Malice could hear the chaos coming from down below. Looking out the window to her room, Geonosians and long forgotten droids angrily buzzed around, trying to get inside. She had no doubt that they would overcome in this fight, but she didn't want to risk her family. Going back to packing, she was throwing diapers and other infant necessities into a bag for Auxil to take. Two ice packs ensured that the bottles she added would be kept cold, but she packed formula as well just in case. The protocol droid knew how to make bottles. They were the best at caring for Ora.

"Auxil, you know what time she goes to bed. Don't let my mother keep her up later than her bedtime. I'd prefer she sleep on the ship, just to make sure she doesn't return with fleas. However, if she does, you know how to take care of them, so do that as quickly as you can. Aiya and I don't need an outbreak."

"Of course, Lady Malice."

Glancing down at Ora, the child clearly had no idea the possible danger she was in, for she gurgled calmly and sucked on one of her feet.

"Edward, Mortem, Imp," she started, "you'll be coming with me again. Everyone else, I want you to follow Alexa to Kalon's ship. He's likely out fighting, but I want you to take Ora to Cholganna. Our family there has met her before, and they should know Kalon's ship by now. You'll be safe there."

She bent to Ora's level while the rest of the droids scrambled to get everything ready to go.

"Mama is going to help clean up this mess," she cooed, "She's going to kill all of those nasty bugs, and then I'll make a mobile from their wings and you can watch it as you sleep."

Standing to her full height again, Malice watched as Alexa carefully lifted the child carrier and the droids who weren't fit for this level of fighting hurried out.

Turning to everyone who was left, she quickly attached her weapons to her belt before starting to speak.

"Everyone here was on the team that went to check out the caves that these vermin live in. Even though most of you stood guard outside, you saw the information as we were bringing it back. The droids, you should have no problems with. They're old, and you all overpower them with just your arms. The Geonosians, however, you should be more careful of. They can fly around and avoid your weapons and maybe even your tracking. However, if you aim and shoot for their wings, they'll be forced to land and they'll be swept up in the chaos. Imp?"

The droid stood at attention at the mention of its name.

"You've got the best tracking system. You'll be in charge of downing them, alright?"

"Understood,"

"Then Edward and Mortem can come in and stab or burn them up. Directions understood?"

"Affirmative."

She nodded, content with their answers.

"Aiya, you'll be with me."

The Nexu huffed, likely knowing full well where she'd be."

"Alright, it's time to do this. Let's clear this scum away from our home."

Creeping to the base of one of the Geonosian tunnels, Malice gestured for her group to follow her. Ora had been left at home with a majority of the droids. Only Aiya, Mortem, Edward, Imp, and the spiders had joined her. Receiving the call to go investigate had been a mission she'd been hoping to get. Geonosians were a species she'd thought dead. Now they were here and she couldn't help being a little curious.

"Get in, get information, get out," she reminded herself, Aiya huffing in agreement. Malice turned to the group, looking around to make sure they were alone before speaking.

"Mortem and Imp, you'll both be staying out here to stand watch, understood? If any of the Geonosians show up, signal us through the comlink, don't just start fighting. Amelie, Aran, you'll be coming with Aiya and Edward and I. You're two of the fastest, so if something happens to us, you take the information straight back to Selika."

A chorus of acknowledging beeps and whistles followed, mixing with the few affirmatives of those who could speak. Giving the groups a nod, they split, and Malice took her team into the catacombs beneath.

Once inside, Malice found an empty room to dish out more instructions.

"Spiders, you stick together. Aran, you can mimic the sound of their battle droids?"

"Roger Roger."

"Excellent. You protect each other, ok? Don't get caught, and if you run into trouble, buzz them and get out to the others, ok?"

"Roger Roger."

The two of them scurried off, their task to gather information about the source of the droids themselves one they were clearly excited for. Malice and Aiya would be investigating the species, sending her information back home to Alexa, who would compile it and send it to Selika, as well.

She'd expected the caves to be dark, so it was no surprise when they entered areas that were pitch black. Keeping close to Aiya, the two twisted through the cave system, searching for any signs of life. It was awhile before they found it, and the noise was unlike any language that Malice had ever heard. A melody of chirps and clicks made her tilt her head, and a quick look at the Nexu nearby confirmed that neither of them recognized the language. Malice made a mental note to look into the language further. If it was only these silly noises, surely it wouldn't hurt to learn it herself?

Peering through a window-like hole in the side of the wall, she was finally able to see what the species looked like. Somewhat tall, bipedal creatures with insect wings and faces that looked almost like someone had come along and smashed them. They weren't especially appealing, but she could see how they could be a problem. With the amount of droids they had and their mastery of flight, or at least what one could assume was mastery, based on their use of wings, could prove a deadly combination. Nothing that the clan couldn't take care of, though.

