The suns had barely crested the horizon when Kael Solaris felt it — a ripple in the Force, soft but purposeful, like the brush of silk against skin. It wasn't power in the traditional sense, but presence. Someone important had arrived.
He stood atop the newly claimed rooftop of the abandoned hangar he'd purchased with his latest earnings. The structure was modest, tucked into Mos Espa's outskirts, but it had space for a ship, secure storage, and enough room to expand. Ghost was inside, calibrating defensive drones, but Kael's attention was fixed on the approaching convoy entering the city.
Three Naboo royal starfighters — disguised as civilian vessels — touched down quietly just outside the merchant quarter. From their boarding ramp descended a group of cloaked figures: a few guards, a protocol droid, and one hooded young woman who held herself with the poised tension of royalty.
Kael didn't need to guess.
[ Passive Alert – Force Signature Detected (Minor) ]Subject: Human Female – Age ~14Status: Obscured IdentityNote: Subject holds key importance to the coming timeline.
"Padmé Amidala," Kael murmured, more to himself than the system.
[ Optional Objective Available: Interact with the Queen in Disguise ]Reward: Variable (Influence over major timeline figure)Risk: Moderate – Jedi proximity flagged within 72-hour window
Kael smiled. "Looks like the fun's beginning."
Padmé didn't like this planet. The moment she stepped onto the sunbaked streets, she was reminded of how far from Naboo she truly was. The air was dry, the buildings crude, and the people weary. She kept her hood up, playing her part as a handmaiden, while Qui-Gon Jinn handled negotiations for a hyperdrive.
R2-D2 rolled beside her, chirping occasionally, and she offered polite nods to anyone who made eye contact — mostly traders, bounty hunters, or beings she couldn't identify.
She didn't see the figure watching her from the alley across the market — a tall man with striking silver eyes, dressed in dark, desert-worn gear. But he saw her.
Kael observed her carefully. Young, yes — far younger than when she would become a Senator, and eventually the secret wife of Anakin Skywalker — but there was strength in her. Intelligence. Fire.
And most importantly, uncertainty. She was far from home, vulnerable, and not yet tangled in Palpatine's web.
He didn't plan to seduce her or sway her today. He only needed to plant the seed.
Later that day, Padmé stood at a merchant's stall, pretending to examine bolts of cheap fabric while keeping watch over Qui-Gon and Jar Jar, who were arguing with Watto across the street. Her patience was thin. Negotiations were slow.
"Word of advice," a smooth voice said from beside her. "You'll get better deals if you act like you're about to walk away."
Padmé turned, half-annoyed — but then froze.
The man beside her was... striking. Tall, dark-haired, with a quiet intensity. His eyes were silver — not gray, not pale, but silver like starlight caught in motion. His cloak was worn, yet elegant, and the way he stood was poised — not like a local, but not like a noble either. Something in between.
She blinked. "Do I know you?"
"Not yet," he said, smiling faintly. "But you will."
Padmé stiffened. "That's a strange thing to say to a stranger."
"I'm full of strange things," he replied. "Kael Solaris. Traveler, pilot, and occasional gun-for-hire."
"Gun-for-hire?" she said skeptically.
"Don't worry," Kael said, tilting his head toward the merchant stall. "I don't shoot children or politicians."
Padmé narrowed her eyes. "You assume I'm one of those?"
Kael gave her a look — playful, knowing. "Let's say I'm good at reading people."
For a moment, they stood in silence, the sounds of the market buzzing around them.
"I should go," Padmé said, clearly unsure.
"I'm sure you should," Kael replied. "But if you ever want real help — not politics, not Jedi mysticism, just results — you can find me at the old hangar past the fuel depot."
Padmé frowned. "Why would I come to you?"
Kael stepped back with a small bow. "Because sometimes, the galaxy doesn't need heroes. It needs people who can do the hard things."
And with that, he turned and vanished into the alley, cloak fluttering behind him.
Padmé stared after him, unsettled. Curious. Intrigued.
That night, Kael sat cross-legged in the hangar's command room, Ghost silently maintaining a turret in the corner.
[ Optional Objective Complete – Initial Contact Made ]Timeline Flag: Padmé Amidala – Curiosity +1Future interactions may lead to romance, alliance, or divergenceReputation Influence: +5 (Naboo Network)Reward: +500 XP, +200 Credits
Kael exhaled slowly.
It wasn't manipulation. Not really.
He respected her — would come to care for her deeply, if MercNet's prediction systems were right. But he wasn't about to let her fall blindly into Palpatine's grand chess game.
She would be his ally. His partner. Maybe more.
[ Cross-Realm Summon Token – 24 Days to Refresh ][ Reputation Tier I – 34% ][ New Objective Unlocked: Prepare for Jedi Arrival – 72 Hours ]
Kael opened the map. Jedi meant Qui-Gon. And Obi-Wan.
Soon, the Force would swirl. Plans would shift. The timeline would bend.
He stood, crossing to the wall terminal where Ghost had just installed a prototype holographic shield generator.
"We're going to need more firepower," Kael said.
Ghost nodded. "Recommend preparing fallback positions and emergency summon slots."
"Agreed. We're not just surviving this world, Ghost."
Kael looked out over the city, the stars beginning to blink into the sky.
"We're changing it."