Seven suns had passed since my release from the med bay, and I was finally free to stretch my wings once more. As promised, Anakin swept me up in his arms and whisked me away to Messa Giana, where the aromas of Sruiek's culinary mastery wafted through the air, tantalizing my senses. We feasted on delicacies, a far cry from the humble rations that sustained the soldiers.

With our bellies full, Anakin led me to his ship, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Today, we embark on a small excursion," he announced, as we ascended the ramp. "Our mission is to ensure the well-being of the inhabitants of planet Felucia, following the disappearance of their medical station."

Obi-Wan and Ashoka joined us, the young Togruta's face lighting up with joy as she spotted me. "Nyx, I'm amazed you survived a rocket blast to the stomach! Are you fully recovered?" she asked, her voice bubbling with concern.

I smiled, reaching out to pat her head. "Yes, my dear, I'm fine," I reassured her, settling into a nearby chair. Ashoka's grin faltered for a moment before she plopped down beside me, her eyes shining with curiosity. Together, we lifted off from Hagnar Bay, soaring through the temple's atmospheric shield and into the star-studded expanse beyond.

Obi-Wan's wise eyes narrowed, his brow furrowing in concern. "When we land, I want you to stay behind with the ship," he instructed, his voice firm but gentle. "I don't want you to get hurt."

I rolled my eyes, a mischievous glint sparking within them. "Come on, Master," I teased, "I've been tough since you found me and stabbed me. I'm fine, don't worry, okay?" My words were laced with a playful defiance, and I could sense Obi-Wan's frustration rising.

For a moment, he clenched his fist, the jade pendant on his necklace gleaming in the dim light of the cockpit. Then, with a deep breath, he released his tension, a wry smile spreading across his face. "Oh, fine," he muttered, "I suppose I can get one of my Padawans to listen to orders now, can't I?"

Anakin's laughter burst forth, a rich, throaty sound that filled the cockpit. He sent me a satisfied glance, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I responded by wrapping my arms around him, pulling him into a warm hug.

"I'm not supposed to follow orders, Master," I whispered, my voice muffled against Anakin's shoulder. "You're lucky I let you control me as much as you do." My words were a gentle tease, but Obi-Wan's eyes sparkled with amusement, acknowledging the truth behind my jest.

Ashoka's dramatic flair was on full display as she pretended to gag, rolling her eyes in mock disgust. "Oh, just stop it, you three love each other, that's for sure," she teased, waving her hand dismissively. "Now can we just focus on flying?"

I chuckled, releasing Anakin from my grasp to settle back into my seat. I playfully jabbed Ashoka in the shoulder, earning a half-hearted swat from her.

As we entered the system where Felucia awaited, the planet's unique landscape unfolded before us. The mushroom-like formations rose from the ground, casting long shadows in the fading light.

I took a deep breath, my instincts on high alert. Better not to be a trap, I thought, my mind racing with possibilities.

But fate had other plans. Vulture droids swooped in, attacking our shuttle and forcing us to make an emergency landing on Felucia's unforgiving surface.

Anakin helped me extricate myself from the escape pod, his hands supporting me as I stretched and arched my back. "Are you okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

I nodded, shaking myself loose. "Yes, I'm fine now," I assured him, "but it never happens again."

Anakin's sheepish expression told me he knew exactly what I meant. I walked over to Ashoka, helping her out of the escape pod.

"Are you alright, Padawan?" I asked, checking her for injuries.

Ashoka nodded, a wry smile twisting her lips. "Yes, just like always when I fly with Anakin – we crash."

I laughed, sharing a knowing glance with Ashoka. "True enough, my friend, true."

As we surveyed our surroundings, the ground trembled beneath our feet. Two massive moon acorns lumbered by, their heavy footsteps causing the earth to shudder.

"Stand still," I hissed, holding my breath until the creatures passed.

Once they vanished into the distance, we began searching for signs of civilization. After an hour or more of trekking through the dense foliage, we stumbled upon a family tending to a field of fragrant herbs. The scent wafting from the plants hinted at their medicinal properties.

We entered the nearby town, only to find it eerily deserted. I transformed into my Indoraptor form, my senses heightened as I began to scour the area for any sign of life.

I sniffed around the corner of the house before Anakin caught up to me. "Found anything yet?" he asked.

I shook my head, my tail twitching, and I tapped my claws against the ground to feel for vibrations. Suddenly, something wet, meaty, and alive caught my attention, and I darted off towards it.

