The Nebulan spacecraft, guided by the faint but persistent signals on the tracker, embarked on a new leg of their journey. The holographic map displayed a trajectory leading them away from the binary star system, towards a less charted region of the galaxy.
"The strongest cluster of faint signals is in the Andromeda Galaxy," Kiaz reported, his fingers tracing the lines on the display. "It's a separate galaxy, millions of light-years away."
Ethan's eyes widened in disbelief. "Andromeda? That's… incredibly far."
"Indeed," Ziak confirmed. "It will be a long journey, even with warp drive. But if the Cellucas have established a presence in another galaxy, the threat is even greater than we imagined."
As they traveled through the vast emptiness of intergalactic space, days turned into weeks within the confines of the Nebulan spacecraft. The journey was uneventful, a stark contrast to the intense battles they had recently endured. Ethan used the time to further hone his control over his neutrino energy and his newly acquired hydrokinetic abilities, practicing in the ship's training simulations. Ziak and Kiaz poured over star charts and alien databases, trying to learn more about the Cellucas and any potential weaknesses they might exploit.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the familiar pinprick of distant stars began to coalesce into the swirling spiral of the Andromeda Galaxy. It was a breathtaking sight, a colossal island of light in the inky blackness.
As they entered the Andromeda Galaxy, the tracker signals began to grow slightly stronger, leading them towards a cluster of unremarkable-looking star systems on the galaxy's outer rim.
"The signals are originating from a series of uninhabited, rocky planets within these systems," Kiaz pinpointed, his gaze fixed on the display. "No signs of advanced civilization."
"That makes sense," Ziak mused. "The Cellucas would likely choose remote, desolate locations to incubate their eggs, far from prying eyes."
They approached the first of the target systems, a dim star casting a weak light on a handful of barren worlds. As they scanned the planets, the tracker's signal intensified around a particularly desolate, crater-covered moon orbiting a gas giant.
"That's it," Ethan said, pointing to the desolate moon on the main viewscreen. "The strongest concentration of signals is coming from there."
The Nebulan spacecraft descended towards the bleak, airless world. As they approached the surface, they detected a network of artificial tunnels and underground structures. The Cellucas had established a hidden base deep beneath the desolate surface of this alien moon.