Though its armored plating was closer to a dark onyx, the ventral hull of the Mudhorn cleaved through ashen clouds like a silver star as it began its landing sequence. Sa’ato had rapped fingers on the main flight console for the past two hours, and it was only after the ship had touched down that his nervous energy transferred from his hands to his feet. Dreams of shadow and flame had haunted the Neti ever since his faithful acquisition of that most inscrutable of Sith artifacts. Now armed with a basic knowledge of the Force, it was time to get some answers.
However, before the academic could enact his grand plan for the molten wasteland that sprawled before him, certain guarantees were needed. One of those, quite simply, was the need for protection. An overwhelming fear of fire stalked the professor ever since the accident of many decades passed. If he was going to learn this planet’s secrets, he needed to survive as the locals did. Crass as it seemed, Sa’ato declared his intention to embark on a hunting expedition. He was no armorsmith, but with the right materials, the task could and would be accomplished.
The Neti had spent several weeks compiling research and information regarding the planet’s fauna and geography. Having procured the necessary resources for an extended stay, he finally moved to invite his new overlords and their servants to join in the operation. From what little he’d gathered from a handful of interactions with his new Sith colleagues, Sa’ato judged their appreciation for trophies, and their maligned interest in bioengineering. The creatures that stalked Mustafar were hardened by an intense environment: surely their pelts and parts were worth as much to the fell lords as they were to the professor.
As the loading ramp of the academic’s patrol ship crunched uneasily down onto charred and blackened rock, the Neti was forced to temporarily shield his helmet with a forearm as a molten wind buffeted the exterior hull. Squinting ahead, Sa’ato registered a valley of smoky flatland flanked on either side by sharply-peaked mountains. This particular region was once a mining bonanza, discovered centuries ago by the renowned Jezl Berken. Now however, it was largely abandoned, though the professor had found the occasional report of bandit activity from time to time.
All the same, the Sith presence here would remain inconspicuous for the time being. Out and away from any settlements or outposts, the far-flung cultists could track game freely without fear of interruption. Walking briskly back up the ramp, Sa’ato keyed the terminal for the Mudhorn’s internal cargo crane, which slowly lowered a weather but sturdy landspeeder from the ceiling until it thunked readily down on the floor. “I’ve keyed the shields to activate once the bay is resealed”, the professor called back into the vessel’s dim interior, “We can depart at any time”.
