The Planet of Ghosts: The Searchers (Across the Stars VII)

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Race for the Holocrons! Following the lead given to them by Luke on Yavin IV, Nathan and Ozz travel to the barren world of OSSUS. There, they find the SEARCHERS, scholars and adventurers who seek the mysteries of the unseen. One Searcher in particular stands to give them what they came for. But what obstacles lie ahead in the long-dead ruins of the Jedi temple? And how much time do they have before they cross paths with the Empire?

 

“We’re coming out of lightspeed, nerd. Get your nose out of that book and come get strapped in.”

 

“Oop! I’m coming, I’m coming.”

 

Nathan flipped the weathered notebook closed and climbed out of the bunk, scrambling towards the harness of the co-pilot’s seat. In a bigger ship, it wouldn’t be necessary, but the Lucky Star was so small (and poorly made) that being untethered while entering or exiting hyperspace was suicide. And Nathan, naturally, cared very much about safety.

The ship came hurtling to a stop, and the marble-sized planet before them looked like it suddenly grew a thousand-fold, to a massive, intimidating sphere that dominated their vision.

Ossus was a deep orange color, and flashes of blue trailed across the dark forms of cloud systems within its atmosphere.

 

 

 

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“Looks like some serious storm activity,” Nathan guessed, pulling up what little geological and environmental data he could. “I’m not seeing much, it could be the storm, or maybe your sensors are just too old to be useful.”

 

“Oy, watch what you say, the Star can be sensitive.”

 

A blip appeared on one of Nathan’s screens. “Hold up, I’m getting something. Some kind of technology, I think it’s a sensor beacon. Weird. Whoever’s down there isn’t afraid to be found.”

 

“Humph. Maybe they just figure no one would bother comin’ to a place like this. Those lightning storms don’t inspire much confidence. Where the heff have you dragged me now, nerd?”

 

“Hey, Luke said there was someone who could help us, here. We got to at least give it a shot. It’s our one lead on the holocrons, Pyerce, and Mayla.”

 

“Y’know, I been thinkin’ about that. What’s wrong with you, huh?”

 

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

 

“I mean…” Ozz chewed on the words. “You had a stable job, place to live…family?”

 

Nathan shook his head.

 

“Ah, well, you mighta been better off for it. My point is, you had everything, but you dropped it to come find some chick ya barely knew! And she’s an Imp spy? What’s wrong with you?”

 

This spoke aloud a thought that had bothered Nathan for the last week. This life on the move was way more exciting than his old job as a reactor Safety Inspector, but he also had to wonder if he was insane to have left in the first place. What was he really doing out here? Trying to stop the Empire? He barely knew anything about that. Trying to find Mayla? What if she didn’t want to see him, what if—worse—she was lying, and he was playing into the Empire’s hand?

While all this filled his thoughts, he shook his head and closed down.

 

“Dunno. Let me know if you figure it out.” Ready to change the subject, he directed Ozz’s attention to the scanner. “Whoever’s broadcasting from that beacon, they’re in the northern hemisphere, see this?”

 

“Yeah, yeah. I’m going the long way around, no chance I’m getting us anywhere near those storms. Krif, this place looks like a wasteland.”

 

It took them the better part of an hour to circumnavigate the storm systems, which were fast-moving and hundreds of miles across. They alone would be enough reason for Ossus to stay uninhabited. Which just made the presence of people an even bigger mystery.

The moment they entered the atmosphere, Nathan felt it: a pull within the planet, something like gravity, but altogether different. There was something strange about Ossus. Something powerful, he thought, watching the far-off storms burn away at the land below.

 

They saw the outpost from above, a small collection of tents, sensor arrays, and a shield generator, all concealed around a rocky outcropping. Ozz reached out on the comm to see if anyone would pick up.

 

“Uh, hello! Anybody down there? We…come in peace.”

 

Someone did.

 

“Who is this?” a woman’s voice replied.

 

“Uh, Captain Ozzamandes Sabaran, of the Lucky Star. Requestin’ permission to land, ma’am.”

 

“You’re not who we were expecting. Stupid beacon…What the hakat are you doing on Ossus, Lucky Star?”

 

Nathan leaned in toward the microphone. “We’re looking for a Duros named Abay. A friend of his sent us, a man named Luke.”

 

Ozz looked at him sharply, and whispered, “What’d I tell you about trusting everybody!”

 

Nathan motioned for him to shush, and they waited in tense silence for a reply.

 

“…Abay says to let you land. If you try anything, you’re dead.”

 

That was as good a welcome as any.