"Hey, Nyx, wait for us!" Anakin called out, but I was already gone, my senses focused on the new scent.

I chased after the mysterious smell, my heart pounding in my chest. What could it be? A creature? A person? I followed the scent, my claws digging into the dirt as I ran.

As I rounded another corner, I caught sight of a figure huddled in the shadows. It was a woman, dressed in tattered robes, and she looked like she hadn't eaten in days. She stared up at me with wide, fearful eyes, and I could sense her trembling with fear.

I slowed to a stop, my ears perked up, and I let out a soft growl. Anakin and Ashoka caught up to me, and they exchanged a wary glance.

"What is it, Nyx?" Anakin asked, his hand on the hilt of his lightsaber.

I gestured towards the woman, my tail twitching. She looked harmless, but I could sense something else lurking beneath the surface. Something that didn't add up.

I looked to the side and saw a  house that wasn't abandoned and clawed my way into the opening, with Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka close behind. The room was empty. "What did you find now?" Obi-Wan asked.

I sniffed around before inserting my claws into a wooden panel. It splintered immediately, and a blaster was soon pressed against my back. "Get away from that panel if you want to live," a female voice said.

I froze, my ears perked up, and my tail twitching. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka moved forward, their lightsabers at the ready.

"We mean no harm," Anakin said, his voice calm. "We're here to help."

The woman's voice was firm, but I detected a hint of desperation. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said. "Leave now, or I'll shoot."

I slowly backed away from the panel, my eyes fixed on the woman, who emerged from the shadows. She was dirty and disheveled, but her eyes burned with a fierce determination.

Obi-Wan stepped forward, his hands held out in a calming gesture. "We're not here to harm you," he said. "We're looking for survivors. Can we talk?"

The woman hesitated, her grip on the blaster wavering. For a moment, I thought she might lower it, but then her face hardened, and she raised the blaster again.

"I don't trust you," she said. "Leave now, or die."

"You don't have to," said a voice, and I turned my head slightly to see five different people standing in one part of the house. Then a small reptilian creature came forward and waved his hands.

"No, no, don't attack them," he said. "They are Jedi, they will help us."

The female voice that had threatened us with the blaster seemed uncertain about what to do. She looked at the small reptilian creature, and then at us again.

"Who are you?" she asked, slowly lowering the blaster.

Anakin took a step forward, holding up his hands in a peaceful gesture.

"We are Jedi," he said. "We have come to help you and your people. We know that there has been a great disaster here, and we wish to help rebuild and protect this community."

The small reptilian creature nodded eagerly, and the female voice seemed more open to listening.

"Yes, we need help," she said. "Our city has been destroyed, and many of our people are missing or dead. We don't know what happened, or how to get back what was ours."

I growled and in a flash of light, I was back in my human form. "I don't trust these hunters," I said quietly, and Ahsoka nodded in agreement. "Neither do I."

The female bounty hunter, who was clearly the leader, stepped forward. "My name is Sugi, and my friends' names are Embo, Rumi Paramita, and Seripas. This village hired us to protect them from pirates," she said, resting her blaster on her shoulder. "How do we know we can trust you, especially her?" she pointed at me. "That monster was about to attack a family of farmers."

I bristled at her words, feeling a surge of defensiveness. "I'm not a monster," I said, trying to keep my temper in check. "And I wouldn't have attacked that family if I hadn't sensed something was wrong."

Sugi raised an eyebrow. "Something was wrong? What do you mean?"

I hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal. But something about Sugi's expression made me think she might understand. "I sensed a dark presence," I said. "Something that didn't feel right. And I reacted instinctively."

Sugi's expression changed, and she looked at me with a mixture of curiosity and suspicion. "A dark presence, you say? That sounds like something we've encountered before. Tell me more."

Before I could respond, the whirling sound of speeder bikes caught everyone's attention. The village elder, Cassis, sighed. "Ah, they're here again. Now, go, go," he ushered us out of the hut, and we gathered outside, staring as the pirates arrived on their speeder bikes. An unknown pirate in a ruby-red cape stepped forward. "I can hardly believe my eyes. Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker. Who would have thought that you two would find your way all the way here," he said with outstretched hands. He seemed friendly, but I smelled deceit on him from afar and stepped forward in front of my friends, growling. "Stay back, pirate," I snapped. He howled and laughed. "Oh, who is this fine specimen?"

I bared my teeth, my hackles raised. There was something about this pirate that didn't seem right. He was too smooth, too charming. I could sense that he was hiding something.

