I've been running into this in my arena top 5 the past week. 5* MAL with 5* droid ships with HMF reinforcement is competing against 7* negotiators. It turns into a vulture droid killing fest until ...
You were right the first time around; The TM gain ability on Malevolence comes from having GG at G11+, not from being a 7* ship. It's definitely a huge benefit, and yes I often run HMF as an RI just for that interaction you describe.
The counters described above (Cassian and/or EH as a reinforcement call) are your best bet.
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