The Ord Mantell mission, alternatively known as the Old Ord Mantell City mission, occurred in the early years of the Imperial Era. During this time, Clone Force 99, a group of clone fugitives, liberated the rancor Muchi from Zygerrian slavers on Ord Mantell. The "Bad Batch" consented to this rescue operation as part of an agreement with Ciddarin Scaleback, an informant from whom they sought assistance in identifying a bounty hunter they had previously encountered on Pantora. Scaleback, however, only mentioned that Muchi was a child without specifying her species. This led the squad to initially believe that a Falleen child held captive by the slavers was their intended target. After successfully defeating Raney, the Zygerrian leader, along with the other slavers, and freeing the [slaves](/article/slavery], the Batch successfully recovered Muchi. They then returned her to Cid's Parlor, where representatives of Jabba the Hutt took custody of her. Scaleback, honoring her part of the bargain, provided Sergeant Hunter with his share of the credits for the assignment, as well as the information she had gathered concerning the bounty hunter's identity, Fennec Shand, and her employer.
In 19 BBY, the widespread Clone Wars across the galaxy-spanning concluded. This led to the reorganization of the Galactic Republic into the Galactic Empire following a supposed "Jedi rebellion," which resulted in the remaining Jedi being labeled as enemies of the state. The reality was that the Republic's clone army had been brainwashed to assassinate their Jedi officers through implanted inhibitor chips, ensuring their unquestioning obedience to the Empire. Among the few clones who remained unaffected were the majority of the members of the Bad Batch, an unconventional clone commando squad. The Batch soon defected from the Empire, taking Omega, a young, genetically enhanced clone created by the Kaminoans, with them.
The Kaminoans, anxious to maintain their business relationship with the Empire, were deeply concerned about the new government's stated plans to discontinue ordering clone troopers and instead rely on recruited [soldiers](/article/soldier]. Consequently, Prime Minister Lama Su authorized Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se to proceed with experiments aimed at creating a new type of enhanced clone. These experiments, however, necessitated genetic material from clones who would not willingly return to Kamino.
During a supply run to Pantora before planning to remain hidden for a time, the Bad Batch and Omega were accosted by Fennec Shand, a bounty hunter who had been hired to capture the child. Following a pursuit through the city of Ro Station, Sergeant Hunter successfully rescued Omega from Shand before the squad escaped the moon. This event prompted Hunter to revise his plans, as he and the others realized that Omega was the clear target of the bounty hunter. They understood it was crucial to uncover her identity and the identity of her employer. Echo suggested seeking out Ciddarin Scaleback, a former Jedi informant he had heard about who resided on Ord Mantell.
Scaleback, who also had dealings with the criminal underworld, had been contacted by Bib Fortuna, the majordomo of Jabba Desilijic Tiure, the Hutt crime lord, regarding the theft of Muchi, Jabba's young female rancor. The thieves, a group of Zygerrian slavers led by Raney, were hiding in Old Ord Mantell City, and Jabba's associates wanted the creature back. When the Bad Batch arrived at Cid's Parlor in Ord Mantell City, they initially struggled to identify Scaleback, as Echo only knew her name. Once they located her, they showed Scaleback a hologram of Shand and explained the information they were seeking. Scaleback offered them a deal: in exchange for the intel, they would rescue Muchi, and she would give them thirty percent of the credits. The Trandoshan, however, referred to Muchi as a child in danger, giving the Batch a completely different understanding of the job they were agreeing to.
The Batch journeyed to the ruins of the old city aboard their starship, the Marauder. After landing, the squad surveyed the plaza where the slavers were located, observing three prisoners held by them: two Falleen and one human. Tech further identified two dozen hostiles and minimal defenses. Since one of the Falleen was a child, the Batch assumed that was Muchi. Hunter instructed Omega to remain on the ship, and she reluctantly complied.
The Batch approached the area on foot through the ruins. Upon nearing the location, Hunter dispatched Echo to the top of a nearby building to observe the surroundings. However, Raney's brezak mount was lurking in the area and ambushed Echo shortly after he sensed its presence. The creature knocked him off the tower, rendering him unconscious. The others attempted to fight the brezak, but the lizard also incapacitated Wrecker. Hunter and Tech were ambushed from behind by several slavers, one of whom used an electrified net gun to subdue the [sergeant](/article/sergeant]. The clones were disarmed and chained up with the slavers' other prisoners in the courtyard.
Omega was in the Marauder, in the rear gunner's seat, painting a clone trooper doll she had acquired in the Bad Batch's colors and conversing with Gonky, the droid, when two slavers located the ship. Hearing their voices, she instructed Gonky to hide while she did the same. Inspecting the hold for anyone present, one of the Zygerrians assumed the Gonk droid was inactive. He checked the gunner's seat, but Omega evaded him by using an exit in the floor that led to the ship's stern. She fled the Marauder and hid behind some nearby rocks, watching as the slavers left on speeder bikes and returned to the ruins.
Omega attempted to contact Hunter and the others using her wrist comlink, but received no response. Returning to the vantage point the Batch had used earlier, she used macrobinoculars to survey the scene and discovered their predicament. Omega stealthily entered the ruins to assist. Wrecker was attempting to loosen the shock collar the Zygerrians had placed on him, but his efforts were noticed, and one of the slavers shocked him. Echo was subsequently shocked after threatening the Zygerrians for doing so. Discussing their next move, Tech admitted he was unsure how they would escape their situation because he lacked comparable data, but they needed to signal Omega. Echo mentioned their confiscated gear, but Tech spotted Omega watching from a nearby rooftop and stated their comms would not be necessary.
