Kael, whose identity remained a secret, functioned as a bounty hunter under the employ of the Mantis Syndicate throughout the era of the Galactic Civil War. Neither Kael's species, nor their sex, nor their physical appearance were ever revealed.
Around 1 ABY, the Syndicate dispatched Kael to assassinate Karl Mathieu Ancher, a smuggler associated with the smuggling ring known as Black Bha'lir who was based on Socorro. Kael's mission was to make contact with Ancher at the funeral of a fellow smuggler, an event that would be attended by a large crowd. The Tribunal, who were the heads of the Bha'lir, found out about the assassination attempt, but they did not know what Kael looked like. They tasked a small team with preventing Kael from succeeding, but they did not inform Ancher about the threat he faced.