After several hours gliding across the star-studded void, you arrive at the remote Rishi Moon. It's a quietly beautiful place—if a moon could ever be deemed so—with a small unit of droids stationed in the solitude. Landing gracefully on the platform, you note the absence of the usual welcoming committee. Rex and Cody emerge from the shuttle, their helmets tilting in unison. "Well, that's just strange," Cody observes.

"Wait," you command, nostrils flaring as a primal instinct rises within you. Sensing the anxiety of your fellow soldiers, your scales stand on end. "Do you smell something?" Rex inquires, noting your posture.

Without a thought, you spring onto a stack of crates, your claws sinking into the cold metal. You tear through the chest plate of a commando droid before it can even register your presence. "Get down!" Rex's voice echoes as a storm of blaster fire rains down where they just stood. With a growl, you hurl the lifeless droid from your elevated position, raining down explosive blasts from your maw that scatter the enemy like leaves in a gale.

Like a tiger bounding through the underbrush, you launch from your perch, your wings catching hues of moonlit silver as you dive into the fray. The droids that dared to emerge are quickly reduced to scrap beneath your onslaught.

Cody and Rex hurry to your side, weapons drawn and panting from the skirmish. "Are you okay, Midnight?" Cody asks, the concern in his voice echoed in the tilt of his helmeted head.

"Yes, but where are the clones?" With senses heightened, you track the signature scent of the clone troopers; they're definitely not within the outpost's walls. "This way," you whisper, loping toward the edge of the platform, eyes scanning the moon's uneven terrain.

"Wait, Midnight!" Rex calls, but you're already soaring over the precipice. Darting between the towering formations, you navigate with ease until suddenly, a collision against your tail sends you tumbling out of control, and you crash to the moon's rocky surface. A clone, blaster smoking and barrel pressed to your snout, stands over you, a grim silhouette against the cosmic canvas.

"You watch it!" Cody snaps, vaulting from the platform with Rex swiftly at his heels, skidding to a halt beside your sprawling form. They may be unfamiliar faces, their armor dusted with the unique patina of moon dust, yet their scent is unmistakably that of all clones—earthy and faintly sweet. They have the unmistakable mark of brothers.

"Troopers, stand down," commands Rex authoritatively. "She's with us." He gestures towards you, still grounded on your back, talons twitching in the open air, wings splayed uselessly at your sides. A peculiar metallic coil encircles your tail fin—the cause of your abrupt descent.

"What?" one of the troopers murmurs, removing his helmet to reveal a face marked by confusion and awe. "A monster, part of us? No doubt, it's a dragon, too. A Night Fury, if I'm seeing this right."

Their skepticism is a tangible thing, a presence that you meet with a collected hiss—a reminder that you are no monster, but a comrade-in-arms under the banner of their Republic. It's time for them to understand that you are more ally than anomaly in this war-torn galaxy.

"She is a part of us now, let her be," Rex growled, and you blinked, not expecting such fervor in defense against a fellow trooper who'd dared aim at you. Amused, you finally batted the blaster aside. "Didn't want to hurt you, shiny, that's why I didn't attack," you huffed at the nervous trooper who swallowed audibly.

"Gather yourself, I'm not about to rend you for dinner," you asserted with a flick of your head, shaking off the fine coat of moon dust from your scales. Cody approached cautiously, running a seasoned gaze over your form. "You seem alright," he noted, and you snorted in response.

"What, I've been thrown from the sky before; it's hardly novel," you quipped back, then flexed your tail, fanning out the intricate tail fins to assess the damage. A twinge of pain shot through you as you noted a gash circumscribing the right one. "Great," you muttered under your breath, extending your tongue to gingerly tend the wound.

Rex's voice cut through, lined with concern. "You're injured?" He asked, the lines on his face deepening. You sighed in exasperation. "Oh, please. This is nothing." But inside, you're grateful for the concern, for the camaraderie that's become as integral to your survival as your fierce independence. In a galaxy torn by war, these bonds were the unexpected balm to the spirit.

Rex exhaled, his voice laced with a reluctant understanding. "So what I've heard from Sinker is true. You don't mind getting hurt; you don't feel the pain," he said, and you offered a knowing hum in response.

"Right you are, Captain," you said, turning to the cluster of clones still assembled before you. "Now, I'd like to know your names—I'm Midnight."

One who seemed to carry the unspoken weight of leadership took a step forward. "I'm Fives, and these are Hevy and Echo," he introduced, gesturing to his brothers who straightened under your appraising gaze.

"Hmm, nice names," you commented, before shaking your head fractionally. "Nice to meet you all. You know these two, I assume?" With a flick of your tail, you indicated Rex and Cody, who advanced to join the group. Hevy nodded, recognition sparking in his eyes.

"Yeah, we've heard their stories," he replied.

You smiled, feeling the beginnings of a plan stir within you. "Good, because we're going to need all the help we can get to take back your base."

There was a pause as the gravity of the situation settled, but it was soon replaced by a sense of determination, evident in the way the troopers squared their shoulders, ready to follow you into the heart of conflict, to reclaim what was theirs.