The shield allowed them through, and Ozz brought the ship to a rough landing on a pad made of loose durasteel plates laid over the orange sand. Even for the Star, it was uncomfortable bumpy.

They left the ship to surprisingly cold air for a desert planet, which explained the snow that capped the higher rock formations. A woman—the woman from the comms—approached them. She was dressed in full armor, carried a blaster pistol, and had a loose cloak hanging over her shoulder. She looked dangerous, and Nathan and Ozz kept up their guard.

 

“I’m Van Konn, this is an outpost of the Searchers.”

 

“Thanks for letting us in,” Nathan said politely.

 

“The Scriptist—Abay—says I should be nice to you, but you make one wrong move...”

 

Ozz grimaced. “We’ll be sure not to do that, then! Appreciate the warnin’, very kind.”

 

Another woman walked up—a Rodian in green robes who had the air of a scientist.

 

Van greeted her. “Eefo! This is Eefo, she’s the Scriptist’s Assistant.”

 

“Say that three times fast,” Ozz whispered to Nathan, who chuckled.

 

Van looked at them suspiciously. “I’ve got better things to do, so she’ll lead you the rest of the way. Touch anything, and I’m coming back for you.”

 

“Thank you, Van. Welcome, both of you,” Eefo said, her voice calm and controlled, a pleasant contrast to the brusque Van Konn.

 

“Thanks for having us,” Nathan said, again, politely.

 

“Come with me, please,” she said, and turned to lead them through the camp.

The outpost was large, the product of years spent establishing a base camp for research and exploration. Nathan guessed there were about 50 Searchers in all. Two freighters sat side-by-side, covered by heavy tarps to protect against the storms. The camp was crowned by a pole, some sort of tall device with controls at ground level.

Curious, Nathan took the risk of asking about it.

“It’s a Conductor, something I designed soon after we arrived on Ossus. It protects us from the storms, drains them of their power. Occasionally we need more energy for our experiments than our generators are able to muster. On those days, we can draw the storms towards us to harvest for their potential.”

 

“Sounds…dangerous,” Ozz grunted.

 

Nathan grinned. “Genius.”

 

Searchers milled around, doing maintenance or talking to one another, or gawking at the two strange arrivals. Nathan saw a few scholarly-looking individuals inside of tents, hard at work writing in large tomes.

Eefo led them to an opening in the rocks that had been adapted to house a work tent. It was obviously the domain of an archeologist: fragments of colorful stone, artifacts, and old books were stacked, sorted, and hanging from a net overhead. A tower shelf housed numerous glowing blue records, with a single record glowing red.

A Duros stood at the center, wearing a flowing blue robe over a green boiler suit. He seemed old, bent, and slightly crazed. An eccentric, Nathan guessed. Who else would come to Ossus?

 

 

 

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He reacted to their approach with alarm, turning suddenly and crying, “Another spirit? Begone!”

 

Eefo bowed slightly to the researcher. Nathan sensed that she was carefully hiding embarrassment at his behavior.

“The guests, Scriptist.”

 

“Ah, yes! Ah, yes…silly of me. Tell me, Eefo, do you sense anything? Does anything pull at your feelings?”

 

She hesitated, then said, “Nothing that gives me pause.”

 

“So it is also for me,” he agreed, with a great deal of nodding. He gestured for Nathan and Ozz to draw closer. “Come in, come in, tell me your names!”

 

Ozz gave Nathan a wary look. Nathan gave him a reassuring wave, and pushed ahead.

“I’m Nathan, and this is Ozz. I’m sorry, I’m a little confused…what is this place?”

 

“You do not know! Eh! Young…unknowledgeable…” the Scriptist muttered. “We are Searchers, those who, eh, seek to pierce the veil of untruth that blinds so many. We’ve come to Ossus to study what remains of the Sith-Dead world. Ancient truths and insights, unseen.”

 

Nathan had never heard of Searchers before, but then, he had never hunted holocrons before. “So, you know Luke?”

 

“The Skywalker boy!” he squawked. “Yes, yes. The last of them, yes. He studied with us briefly, as our goals, for a time, slid into alignment. But he doubted the spirits, and how they spoke to me. Very rude of him. What do you want from me?”

 

Nathan was taken aback by the Scriptist’s abrupt demeanor, but he was starting to catch on.

 

“Luke sent us. An Imperial Remnant is searching for holocrons, and we’re trying to get to them first.”

 

“Ah! Hmm. Hmm…no Holocrons on Ossus! Not as of yet, I should say. Still many depths to plumb, many truths to uncover…The unmapped crypts sound their siren song, their lyrics full of the secrets concealed…” muttered the Scriptist.

