A/N: There may be an another chapter later today, wanted to release this one in case I didn't finish the other one. Also, I will try to update a new chapter everyday since the story is reaching a major plot point.
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Kaelduun didn't know exactly where Aruun was. The only thing he knew was where the Killiks planets surrounding his homeworld system were located.
For Daimon, this was good as they could begin to trace outward from that region, mapping the systems the Killiks had colonized or conquered in their expansion. It was more than the Imperial Intelligence Directorate had managed to acquire in the past year combined.
"How many worlds does he control in that cluster?" Daimon asked.
"When last my kin flew through that region, before the purges began, there were perhaps a dozen systems bearing Killik hive-signs. It could be more than that though since we tend to live in isolation, avoiding contact with the greater galaxy." explained Kaelduun.
It may not be exact information, but it was enough for Daimon to order Imperial scouts to those regions to gather more information.
"And your homeworld is among those planets?" Daimon asked.
Kaelduun's presence in the Force shifted, causing Daimon to feel how he was grieving before he reined it back in. "It is now the heart of his little empire I assume. Our world was greatly hidden from the galaxy and is a very rich planet in terms of beauty, resources, and viability. He will probably use it as his new base to keep the Killiks homeworld a secret from the greater galaxy."
This was both good news and bad. It was good news because, that way they could track the Killiks and their movements back to Kaelduun's homeworld and try to catch Aruun. But it was also bad because Aruun could just escape to the Killiks homeworld which is unknown and then stay hidden there until he has enough military power to build back up.
"There are others of my kind still scattered through this region, hiding, watching. Some may be willing to guide your scouts where I cannot go myself. Aruun's hunters know my scent particularly well. I would be recognized before I came within a dozen systems of his stronghold."
"Understood. I'll have my people coordinate with you on safe extraction points for any of your kin willing to help." Kaelduun nodded.
The two were now allies, and they had a united goal to take down Aruun formerly known as the Son.
———
Back in Republic space, the 10 agents of Mnggal-Mnggal had made planetfall on Coruscant, disguised as a diplomatic trade envoy from a minor Outer Rim consortium. Their forged credentials were flawless, crafted from templates stolen decades ago and refined through their study of Republic bureaucracy.
They moved through the lower levels first, avoiding the more heavily monitored government districts, gathering information on Progenitor Nyssa's movements through a network of low-level informants who had no idea what they were truly working for.
The lead agent, a shapeshifter who had once been something else entirely before Mnggal-Mnggal consumed and remade him, went by the name Ferrin Dask in Republic records. He had spent the better part of a decade cultivating this identity, and now it would finally serve its purpose.
"She's not on Coruscant," Ferrin reported through a secure channel. "Confirmed departure three days ago. Destination: Ord Mantell, to oversee fleet reorganization in person."
On the other end, another agent, a woman whose true nature was buried so deep beneath false memories that even she sometimes forgot what she was, replied. "Ord Mantell has heavier security than Tirahnn did after the battle. If she's traveling with her honor guard…."
"We can still deal with her," Ferrin interrupted. "Our master has already decided this. We wait for an opening. A moment when they are otherwise occupied. The Progenitors are very proud of themselves and will waste no time putting themselves in danger. She probably give a speech somewhere on the front lines. That is when we move to eliminate her, in the midst of the chaos of war."
The other agents said nothing, because there was nothing to say. Mnggal-Mnggal's will, filtered through layers of corrupted flesh and stolen minds, was absolute among them. They existed to execute his purpose, and his purpose now was clear.
They boarded a transport bound for Ord Mantell within the hour, blending seamlessly into the endless traffic of Republic vessels still recovering from years of war. No one looked twice at them. No one had reason to.
Behind them, unseen and unfelt even by the Balance Keepers stationed throughout Republic space, Mnggal-Mnggal's corruption moved like a slow poison through the galaxy's underside, invisible to all but the most attentive.
Progenitor Nyssa arrived at Ord Mantell three days later, her honor guard forming a loose perimeter around her as she disembarked to a crowd of dockworkers, off-duty troopers, and local officials eager to catch a glimpse of the woman who had turned the tide at Tirahnn.
She smiled at them, shook a few hands, and let herself be photographed with a group of children whose parents worked the shipyards.
She could feel eyes on her that didn't belong to the crowd. It wasn't unusual. Progenitors were accustomed to scrutiny, to the particular weight of being watched by people who wanted something from them, whether admiration, favor, or simply proximity to power. But this was different. This attention had no warmth in it, no curiosity. It was patient in a way that made her skin crawl a little under her armor.
She said nothing to her honor guard about it. Not yet. It could have been nothing, an old instinct sharpened by centuries of war misreading a stray glance in a crowded spaceport. But Progenitors did not survive as long as she had by ignoring instinct.
That evening, in her quarters aboard the orbital command station overlooking Ord Mantell, she opened a secure channel back to Veldari.
"Cortana," she said once the connection stabilized, "I want a threat assessment run on my security detail's recent reports. Something feels wrong here, and I can't place it yet."
"Understood, Progenitor Nyssa. Compiling now. May I ask what prompted this request?"
"Call it a feeling," Nyssa said. "One I'd rather not ignore."
Cortana's processing was near-instantaneous, cross-referencing shipping manifests, dock registries, and biometric scans against known threat profiles across three governments' worth of intelligence data. Within moments, a flag appeared, buried deep in the noise: a trade envoy from a consortium that, according to the Republic's own commerce registry, had dissolved eleven years prior.
"Progenitor, I've found an anomaly. A diplomatic party claiming affiliation with the Kessel Run Traders Consortium, an entity that ceased legal operations over a decade ago. Ten individuals, biometric scans are inconclusive due to what appears to be deliberate signal scattering. They arrived at Ord Mantell four hours before your own transport."
Nyssa's expression didn't change, but something in the Force told her that something was wrong with this. "Inconclusive scans. Meaning what, exactly?"
"Meaning their biometric signatures shift slightly with each scan, Progenitor. A fraction of a percent, but enough that no two records match perfectly. This is not consistent with any known disguise technology in Republic or Imperial databases."
"Shapeshifters," Nyssa murmured. "Or something close to it."
"That would be my assessment as well," Cortana replied. "I am forwarding this data to Daimon and to Lord Maxim immediately. I recommend you increase your security posture until this can be resolved."
"No," Nyssa said, standing from her chair. "Don't alert Daimon yet. He has enough on his plate hunting a Celestial through the Unknown Regions. This is likely nothing more than corporate spies trying to get ahead of fleet contracts before they're publicly announced. I'll monitor it quietly."
"Progenitor, if I may express concern, your survival is considered a priority asset by….."
"I'm aware of my own value, Cortana." She had heard this argument many times before. "Keep monitoring them. Loop in my honor guard commander, but no one else. I want to see what they're actually after before we spook them into hiding."
She ended the transmission and stood in the quiet of her quarters for a long moment. Whatever these ten strangers wanted, she was going to find out.