The Reckoning

[Baska Tankreyd]

The full moon on Iego had a unique feeling, compared to other worlds. It magnified the dark of the night, giving an ethereal atmosphere to the sea shore, turning the water and the rocky beaches into an almost spiritual realm, beyond present, and even past and future. To Baska, it was calming, a quality that her tortured but sharp mind could appreciate. There was a stillness contrasting with the usual wreckage her inner disturbia could birth. The wind hadn't quieted that night though; twisting and slapping against the tall blonde's body as she roamed the coast on foot. The temperature was colder than usual, even for a full moon; and she hadn't barely dressed for the weather, despite having had her residence there for over a decade. It mattered little for she could sustain much worse conditions. The current ones gave her an almost nonchalant reminder of being alive.

Baska sank her hands into the pocket of her long red duster, a drop of vivid color in the muted tones of the full moon. She had traveled across the galaxy for most of her life, never staying anywhere long enough to call it home except here, hidden from the rest of the worlds she had seen. It had been her refuge, although she hated the notion of a shelter. The whole concept left a sore taste in her mouth. Too many people liked the coziness and comfort that mostly hid cowardice. Some were exception to the rule; but it was one of the many reasons why she held respect for so few individuals. True power required intelligence and looking beyond appearance, beyond established systems.

That was why Baska had little patience for politics, and gladly stayed on the edges or behind the curtains of any grand schemes. She understood that it was the playground for some people, including intelligent and valuable persons; but it wasn't how she operated. And yet, she had felt a strange pull of the Force lately, as if she was going to see her life go into new and uncharted directions. She hadn't been able to put her finger on it yet, but it was unsettling, and somewhat intriguing.

She was wary that such a new chapter might see her settle somewhere else across the galaxy. It felt unnatural to leave Iego behind her in a way. It wasn't a betrayal; for she had lived as viciously authentically as possible her whole life, only growing in power as her soul had been ripped apart over and over again, so every time she could come out of the fire stronger and smarter.

It nevertheless felt as turning a very long page of her life.

What had started as a hideout for Denart and her, where they would raise their family, had become a tomb too soon. It had eventually become the outward fortress of her still bleeding soul. She had built her vaults, learned so much about Sith history, turning to the past to fortify her present and bury stubborn roots for the future. Nobody had set foot in her residence since she had lost her family, even before she had become a Sith, embracing her true calling as a Force-imbued predator, beyond a mere bounty hunter.

She would never forsake this place; but she was ready to travel to new horizons, and she had to be ready for wherever those might be.

But when the time came, she wouldn't travel alone.