The Digger: Scavenger’s Secrets

Written by vibemaster for @MTrac1000 – September 6, 2020

Note: @vibemaster is an ever-developing writer whose stories stretch to the outermost obscure regions of the Star Wars universe, while also including familiar and iconic characters along the way. They have many outgoing projects, primarily featured over on Wattpad.

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Lotho Minor, 5 BBY

The flames raged untamed, but the darkness had always welcomed Shri Pif’lin upon her rare visits.

A large, barely recognizable ship, loomed over the insect-like Verpine and her crew as they advanced with caution, further and further into the desolate wasteland that was Lotho Minor, only a small dispatch from the much larger pirate network known as the “Red Fleet.”

Footsteps creaked against the dust floor as the pirates crept across it.

Lotho Minor would never be a welcoming environment. One would have to be brave or stupid enough to face the challenges ahead.

Writing was strewn all over the walls of the desolate spacecraft left by the once struggling survivors who had eventually given into their fate.

The occasional light would flicker to reveal the primitive nature of the inhabitants. Bonfires. Tent. Raw meats. The Junkers were definitely nearby.

“What happened to these people?” a Zabrak in the group asked, curious and astonished by the ruins. “Just be glad we’re not them,” Shri said, stepping over a rotting substance coating portions of the floor.

“We’re here, stay sharp,” she ordered. They had reached the ship’s main surveillance room. “I need a minute to access this thing.” The Zabrak stepped forward and over to the controls.

“Beacon status?” Shri turned to a member of her crew with a large case.

“87% power,” the pirate responded.

“Prepare yourselves.” Shri switched her laser pistol for the heavier weaponry setting.

As the Zabrak experimented with the control panel, a few sparks from an activated camera overhead rained down, which was enough to start a small fire.

“Are you trying to kill us?!” Shri exclaimed.

“I’ve got the location!” The Zabrak pocketed a disk from the barely working machine.

“Breach that wall. Open fire!” Shri demanded.

The pirates did as she said and the entrance to their escape began to melt open. A single swing of the large case was enough to bust through to the other side.

The crew had a few seconds of relief as they wiped the sweat off their faces.

“Scanners are online. This way,” the Zabrak said as he uploaded the data from the disk and took the lead.

“These tunnels seem to go on forever,” a crew member pointed out. “I know my way around tunnels,” Shri reassured them.

Further into the ship, the interior started to appear corroded, eventually transitioning into the deep underground caverns that the crash site had uncovered.

“Move quick, or we’ll be boiled alive down here.” The Zabrak analyzed the environmental readings to much dismay.

“Everyone, split up into teams of two,” Shri decided. “Oeni, with me,” she said as she pointed her insectoid finger towards the Zabrak. The pirates split up into the dangerously heated caves with caution.

“I’m picking up dormant energy readings,” Oeni said as he raised the scanner to the walls, “everyone should be in position by now.”

Shri unearthed a power lever that seemed to connect to the pitch-black hallway.

“This could either work, or we blow up.” Shri put a hand on the lever as they faced each other. After a moment, Shri grasped the handle with her other hand and pulled the lever.

Shri covered her eyes as bright spotlights flickered on, revealing a giant abandoned mining operation.

“Shri!” A few of the other crew members had emerged from the tunnels above them, calling out. “Where are the others?” Shri asked, questioning their disappearance.

The crew members looked around at each other and back towards the captain. “They’ve… served the fleet well.”

“They’re goners,” Oeni murmured.

There was a moment of silence among the remainder of the crew.

“Collect as many samples as you can,” Shri ordered. The crew scrambled through their supplies. “If correctly altered, the fungus that grows down here could become the ultimate energy source,” Oeni informed them all.

“Enough energy to build a superweapon…” Shri fantasized.

“Enough for trade,” the Zabrak added.

The crew gathered in the center of the complex to compile what they’d gathered. “You are my inner circle. You are my witnesses.” Shri said as she collected all the samples, “we keep this a secret.”

The pirates cautiously took the path up the caverns and back out of the spacecraft.

“We need to get higher to use the beacon.” Oeni pointed to a tall heap of rubble.

“Let’s get climbing,” Shri said, taking the lead.

As the crew climbed, debris fell continually until it gradually became unbearable. “I need some help over here!” The pirate with the large case held on by a single hand. The tall mountain of rubbish had become a lengthy tower.

“Pass me the beacon!” Shri demanded, reaching out. It was given without any hesitation.

“I’m sorry…” Shri mumbled.

With the heel of her boot, Shri kicked the struggling pirate back off the ledge.

The rest of the crew were too focused on the task at hand to notice what had happened below them.

And soon enough, they had finally reached the top of the unstable giant.

“I have the beacon.” Shri set the crate down and opened it. There was silence as she set up the beacon, no one questioning their missing companion.

The beacon clumsily latched onto the junk platform, making it less stable than it already was. Oeni activated it, a beam of blue light shooting out and forcing through the thick grey atmosphere. “It’s a strong signal, but we don’t have much time,” Oeni said standing up.

“We have incoming!” A pirate pointed out, watching some moving rubble.

“Junkers.” Shri unholstered her blaster pistol.

“They’re aggravated by the beacon,” Oeni tried to explain.

“Defend yourselves if necessary,” Shri said and opened fire at the attackers. The Junkers struck the foundation of the tower, knocking the beacon over in the process.

Shri swiftly reached for the beacon out of pure instinct. “It’s alright, they’re here,” Oeni said, holding his Verpine captain steady by the wrist.

A transport appeared, hovering over the pirates as weaponized Junkers advanced from down below the mountain of clutter.

Oeni, Shri, and a third pirate successfully boarded the transport as it lowered. The last pirate was grabbed by a Junker and was quickly taken back down the tower as the transport doors closed.

“We’ve lost too many,” Oeni said turning to Shri.

“Even so, this was a lucky break for us,” the captain replied coldly, taking her seat on the pirate transport.

“We got what we came for. Let’s go home.”

There could be no more regard for those forever trapped in the endless, twisting confines of the maw below, torn between the many hands of the bio-mechanical abominations that wandered it’s pitch black halls.

They were the past, but they sacrificed their lives to scavenge a future for the Red Fleet, and the future was now.