During the Trade Federation's invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY, a captain named Kael served in the Royal Naboo Security Forces. Alongside his second-in-command, Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes, he escaped the capital city of Theed. Subsequently, they established a resistance force to oppose the invaders and rescued several civilians from the clutches of the Federation's battle droids. Kael and Sykes eventually forged an alliance with Borvo, an influential smuggler of the Hutt species, who provided them with N-1 starfighters. Driven by a desire for retribution, Kael and his team executed a daring raid against a Trade Federation base, successfully seizing a Federation gunboat.
Under Kael's guidance, Sykes utilized the captured gunboat to infiltrate a Federation mining operation situated along the Andrevea River, where he liberated numerous slaves. However, Borvo later betrayed them by enslaving the rescued individuals for his own gain. Kael became a victim of the Hutt's treachery, meeting his death at Borvo's hands. Before his demise, he managed to inform Sykes of the betrayal, leading the Lieutenant to defeat Borvo. Sykes continued to play a pivotal role in Naboo's liberation, contributing significantly to the effort to take down the Federation's droid control ship and ultimately freeing the planet.
A Human male native to the planet of Naboo, Kael joined the Royal Naboo Security Forces early in life. His leadership qualities were evident, resulting in a swift promotion to officer status and an assignment to train new troops. Preferring to stay on Naboo, Kael dedicated his time to honing his survival skills within the swamps. Eventually, Kael achieved the rank of captain, with Lieutenant Gavyn Sykes serving under him. In 32 BBY, Kael, Sykes, and Captain Quarsh Panaka, the RSF leader, escorted a Naboo delegation to Coruscant, the galactic capital. While there, a mysterious starship attacked the delegation, prompting Sykes to pursue the vessel. After a chase through Coruscant's streets, Sykes successfully drove off the attacker. The Galactic Senate investigated but couldn't identify the assailant, who was actually Darth Maul, a Sith Lord piloting his Sith Infiltrator under the orders of his Master, Darth Sidious. Shortly after, the Trade Federation invaded Naboo in protest against the Galactic Senate's taxation of trade routes to the Outer Rim star systems. The Federation's droid army then attacked the city of [Theed](/article/theed-legends]. Kael, riding a Flash speeder near the RSF headquarters, found himself pinned down by droidekas. With his speeder damaged and weapons malfunctioning, Kael requested assistance from Sykes. Sykes rescued Kael, and together they navigated through the city, discovering two parked Trade Federation Heavy STAPs. After Sykes eliminated the guards, they exchanged their speeders for the STAPs and fled Theed into the countryside.
The pair helped local civilians fend off battle droid assaults, but the Trade Federation's forces were overwhelming. Kael decided to seek assistance from traders in a nearby village located in the swamps. Switching to N-X Police Cruisers, Kael and Sykes arrived at the village, only to find it under attack by the Federation. Amidst the chaos, the village leader, Rohan Wayside, attempted to evacuate his people on houseboats and sought help from Kael and Sykes. Responding to the call, they repelled the attack and rescued the village's police officer, Vedd Deviss, who was pinned down by droid starfighters. In gratitude, Wayside informed them about a powerful smuggler in the mountains who could aid their cause, and sent Deviss to escort Kael and Sykes to him.
As they approached the mountains, Sykes's craft was shot down by a droid starfighter patrol, forcing him to land and commandeer a Flash speeder. The group split up—Sykes headed north to find the smuggler, while Kael and Deviss took the eastern route. Sykes eventually located Borvo the Hutt, rescuing him from a Federation assault. Borvo agreed to assist the resistance and requested an escort to his mountain base. Despite Sykes's distrust, Kael believed they should take the chance with Borvo. Kael, Sykes, and Deviss escorted the Hutt to his base, which housed an N-1 assembly site, and defended it from a Trade Federation attack. Now equipped with N-1 starfighters, Kael and Borvo formulated a plan to strike back at the Federation, targeting one of their bases controlled by an orbital satellite known as Comm 4.
Kael, Sykes, Deviss, and two of Borvo's pilots, Adela Tyché and Kol Kotha, ventured into space to take down Comm 4. They discovered that Comm 4 was shielded by three slave satellites. Sykes destroyed the satellites, enabling the group to successfully disable Comm 4. Returning to Naboo, the five pilots attacked the disabled Federation base, aiming to destroy enemy assets and capture a Trade Federation gunboat for the resistance. The base was reactivated, forcing Kael and the others to fight their way to the gunboat launch site, where Sykes commandeered a gunboat. Kael, believing the enemy would mistake Sykes for a retreating Neimoidian, instructed him to scout the Andrevea River. Sykes contacted Kael via comlink, reporting an enemy patrol. Kael calmed him and ordered him to proceed, leading Sykes to discover a Federation mining camp on the riverbank, where he liberated Naboo slaves. Borvo provided transports for evacuation, and Sykes moved to another camp to rescue more prisoners. Kael dispatched Deviss to assist Sykes, while he and another resistance pilot, Lutin Hollis, escorted Borvo's transports to safety in N-1 starfighters.
However, they were ambushed; Kael's starfighter was shot down, while Hollis escaped. Kael, gravely wounded, survived the crash. He realized Borvo had orchestrated the ambush to enslave the rescued prisoners. The Trade Federation located Kael and began bombing the area, but Sykes, informed by Hollis, located and dispatched the attackers. Kael revealed Borvo's betrayal and urged Sykes to rescue the slaves. After wishing Sykes luck, Kael succumbed to his injuries and died. Sykes went after Borvo, forcing him to retreat to Nal Hutta, and freed the slaves. Sykes continued fighting the Federation, participating in the final assault on the enemy droid control ship and assisting the Force-sensitive Anakin Skywalker in destroying it, liberating Naboo.
Kael demonstrated strong leadership from a young age, enabling his rapid advancement in the Royal Security Forces. As an officer, he was demanding but respected by his troops, and enjoyed training them. He was deeply attached to Naboo and determined to liberate it, but remained level-headed, avoiding underestimation of the enemy. He calmed Sykes during moments of panic and redirected him to the mission when he was distracted by rescuing farmers. Kael understood the value of local knowledge, leading him to seek help from the swamp merchants. Despite his reservations about Borvo, Kael recognized the Hutt's potential assistance in liberating Naboo. However, this alliance ultimately led to his demise. Even as he died, Kael prioritized the enslaved people, urging Sykes to rescue them.
Kael was created as a supporting character for the 2000 video game Star Wars: Episode I: Battle for Naboo, with Bruce Robertson providing his voice. In 2001, Kael was mentioned in Star Wars: Galactic Battlegrounds as an AI leader for the Royal Naboo faction in the standard game mode. He was later referenced in the twenty-ninth issue of The Official Star Wars Fact File and received an entry in the 2008 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, compiled by Stephen J. Sansweet and Pablo Hidalgo. Due to his frequent need for rescue, Kael was nicknamed "Captain Klutz" by Nintendo Power magazine, which mocked him throughout its Battle for Naboo walkthrough, titling the section on his death "Good Riddance."