Malice began to notice a few behaviors that she recognized from other, smaller insects that she'd encountered. While some were clearly guards and warriors, holding weapons of some sort and making their rounds below, many others were joined together on different tasks., most notably digging deeper into the ground, perhaps to create more housing rooms. Their behavior mirrored that of bees or ants, which meant they likely had a queen somewhere at the heart of their colony.

"Time to go, Aiya, that's a key piece of information that master will need to continue her plan progression," she whispered, quietly calling to the spiders to return. When they came scuttling from the shadows, they both appeared fine and whirred excitedly with their own information. Seems they had also found what they were looking for.

"Let's go. Good job, team."

Malice panted softly, resting a hand on the Nexu at her side. Aiya didn't seem the least bit winded, but they'd run quite a ways, making sure they kept themselves hidden. Assassinations were the most trying, but also the most rewarding. Nothing beat the feeling of finishing a kill. One person who needed to be taken out, and their target just happened to be a human male, wandering a sea of other species. They'd kept their eyes on him as he left the crowded marketplace and started off on his own, assumably to his own abode.

Yes, this is what they'd been waiting for. Solitude. They didn't need to separate him from anyone else. He was perfectly capable of doing that himself. Mal felt Aiya tense up and gently scratched at her neck.

"Soon, Aiya," she assured her companion.

(Music starts: "Mermaids", (James Newton Howard, Peter Pan soundtrack)

Slinking out of their hiding spot and into the open, it seemed the locals were familiar with creatures that did not belong on their planet. She'd known of an illegal market for hard to obtain species. Perhaps they thought Aiya was simply one of those purchases.

In crowds like these where she did not wish to reveal her force sensitivity, Malice counted on Aiya to be her eyes, seeing as she had four of them. The Nexus sight stayed locked onto their target, and Malice walked casually by her side, until they too, had left the crowded market.

He didn't even know they were there. They'd been hidden by the crowds up until now. Now it was just up to Malice to cloak them. If he were to turn, he would not see them at all. Just the empty landscape behind him.

Cutting him down with her saber would be far too noticeable. People would recognize the wound and start to narrow down the list of suspects. Instead, she'd be using a poison she'd acquired a few days earlier, just for this mission. Far more people in the galaxy used toxins than used lightsabers. She'd be able to leave the planet as soon as her task was done.
(Here's the link to the music : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejeQ0sXQvcI )

Their target approached what seemed to be his house, but before he could reach a hand out for the door, Malice had sent Aiya to grab the back of his shirt, tugging him towards them. The fabric choked off his cry for help, already beginning to turn his face red. Mal reached down, pulling out the syringe that held her weapon of choice for the day, quickly stabbing him in the neck with it. In minutes it began to work, and as soon as he stopped shaking, Aiya released him.

"Our work is done, let's head home."

Malice swore under her breath as she hit the ground, her body immediately feeling where she would have bruises later. The ship of whoever had captured her rose into the sky, and she watched it go, hoping that perhaps just this one time, her glare would be enough to shoot it down.

"We'll be back in a day or so. I'm sure you'll provide an excellent hunt," a man had told her, gripping her face and turning her like he was examining livestock.

They intended to hunt her? How foolish.

Once the ship was out of sight, she stood, turning to survey her surroundings. Whatever planet they'd dropped her on seemed to be mostly covered in forests, at least from the view she had, though she did not recognize it. A few creatures peered over tree limbs, anxious to see what new arrival now stood in the clearing. Strange, she recognized some of the species from other planets. Did these people capture and release other species here, just for their own little game?

Sickening.

Luckily for her, this sort of environment was not unfamiliar to her. She'd grown up on a similar planet, and although she had no weapons, or Aiya with her, she had no doubt she'd be getting out of this alive.

Malice decided immediately that she would first need to find shelter for the night. Who knew what sort of creatures now roamed these forests. She hadn't noticed any large lakes from her last view of the terrain, but she soon came across a decently sized river, winding its way through the underbrush. A few womp rats, scurried away as they noticed her, though they soon returned when it seemed she did not want to harm them, their desire for water overpowering their fear of her. Their casual behavior made her wonder if they'd ever lived their own life, or simply been bred in captivity for this purpose. That could prove to either be very fortunate, or very troublesome. If they were used to human contact, perhaps they could aid her in her escape out of here. Then they'd be free to inhabit this planet without being hunted for sport.

Despite the fact that the area had, assumably, been thrown together for the entertainment of the people that had put her here, the ecosystem seemed to be thriving. The plants were growing well, yet being kept back by herbivores of some kind. The species she'd seen so far seemed plentiful. If she could rid herself of those that had captured her, it would be killing two Pharple with one stone.

