Masterpiece of My Blood

[Baska Tankreyd]

Baska had not set foot on Onderon in several months, but after dancing around the topic, mother and daughter had agreed to see each other. It would be the first time since Heyrina had been appointed as royal handmaiden in Iziz. Life as the Empress's Hand had kept the Sith busy, and truth be told, she was still figuring out what to do about her grown-up daughter. The past two years had placated her mourning of many years. After fighting for her daughter's life, which had her path intersect with the Empire more closely than she had ever expected, Baska knew she may have become distant. Surely she had instructed her then adolescent daughter how to control her gifts so she would have some basic understanding of the Force, but she had not volunteered much beyond.

For a while, Baska had thought motherhood was an experience she may not have been prepared for and that after years of longing and knowing the tragedy of her youth had left her barren, she had no idea how to be a mother. Heyrina had taken a liking to her aunt, Seraphine. The name made the blonde Sith frown. She couldn't believe that her mother had just given up on her family all those years ago. The older Tankreyd's admiration for her older daughter had left Baska at odds with both her and her unexpected sister. She was used to being a lone wolf, an outlier that followed her own path, freed from all shackles.

Ironically, she had willingly entered Empress Tarkin's service, coaxed by fate and especially Admiral Bismarck. Yet, her new position had made Baska feel more alive than she had in a long time. Working from the shadows was how she operated best and she had great respect for Miranda Tarkin. It mostly left her uncertain about what to do regarding her daughter, but the Force had gifted her a miracle and her faith inspired her not to turn her back on Heyrina even now that the younger Tankreyd was settled and creating her own path.

In the mountains of Onderon, far away from its capital or other trade and urban centers, the tall blonde waited in the forest, not too far from the small cabin she and Heyrina had decided to meet at. She could feel the tremors in the Force announcing her daughter's soon arrival.