Mission: Over the Mountains of Madness

[Pureblood-Sin]

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Tatooine, Mountains of Madness Foothills

The hot desert air of Tatooine, ever present on the dry gusts of wind, seemed different. A peculiar tang that felt familiar to Uhrsek; it was present within the heartlands of the Sith Empire, and it was present within the blood of his species. It was the Dark Side; whilst it was minimal here compared to worlds such as Korriban, Moraband and Dromund Kaas, the mark has been left here of all places. His eyes looked upon the Mountains of Madness; an unusual sight within the vast dunes of Tatooine, there was more to this peak than clearly met the eye. Well-named, the mark of the Dark Side within these mountains is said to assail the mind of all those who dare to climb its peaks. Those who face its horrors are ultimately driven into the embrace of madness if their minds are not strong enough to endure this task. Uhrsek was not alone here, as much as it chafed him to do so; when he had first lain eyes upon the male Dathomirian next to him, intriguingly named Dhuum, he had mistaken him for a Zabrak. Of course, Dathomirian males bear more overt effects of their Zabrak blood; this one must have the blood of a Massassi, he thought wryly, thinking of the being's unusual height. Given what he's heard of the plight of men on Dathomir, Uhrsek wasn't particularly surprised to find one here.. Half-mask rebreather down, the Red Sith turned to Dhuum, wary of the dismal word that shares the sound of the name, and spoke.

"I know us Sith usually say we'd climb mountains in the pursuit of our goals, but I find this a tad too literal don't you think?"

He said dryly, not sure if his Dathomirian companion would appreciate such a witticism; if what people said were true, Dathomirians aren't exactly known for their sense of humour.

 

[Chosen]

Red eyes looked skyward from beneath the Dathomirian's hood; however, it was not long before gauntleted fingers rose up to bring that hood down, bearing Dhuum's crown of horns and bald head for his companion to see. Those eyes diverted to Uhrsek for only a moment, looking down at him before training himself back towards the goal at hand.

"Then stand watch at the bottom, I will not be long."

Dathomirians truly were not very keen on conversation, though this one seemed like he might be a special case. Self-driven, focused, and without any sense of humor to be found. The Sith had found himself wandering throughout the desert with a drone, for better or for worse. That drone threw back dark fabric that draped across the front of his frame so that all of his cloak could hang from the back of his shoulders and the nature of his dark armor would be revealed, never mind the fact that it allowed him to move easier.

"I am sure that I could handle it all on my own, the mountain is not that large."

 

[Uhrsek Tabashk]

The Red Sith raised his eyebrow stalk in response to the Dathomirian's words, his single eye locked on him; it seems that the stereotypes of his people might have a kernel of truth to them. Befuddlement then turned to slight anger as Dhuum all but insisted that he remain behind whilst he does the task at hand. Biting it back and saving this flicker of rage for a more prudent time, Uhrsek maintained his charming demeanor.

"And deny myself to feel the kiss of the Dark Side amidst a sea of sand? Why, I'd be a fool to remain behind."

Nimbly and deft-footed, the Red Sith kept his feet from barely touching the sand, leaving little if any marks in spite of his medium armour. Determined to see if this alien knew of what lay ahead in their pursuit of the task at hand, his lips let loose a most pertinent question. Not only was it to see whether or not the Dathomirian was merely a drone, not a dullard.

"So tell me Dhuum, what is it that you yourself have heard of these mountains? I hear Dathomir also has a certain abundance of such places."

 

[Chosen]

"Yes, you would be."

Though it might seem some grand conspiracy on the Dathomirian's part to get a rise out of his companion, Dhuum's words didn't carry any hints of animosity or venom. They practically fell out of his mouth, into the air, and adding to the already deadpan demeanor he'd already established for himself. The man continued forward with a dutiful pace and didn't look too particularly worried about the dust he was kicking up with his heavy footfalls. It was typical almost, at least for him, getting dirty long before the two of them had to. The Sith's question was met with a response, though Dhuum couldn't find the need to look at him.

