  Given a Galois cover $Y \to X$ of smooth projective geometrically connected
curves over a complete discrete valuation field $K$ with algebraically closed
residue field, we define a semistable model of $Y$ over the ring of integers of
a finite extension of $K$ which we call the \emph{relatively stable model}
$\mathcal{Y}^{\mathrm{rst}}$ of $Y$, and we discuss its properties, eventually
focusing on the case when $Y : y^2 = f(x)$ is a hyperelliptic curve viewed as a
degree-$2$ cover of the projective line $X := \mathbb{P}_K^1$. Over residue
characteristic different from $2$, it follows from known results that the toric
rank (i.e.\ the number of loops in the graph of components) of the special
fiber of $\mathcal{Y}^{\mathrm{rst}}$ can be computed directly from the
knowledge of the even-cardinality clusters of roots of the defining polynomial
$f$. We instead consider the "wild" case of residue characteristic $2$ and
demonstrate an analog to this result, showing that each even-cardinality
cluster of roots of $f$ gives rise to a loop in the graph of components of the
special fiber of $\mathcal{Y}^{\mathrm{rst}}$ if and only if the depth of the
cluster exceeds some threshold, and we provide a computational description of
and bounds for that threshold. As a bonus, our framework also allows us to
provide a formula for the $2$-rank of the special fiber of
$\mathcal{Y}^{\mathrm{rst}}$.
