Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Keeper's Arena

Chapter 11 - A Bigger Problem

Jade double-checked herself in the cracked mirror. She had her normal clothing as well as her armor, and it was very comforting. She had removed her brace and could move fairly quickly. She also had her blaster and daggers, but she dreaded the moment she would have to use them. She wasn't ready to face the Arena again; somehow it was more terrifying to come back. What would Keeper do to keep his audience entertained?

Hunter was in another fitting room. The rooms were cramped and bland with very little room to move around. Jade's hands trembled, but she took a deep breath and stepped outside the fitting room. She walked down the hallway and entered a massive room with high ceilings. There were benches, but that was all. The huge expanse of space was almost overwhelming because it was so unnecessary, and the benches were arranged in the back. The ground, oddly enough, was grass, cut short and likely fake.

Keeper must have arranged for a new setting.

More importantly, however, were the doors. The same large, wide doors Omega had come through. They were sturdy and made almost entirely of thick metal. Soon, other captives entered the room and found a place to sit, and very few paired up. When Hunter came out, he spotted Jade and joined her bench, and other captors stared in surprise or jealousy. Jade realized the other captives were not new. She could tell by the burns and scars across their skin and their permanent, disinterested attitude. They had only looked at Hunter in surprise because, even among experienced folk, it was extremely rare to remain friends with someone for very long. Besides that, there had never been a clone.

Jade almost felt a sense of guilt, as if she were a champion with advantages again. Thomas, of all people, entered the room from a door labeled "restricted" and cleared his throat.

"Before those doors open, I have a short announcement."

His gaze drifted towards a woman who was already fidgeting nervously, her hair a tangled mess. Jade knew she had a limp, too.

"Rebecca, you are being sent to the training grounds, effective immediately. Please do not resist and make your way down the hall, where guards will escort you."

"No! Let me have another chance, please!" Rebecca cried, her tone high-pitched and desperate.

No one stood up to defend her. Jade lowered her head, but Hunter watched. Thomas glared at Rebecca in annoyance, mumbling under his breath as he checked his watch. Other captives tried to get Rebecca to calm down, suggesting she listen, but she was hysterical. One captive stood up, and Thomas stared, apprehensive. Jade almost couldn't believe it. What was he doing? When he pulled out his blaster and pointed it at Thomas, others cried out. A grin formed on Thomas' face, and Hunter moved slightly.

"Don't," Jade whispered.

Thomas ducked his head as if to acknowledge the captive, then pulled out a knife, mostly hidden in a scabbard that nearly matched the color of his dark outfit. No one saw the blade soar through the air, but it was now embedded in the man's chest, and he dropped his blaster, which another captive promptly picked up. He gurgled in pain, coughing up blood. Jade was thankful Hunter hadn't tried anything, though his armor likely would have saved him. The captive collapsed, and Rebecca cried out again. Jade hadn't realized Thomas had a dangerous side to him; he didn't look like much. Guards entered the room, grabbing Rebecca and quite literally having to drag her as she fought them, tears streaming down her face still coated in grime from the factory. One guard returned to remove the dead captive from the room, and those nearest to him looked away, refusing to acknowledge what had just happened.

"Well, now that that's over with," Thomas announced casually. "It's time."

Jade wasn't the only one watching him carefully as he opened the "restricted" door and left. Barely a minute passed, and the metal doors gradually opened, making a groaning sound. The light poured through, and Jade winced. Hunter put on his helmet. The captives stood up and moved forward, away from the benches. A good thing, too. The hallway they had come from closed up and the wall behind them began to move forward as the benches sunk to the ground, level with the floor. The wall stopped several feet away from the entrance, but the captives knew what to do. A roaring cheer greeted them, but Jade could only observe the audience closest to them, as the Arena had been changed to some sort of forest setting with large, thick trees shooting upwards and random rock formations strewn about. Jade didn't catch what the speakers were saying, but she heard the crowd respond with "survive!"