Phee Genoa was a pirate and self-described treasure hunter active during the early Imperial Era between 19 BBY and 18 BBY. She was an associate of the information broker Ciddarin Scaleback, who considered Genoa to be the most trustworthy pirate she knew. In that year, Genoa hired Scaleback to retrieve a crate from Aynaboni. To carry out the mission, Scaleback sent her "top team": the Bad Batch, a group of former Galactic Republic clone commandos who had deserted the Galactic Empire shortly after its formation. The squad had met Scaleback after coming to her for help identifying a bounty hunter who had attempted to abduct the Batch's newest member, Omega, a unique female clone who had been created as a special project of Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se. Afterwards, the Batch had begun working for Scaleback as mercenaries.
Scaleback entrusted Genoa with the knowledge of the Batch's identities and history with the Empire. The team first met the pirate when they returned late to Cid's Parlor on Ord Mantell after retrieving the crate, and Batch leader Hunter was perturbed when he found out Genoa knew who they were, as the Batch had successfully kept out of the Empire's notice since being presumed dead during the fall of Tipoca City several months earlier. Scaleback insisted that Genoa was trustworthy. After Genoa's departure with her crate, Scaleback gave the Bad Batch their next mission, based on intel from the pirate: a heist at Castle Serenno to steal part of the war chest belonging to the late Count Dooku, leader of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. All of the adult members of the team were persuaded to go due to the usefulness of having some secure wealth in case they had to flee if the Empire arrived on Ord Mantell, so they could secure a future for themselves. Ultimately, the job was unsuccessful due to stiff Imperial resistance, and the Bad Batch escaped Serenno empty-handed.
Genoa became a familiar face at Cid's Parlor, becoming acquainted with the Bad Batch. Despite her habit of telling constantly-changing tales of her exploits, which irritated Hunter, Echo, and Tech, Omega grew fascinated with Genoa and the idea of securing treasure and riches. The girl began collecting items of potential value to show Genoa whenever she had a chance. Eventually, Omega and Wrecker went on an errand to a junkyard to acquire a new compressor, Wrecker collecting the part while Omega scooped up several knick-knacks to show Genoa. When they returned to Cid's, Tech identified one of Omega's trinkets as worthless, but Genoa took note of another. Inspecting the device, she saw coordinates engraved on it and identified it as a compass. Genoa's droid, MEL-221, scanned the compass and revealed coordinates Genoa recognized as being in the Kaldar Trinary system. Tech had no record of the system, but Genoa countered that the best treasures were not normally located on maps.
Omega was intrigued by the possibility of treasure, and Genoa was confident that was what the compass led to. She invited the Bad Batch to come with her.
The Marauder followed the coordinates on the compass to Skara Nal in the system.
As the Bad Batch and Genoa returned to the Marauder, Hunter said it was a good thing that at least the walker could no longer be activated. Omega sympathized to Genoa over Mel's destruction, but the pirate was unconcerned, stating that she kept the droid's memory backed up on her own starship because she was destroyed frequently. Genoa said she would have Mel rebuilt before their journey to Vadnay. Omega asked what was located there, and Genoa explained she had a lead on an ancient chalice that had once belonged to the Kingdom of Elweys, explaining more to a fascinated Omega. Hunter was skeptical about another trip with the pirate, but was open to it given Omega's excitement at the prospect.