood proud on recent Alliance territory.

Stepping onto the terrace at the west end of the guest apartments she had been provided with, Baska let the breeze invigorate her. The sunset was beautiful but her mood remained sour. She had followed the trace of her late mentor to Sillesk and then to the Tainar system, all the way to where her surviving relatives lived. The dead Sith had always been a fantastic and nefarious puppet master but this went above everything she had witnessed before.

She had not yet seen Heyrina, which would happen the next day; but she had already recognized the spark of her daughter, whatever she was now. She knew her in the most visceral certainty. Old memories from her pregnancy eons ago and the many visions she had had, all the way to that fated laboratory of horrors in the depth of imperial territory, had paved the way.

She still wasn't sure how she would explain the situation to her family. She would tell the truth, but only a fraction of it. Thirty plus years of silence from her mother and only a day of being introduced to her younger sibling did not bode well for heartfelt confessions and catching up on a past that had seen them embark on vastly different journeys.

Nobility.

This still was mind blowing to Baska and not necessarily in a great way. She didn't know how her parents had met; but she had grown up on a successful farm on Tanaab, before getting thrown onto the streets at thirteen years old. She had fought for her life and for who she had become. She had sensed the fleeting but definite concern of her younger sister, realizing that there was a claimant to whatever fancy title her family possessed on Bellataine.

The Sith had no interest in such things. She was here for her daughter. There had been a brief moment when the thought of reuniting with her mother had seemed like a gift. Having a sister could have been something; but the last hours had already proven that the rift was too great and she belonged in a different world. While she could sense strength in her sister, their mother was a whole other beast. Or at least she had once been.

Baska had been a loner for much of her life but she took loyalty very seriously when she gave it to someone, and her mother had shown none of it in her view.

Anger still flared beneath the surface; but above all, Baska felt more hollow than she had in many years. This place wasn't home and her family were strangers.

She might share blood and a name with the other women; but she didn't belong here.

Iego

Fending for herself was so ingrained in her that Baska often had a difficult time considering relying on others. She understood that pride could be counter-productive at times; and utilizing assets and networks was the way to go in various situations. Yet it didn't meant she wished to rely on others for what personally mattered to her. Her cousin Alienor had been one of the very few exceptions over the years, both Tankreyds having grown quite close even though the Sith remained bewildering to the musician, and not just because of their age difference.

Feeling like an old soul who had seen too much had many perks but it also felt isolating. Granted, Baska wasn't much of a team player in the first place, and had never been. Working with very specific individuals was acceptable, even wished for once upon a time; but she did better on her own.

Yet she had felt some longing to be part of something, to have a new direction in her life in the recent years. It had been a quiet whisper she had first attempted to ignore, then obliterate; but if she was honest, she admitted it was a thing, quite puzzling, really. It was an unexpected twist of events and she wasn't sure what to make of it. It wasn't as if she was suddenly going to ally with random people, seek out fellow dark siders, or - heavens and hells forbade - join the Alliance. There were already enough Tankreyds sullying the name who did that. She had briefly considered investigating some underworld options; but had quickly reminded herself that even in her bounty hunting days, she had always remained a free agent, much to some people' chagrin, or even outrage, depending who you asked.

A faint cry broke her ruminations. Feeling distress coming from Heyrina, she rushed back inside their home, soon reaching her daughter's room. Concern gripped at her heart as she knelt by the bed. Her child had been feeling a little sick in the last couple of days but this was getting worse.

Whatever her late master had done to bring her daughter back to life seemed to take an unexpected toll on Heyrina.

Iego

Time always slipped away and the conquering the tidal wave of fate was a feat that even the most powerful Force wielder could not achieve. Baska knew that too well even after having witnessed Heyrina's return to life. The Sith looked at the girl by her side, similar blue eyes gazing into the oceans crashing onto the rocky beach where they stood. Necromancy and horrific experiences had returned her child to her and imperial science had allowed her to become healthy despite shaky beginnings.

Yet Baska knew that her own life was changing drastically and that Heyrina was meant for something else. They had talked about it, in passing at first, both on Sillesk and since they had returned to Iego. The older blonde wasn't certain of where she was headed next, although a path had begun to clarify, much to her surprise. Heyrina had seen it too, even before her traumatic growth spur.

They both knew.

"Mother?"

Baska tucked a wayward tress away from her daughter's face, smiling as the younger Tankreyd had asked to learn a few things that made her mother who she was.

"Yes, Heyrina?"

Her child reached out and took her hand, holding on tightly.

"We will see each other again, won't we?"

Heyrina was bright and wise even with such a short life experience despite her late adolescent looks.

"We will. We will always be connected and I am looking forward to what life brings you."

Her daughter smiled, although her gaze retained their seriousness.

"So am I."

Baska tugged her child closer and they embraced in silence for a while. She let the Force crash into them, coiling before releasing into its multitude of tendrils, glimpses of past and future passing before her mind's eye.

"Before I take you back to Bellataine, there is something I want you to have."

Her daughter stepped back and gave a quizzical look at her mother. Baska gestured for her to follow back to the house. She made her way to the mantle of the fireplace, where she kept multiple weapons. Heyrina recognized the trio of customized vibroblades her parent generally kept on her.

The Sith reached for one of them and presented it to Heyrina who respectfully took it, surprised at the gesture. She knew how much those meant to her mother. She looked back up.

"You never told me why it is bear symbols on the hilt. With the name of your ship, I would have expected something wolf-related."

Baska chuckled for it was an astute observation, which pleased her as it showed how sharp Heyrina's intellect. Brute force only took one so far in life and having a solid brain could make a world of difference.

"I have had dreams of bears and wolves since I was a child. There was always a protector aspect to them. I believe them to be expression of the Force, the great Darkness who guides me."