Tasha McKinnis: From Middle Class to Sailor’s Brass
Tasha McKinnis' journey "from middle class to sailor's brass" is as long as it is heartbreaking. She was born into a Middle Class family in the suburbs of Fernwall, where the scent of the sea mingled with the everyday hustle of wartime suburban life. Though her father had grown up in the shipyards, he'd never wanted to go to sea. But during the expansion, during the creation of the IMMC, he was given no choice. So, he became a bosun. A position he endured until his death in a brutal sea battle.
The Fall From Middle Class
The tragedy shattered not only Tasha's world but also her mother’s spirit, resulting in a heartbreaking breakdown that ultimately led to her death. Thus, in just a few short moths, Tasha had to grapple not only with the weight and grief of losing not only both her parents, but her home, and therefore the entire life she'd known as well. Still lost in the depths of despair, Tasha found herself navigating the harsh realities of life on the streets. Now left with no home to call her own and no one to turn to, she resorted to doing whatever it took to survive.
The once comfortable life she knew in Fernwall soon became a distant memory. Faced the grim truth of her new existence, she had no choice but to learn the skills of the streets. She learned how to fight, how to steal, and stay hidden in plain sight. She learned how to be a prostitute, and survive the brutal outcomes that so often came with it. But, despite the challenges and hardships of her new life, new friends and allies gave her a flicker of hope, despite her circumstances and seeming inability to rebuild the life she once had.
Without realizing it, her new life had hardened her, both mentally and physically. Obstacles were now merely challenges to be overcome. Cops are to be avoided, bullies beaten, and rapists killed. Blood was blood. "Blood" was her new family, and blood loyalty was the law. No one, and nothing else mattered. Though still beautiful, the street had forged in her a steel edge that filled her countenance, and was impossible to miss.
The Rise to Sailor's Brass
Then the press gangs caught her and, apparently already informed about her fighting skills and steel like spine, she was taken from the streets and forced into military service. Not as a regular sailor, but as part of an expendable force sent on the impossible missions William Terrell was expected to command. But even there, she quickly began to shine. Though only a sailor, Tasha's leadership skills were quickly put on display in Bagédaan, and continued to shine through her military career aboard the Golden Dawn.