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a wary glance, their hands on the hilts of their lightsabers. Ahsoka stood tall, her eyes fixed intently on the pirate.

"What do you want?" Anakin demanded, his voice firm.

The pirate chuckled. "Oh, I think we can come to some sort of arrangement. You see, we've been having a bit of trouble with the local wildlife. And I think you might be able to help us with that."

I snarled, sensing a trap. "What kind of trouble?"

The pirate smiled, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Well, let's just say that we've had some... issues with a certain species of creature. One that's been causing us a lot of problems."

I knew exactly what he was talking about. The same creature that I had sensed earlier. The one that had triggered my transformation.

"What do you know about it?" I growled, my eyes narrowing.

The pirate shrugged. "Only that it's been attacking our ships and killing our crew members. We've tried to hunt it down, but it's proving to be quite elusive."

I knew that I had to be careful. This pirate was hiding something, and I needed to find out what it was.

Sugi stepped forward. "How do we know you're not lying? Pirates are known to lie and cheat, and it's said that you're after the farmers' cargo of nysillin spice," she said, with her blaster trained on his chest. He threw up his hands. "Why would I lie?" he laughed. "Especially when I have three Jedi who can read my thoughts as easily as a book." He shook his head. "No, no, my dear, I'm not here to steal from these kind farmers. We have an agreement."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the pirate's words. An agreement? What kind of agreement could a pirate possibly have with the farmers?

Anakin and Obi-Wan exchanged a skeptical glance, their expressions unreadable. Ahsoka's eyes narrowed, her hand on the hilt of her lightsaber.

"What kind of agreement?" Anakin asked, his voice firm.

The pirate smiled, seeming to enjoy the cat-and-mouse game. "Ah, that would be telling. Let's just say that we're willing to offer them protection... for a price."

Sugi's eyes flashed with anger. "Protection? From what?"

The pirate chuckled. "From the very thing that's been terrorizing them. The creature that's been attacking their ships and killing their crew members."

I growled, my instincts screaming at me to be cautious. There was something fishy about this pirate's story, and I aimed to find out what it was.

A roar sounded and we all looked toward a hill where a black beast was standing. It was sleek and had the familiar scale pattern I had only seen in one other beast before - Ripper, the Indoraptor, my ancestor. I gulped. "Everyone back into the houses now!" I barked.

"What? No, you're coming with us," said Anakin, reaching out towards me, but I snapped at him. "Don't!"

I then ran towards the hill and the Indoraptor that stood there. It turned towards me, its yellow eyes rimmed with red glowing in the sunlight. I took my own form and bounded downwards towards our little predator.

When I reached him, I bowed him over, lashing out at his muzzle. He yowled in pain and slashed back at my chin, catching me and making a bleeding scratch appear.

I recoiled, surprised by the Indoraptor's ferocity. But I refused to back down. I charged at him again, determined to assert my dominance.

The Indoraptor met me head-on, its jaws snapping wildly as we clashed in a flurry of scales and claws. I managed to grab its neck, but it wriggled free and counterattacked, pinning me to the ground.

I struggled to break free, but the Indoraptor's grip was too strong. Just as I thought I was done for, I remembered the words of my ancestors - "Use your intelligence, use your cunning".

I relaxed, pretending to submit, and the Indoraptor loosened its grip. That was all the opportunity I needed. I sprang upwards, using my agility and quick reflexes to evade the Indoraptor's attacks.

This time, I was prepared. I targeted the Indoraptor's vulnerable spots, striking at its eyes and nose. The beast yowled in pain and retreated, its tail between its legs.

I stood victorious, my chest heaving with exertion. The Indoraptor may have been a formidable opponent, but I was its superior. I was the alpha.

As I turned to return to my friends, I saw Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka staring at me in awe. Sugi and the other bounty hunters looked impressed, while the pirate seemed taken aback.

"Well, well, well," said the pirate, "looks like we have a real wild card on our hands."

Anakin immediately crouched down beside me, checking me for wounds. "You got a scratch around your eye," he said, touching it gently. I hissed and pulled away. "Don't touch it," I barked, shaking my head. "It's just a scratch."

I turned to Cassis, my eyes locking onto his. "Is that the one who's been terrorizing your village, stealing your food and killing your people?" I asked, my voice firm.

Cassis nodded solemnly. "Yes, it is. Thank you for stopping him. You can kill him if you want."

I considered his words, weighing my options. Part of me wanted to end the Indoraptor's reign of terror once and for all. But another part of me hesitated, remembering the connection I had felt with the beast.