 

Nathan and Ozz looked at each other. Eefo looked on, worried, from the edge.

 

The Scriptist returned to the present. “I can do you no good. The spirits…they toy with my research, obstruct learning! I need…need…help.”

 

“You have lots of help, Abay,” Eefo interjected. “Er, Scriptist.”

 

“Ah, but I am concerned for your welfare, Eefo. I do not know these two, and as such, so far, for theirs I am not!”

 

“Oh, gee, great…” Ozz grunted, raising a wispy eyebrow.

 

“See, I am hounded by a saboteur of mischievous intent. Not sinister, as no act of violence has been performed. But my machines cease to work, my materials go missing. In such small quantities and degrees that they think I will not notice, but these are not coincidences. Whether physical or spiritual, this saboteur must be caught!”

 

Eefo crossed her arms. “I still think it might be the Sorcerer, returned.”

 

“I do not agree, Eefo! I do not agree in the slightest. We vanquished that threat long ago, this is something entirely less impressive, but no less confounding. I would like you two,” he said to Nathan and Ozz. “To go and find the source of this mystery. This mystery, yes.”

 

Nathan frowned. “And uh, why is it again that you can’t send one of your…knights?”

 

“They are trained and skilled, and this task requires neither of those things! I would rather risk your lives than theirs. This is the simple truth. If you go, if you succeed, I will tell you whatever might aid your efforts.”

 

Nathan thought about the ridiculous request. At least the Scriptist was being honest with them, if not a little too honest. Was he willing to risk his life for this cause?

 

Finally, he nodded. “I’ll do it. Ozz, you don’t have to come.”

 

“Nah, nah,” Ozz sighed. “I’ll help ya out.”

 

“This is satisfactory,” said the Scriptist. “Be on your way! I have much to attend to.”

 

Eefo led them away from the tent, and stopped them once they were out of earshot. She rounded on them both, her face a complicated mix of emotions.

“Listen to me. If you want to risk getting yourselves killed for whatever it is you’re after, be my guest. But you should know…” her expression changed to concern, and her tone softened. “Abay is a master, and the wisest of us all, but…he isn’t what he used to be. He has spent many cycles on Ossus, communing with its ghosts and hidden knowledge. It has changed him. If you want to leave, you’re free to go. You’re not beholden to anything he says.”

 

Nathan considered this, as did Ozz, but what other choice did they have? They glanced at each other to make sure they were on the same page. Nathan turned back to Eefo.

“Thank you for telling us, but…it doesn’t change our minds. Your…Scriptist, is that what you call him? Your Scriptist is our last lead.”

 

“And the kid doesn’t give up easy.” Ozz threw up his hands. “Great, we’re workin’ for a crazy guy.”

 

“Watch your tone, Iakaru,” Eefo said sharply.

 

She stalked off, giving them a strange look before she disappeared amongst the tents.

 

“Wonderful,” Ozz grunted. “Wanna wander out into the cold desert and get fried by a storm with me?”

 

Nathan stood looking towards the camp, his face contorted with thought as he considered what he knew. A possibility was brightening in the corner of his mind.

 

“We may not have to leave the camp at all.”

 

“What? Didn’t you hear—“

 

“Come on, follow me!”

 

 

Nathan Booke was not new to sniffing out tomfoolery and sabotage. He had been a Safety Inspector, after all. In fact, as Ozz knew very well, the young man had proven extremely talented at the part of his job that involved tracking down wrong-doing and exposing those responsible. He had become something of a Detective in his time at the reactor on Targonn, and an investigative mind had been a strength he displayed since he was a child in the orphanage.

It did not take him long to put together a plan. He roamed the outpost, interviewing several Searchers about any suspicious activity. The Searchers he questioned were adamant no one else had entered the camp. That pointed to one of their own, but they were quick to defend their brothers and sisters against any accusation. Nonetheless, he followed snippets of conversation, pieces of truth behind offended words, and small comments let slip here and there.

Something tugged at the back of his mind, an instinctive thought that seemed pulled forward by every conversation he had. Ozz could only listen, dumbfounded, as Nathan told him about his theory, explained his evidence.

 

“Well then,” the Iakaru said. “Let’s go get her.”

 

They entered the tent of Nathan’s primary suspect to find its occupant busily fumbling with her databanks. She came to an abrupt halt, slammed a cabinet closed, and stared at them.

 

“Can I help you?” Eefo asked, her voice struggling to maintain its calm, steady tempo.