Looking around again, the Wildling decided to set up a camp in a nearby cave. It wasn't far from the river so she'd have water, and she'd already seen a few fruit trees. With that and some of the smaller, prey creatures, she'd be able to stay alive for quite some time. Pulling an armful of grasses and leaves with her, she dropped them into the mouth of the cave, arranging them into a messy sort of nest bed. Fire was next up on her list, and though it was easier to make with different materials, she still managed to light one and keep it burning. Once she was set for the upcoming night, she sat back, catching her breath. The smoke from her fire seemed to disrupt a few of the Gackle bats hanging from the ceiling. A few of them woke early, flying out in search for food, but a few of the younger ones instead decided to land and investigate the person in their cave. She reached out with the force, connecting to their minds and found them entirely willing to exist around her. It seemed her first guess had been right, and all of the animals here were overly used to humans. However, they also reacted extremely well to her force link. That would add to her advantage when the men showed up again.

After a bit of sleep, Malice felt surprisingly refreshed the next morning. The gackle bats had returned to the top of the cave, but the few that had come to investigate her had fallen asleep on the ground near her. She couldn't help but smile softly at them, petting them gently before standing. There was a chance her captors would return today, since they hadn't given a specific time. Weapons were needed, and she could make them with what was around her. Beginning to work again, branches were broken and shaped into arrows, which she attached broken pieces of the cliff side to. Just these against the blasters the men probably had? If she were anyone else, she'd be in trouble. But she was not anyone else.

She was Sith.

Once her weapons and bow were made, she carried them all back to the cave, setting them down quietly so as not to wake the bats. A fish in the nearby river caught her attention, and she took a moment to test out her new equipment. Pulling the bow back, she lodged an arrow against its string, and let it loose. It sunk into the head of the fish, easily killing it without damaging any of the meat. It would make for a nice meal, but she'd have to eat quickly. There was still much to do.

Her meal now finished, Malice stood again, deciding to explore more to get a better viewpoint. The cliff that her cave was carved out of was easy to climb, and when she'd arrived at the top, she looked down at the forest below. Standard jungle area, it seemed. A clearing that the ship had touched down in, but no other distiguashible landmarks.

Before she could finish her thought, a loud screech rang out, and she turned to see a large, bird-like creature approaching. As it got closer, she recognized it as an Accipiptero, usually native to Dagobah. Was she near a nest? Looking around, she didn't see one, but that didn't mean it wasn't there. The creature landed, still screaming angrily at her. She raised her hands, trying to calm it, while also using the force to try to make a connection with it. Due to the animal's stress, it took longer than she would have liked, but the connection was made before any harm came to either of them. She reached a hand out, touching it's beak. Yes, she had no doubt she'd get out of here now.

Night fell, and Malice was comfortably warm, surrounded by her supplies and weapons. The bats from the night before squeaked at each other, but soon fell silent, looking around. The rest of their family group called to them, and they returned immediately. Malice was instantly on high alert. Now that she focused, she could feel that the men had returned. Her teeth grit in anticipation. Why had they come at night? Did they think it would give them more of a challenge? More of a disadvantage, more like. Readying her arrows, that she'd laced with the muscle relaxing venom of the bats above her, she quietly inquired as to whether they would be interested in joining her. The answer was an unmistakable yes.

Once her arrows were ready to go, she whistled softly, calling for the accipiptero, which landed on the cliff they'd met on. She'd be attacking from it's back, and though she was comfortable riding animals, she still had to make sure not to fall off. With her bow and arrows slung onto her back, she crawled up the cliff again and quickly climbed onto the giant bird. The hunter's torches were clearly visible, marking them as clearly idiots.

Once her new friend had taken off, she pointed to where the torches were glowing, and the bird seemed to understand immediately. As it flew closer to the forest canopy, Malice readied an arrow and sent it flying at the first target. Even with how dark it was, she let the force guide her weapon, and was pleased to find that it hit home, right into the thigh of one of the men. Cries rang out, and the group gathered closer together, trying to help their friend, before Malice heard the rest fo the bats begin their descent as well. They swarmed the group, which now had begun to scream and run back to their ship. Before a single one of them could make it, they'd all dropped to the ground, limbs frozen and limp. Malice fired a few more arrows, just in case, and had her mount land in the nearby clearing. It hastily began to devour the hunters while she made her way onto the ship. It was completely empty, and though she didn't know how to fly a ship, she knew how to communicate from one. Making a quick call back home, she waited until one of her droids picked up.

"Alexa? Send a ship for me, would you? I'm sending my coordinates."

"Right away, Lady Malice."

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."