"I won't kill him," I decided, standing up. "Not yet, anyway. I want to know why he's been doing this. Is he hungry? Is he protecting something?"

Cassis frowned. "We don't know. We've tried to communicate with him, but he just attacks us whenever we get near."

I nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try to talk to him. Maybe I can find out what's driving him to behave like this."

Anakin looked at me skeptically. "Are you sure that's a good idea? He's a wild animal, Nyx."

I shot him a confident glance. "I can handle myself, Anakin. Besides, I think I can learn something from him."

With that, I turned and approached the Indoraptor, which was still cowering in the distance. I could sense its fear and uncertainty, and I knew that I had to tread carefully if I was going to get through to it.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

Later that day, I was in my Indoraptor form, pacing outside of the hut that we had been given. Ahsoka came out yawning, stretching her arms above her head. "You're still up," she asked, leaning against the house wall.

I sighed and looked down at her, my eyes glowing in the dark. "Yes, I am. I couldn't sleep. I need to go out there now, while he's still asleep."

Ahsoka looked worried, her brow furrowed. "You don't even know its lair location, you can't just wander around here, Nyx. It's too dangerous."

I stopped pacing and looked at her, my ears folding back in frustration. "I have to try, Ahsoka. I have to know why he's been attacking the villagers. And I have to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else."

Ahsoka sighed, rubbing her temples. "Fine, but be careful, okay? Take someone with you, at least."

I shook my head, my tail twitching. "No, I need to do this alone. I need to be able to move quickly and quietly, without being detected."

Ahsoka looked unconvinced, but she knew better than to argue with me when I was in this mood. "Okay, but promise me you'll be careful. And if you're not back by dawn, I'm coming after you."

I nodded, a low rumble in my throat. "I promise. I'll be fine, Ahsoka."

With that, I turned and padded away into the darkness, leaving Ahsoka to watch me go with a concerned expression.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

The dusk sky, painted in shades of violet and indigo, was slowly surrendering to the encroaching darkness. A faint hiss escaped my lips as I realized the urgency of my task.

 "I have to find him, now." A rustle in the undergrowth nearby made me pause, and I glanced up, my red stripe-marked face illuminated by the fading light. The silver moonlight reflected off my sleek fur, revealing a sleek, muscular figure. "So, you're not the only one," a voice, low and menacing, whispered from the shadows. I froze, my heart pounding, as two glowing yellow eyes emerged from the darkness, staring directly into my soul. "It seems I've interrupted your hunt." The figure stepped forward, her fur shimmering in the moonlight, a mirror of my own distinctive markings. "But tonight, we both have scores to settle."

I inhaled sharply, my eyes narrowing as I faced the formidable creature before me. "I know you're not here for their food, Ripper." My words hung in the air, heavy with accusation.

 The Indoraptor stilled, its massive frame tensing at the sound of my voice. Its head snapped towards me, eyes narrowing to slits, and a low, dangerous growl rumbled in its throat. 

"What did you just say?" it demanded, each word a threat. I stood my ground, despite the fear coursing through my veins. "You're here for something more... personal. Am I right?" 

My boldness seemed to surprise the creature, and it regarded me with a mixture of curiosity and annoyance. "Go on," it hissed, its voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm listening."

 "You're here because those farmers took something from you, didn't they?" I taunted, taking a cautious step forward. "Some kind of information, perhaps?"

 I cocked my head, my black scales shimmering in the dim light. "It's Dr. Wu you're after. You want to know where he is so you can finish what you started." The Indoraptor's eyes narrowed further, the yellow irises glowing with a mixture of anger and surprise.

 "You're more observant than most," it conceded, its voice laced with contempt. "But it won't save you. No one can protect Dr. Wu from me. He will pay for what he did." Its massive claws dug into the ground, sending shivers down my spine. Yet, I stood firm, my gaze unwavering. "And what about you?" I challenged. "Are you here to avenge your fallen comrades? To make those who wronged you suffer?"

 Ripper's laughter echoed through the surroundings, sending shivers down my spine. "No, I lost nothing and no one," he corrected, his voice dripping with bitterness. "Dr. Wu created us as commodities, seeing only dollar signs where others might see life. We are but tools to be exploited." 

His tail lashed angrily against the ground, sending up clouds of dust. "You can't understand the torture I endured," he continued, his eyes burning with rage.

