Star Wars: The Bad Batch - Keeper's Arena

Chapter 8 - Desperate Attempt

Someone shook Jade's shoulders roughly, and she groaned, sitting up.

"Come on, newbie. Time to get to work," laughed a guard, and he went to the next cot to do the same to Hunter.

The districts all slept in one giant room; hundreds of cots lined up. There was barely any room to walk, and the walls were cold and grey. Jade stood and waited for the guard to wake all the "new people." Besides her and Hunter, there were only a few other new people. Jade glanced at Hunter, but her mind was too groggy to say anything.

"Alright, follow me. You'll be thankful for the extra muscles when you have to fight in a couple of days," the guard remarked, chuckling slightly at the thought.

Jade was still feeling braver than she once was, but not brave enough to see a way out of their situation. Back to the coal pile they went, and the hours dragged by. Jade felt numb all over, and resentment creeped into her mind. She should have avoided being "caught" and convinced. Even then, Jade doubted her anxiety would be resolved. She had been harboring worry for a long time; it was high time she did something about it, though her methods had been unsuccessful thus far. If she voiced her frustration, it would only make things worse. Besides that, Hunter seemed very focused, trying to hold back painful grunts. He was still human, after all, despite his enhanced senses. Eventually the bell rang, and Hunter and Jade wasted no time dropping their shovels immediately. Feeling lightheaded, Jade fought the urge to pass out. Instead, she forced her feet to work as they lined up behind the doors. When they were seated and devouring their bowls of soup, a very smug guard informed Hunter and Jade that they would have exactly five hours of sleep before they did it all over again. No more, no less. Jade nodded dully, but Hunter said nothing. Disappointed by their lack of despair, the guard awkwardly shuffled away.

Later...

"Now is our chance," Hunter whispered, and Jade lifted her head; stunned and alarmed.

The five hours had gone by faster than Jade would have believed possible. In fact, she hardly felt rested. This remark, however, quickly startled her out of her grogginess.

"No, Hunter, it's not," Jade insisted. "Where will you go?"

"Anywhere," Hunter answered. "There's a reason I lingered so we could take the back of the line."

Jade picked up the pace until she was right next to him, staring at him sternly. He wasn't acting recklessly, not necessarily. In his eyes he saw a way out of his situation. To Jade, however, he sounded like a fool, only because she had experienced the reality of their situation. They wouldn't abandon each other, of course; if there was a small, small chance of getting out... they stood no chance alone. Before Jade could say another word, she watched as Hunter peered over the shoulder of the person in front of them.

"Sharp right, soon," he whispered.

She would go with him; she knew she would. Still, she groaned in frustration. The hallway branched out, and Hunter moved so quickly Jade almost missed her opportunity. As soon as they slipped into the shadows, they waited a moment to be absolutely sure the line was still moving. Then silence fell. Nodding in approval, Hunter continued, and Jade kept close. Every now and then they stopped until guards moved away; never seeing them and hardly hearing them. Hunter kept glancing at the lower portion of the wall, eventually sharing his thoughts.

"Where are the vents? There are usually some big enough to –"

"A few prisoners managed to escape that way, years ago. They did away with them and installed a new system."

"It's good to know there's some hope, though. Those people made it out, and so will we," Hunter reassured, and Jade wasted no time in responding, her tone even.