The search for Captain Kael was initiated during the Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY. The Naboo Resistance had joined forces with Borvo the Hutt, a smuggler operating out of the mountains, and together they planned an offensive against the invading Trade Federation forces. One of their victories was an infiltration of a Trade Federation slave camp using a captured gunboat to free Naboo civilians. After the mission was over, Borvo supplied transports while Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes of the resistance escorted the remaining civilians. As Sykes reached the rendezvous, the rest of his squadron told him his flight lead, Captain Kael, had been shot down, and Sykes raced off to find him. During the search, Sykes fought against Federation Single Trooper Aerial Platforms and Armored Assault Tanks. He reached a plasma mining camp and saved it from attacking tanks, but the mine's operator betrayed him, forcing Sykes to destroy the camp. One of Sykes' wingman, Lutin Hollis, then contacted Sykes to tell him he had found the Captain. Sykes fought through more Federation forces before reaching Kael, who, with his dying breath, revealed that Borvo had betrayed him and asked Sykes to rescue the civilians.
After joining with the smuggler Borvo the Hutt and his organization during the Trade Federation's Invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, several pilots of the planet Naboo's Bravo Squadron launched an offensive against the Trade Federation Droid Army. Upon the squadron liberating captured civilians from the Trade Federation, Borvo supplied transports for the squadron to pick up the civilians, though Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes was forced to escort a separate group. At the rendezvous, Sykes was joined by his wingmates, who told him that his flight leader, Captain Kael, had been shot down, and they then raced off to find him.
Approaching Kael's last known position, Bravo Squadron split up to search for him. Sykes traveled in his Seraph-class urban landspeeder to look for him on the ground and was forced to destroy many Federation B1-Series battle droids riding on Single Trooper Aerial Platforms, who were also searching for Kael. Two Armored Assault Tanks blocked Sykes' path on a bridge, but he destroyed them and continued on.
Sykes engages the tanks at the mining camp.
After passing the bridge, Sykes saw what he thought was Borvo's personal transport, but the ship flew off before he could get close. As Sykes moved on, he found a plasma mining camp under attack by droid forces. He intervened, destroying the tanks.
Once the tanks were gone, he contacted the mine director and asked for information about Captain Kael. The director told Sykes to back off, saying he was running a legal operation. When Sykes refused to comply with the director's warning, the mining camp's remaining defenses opened fire on him, and he was forced to destroy the camp administration building. Sykes had then no choice but to disable the rest of the camp, knocking out the turrets and the camp's plasma miners. When the defenses were destroyed, Lutin Hollis, one of Sykes' wingmen, contacted him, saying he had discovered the Captain's fighter. Sykes saw them on his sensors and went to that position.
Captain Kael's downed starfighter, with Gavyn Sykes in a speeder, and Vedd Deviss and Lutin Hollis in their respective starfighters
The Trade Federation was still looking for Kael, and Sykes had to fight through more Single Trooper Aerial Platforms and two more Armored Assault Tanks. He also noticed droid bombers, and he had to shoot them down before they could find the Captain. After the bombers were down, the rest of the Federation forces retreated, allowing Sykes to approach the Captain. Kael was mortally wounded, and he used his final moments to warn Sykes about the Hutt's betrayal. Sykes asked about the civilians he had rescued; Kael replied Borvo would sell them as slaves. With his last breath, he ordered Sykes to rescue them.
As the rest of Bravo Squadron arrived, an angry Sykes asked his other wingman, Vedd Deviss, for his starfighter, saying they were going after Borvo, who was based on Porso Hill. Bravo Squadron then went on to avenge Kael's death and liberate the civilians again. The incident was later mentioned in a report given to the Sith Lord Darth Maul by the leader of the invasion, Viceroy Nute Gunray.
The search for Captain Kael appears in the 2000 video game Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo. Players assume the role of Gavyn Sykes and pilot a Seraph-class speeder, or "Flash" speeder, as the mission's default craft. The camp's central hub has a spot where the player may go to recharge their shields, and Sykes comments on the effect if the player passes through.
- The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III
- Star Wars: The Official Starships & Vehicles Collection 62