I tore through the Umbaran forces like a tempest given flesh, the coppery tang of blood seeping between my teeth. Screams filled the air, mingling with the staccato burst of blaster fire and the acrid tang of scorched earth. My claws sliced through armor and sinew with savage precision, each strike fueled by primal fury.

Behind me, Rex and the others struggled to keep pace, their boots pounding against the ground as they navigated the carnage I left in my wake. Krell, towering and imperious, barked sharply, "No. Let this beast do what she does best. We'll follow in her wake and take out the stragglers."

Rex shot him a wary glance, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "Are you sure about this?"

Krell's lip curled with disdain. "That's an order, Captain."

Reluctantly, Rex exchanged a glance with Fives, who shrugged as if to say we've seen worse. Silently, they slipped through the underbrush, shadows among the chaos, their blasters trained on any lingering threats.

Ahead, an Umbaran soldier lunged at me, desperate to stop the force of nature I had become. Foolish. My jaws snapped shut around his neck, the sickening crunch reverberating through my chest. I tossed the lifeless body aside, my breath coming in ragged bursts, steam rising from my nostrils in the cool air. Blood dripped from my fangs, staining the ground beneath me.

Jesse and Hevy stumbled to a halt, their faces pale beneath their helmets. They raised their blasters instinctively, trembling fingers hovering over the triggers.

Then I stopped, my massive head swinging around, nostrils flaring as I caught a scent that prickled at the edges of my awareness. The soldiers stiffened.

"Oh no," muttered Fives, his voice barely audible.

Krell's eyes narrowed, his voice a venomous hiss. "What's the whelp doing now?"

"Sniffing us out," Rex said grimly, his grip tightening on his blaster.

The air crackled with tension as I tensed, muscles coiling like a predator ready to pounce. The world narrowed to a singular target—Krell. A low growl rumbled from my throat, vibrating through the ground beneath my feet. Without warning, I charged, a blur of teeth and claws, scattering troopers like leaves in a storm.

Krell's eyes widened in shock as I barreled toward him. He raised a meaty arm, but it was too late. My claws struck with brutal force, severing his limb clean off in a spray of crimson. His scream tore through the battlefield, raw and guttural.

He staggered back, clutching the stump where his arm had been, hatred and pain twisting his features. Rex and the others stood frozen, caught between disbelief and grim satisfaction.

I loomed over Krell, my breath hot against his face, the monster within me roaring for more.

Just then, the ground trembled as several caterpillar tanks rumbled into the fray, their turret cannons swiveling to target me. The air shuddered with the high-pitched whine of plasma charging.

I snarled, my bloodied claws digging into the scorched earth. The sharp tang of ozone filled my nostrils. Pain rippled through my body, the searing burn of earlier wounds flaring anew—but none of it mattered. Not when the troopers behind me were vulnerable. They were my soldiers, and I would not let them fall.

The first cannon blast struck, a concussive force that scorched my scales and sent shockwaves through my limbs. My muscles screamed in agony, but I held firm, planting myself as a living shield between the tanks and the clones. Smoke curled from my flanks, the scent acrid and bitter.

"Nyx!" Rex's voice cut through the chaos, sharp with fear.

I didn't falter. With a guttural roar that reverberated through the battlefield, I surged forward, primal rage coursing through every fiber of my being. Claws gleamed as I slashed through reinforced armor plating as though it were nothing more than brittle stone. Sparks flew in wild arcs, mingling with the shriek of rending metal.

A second tank swung its cannon toward me, but I was faster. Lunging upward, I brought my jaws down on its barrel, twisting it into a gnarled mess before hurling the mangled wreck to the ground. I raked my claws across the remaining tanks, reducing them to shattered, smoking ruins.

Behind me, the clones shielded their faces from the debris, the acrid smoke stinging their lungs. The battlefield fell eerily silent, save for the crackle of fire and the groaning remnants of machinery.

They stared, wide-eyed, weapons lowered in stunned disbelief.

The wreckage lay still. Flames licked at twisted metal, but I was nowhere to be seen.

Rex scanned the devastation, his expression darkening with worry. Fives stood beside him, shifting uneasily. "Where is she?"

"Nyx!" Jesse called, his voice carrying desperation.

The silence stretched, thick with tension. Unease crept into their hearts like a shadow, twisting fear into doubt. The thought loomed in their minds—What if she didn't rise from this one?