Malice could hardly hold back a smile as she heard the Dread Lord's command. Crandl Lorne was attempting to flee through the enemy lines, and someone had to catch him and take him down before he could succeed.
"We would like to get any information we can out of him, so it would be preferable to return him to us alive," Teylas continued after a brief pause. "Selika has recommended you for the job. Do not disappoint me."
"I promise, you will end the day without him in custody, Sir. Aiya and I will track him down and deliver him personally." She replied, inclining her head quickly in respect.
"I expect no less. Now, Go."
Malice turned, walking out of the room with her Nexu companion right at her heels. It had been some time since they'd received a personal assignment. They'd been stuck aiding in the colonization of Aliso, and those missions hadn't held any real action. Now, however, they would have a chance to prove themselves not just to Selika, but to the Dread Lord himself, who Malice had hardly spoken with. As she walked down the hallway, she thought over what she knew about the man she was now hunting. He'd been outed as a spy, and he was very skilled as far as blaster combat went. Had she been a lower rank, she would have perhaps requested backup, but she was confident in her master's training, and it wasn't like she was going alone. With Aiya by her side, Lorne would have no chance.
The second she stepped outside, the ambiance of battle filled her ears. Explosions and blaster fire seemed to be coming from all around them, with the occasional cry piercing through. The enemy forces were to the east, and Lorne had been seen running that direction not an hour ago. He would not have reached them just yet. Swiftly climbing on the Nexus back, Malice instructed Aiya where to go as they ran, dodging through the conflict as they went. A few enemy shots were aimed at them, but Malice deflected any that came anywhere near them, pulling out her lightsaber to send the bolts right back to their owners, usually hitting them square in the chest.
The cries of battle diminished in volume as they raced onward, as Aiya caught onto Lorne's scent almost as soon as Malice had detected his presence in the force. He was nearing the enemy base now, though he was still a good mile away. If they could gain the element of surprise, they would have a much easier time bringing him back alive to be questioned. Reaching the bottom of a hill, the two of them carefully peered out from behind it, pinpointing exactly where their target was. Surprisingly, as well as foolishly, he had stopped running and was now walking casually across the fields. Perhaps he thought himself safe now that he was away from the fighting. He'd seen no one follow him, and so he had no reason to run any further. Both predators locked onto their prey, Aiya's spines slowly opening up on her back in preparation.
Malice chirped a few times to the Nexu, who swished her tail in acknowledgment at the reminder to take the man alive instead of killing and eating him. Once Aiya was in position, Malice reached out, creating the illusion of a few of her fellow Plagueians. They stepped in front of Lorne, who immediately raised his blasters in defense, pointing them at different targets until he was slowly surrounded by them. However, instead of surrendering as she expected him to, he shot blindly at one of the illusions. The blast, of course, soared through the visage and towards the two of them, clipping Aiya on the ear. She hissed angrily, a red tick mark now visible on her left ear. Malice tried to keep her focus on the illusions, but either they faltered briefly enough for Lorne to realize what was going on, or he'd heard Aiya's upset hiss and pieced it together himself.
"Your illusions were good, but it seems luck would be on my side. I don't know what creature who have under your control but it sounds to me like I've wounded it," he called, making Malice grit her teeth. "Now, you can show yourselves and I may spare you, or I can come find you myself and end your life quickly."
Despite her wounded ear, Aiya seemed immediately ready to go again. Calming her now increased heart rate, Malice reached out with the force to begin healing her companions wound as best she could while she thought of what exactly she wanted to do. He hadn't found them yet, so they still had that on their side at least. He knew they were there, but not where exactly. If they could get behind him and leap to take him out, they might have a chance. As long as they were faster than his trigger finger, which wasn't incredibly likely. It wasn't their first choice, as both preferred to hunt from the shadows. If your target didn't know you were coming, they were easier to catch.
Finishing up with Aiya's ear, there was still going to be scar tissue but for now, it had healed enough for them to turn their attention back to Lorne. Using the force again, Malice quickly pinpointed him, realizing he was slowly getting closer to their hiding spot as he searched behind each small hillside. She climbed back onto Aiya, the two of them stalking quietly to the opposite side of the hill he was inspecting, staying low to the ground. he was just on the other side, and they had only one shot at this. One that would either succeed or put a blaster bolt right through them both.
After hearing another chirp from her, Aiya sprang forward, leaping up into the air, claws outstretched and aiming right for Lorne. He spun around, blasters immediately pointed at them, but Malice was ready for him and reached out with the force to use a trick Selika had taught her. Even if she didn't have time to go searching through the man's mind for his fears and cast those illusions, her ability to find the fear of others could be used simply to instil a general fear in them, one that would create a sense of paralysis in weaker minds and a pause in stronger ones. Lorne definitely had a strong mind, but that one hesitation in firing was all they needed. Aiya barrelled into the man, knocking his weapons out of his hands and pinning his arms to the ground, her large claws buried deep into his biceps.
Malice sighed, stepping off and onto the ground again, resting her hands on her hips as she looked down at her target.
"That almost ended in your favor," she started. "you managed to injure Aiya here, so you're lucky she doesn't eat your limbs off. A person can survive without arms and legs, but I'm afraid you'd bleed out by the time we got you back, and my job is to bring you back alive so the Dread lord and his wrath can have some fun with you. However, I don't want you struggling on the way back. Even without the use of your arms now, I don't want you screaming or crying or whining."
Walking forward, she placed her hands on the sides of his head, using her Illusion abilities to cut off all of his senses. As a non-force user, he was now blind in every aspect of the word, and it was only then that Malice had Aiya step up off of him. She had to shake each paw to get the man's arm muscles unstuck from her claws, but she gently picked him up by the hem of his shirt, carrying him almost like she would have her own cubs.
"Good job, Aiya. Let's get him back, shall we? Then everyone can see your nice new battle scar."