The Ord Mantell assignment, which can also be called the Old Ord Mantell City mission, took place in the early years of the Imperial Era. During this time, Clone Force 99, who were on the run, saved the rancor named Muchi from Zygerrian slavers on Ord Mantell. The "Bad Batch" agreed to this rescue as part of an agreement with Ciddarin Scaleback, an informant whom they had asked for assistance in identifying a bounty hunter they had previously encountered on Pantora. However, Scaleback only mentioned that Muchi was a child, without specifying her species. This led the squad to mistakenly believe that a Falleen child held captive by the slavers was the one they were supposed to rescue. After defeating Raney, the Zygerrian leader, along with the other slavers, and freeing the [slaves](/article/slavery] they had captured, the Batch successfully rescued Muchi. They then returned her to Cid's Parlor, where representatives from Jabba the Hutt's organization took custody of her. Scaleback then fulfilled her part of the bargain, giving Sergeant Hunter his share of the credits for the job. She also provided the information she had gathered about the bounty hunter's identity, Fennec Shand, and who she was working for.
In 19 BBY, the Clone Wars, a conflict that spanned the galaxy, came to an end. The Galactic Republic was then reorganized into the Galactic Empire following an alleged "Jedi rebellion". This event was used as justification to declare all remaining Jedi as enemies of the state. The truth was that the Republic's clone army had been brainwashed to murder their Jedi officers using implanted inhibitor chips. These chips forced them to obey the Empire without question. Among the few clones who were not affected were most of the members of the Bad Batch, an unconventional clone commando squad. The Batch quickly defected from the Empire, and they took Omega, a young, genetically enhanced clone created by the Kaminoans, with them.
The Kaminoans were anxious to maintain their business relationship with the Empire, as they were deeply concerned about the new government's declared intention to discontinue ordering clone troopers and instead use recruited soldiers. To that end, Prime Minister Lama Su gave Chief Medical Scientist Nala Se permission to continue her experiments. These experiments were aimed at creating a new type of enhanced clone. However, the experiments required genetic material from clones who would not willingly return to Kamino.
While the Bad Batch and Omega were on Pantora gathering supplies before planning to remain hidden for a time, they were accosted by Fennec Shand, a bounty hunter who had been hired to capture Omega. After a pursuit through the city of Ro Station, Sergeant Hunter managed to save Omega from Shand, and the squad escaped the moon. This incident caused Hunter to reconsider their plans. He and the others realized that Omega was clearly the bounty hunter's target, and it was essential to discover who she was and who had hired Shand. Echo suggested that they seek 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, a Hutt crime lord. Fortuna was concerned about the theft of Muchi, a young female rancor owned by Jabba. A gang of Zygerrian slavers led by [Raney](/article/raney] had stolen Muchi and were hiding in Old Ord Mantell City. Jabba's organization wanted the creature back. When the Bad Batch arrived at Cid's Parlor in Ord Mantell City, they initially struggled to identify Scaleback because Echo only knew her name. Once they found her, they showed Scaleback a hologram of Shand and explained what information they needed. Scaleback offered them a deal: in exchange for rescuing Muchi, she would give them thirty percent of the credits. However, the Trandoshan referred to Muchi as a child in danger, which gave the Batch a completely different idea of the job they were agreeing to.
The Batch traveled to the ruins of the old city in their starship, the Marauder. After they landed, the squad surveyed the plaza where the slavers were located. They saw three prisoners taken by the slavers: two Falleen and one human. Tech also identified two dozen hostiles and minimal fortifications. Because one of the Falleen was a child, the Batch assumed that she was Muchi. Hunter told Omega to wait on the ship, and she reluctantly agreed.
The Batch approached the plaza on foot through the ruins. When they got close, Hunter sent Echo to the top of a nearby building to observe the area. However, Raney's brezak mount was hiding nearby, and it ambushed Echo shortly after he realized something was there. The brezak knocked him off the tower, rendering him unconscious. The others tried to fight the brezak, but the lizard also knocked Wrecker unconscious. Hunter and Tech were ambushed from behind by some of the slavers. One of them used an electrified net gun to shoot the [sergeant](/article/sergeant]. The clones were disarmed and chained up with the slavers' other prisoners in the courtyard.
