Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Keeper's Arena

Chapter 15 - A New Enemy

Omega's finger shot upwards, but Jade didn't want to give the guards an opportunity to attack while distracted. She assumed it wasn't very important and instead focused on her fire, and Hunter followed suit soon after. Only when the glass rained down on them and a huge laser blast sped towards an opening in the wall congested by new guards did Jade follow Omega's gaze, and her mouth fell open slightly. The glass ceiling had completely shattered, though the tower remained intact. Jade couldn't spot Keeper, but that wasn't what caught her eye first.

"How did they get past the defenses?" Jade yelled over the noise of blaster fire.

The Marauder had broken through the glass ceiling, which Jade thought would have been more protected. Still, it seemed to have damaged the underside of the ship and sparked randomly. The Marauder didn't descend too low, and it wouldn't have been able to descend at all if the platforms and trees hadn't lowered significantly. Jade hated being out in the open, but she wasn't keen on leaving the platform just yet. The Marauder turned to deal with some of the biggest groups then continued its descent, just above them.

"We can't let them gain control of this platform!" Hunter grunted, and Jade nodded, leaving Omega to keep the guards from boxing them in.

Hunter and Omega seemed to be doing just fine on their own, so Jade wasn't too concerned for their safety. Jade flexed her fingers, bouncing on the balls of her feet before landing a few punches, adding to the pile of unconscious guards. They acted as a temporary shield; the guards wouldn't shoot at their own men. She rolled out into the open, and the last nearest guard fell with a pained groan. A laser skimmed her shoulder, and Jade hissed, tears springing to her eyes.

"Incoming!"

It was a booming, triumphant cry directly above them. Jade looked up, sinking to her knees. Wrecker slid down a line, firing his large blaster and scattering those on the outskirts. It was a welcome sight. Some guards managed to dodge Wrecker's attack and nearly reached Omega, but Hunter whipped around to take care of them. One guard fired from the ground and cut the line, and Wrecker cried out and fell several feet before landing on his side.

"Wrecker!" Omega yelled, running over to him, but he was already getting back up.

He picked her up with another triumphant cry, and Omega kicked her legs, laughing.

"Good to see you, kid," Wrecker said, putting her back down.

Jade smiled, pleased to see the fear leave Omega's face the minute she spotted more of her brothers. She remembered, though, that Keeper relished such an opportunity. Witnessing Omega's relief almost made Jade jealous of it. Sam's face lingered in her mind. She was furious with herself. It was an inward stabbing, and the dagger swung outward. Where else could the anger be directed at? Keeper.

She hadn't wanted Keeper to see her pain, but now she wanted nothing more. She had wanted to hide from him and resist his bidding, but now she needed a sense of closure. She needed to know why. When would it be enough for him? Keeper deserved one thing, and the blood of thousands stained his hands. She would feel no guilt in including her brother's blood if she knew he was truly insane. Or maybe she would. Jade didn't really know what to think. She was tired of feeling but it was the only thing that made the memory of her brother alive.

Jade stood up and almost didn't hear Wrecker. He tossed a communication device, and Jade just barely caught it. Hunter caught his own but sensed something was wrong with Jade; she would not meet his questioning stare.

"This time, we can stay in touch," Wrecker said, and Tech's voice came through.

Jade guessed he was piloting while speaking; he paused occasionally, and Echo could be heard in the background spouting off random information.