𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙎𝙀𝘾𝙍𝙀𝙏𝙎 𝙊𝙁 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙃𝙔𝘽𝙍𝙄𝘿, clone wars ² ✔

Chapter Eight: Act Three; Bound by New Ties

Even the most unexpected bonds can guide us home."

☠⚡⛓

They hadn't gotten far before Nyx caught the scent—sharp and raw, the unmistakable stench of predators lying in wait. Around the base of the volcano, she spotted them: hyenas, large and muscular, their lean bodies moving with a predator's precision.

Nyx let out a low growl as the dog-like creatures began creeping closer, their golden eyes gleaming with a dangerous intelligence. They moved in slow, deliberate circles, their movements calculated, as if testing the group's defenses.

Rexy, sensing the threat, responded with a deep rumble that echoed through the ground. She bared her massive teeth, her warning clear and unmistakable. The hyenas paused for a moment, their ears flicking back, but their hunger outweighed their fear.

"They're testing us," Nyx muttered, her quills rattling softly as her body lowered into a defensive stance. Her glowing red eyes darted from one creature to the next, calculating their moves.

Ripper stepped up beside her, his claws flexing. "I count six," he said, his voice low and steady. "Maybe more hiding in the shadows."

"Six is enough," Nyx growled, her gaze locked on the nearest hyena as it bared its teeth in a twisted snarl. "We need to send a message. They won't back off unless we make them."

Rexy let out another low growl, her tail swaying slowly behind her as she prepared to charge. "Then let's make it loud," she rumbled, her golden eyes narrowing.

The hyenas crept closer, their muscles coiled like springs, ready to strike. But the three predators—Nyx, Ripper, and Rexy—stood firm, their combined presence radiating raw, unyielding power. The air grew thick with tension as predator faced predator, the volcano looming above them like a silent, smoldering witness.

Just then, a blaster bolt rang out, and one of the hyenas collapsed mid-step. Ahsoka landed gracefully beside Master Plo, her lightsabers ignited, their green and blue blades humming softly. Together, the two Jedi made quick work of the remaining hyenas, their coordinated strikes leaving the creatures as nothing more than faint echoes of the threat they had once posed.

"Thanks," Nyx said with a low growl, nodding toward Ripper, who had shifted restlessly at her side.

The Indoraptor began moving toward the Jedi, his sharp claws clicking against the stone. His red eyes were wary, and his body tensed as if ready for a fight. But before he could get too close, Nyx raised her head and let out a soft, commanding snarl.

"Don't, Ripper," she said firmly. "They're my friends."

Ripper froze, glancing back at Nyx. After a brief moment of hesitation, he relaxed, taking a step back and lowering his head slightly.

Ahsoka turned to Nyx with a warm smile, her sabers deactivating as she stepped forward. "It's time for you to come home, Nyx," she said, her voice filled with relief and a deep sense of joy.

Nyx blinked, her quills rattling faintly as she studied Ahsoka's face. The familiar warmth in her friend's expression stirred something within her—something she thought she had lost long ago. She hesitated, glancing back at Rexy and Ripper, then toward the volcano's smoldering peak.

Home. The word hung in the air, both an invitation and a challenge. Would she still belong there, after everything she had become? Or was this her home now, among the wilds and the beasts who accepted her as one of their own?