 

“It’s you, isn’t it?” Nathan wondered. “You’re tampering with Abay’s work.”

 

Eefo looked stunned, speechless, and didn’t reply for a long moment. Finally, she sniffed in derision. “Insane.”

 

“And not only that, you’re a spy, aren’t you?”

 

“Yeah!” Ozz added. “Workin’ for old Pyerce.”

 

She glared at them, rising from her chair. “You’re both insane. How dare you accuse me—“

 

“Aww, give it a rest,” Ozz scoffed. “We know about your buddies on Garel, Targonn, Yavin VI…We know you got a disintegration thingy shoved up in your teeth, we knows Pyerce wants information. Information you’re in a pretty nice spot to find out.”

 

Looking around quickly, she dropped her voice to a frantic whisper. “Lower your voices! I do not work for Pyerce, understand?”

 

Ozz and Nathan looked at one another in triumph.

 

“I have not transmitted in months,” Eefo went on. “I am done with him and his remnant.”

 

“Oh yeah? Came to your senses about the Empire, then?” Nathan asked.

 

“Ha! Though their methods need dire reform, the Empire is still the galaxy’s best hope. But the work here…” she became jittery, nervous. “No one should know about these things. Not Pyerce, not the Scriptist…not myself, not you.”

 

“What are you talking about?”

 

“I will say no more. Leave me be.”

 

Ozz crossed his arms. “No can do, lady. We came to this rock to learn what Pyerce is after and get it before he can do any damage. You’re gonna tell us what you know. I got credits riding on this.”

 

“I will tell you nothing.”

 

“You sure about that?” Ozz grinned toothily.

 

“If you’re thinking of blackmail, none of the Searchers will believe you. We are kin, I have their trust.”

 

Nathan frowned at her. “You spy—sorry, spied—on them for the Empire. You think they’d feel the same way about you if they knew that?”

 

Eefo was, by now, stewing with rage. “You do not know what you speak of.”

 

“Ha, even if they do trust you, they’re not the only thing you gotta worry about. Maybe you guys don’t get news out here, but Pyerce tried a big attack and failed. The bounty for any of his spies is enough to get some attention. Now, we had a lead, but if we let out word, we could make it a race to see who gets you first. And I bet old man Pyerce's boys would be curious too."

 

Nathan was uncomfortable with this tactic. He frowned at his companion, but said nothing.

 

The spy's face paled in the diffused tent light. She hung her head. "I see. It appears you have leverage. But I warn you, this knowledge you seek ought to be forbidden.”

 

Her conviction troubled Nathan. He scratched his chin. “I don’t get it. What can possibly have you so spooked?”

 

"You've met the Scriptist? Once, he was as sharp as you or I. Now he is addled and distant. Do you have any idea what it is they study here? Have you felt this planet's power?"

 

Nathan had, distinctly. The very ground was seeped in it. Centuries of raw strength imbuing the soil and the stone. He did his best to keep a stoic expression, to not look perturbed.

 

Eefo went on. “Do you know what sorts of things are buried in those crypts? Horrible things! Books about artifacts that release darkness and plagues, that make people lose their minds. Do you know what these "jedi" and "sith" were? Armies of magic sorcerers, thousands strong, trading off rule of the galaxy every few centuries, oppressing people like you and me!"

 

"This isn’t really relevant,” Nathan interjected. “…But just for the sake of argument...how is that any different than your Empire?"

 

She turned bitterly away. "I'm done with all that. I have a new mission, to keep any of these horrors from being found and disrupting the galaxy."

 

"Very noble. I wish you’d get that we’re trying to help, too. What is Pyerce looking for?" he asked again.

 

"Holocrons, you said it yourself. I know nothing more."

 

Nathan's eyes narrowed. "...you're lying."

 

Ozz grimaced. "I'd watch out for him...kid can spot a coverup a mile away."

 

Eefo glared at them both, but her resolve finally failed.

 

"So be it. You seek calamity, but if what you say is true, what choice do I have?" She leaned forward and steepled her long fingers, waiting a moment to make sure no one would overhear. "I have not transmitted, but I still receive my orders. Pyerce seeks an object called Balaam's Heart. It is said to be a source of immortality, and fear of death seems to have invaded the Moff's mind as of late."

 

Nathan raised an eyebrow, recalling Pyerce's recent defeats. "I can't imagine why."

 

"Yes, unfortunately for you, I've not seen a scrap of information about it."

 

"Why not?” Ozz said skeptically. “Sounds like it would be pretty famous."

 

"Ossus was a stronghold of those who follow the light—the Jedi. The heart is not an object of the Jedi, but of the dark side of the force. Seeking it is foolishness."