 But I cut him off with a scoff, my own memories fueling my defiance. "Don't tell me I don't understand, Ripper," I countered, my voice steady. "If anyone understands, it's me. I was tortured for days, sold to a count who saw me as nothing more than a means to train his army. I, too, know the depths of suffering." I shook my head, my claws digging into the earth, the musky scent of mushrooms filling my nostrils. "I have endured torture just as you have, Ripper. Perhaps even worse."

As I stood amidst the twilight shadows, my gaze fell upon the Indoraptor, its eyes aglow like lanterns of gold in the fading light. I shook my head, a solemn gesture, and drew nearer to the creature, its presence both captivating and unnerving. The air was heavy with the weight of our shared suffering, a burden that threatened to consume us whole.

"We have both known the depths of anguish," I said, my voice a gentle breeze on a summer's day, "yet that knowledge should not be the catalyst for our downfall. Let us not permit the shadows to claim us, dear Ripper. Let us strive to be beacons of hope in a world beset on all sides by darkness. Let us aid those who cannot save themselves, that they may know the warmth of solace and the comfort of compassion."

I locked gazes with the Indoraptor, my eyes burning with an inner fire, as I implored it to see the wisdom in my words. I hoped that, in that moment, it would grasp the essence of my plea, and that the spark of reason would ignite within its breast. Alas, my entreaty fell upon deaf ears, for Ripper's response was a low, ominous hiss, a sound that sent shivers coursing through my very being.

"You would be like... her," it spat, the words dripping with venom, "like... Blue!" The Indoraptor's eyes blazed with a feral intensity, and in that instant, it launched itself at me, its claws outstretched, sending me tumbling to the ground. The world around me dissolved into chaos, as the creature's fury raged unabated, a tempest that threatened to consume me whole.

As the Indoraptor's claws closed around my throat, I felt the icy grip of mortality's chill breath upon my skin. Ripper's eyes blazed with a malevolent fury, as if the very thought of my existence was an affront to its own. The words that dripped from its lips were a poisonous venom, a deadly draught that sought to consume my very soul.

"You will perish, just as she did," it growled, the sound a low, rumbling thunder that seemed to shake the very foundations of the earth. "And with your demise, I will be the sole master of this domain, the one true Indoraptor, unencumbered by the pretensions of a feeble copy such as yourself."

The claws pressed deeper, and I felt the air being slowly squeezed from my lungs. My vision began to blur, as if the very fabric of reality was unraveling before my eyes. And yet, even as the darkness closed in, I found the strength to speak, my voice a mere whisper, but one that carried the weight of defiance.

"I am not a copy, Ripper," I gasped, the words a desperate protest against the crushing weight of its claws. "I am a reflection, a mirror held up to the depths of your own soul. And in that reflection, you see the truth that you dare not acknowledge: that you are not the sole arbiter of this world, that there are others who would seek to claim their place within it."

The Indoraptor's eyes narrowed, its gaze burning with an intense, almost palpable hatred. And in that moment, I knew that I had struck a chord, that I had touched upon a truth that Ripper would rather keep hidden, even from itself.

As the blaster bolt struck Ripper, sending it stumbling backward, I felt a surge of relief wash over me, followed closely by a wave of dizziness. The world around me began to spin, and I felt myself being lifted, my massive body cradled in the arms of Ahsoka and Obi-Wan. The sound of blaster fire still echoed through the night air, a staccato beat that seemed to match the pounding of my heart.

Ahsoka's voice was a gentle breeze in my ear, a soothing melody that seemed to calm the turmoil within me. "You were gone too long," she said, her words a mixture of concern and relief. "We thought we'd lost you."

I tried to speak, to reassure her that I was alive, but my voice was barely a whisper, a faint rustle of leaves in the wind. Obi-Wan's face appeared above me, his eyes shining with a deep concern.

"We need to get you to the town, Casiss," he said, his voice firm and commanding. "He knows a healer who can help you."

I nodded, or at least, I tried to. My head felt heavy, as if it were weighted down by a thousand anchors. Ahsoka's grip on me tightened, and I felt myself being lifted, carried through the darkness toward a destination that seemed shrouded in uncertainty.

As we moved, I caught glimpses of the surrounding landscape, a blur of shadows and moonlit trees. The sounds of the night grew fainter, replaced by the soft murmur of Ahsoka's voice, and the steady beat of Obi-Wan's footsteps.

I felt myself being borne away, carried on a tide of darkness, toward a shore that seemed to recede with each passing moment. And yet, even as my consciousness began to slip away, I knew that I was not alone, that I was surrounded by friends who would fight to keep me safe, to keep me alive.