Hunter looked toward Omega's position, signaling her with a head movement to take cover as Raney, the slaver leader, entered the courtyard. Surveying the captives, Raney noted the new additions to his "collection" were strong, implying they would fetch a high price. While he spoke, Omega crawled across a cable to another building. Noticing Omega's exposed position, Echo drew Raney's attention by shouting that the Republic had outlawed slavery, to which Raney responded that they were not in the Republic. Omega safely reached the next building and took cover. Tech directed Omega's attention to the location of the Batch's gear, but as she climbed down the side of the structure, she accidentally dislodged a rock, which made a noise as it fell to the ground.
Raney and his men heard the sound, but Wrecker quickly kicked another rock into one of the slavers, appearing to take responsibility. The slaver leader suggested he did not need Wrecker as a captive, threatening his prisoners that the person next to them would pay if they acted up, and speaking of how with the Republic gone, the Zygerrians would reclaim what they had lost at Kadavo. Omega continued down the side of the building and dropped onto the top of the cage holding Muchi, quickly noticing the creature inside. Descending to the ground, the girl had an idea and moved to the cage's door, removing the bolt holding it shut. One of the slavers saw her and grabbed her, bringing her to Raney and explaining he had seen her sneaking around. Revealing the bolt, Omega retorted that she had not been sneaking but unlocking.
Raney panicked, and he and several of his men rushed to the rancor cage to secure it, but Muchi easily broke out, attacking the slavers. Tech quipped that he had not anticipated an adolescent rancor as a diversion. As the Zygerrians were distracted trying to prevent the rancor's escape, Wrecker easily broke free of his restraints and freed the others. As Echo removed the shock collars from the slaves, Omega attempted to comfort the captive Falleen girl, whom she assumed was Muchi. However, the elder Falleen corrected the Batch, stating that Muchi was the rancor, to Echo's surprise. Undeterred by blaster fire, Muchi attacked the slavers, tearing through them while trying to escape the ruins. The Batch retrieved their gear, with Hunter stating they had to pursue Muchi. Regarding the freed slaves, Echo stated that he and Omega would escort them to the southern entrance of the city, where some of the slavers' speeder bikes were kept, and Tech translated this into Falleen for them.
Echo and Omega led the three civilians through the ruins. Upon reaching the area where the bikes were located, they were shot at by slavers, whom Echo quickly dealt with. As they approached the bikes, Omega spotted a Zygerrian energy bow abandoned on the ground and picked it up, taking it with her. Echo and Omega saw the civilians off as they escaped on the speeder bikes, with the elder Falleen thanking Echo for the rescue while Omega waved goodbye to the other girl.
Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker were on Muchi's trail when Raney's brezak, summoned by its master, attacked them again. The three clones opened fire on the creature, but Raney soon mounted it. Hunter's blaster pistol was knocked from his hand during the scuffle. The slaver pursued Muchi, drawing his electro-whip, but Hunter tackled him off his mount as Tech and Wrecker continued to follow the rancor. Hunter drew his vibro-knife and faced Raney, who swung at him with his whip. The sergeant caught the whip around his forearm, and Raney shocked him with it, causing Hunter to drop his knife. However, Hunter was able to overcome the electricity and disarm Raney before a brief hand-to-hand struggle in which the slaver was knocked unconscious.
Raney's brezak followed Muchi and confronted the rancor, resulting in a fight between the two animals. After being knocked back, Muchi injured the brezak by biting its tail before slamming it into the ground and beating it around the head, causing the brezak to flee. Tech and Wrecker caught up to Muchi at the tail end of the fight, and Wrecker asked how they would get Muchi to come with them. Consulting one of his devices, Tech noted that rancors adhered to a social hierarchy where they would submit to an alpha, which needed to be challenged for authority. In response, Wrecker engaged Muchi in a fight for dominance, managing to score several hits on the rancor, although she threw him off at least once.
Hunter arrived while the fight was ongoing, and the onlookers were soon joined by Echo and Omega. By that time, Wrecker and Muchi were both exhausted, and Echo asked how long the fight had been going on. Tech noted that it had been going on for too long, suggesting that Wrecker was losing his touch. Muchi eventually fell unconscious from exhaustion, and the equally tired Wrecker leaned on her and told her she was a good rancor.
The Bad Batch returned to Ord Mantell City with Muchi. Scaleback, in her office, was visited by Bib Fortuna and some Gamorrean guards, as the majordomo insisted that Muchi be returned immediately. During the conversation, Fortuna heard Muchi outside and rushed out of Cid's Parlor to find the rancor and her rescuers. Scaleback followed, and after reassuring Fortuna again, requested her payment. Fortuna had one of the guards hand over the credit chip containers before leaving with Muchi, as Omega and Wrecker bid farewell to the creature.
Scaleback had Hunter accompany her to her office, where she detailed the information she had retrieved on the bounty hunter: her name, Fennec Shand, and that she was a relative newcomer to the bounty hunting scene who had already made a name for herself. However, Scaleback had been unable to identify Shand's employer. Her contacts in the Bounty Hunters' Guild had said that Shand was working on commission. Scaleback gave Hunter his team's share of the credits for the Muchi job and suggested that if the Batch was going to survive in the galaxy, they would need friends and money, especially the latter. When Hunter noted that they were short on both, Scaleback remarked that it was a good thing he had met her, offering further mercenary work. Scaleback went on to note that the Batch was likely very valuable if Shand was after them but that she was good with secrets.
The Batch stayed on Ord Mantell afterwards, spending time at Cid's Parlor as Omega trained to use her energy bow. Scaleback, suggesting that the Batch working for her would be a mutually beneficial arrangement as they would earn money and she could protect them from Imperial attention, induced the squad to do more jobs for her, beginning with a mission to Corellia.