Malice stood with Aiya overlooking the pirate base they'd been assigned to. A few others had been dispatched to other areas of the base with the mission of taking out as much of it as they could. Malice and Aiya had been assigned to the main holding area, and hidden inside a pouch on the woman's hip was some sort of explosive. She had not asked what it was, just accepting the job to get it in and then get out herself, taking out as many pirates as she could on her way. She stretched slightly, a determined grin on her face. They wouldn't know what hit them.

The pair carefully approached a nearby entrance. Luckily their attention would be mostly on the rest of the clan, which would leave places like this entrance unguarded. After taking a quick glance down the hallway to make sure it was clear, the wildling and her Nexu made their way in, taking care to make sure that their steps would not echo down the darkness. Noticing a bit of light up ahead, they slowly approached to find their first room. Reaching out with the force, she identified two humanoids inside. A quick check confirmed this, and luckily for Malice and Aiya, their backs were turned to them. Casting a quick illusion, the two stepped freely into the room. The men were watching a monitor that seemed to show a battle going on elsewhere.

Malice was glad that there were two of them. She'd been working on a technique that required two opponents, and it seemed this was just the time to practice it. Without drawing attention, she carefully probed one of their minds, searching for their deepest fear. When it became clear a few seconds later, her eyes narrowed. It looked like some sort of hybrid creature that was a mix of a Rancor and an Acklay, neither of which were creatures you wanted to be surprised by. Taking this image, she released his mind and projected the creature onto the man's companion. The other man, who had no idea what was happening and couldn't see the illusion himself was caught off guard as the other clipped him in the shoulder with a blaster shot. He howled in pain before dropping when another hit him in the face. The illusion, however, did not end with him, continuing to torment the man until he raised the blaster to his own head, hoping that death would end the illusion. Sadly, it did, and Malice folded her arms at the sight before her.

"I'd say that worked splendidly, wouldn't you?" She said to the Nexu next to her. Aiya chirped something back and Malice sighed. "Sure, they'll be going to waste anyway after everything explodes."

Once Aiya had finished her meal, the two continued down the hallway. Most of the other pirates they encountered were on their own, so Malice did not get to try her trick again, much to her disappointment. Once they had swept the area, they approached what seemed like the main control center. Malice could sense a larger group within. Seven? Six. Six more to take out before they could plant the explosive and run. She couldn't tell if the group was armed or not, but she and Aiya had taken out larger groups than this before. She laid a hand on the Nexus head scratching affectionately behind a cluster of spines before hitting the button to raise the door. Six pairs of eyes looked in their direction, panicked expressions. A single person in the room was armed. Everyone else was simply there to run the control room and give readings to whoever came asking for them. She walked calmly towards the armed individual, a female with a very shaky firing hand. Her shots missed the pair easily, and before she could fire again, Malice was right in front of her, the knife she kept in a sheath on her leg out and against her neck. The other five people seemed frozen in place. They did not run. They did not scream. Nothing. Now where was the fun in that? Her glance flashed to Aiya, who understood immediately and began taking out people one by one. That seemed to snap them out of it, though none of them could do anything against the vicious feline.

Turning her attention back to the girl, Malice spoke.

"What is your name?"

"Asante." The girl squeaked out.

"Asante. That's a lovely name. Tell me, are you ready to die?"

Asante shook her head frantically, tears starting to form in her eyes as she noticed the strange creature the woman had brought with her come back to sit down, licking blood from its face.

"Do you have a dream, Asante? Something to live for?" Malice asked, searching the woman's face.

"Just my family. They're in a different system, I'm just here to work to support them."

Her voice was really shaking now as she realized this was her chance to beg for her life.

"Please, I won't tell anyone. Just let me go."

Malice lowered the knife, reaching into her pouch to retrieve the bomb. The girl's eyes glanced at it before finding their way back up to Malice's.

"This device will send a message to my group. it'll tell them I've already swept this area, so if you stay here, you'll be safe. They won't come to check it again, do you understand?" She asked as she attached it to the underside of a control panel nearby.

Relief flooded the girl's face as she openly began to cry.

"Thank you. Thank you so much."

"Trust me, it's no problem." She said, turning back to where they had come from. Aiya followed closely behind. Malice hit the button again to open the door and then close it again. Once the girl was out of sight, Malice quickly climbed onto the Nexu, who began to race forward. Malice clipped the earpiece into her ear as they rushed out the exit, continuing to run until they were a good distance away. Climbing to the top of a nearby hill, Malice climbed down, standing next to Aiya. She touched a finger to the earpiece.

"All set down here."

"Excellent." Came her master's voice on the other side. A few seconds later, the two watched as the entire compound ignited, blasting high into the sky. She was rather pleased, as it had seemed her skill for deception had greatly improved after accepting Selika's teachings. Aiya was not pleased, however, as the girl would have served to be an excellent meal.

"Let's get back to finish our report." She said, climbing on the Nexu again to start off towards where Selika would be waiting.