Omega was sitting in the rear gunner's seat of the Marauder, painting a clone trooper doll she had obtained in the colors of the Bad Batch, while talking to Gonky, the droid. Two of the slavers found the ship. Hearing their voices, she told Gonky to hide, and she hid as well. One of the Zygerrians inspected the hold to see if anyone was there and assumed the Gonk droid was inactive. He looked in the gunner's seat, but Omega avoided him by going through an exit in the floor that led to the ship's stern. She ran away from the Marauder and hid behind some nearby rocks, watching as the slavers left the Marauder and returned to the ruins on speeder bikes.
Omega tried to contact Hunter and the others on her wrist comlink, but she received no response. Returning to the vantage point the Batch had used earlier, she used macrobinoculars to survey the scene and discovered the others' situation. Omega stealthily entered the ruins to try and help. Wrecker was trying to loosen the shock collar the Zygerrians had put on him, but his efforts were noticed, and one of the slavers shocked him. Echo was also shocked after threatening the Zygerrians. Discussing what to do next, Tech admitted that he was unsure how they would escape because he had no information to compare the situation to, but they needed to signal Omega. Echo mentioned their seized gear, but Tech spotted Omega watching from the top of a nearby building and said that their comms would not be necessary.
Hunter looked at Omega's position and used a head movement to signal her to get down, as Raney, the slaver leader, had just entered the courtyard. Surveying the captives, Raney noted that the new additions to his "collection" were strong and would fetch a high price. While he was speaking, Omega crawled across a strung cable to another building. Noticing Omega's exposed position, Echo drew Raney's attention to himself by shouting that the Republic had outlawed slavery, to which Raney replied that they were not in the Republic. Omega safely reached the next building and took cover. Tech pointed out to Omega where the Batch's gear had been placed, but as she was climbing 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, making himself seem responsible. The slaver leader suggested that he did not need Wrecker as a captive, threatening his prisoners that the person next to them would pay if they acted up. He spoke of how, with the Republic gone, the Zygerrians would be able to regain 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, she 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 that he had seen her sneaking around. Showing 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 and attacked 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, assuming she was Muchi. However, the elder Falleen corrected the Batch, stating that Muchi was actually the rancor, to Echo's surprise. Unfazed by blaster fire, Muchi attacked the slavers, tearing through them while attempting to escape the ruins. The Batch retrieved their gear, and Hunter stated that they had to go after Muchi. Regarding the freed slaves, Echo said that he and Omega would escort them to the southern entrance of the city, where some of the slavers' speeder bikes were kept. Tech translated this into Falleen for them.
Echo and Omega led the three civilians through the ruins. Upon reaching the area where the bikes could be found, 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. The elder Falleen thanked Echo for the rescue, and Omega waved goodbye to the other girl.
Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker were tracking Muchi when Raney's brezak, summoned by its master, attacked them again. The three clones opened fire on the creature, but Raney quickly mounted it. Hunter's blaster pistol was knocked out of his hand during the scuffle. The slaver pursued Muchi, drawing his electro-whip, but Hunter tackled him off of his mount as Tech and Wrecker continued to follow the rancor. Hunter drew his vibro-knife and faced down 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 managed to overcome the electricity and disarm Raney before engaging in a brief hand-to-hand struggle in which the slaver was knocked unconscious.
Raney's brezak followed Muchi and confronted the rancor, leading to 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 end of the fight, and Wrecker asked how they were going to get Muchi to come with them. Consulting one of his devices, Tech noted that rancors followed a social hierarchy where they would submit to an alpha, who needed to be challenged for authority. In response, Wrecker engaged Muchi in a fight for dominance, managing to land several hits on the rancor, although she threw him off at least once.
Hunter arrived while the fight was ongoing, and Echo and Omega soon joined the onlookers. 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. In her office, Scaleback received a visit from Bib Fortuna and some Gamorrean guards, as the majordomo insisted that Muchi be returned as soon as possible. As the conversation continued, 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, she requested her payment. Fortuna had one of the guards hand over the credit chip containers before leaving with Muchi, as Omega and Wrecker said goodbye to the creature.
Scaleback had Hunter accompany her to her office, where she shared the information she had obtained on the bounty hunter: her name was Fennec Shand, and 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 afterward, spending time at Cid's Parlor as Omega practiced using her energy bow. Scaleback suggested 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. She convinced the squad to do more jobs for her, starting with a mission to Corellia.