Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Keeper's Arena

Chapter 1 - Snatched

"Right," Jade said, tugging her jacket forward. "You two can just stay there."

Not that they could hear her, of course. She slowly descended, struggling to maintain her footing as the bottom of her boot slipped against the rocks and pebbles. She was by no means an amateur hiker; but it always conflicted with her ability to make huge mistakes. And yet, trusted people believed she had it all together. She certainly didn't take unnecessary risks, but she knew she would be forced to if she ever planned to get her brother back. He was so much braver than she was, even though he was much younger. So, it really was rather odd for her to take her curiosity to the next level. She just had to find out who these strange folk were that had arrived on the attack shuttle, and whether it meant trouble for her. When Jade reached the bottom, the rock units, stacked and eroded over time, towered above her. It cast a pleasant shadow in the heat of the day. Jade kept moving at a steady pace, weaving between the rocks without pausing to consider which way to take. She knew where she was going.

Then, Jade heard the hum of an engine and a very familiar, dreaded whine. The pebbles shook around her feet, and Jade whipped her head around. The Snatchers were coming after her; riding their speeders at a slower speed as if figuring she would surrender. Jade gave them a single glare before breaking into a run, her backpack thumping against her back. She wished she could be relieved of it, but she had needed it for the day. Unfortunately, her own ride was waiting outside the maze, a couple miles away. The whine of the speeder grew closer and closer, and Jade kept her hand close to the holster; she wouldn't shoot until they did. Jade spotted a narrower path and swerved, squeezing between the tight entrance before breaking into a run again, panting in effort. She heard the speeders go silent, and the Snatchers conversed a moment before deciding to go in one at a time, single file. The delay had cost them, but not nearly enough.

The speeders' engines picked up again, and Jade kept running, her ponytail sailing behind her like a dark flag in the wind. She did not slip on the rocks this time; only kept her eyes dead ahead. A red streak hit the ground near her. They were shooting at her, now. Jade yanked her blaster out of its holster and glanced behind her in quick, random turns of the head, shooting back but not near enough to kill them – making a point.

"Leave me alone," Jade grunted with gritted teeth.

The Snatchers increased their speed, and the whine grew more persistent. Jade looked for more cover, threading through rocks, but it wasn't enough to get away from them. They seemed to be getting more and more annoyed by the minute. Finally, one of the Snatchers noticed a rock that shot upwards like a ramp and used it to his advantage, soaring above Jade's head. Instinctively Jade slid to a stop, and a well-hidden rock knocked her blaster out of her lowered hand. She was almost completely on the ground, and the Snatcher that had managed to get in front of her blocked her way forward. The other one stopped. Jade scooted back and scrambled to her feet; hands raised in defense. The Snatchers chuckled. Jade really wished she hadn't dropped her blaster in the process, but at this point it was too late to pick it up.

"Please, I've done nothing wrong," Jade persisted, pain in her voice.

"You know how this works," the Snatcher in front of her said. "You're a local; we don't have to explain it to you."

"That doesn't make it right," Jade seethed, and she let her fist fly.

The Snatcher in front of her wasn't prepared for it. He ducked and looked at the other Snatcher in shock and confusion, then sent his own fist forward – right towards Jade's face. She was only able to partially block it, and Jade's ears rang. She stepped back and smiled inwardly when the Snatcher jumped off of his speeder. Jade swerved another blow and used the speeder to her advantage; stepping up and propelling herself to hook around the Snatcher's body, twisting and bringing him down to the ground with her. She had the upper hand. Before the Snatcher could react, Jade attempted to send a crushing blow towards his head, but she had forgotten one thing. The other Snatcher. His friend had jumped off his speeder and grabbed her backpack, pulling her upright. The tip of his blaster dug into the side of her neck.

"Cheater," Jade grumbled, going limp.

But the Snatcher's grip was too strong. He yanked her back up and pressed the cold metal deeper into her neck, and his friend picked himself up off the ground, glaring at her with such hate Jade feared for her life at that moment. No, she needed to be smart, as much as she wanted to resist. The Snatcher pulled Jade's backpack off and tossed aside, quickly wrapping his hand around her neck when she moved slightly.

"Easy now, or it'll be a laser through your head," the Snatcher said, and he motioned for his friend to get back on his speeder.

"Now, you're going to get on the speeder with me, and we're going to take you straight to the Arena. Understood?"

Jade cringed at the word, but she nodded. The Snatcher released Jade and she fell to the ground, throwing out her hands to stop herself. He kicked her feet, urging her to cooperate. Jade realized her blaster was near, and impulsive adrenaline coursed through her. She couldn't go back. Huffing to put on a show of defeat, Jade crouched on one knee and leaned forward as if to sit up, but then rolled and snatched up her blaster. Searing pain ripped through her as electricity coiled around her, and a scream of shock left Jade's mouth. She doubled over, trembling and panting strained gasps. The Snatcher looked at her in cool fury and lowered the strange, gun-like device – it had been hiding in the darkness of his sleeve. It retracted, somehow, back underneath his sleeve. It likely rested on some sort of wrist band. Well, that was new.

"I said we're going. Don't provoke me again," the Snatcher ordered, and he brought her to her feet. "I really don't want to kill you. The Arena wouldn't be much fun with dead contestants, now, would it?"

Jade could barely control her body, and she realized the sudden bolts of electricity running through her had some sort of paralyzing effect. It was therefore extremely easy for the Snatcher to drag her towards his speeder, and she just managed to summon enough strength to get on. She almost appreciated the ride; she could figure out how to escape them when they got to town.