"It is another dark place, like Korriban. We are to go there, conquer it, or die. Such a task is not terribly uncommon."

The Dathomirian didn't bother to entertain Uhrsek's question on Dathomir...or maybe he did? It depended on how deep the brute's companion dared to read into a brute.

 

[Uhrsek Tabashk]

He's trying to get me to waste my anger in some petty pursuit, he thought; his unobscured eyes and thoughts betrayed nothing, conveying the illusion of calm. No, Uhrsek was annoyed...but any thought of retribution would be a waste of time and energy in this place, not to mention petty. His old master had warned of wasted anger many years ago; that the Sith were more than animals, that the usage of their passions in such refined ways elevated them above such things. When the Dathomirian responded to his second question, it seemed rather neutral at first...yet there were always details, even in the most inscrutable of words. If Dhuum thought Uhrsek would be cowardly enough not to delve deeper, than how wrong he would be. What ever happened, he would face.

"And I don't suppose it would please you to do so? I hear manlings are...less than equal to the females in the region, I believe your Clan Mothers refer to it as 'indentured labour', something we both know that is lie."

Soon enough, the two Sith found themselves right at the lower slopes of the Mountains of Madness; looking high at strange, snow-covered peaks, the Red Sith planted his foot upon the sand-kissed stone and proceeded to begin the climb. To the both the highest peaks of stone and the highest peaks of insanity. Uhrsek remained silent, it would not matter if whether or not he said anything.

 

[Chosen]

Dhuum wrinkled his nose in response, the Sith's words had rung true, but did not seem to strike a nerve; however, disdain had finally reared its head in the man's voice. Not for the Sith, but for another.

"Indeed we are, for now."

His words lingered in the air for only a moment before more followed. It was obviously a subject of great importance, at least as far as Dhuum is concerned.

"And we both know that my brethren can not be subdued forever. But that is of no importance, not now."

Reddish eyes lofted up towards the peak of the mountain. What a mountain it was, and the gravity of the situation had finally begun to creep through the Dathomirian's thick skull. A look of concern plagued his countenance as he followed Uhrsek. These were their first steps, their first challenge, and yet all the Dathomirian could think about was how small this mountain might seem in comparison to the obstacles they would face at it's peak. The oppressive thought hung in the air for only a moment before Dhuum's brain shut it out, banishing it to a deep, dark corner of his mind. It was a weakness he could not afford, he knew that, and his focus would be renewed. He did not know what they would face, that much was true, but he did know one thing. Uhrsek's pace had become too slow for him and his gait would lengthen, now bound to overtake the Sith with his colossal stride.

 

[Uhrsek Tabashk]

Uhrsek listened, and his mind pondered the implications of Dhuum's sparse words and the disdain apparent; it would seems there was definitely something there. Once more, the Red Sith's taste for intrigue began to be teased; he pondered how a Nightbrother rebellion would manifest...and how it could be used to the benefit of the Sith Brotherhood. Oh yes, what one could do to ensure that such an event could occur...Uhrsek quickly snapped out of it, knowing very well that he had more pressing task at this moment in time. From that, his pace began to quicken, keeping up with the Dathomirian behemoth next to him. As they began to ascend the slopes of the mountain, the hot air of Tatooine soon came to be replaced by the cold, as though one had suddenly stepped out onto the surface of Ziost. Uhrsek knew that if his mouth hadn't been covered by his half-mask, it would become mist right before his very eyes. Whilst he had spent most of his life on Korriban, the Red Sith was no stranger to such a cold; yet he knew what this ultimately entailed. As he made another step forward, something crunched beneath his feet; looking downwards, the situation at hand was made all the more clear. Surrounding his left foot was the remains of a humanoid tibia; a victim of the mark left within this place, having not quite made it out. He turned towards Dhuum, his next words reverberated heavily on the chill winds.

"So it begins."