 

Nathan shook his head. Trying to get anywhere with this was like teaching a Bantha to read. "If all this is true, we can’t let an Imperial get their hands on something that might make them undying. There’s got to be some texts or records about dark side subjects. Know your enemy, right? In fact, I think there probably are. I think you probably know where, and you've kept it a secret from the other Searchers. How am I doing?"

 

Eefo ground his teeth. "...Perturbingly well. I will not tell you where they are. This is for your own good."

 

A sly grin broke across Ozz's face. "No, that's okay. You're gonna show us."

 

"Excuse me? I'll do no such thing!"

 

"Oh yeah? Then we let your comrades in on the secret. Think your little warnings would stop them?"

 

Nathan looked aside to Ozz. An unpleasant feeling was sitting in his chest. This blackmail made him feel strange.

 

Eefo blanched. "...The Searchers know no limits in their quest for knowledge."

 

"Yeah,” Nathan said firmly. “Neither does the Empire. Which one is worse?"

 

Someone entered the tent without warning, causing Eefo to leap out of her green skin. It was Van Konn, the outpost's chief defender. She glanced at Nathan and Ozz, frowning.

 

"Eefo, apologies for the interruption-- we've got an Imperial cruiser picked up in orbit."

 

Eefo turned to face her. "Another one? Is the beacon turned off? Our camouflage powered-up?"

 

Ozz looked between Eefo and the new arrival, shooting Eefo a significant look and mouthing, 'friends of yours?'

 

If he wanted to, he could spill the beans right now.

 

"Already taken care of, they should move on soon," Van assured her. "Just wanted to make sure you knew."

 

"Thank you," Eefo said, and Van bowed out.

 

Ozz continued to look smug in the silence that followed. Eefo understood his meaning. She composed herself, glaring at him while Nathan stood by.

 

"Say nothing," she finally growled. "I will take you to the ruins."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The speeder flew along the bright dunes of Ossus, dipping between dark rock formations and dodging occasional lightning.

 

"Can’t believe I'm saying this, but...it's beautiful, isn't it?" Nathan shouted over the whoosh of air and engine.

 

"Settle down, nerd boy!" Ozz hollered back. Because it was a two-seat speeder, he was strapped to Nathan and sitting on his lap, his short legs dangling off the back of the vehicle. "Yeesh, this is humiliating."

 

They reached their destination and hopped off the speeder to stretch their legs. Nathan rubbed his own, which had gone squarely numb from Ozz's weight.

 

"Few less Nerf Burgers in the future, huh?" he snarked.

 

Ozz shot him a look. "Ohhh, you really going there? Beanpole?"

 

Nathan waved him away and wandered to an overlook. Dark clouds shadowed the vibrant orange flatlands.

 

"It's very...dramatic," Nathan observed.

 

"Yes, it would be," Eefo nodded. "The planet did not always look like this. According to records and scrolls from other worlds, Ossus used to be fertile and green."

 

Nathan frowned. "What changed, the storms?"

 

"No, no, the storms are a side effect of whatever destroyed the planet. The short answer, I believe, is war.”

 

She was setting up a pole, about 2 meters long, outside the entrance.

 

“One of your conductors…miniaturized?” Nathan noted.

 

“Woah, woah!” Ozz cried. “You trying to bring down a storm on us?”

 

Eefo turned to Ozz calmly. “The charge is negative, it will only serve to redirect the lightning should a storm arrive. The charge would have to be positive to draw one to us. Come along, I'd like to be away from this place soon."

They strode past enormous statues of hooded figures to delve into the dark entrances of the temple. The light from outside only reached so far. Each of them activated a hololamp, and they continued on. Eefo and Nathan talked quietly as they walked.

 

“Archeology is my passion,” Eefo sighed. “It pains me to disgrace the profession by covering up knowledge. Despite this, I feel that protecting the galaxy is more important.”

 

“I thought you’d put a higher premium on knowledge.”

 

“Knowing for the sake of knowing is not always wise, or good. Knowledge is powerful, human. As with all things, consumption should be moderated.”

 

Ozz was feeling a little less enthusiastic about things now that they were walking into the dark. Old stone wrapped around them, stairs that hadn’t been walked in centuries, a temple of life, now dead. The old chassis of an analysis droid lay slumped against the wall, its circular eyes staring as they passed by.

 

“…Creepy place, huh?” Ozz said idly, trying to sound casual.

 

“You wanted to come here, did you not?” Eefo said bitterly. “Be careful what you wish for.”

Done