The Bad Batch: Heart Of Darkness

Chapter Five - Enemies On All Sides

After joining forces with Agent Bendak Ivo and the Republic Intelligence, the Bad Batch began navigating through the Umbaran jungle. The Bad Batch were untrusting of Ivo and his men.

Crosshair: Why are we working with a bunch of suits? They're worse than regs.

Ivo: Because we've been at this operation longer than you. We've been hunting these renegade Clones while giving any intel we find to the Republic invasion force. 

Wrecker: You're doing a shit job if you've been doing this since the beginning!

Ivo: That's because they're playing by a completely different rulebook. Not only did they go rogue, but they also went native. Meaning, they probably know this jungle like the back of their hands. 

It soon became clear that they're deep behind enemy lines. Tech took great care to record any animal sounds he heard. While he does that, he attempts to restore his sensors. 

Ivo: You're wasting your time. Republic communications have been jammed since the invasion began. 

Tech: I'll worry about that. 

Ivo: You Clones are far too independent. I'm surprised the cloners let you out your birthing pods. 

The Bad Batch were given more reasons to not like Ivo. They could hear the chuckles coming from the other Republic agents. 

Crosshair: You might want to watch your words, suit. We could leave in this hellhole to die.

Ivo: So could I. And the Republic wouldn't blink. You're nothing more than the results of a lab experiment. And defective ones at that. 

Hunter: Just keep your mouth shut, Ivo. We have a mission. 

Ivo: Agreed. 

With that, the Bad Batch and the Republic agents continued to walk through the jungle. Suddenly, one of the Republic agents stumbled onto a beartrap. The beartrap cause immense pain as the agent started screaming. 

Republic Agent: Help me! My leg! My leg!

Hunter rushes over to the agent and checks the the beartrap. It gripped the agent's leg tightly with sharp jagged edges. The immense pain caused the agent to scream. 

Republic Agent: Get it off! Get it off!

Hunter: Shut up! It won't come off faster if you keep screaming! 

Republic Agent: It hurts! Please! Get it off!

Hunter tries to remove the beartrap, but it only causes more pain as the Republic agent continues to scream. 

Hunter: Tech! Get over here!

Before anyone could react, Ivo pulled out a blaster pistol and shoots the Republic agent in the head. Hunter was in shock as Ivo showed no emotion. 

Hunter: Are you out of your fucking mind?!

Ivo: He wouldn't stop screaming. He was giving away our position. Even if you managed to get that beartrap off, that wound would've slowed him down, making all of us easier picking for whoever set that trap up. 

Ivo then turned to the rest of the Republic agents who were simply silent. 

Ivo: Keep your eyes peeled for any traps! Anyone who gets caught in them, we will leave you behind! And if you even think of giving away our position, the same will happen to you. 

The Republic agents simply nodded as Ivo turned to the Bad Batch. 

Ivo: Gentlemen. 

Ivo walks away as if nothing happened. The Bad Batch had seen the horrors of war in their time as commandos, but they've never seen anything like this. 

Crosshair: I know that look in his eyes. That's the thousand yard stare. Something tells me he's been in this hellhole for too long. 

Wrecker: You don't need to tell me twice! That bastard's lost his goddamn mind!

Hunter looked as Ivo and the Republic agents simply walk past the dead Republic agent's body. The only one exception was an agent who looted the corpse. It was at this point that the Bad Batch quickly realized just how bad it was. 

Hunter: Something's off about Ivo. I don't think he's completely there. 

Tech: You don't need to be a psychologist to tell that he's clearly unhinged. Though his devotion to the Republic seems to be untouched. Though he might be a problem down the line. 

Crosshair: An unhinged man devoted to something is even more dangerous. That kind of person would see the Galaxy burn for that idea. 

It soon became clear that Ivo was unhinged. He was someone who seemed no different from Kaddak. The Bad Batch quickly realized that Ivo himself could be a potential enemy. He demonstrated that he was willing to kill off anyone who he deemed a threat to the Republic. 

Hunter: Keep your eyes on the trees. If Kaddak has men running around, those trees could be sniper's nests.

Tech: What about Ivo?

Hunter: I'll keep an eye on Ivo. Something tells me he'll be no different from Kaddak. It's only a matter of time before someone with an unhinged mind lashes out. And with one blind devotion like him, Ivo might even be more dangerous than Kaddak. 

The thought of Ivo being more dangerous than their target was a troubling thought for the Bad Batch. It was as if there were enemies on all sides. 

Hunter: Ivo's right about one thing. 

Crosshair: And what's that?

Hunter: We're in the heart of darkness. 

With that, the Bad Batch continued to follow Ivo and the Republic agents in their search for Kaddak and Havoc Squad. Despite this uneasy alliance, the Bad Batch were all alone with no allies to count on. On one hand, they were dealing with an unhinged man with a blind devotion to the Republic that would see the Galaxy burn in service to those ideals. On the other hand, they were hunting a possibly unhinged rouge commando with a army of loyal servants ready to die for him.