Wanted , The Bad Batch

Prologue

Coruscant. The birthplace of the Empire. A place for traders and gamblers to squabble in the den of thieves at its lower levels. No honest living is really made because out here everyone work for somebody, and everyone carries their own prison.

The shock collar around her neck burned into her skin. Every defiance from her only marked her delicate green shade. Bruises formed underneath her eyes, a sign of the deficiency of sleep. Deep black shades framed her eyes, sunken cheeks and trembling legs. 

Ryki ran from her captor about a month ago, but her life never truly became free. The long-awaited suffering only started. She'd fine a way to remove her collar as soon as possible, but with the constant bounty hunters tracking her down, time was not her luxury. 

Slavers are greedy people. 

They find pleasure in the pain and suffering of others. They'd only find cower when the tide turns on them. Ryki was yet to cause it, but she promised herself the pleasure of witnessing the death and destruction of her former slaver, that is if she manages to survive on Coruscant. 

Hiding was never a problem. She could fit into tight spaces and disappear among the shadows if she wanted to. The only problem is the tracking fobs. Bounty hunters could locate her anywhere in the galaxy, even if she drowned herself in a storm out at sea, she knew they'd find her eventually. 

Running down another corner of the street and walked into an alley, she pounded on the heavy metallic door. A quarren opened it, eye moving down to spot the short woman. 

"Do you have it?" He asked, voice hushed by the rain that kept on pouring from the heavens. Ryki nodded, discretely turning her left hand, in which she fisted 120 stolen Imperial Credits but the quarren didn't need to that. Seconds passed, the quarren huffed and allowed her into the shop. 

"Wait here." He instructed the girl, before walking over to another room and started to go through some things. Ryki sat obediently and waited for the quarren, careful not to drip rainwater collected on her tattered cloak onto the quarren's carpet. 

A few minutes of shuffling around, the quarren came out with a tool that Ryki didn't recognize. She eyed it cautiously. "That will get my collar out?" The quarren said nothing but nodded. She had no choice but to trust him. Nodding towards I'm in conformation, the quarren approached her and began to tinker on the collar. 

Sparks of electricity began to fly around, burning her skin on first contact. She willed herself not to scream at the burns, her freedom was close at hand. She could already imagine the things she would do. Visit planets, find a stable job, rest and be free of servitude. It was a dream everyone wanted, a dream all beings craved, but it was the hardest to come by because the bad people always come back to haunt you and rip you mercilessly of your life. 

A loud thud ripped her from her day dream. The first thing she felt was the weightlessness around her neck. Not wanting to believe it, she craned her neck from left to right, stretching the stiff muscles, ignoring the soreness around it, for she could not feeling among the shock. Raising a hand, she ran it under her hair. Closing her eyes in pleasure, she felt that there was no more bulky metal object covering the skin on her neck. This is freedom, she thought. 

The quarren tapped her shoulder and offered her a wet cloth and nodded to the various wound littered on the green skin that was revealed after the collar had come off. Understanding what he meant, she began to carefully dab the irritated skin. Though the sting made her flinch, she felt grateful to feel cool water caress her skin. Bits of pieces of old and dried skin came off, as well as some crusted blood from the open wounds. 

This is freedom. 

After cleaning her neck the quarren took the cloth and passed her a packet of bacta patches, she applied one patch, big enough to cover her entire neck. The patch was a translucent colour, allowing it to blend with the colour of the wearer's skin. 

"Thank you." 

The quarren nodded. "What to do with this?" He asked, bending down to pick up the collar. She thought for a moment, then smirked. I have an idea. The quarren passed her the collar and shut his door as soon as Ryki stepped out. You see, the occupants of Coruscant's lower levels aren't the friendliest, but people do favours for one another to meet their goals. 

Ryki just met hers and delivered the credits to buy the services of a quarren mechanic. After those favours are fulfilled, people leave each other and play pretend that they had never crossed paths before. 

It keeps both parties safe.

Tugging the cloak around her neck, she walked through the dying rain exiting the alley. The neon lights of the various shops and bars lit the street in pink, green and blue hues. The colours reflected off the wet metal floors creating a hypnotizing array of hues. She blended into the crowd and disappeared.

The Mirialan approached the railings of the level she currently dwelled in and peered over them. Looking at the ships descending and ascending the tunnel that bore its way into Coruscant. She fidgeted with the shock collar that she held in her left hand. 

Closing her eyes as she ran her memories through the many years of suffering she had faced, nine years of it. The suffering only intensified after her first attempt to escape, they had locked her in a cell and starved her for a week. 

Her next attempt at escaping her slaver was months later, but she was caught just as she reached the gates of her hell. The guards caught her and hooked her up on a levitating machine. Her bare back was exposed and whipped mercilessly with the whips that the Zygerians used. They whipped her for three days, allowing her ten whips to heal while still being suspended by the machine, then adding another ten the next day once the previous had dried. 

She had begged for her life to be ended then and there at the scent of blood filled her nostrils and the screams echoed in her head. They were ruthless. Neither guards nor her slaver touch her in any sexual way but found utmost pleasure in hearing her plights of mercy.

Still, it had not broken her. She healed for another six months and planned another escape. She was tired of being used for her abilities. About the end of the sixth month, however, the collar came on. Why? Her slaver wanted to ensure that she may never escape her bonds. He wanted to break her spirit completely. She warned him not to underestimate her but he gave no care. 

Things only got worse with the collar on. The electric shocks were almost constant, not allowing her proper sleep and rest, shocking her when her slaver was in need of her services. In other words, hell was tenfold now. By the end of the tenth month of her ninth year of forced servitude, she finally decided to run for good. She promised to exit her gates of hell if it took washing the whole floor of her prison with the blood of her enemies. 

Ryki didn't need to kill however, she used her abilities to get her out. Manipulating their plain and simple minds was easier than taking lives. Manipulating the guards she saw while hiding from some within the shadows, Ryki finally escaped her hauntings. 

She looked down at the collar in her hand. "Goodbye". Reeling her hand backwards, she flung the collar far out to the middle of the tunnel. The metal glittered in the sky before being pulled down by gravity. 'So long' she bid her nightmares farewell. 

Ryki Taala was free. Free, for now. 

-------

On another planet, however, five clones escaped with their hearts in their hands, pumping wildly at the adrenaline and shock. Their brains trying to comprehend the situation they had just fled. Their brother, turned against them now working for the shadow of a once glorious Republic, the Empire. 

Upon the Havoc Marauder, Hunter, Tech, Echo, Wrecker and Omega only had a few options to play into and test their luck. With the former Bad Batcher hunting them hot on their heels, they had only so many places to hide, and so few options to disappear.