Consciousness returned to you with an unforgiving clarity. Your eyes opened to the sight of a collapsed base, the destruction laid bare—burnt out droid carcasses, rubble scattered as if by a vengeful storm. You sighed, feeling the shake of your limbs, the strain of your wings, the aching ubiquity of pain that consumed your every fiber.

A low, involuntary growl of anguish vibrated in your throat as you attempted to displace the debris entombing you. For a moment, you ceased your efforts, allowing stillness to embrace you. In the silence that followed, only the melancholy song of distant mynocks outside the facility walls pierced the oppressive void of solitude. The comrades who had once fought beside you, who had filled the hollow spaces with laughter and courage, were absent—vanished into the chaos you had just survived.

You bit your lip against the fear that gnawed at the edges of your resolve. 'It doesn't mean they won't return,' you reassured yourself, clinging to the hope that flickered like a stubborn flame in the labyrinth of your thoughts.

You sighed again, the sound hollow, as your gaze—steeled and resolute—surveyed the expanse of rubble pinning you in place. The weight was immense, but so too was your will. With a renewed determination, you knew your task: to free yourself from this tomb of fallen durasteel and await the return of your allies—or, if fate would have it, to set out and seek them through the smoldering remnants of war.

Your ears flicked back and forth, but not a whisper did they catch besides the disheartening echo of silence. With a second, heavy-hearted sigh, you pulled your limbs close, feeling the rough textures of the stone that served as both your prison and protector. The limbs themselves weren't critically damaged—merely bruised with violent patches spreading where the rubble had kissed your skin.

More pressing was the destitute condition of your abdomen and knees, which harbored a throbbing pain growing ever more insistent as the initial shock ebbed away. A sharp hiss slipped through clenched teeth as you became fully present within your battered form.

Mulling over Tairneanach's words, resolve hardened within you. 'I cannot perish here. Not after his revelation,' your thoughts vowed. Gathering the remnants of your strength, you pressed against the rocks above with a resolute push.

A cascade of smaller stones tumbled down, snuffing out the sliver of light and enclosing you in an even darker embrace.

"Damn this all," you murmured, surrendering your sight to the shadows. Your mind reached outward, extending into the enveloping darkness, bending it to your will, commanding it to unchain you from the stony grip. With a supernatural effort, the rocks shifted, obeying your silent command, and relief washed over you as you finally stood upright amidst the debris.

"You're far from being okay," one shadow said, its presence nearby, both comforting and surreal. It proffered a syringe filled with luminescent bacta, an elixir of healing. As the cold needle penetrated your scales, targeting the delicate stretch of skin behind your horns, you felt a spreading chill as the substance worked to mend your wounds from within.

Feeling a touch restored, you looked to the shadow, its maw lined with intimidating teeth, yet its aura bereft of malice. "Thank you," you expressed, the gratitude ringing sincere.

"It was nothing," the shadow replied, its form receding into the depths of darkness with its kin.

Slowly, you began your somber procession across the Ethereum, stepping solemnly over the fallen. Reflections on mortality, on the fragile allegiance between life and death, welled inside you. But with each step, the resolve to continue—to fight, to survive—filled your chest like a newfound breath, cooling the burning embers of a spirit unvanquished.

◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥◤◢◣◥

As sunlight graced your scales, you recoiled with a hiss, unprepared for the harshness of the day's brilliance. In your eyes, it amplified the starkness of the debris that now littered what was once a battleground.

A shadow coalesced before you, taking on a form that was both comforting and eerie. Despite the bright conditions that typically rendered your power inert, you were not startled.

"We have evolved, master. Yet, you must remain here; you are too wounded for flight," it spoke, its tone sagely and sincere, while it bowed low, a silhouette against the brightness of the sky.

You gritted your teeth against the unwelcome counsel. "I must seek out my comrades; they may still search for me," you lied—a lie you whispered as truth to your own heart. Deep down, you knew the clones would have returned to the Republic, tending to their own wounds, far from the desolation.

"They are not here, master. Seek not the unattainable, not until your strength returns—as we both know this to be the only course," the shadow urged, pressing its ethereal claw against your brow. "Rest, and heal."

Resigned, you stretched out beneath the fragmented shadows of a crumbled tower. Other shadows emerged, spectral caretakers bringing what meager sustenance this rock could offer. One approached with a lifeless mynock, an unusual offering punctuated by the assurance of its nourishment.

You sampled the flesh, chewing in quiet contemplation under a sky punctuated by satellites and swirling moons.

"Are my friends unharmed?" you inquired, once the meager meal settled within.

"Yes," the shadow adorned in white rings affirmed. "They escaped during the chaos, heavy-hearted but alive, departing as necessity demanded."

You hummed your acceptance, the confirmation of their safety soothing a growing disquiet within you.

Curiosity danced in the stance of another shadow. "Why do you consort with humans, master? Surely the caves of distant planets are more fitting for one such as you."

You exhaled a breath laced with fatigue. "I joined the Republic—I was saved, and in turn, I saved. I thought it balance, a debt repaid, but now—"

The shadow nodded a salute of gratitude. "Thanks."

You waved away the gesture. "No thanks are necessary—it wasn't my place."

Yet the shadow persisted, a smile lingering at the edges of its formless lips. "We go unnoticed by humans—and that is our advantage."

A chuckle escaped you, a sound mingled with weariness and resolve as you gazed at the stars and continued to commune with the shadows, your fleeting allies—called upon in moments of dire need, including the attempt on Dooku's life, your covert operations, and now the salvation of Hevy and his brothers. They were enigmas sprung from the dark, benevolent phantoms in a universe that scarcely understood them.