The heat was already rising as Kael Solaris stepped out onto the upper balcony of his hangar. Morning light flooded Mos Espa in golden waves, washing over rooftops, rusted domes, and the wide-open stretch of sand that would soon host the most dangerous podrace in the Outer Rim — the Boonta Eve Classic.
It wasn't just a spectacle. It was a fulcrum in the timeline.
And Kael could feel it approaching — tension vibrating in the Force like a wire about to snap.
[ Timeline Marker: Boonta Eve Classic – 72 Hours Remaining ]Key Impact: Anakin Skywalker's emancipation and Jedi recruitmentThreat Level: Elevated – Dark Side activity detected in transit to Tatooine
"Darth Maul," Kael muttered. "He's coming."
The Zabrak assassin wouldn't make his presence known until the day of the race, but Kael wasn't willing to wait for a red-bladed ambush.
Inside the hangar, Ghost was calibrating a long-range comms scrambler. The Spartan hadn't spoken much since their last mission — he never did — but Kael could sense the subtle tension in his posture. Ghost wasn't just waiting for orders. He was watching. Calculating.
Kael walked past him and tapped a holoterminal embedded in the hangar's central console.
[ MercNet Interface: Status – Kael Solaris ]Level: 5Credits: 8,120Reputation Tier: 1 (83%)Equipment:
Stealth Combat Armor
Pulse Blaster MkII
Vibroknife – Edge-field Enhanced
Personal Energy Shield (12%)
Active Skill: Reflex Surge I
Active Skill: Shadowstep I
[ Questline Unlocked: Thread of Destiny – Optional Intervention: Anakin Skywalker ]Objectives:
Interact meaningfully with Anakin Skywalker
Optionally alter outcome of the race
Reward (Varies): Influence over Anakin's path, unique Force perk, relationship bonus with key figures
Kael closed the menu and paced the floor. The choices were endless — but so were the risks.
Anakin was the Chosen One. If Kael pulled too hard, too soon, the consequences could be cosmic.
Still… he couldn't not try.
The slave quarters weren't hard to find.
Kael knew Mos Espa's layout well enough by now to pinpoint the slave blocks near Watto's shop. He wore a local robe over his armor, hood up, and walked through the district like any traveler searching for scrap or a mechanic.
He found Anakin fixing a power coupling outside one of the old prefabricated domes. The boy was small — maybe nine — with sun-bleached hair, sand-streaked cheeks, and hands too skilled for someone his age.
Kael watched for a few moments before speaking. "You always work this fast?"
Anakin blinked, then glanced up. "Fastest on Tatooine."
Kael crouched near him, smiling. "Is that so?"
Anakin studied him with open curiosity, not fear — but not trust, either. "You're not from around here."
"No," Kael said. "I'm a pilot. Sometimes a mercenary. Mostly a troublemaker."
That got a grin. "Cool. You have a ship?"
"I do."
"Can I see it?"
Kael chuckled. "Maybe later. What's your name?"
"Anakin Skywalker."
Kael extended a hand. "Kael Solaris."
The boy shook it without hesitation. There was confidence in him — raw, bright, and untamed. And beneath it, the Force sang through his veins like wildfire. Kael had seen Force-sensitives before, but this was something else.
This was destiny coiled in a child's form.
"You race pods, don't you?" Kael asked.
Anakin beamed. "I'm the best."
"You going to win the Boonta Eve?"
"I have to," Anakin said. "It's the only way to help my mom. And... I think something big is going to happen after."
Kael's gaze sharpened. "What do you mean?"
Anakin hesitated. "I've been having dreams. About stars and war. A Jedi. A throne. And... falling."
Kael's breath caught.
He already feels it.
The boy tilted his head. "You're not a Jedi, are you?"
Kael shook his head. "No. I walk a different path."
"Like a Gray Jedi?"
"Like someone who writes his own code."
Anakin grinned again, then looked away. "That's cool."
Kael stood slowly, ruffling the boy's hair. "I think you're going to win, Anakin."
"I will."
Kael turned to leave, but paused.
"Remember something," he said over his shoulder. "No matter who tries to tell you what to be... you choose who you are. Not the Force. Not the Jedi. Not anyone."
Anakin blinked at that. "I like that."
Kael walked into the shadows with a smile.
[ Timeline Impact: Early Interaction with Anakin Skywalker – Registered ]Bond Status: Favorability +1Potential Path Influence: SlightXP Gained: 300Suggested Follow-up: Attend Boonta Eve Classic | Prepare for Sith Interference
Back at the hangar, Kael found Ghost waiting with a datapad and a locked crate.
"What's this?" Kael asked.
"Smuggler contact delivered the upgrade cache you ordered last cycle. Custom mods."
Kael opened the crate and found a sleek new rifle — black-and-silver, modular, with an under-barrel attachment slot and a compressed energy core.
[ E-90 Magnetic Rifle Acquired ]Damage: HighRange: Medium-LongMod Slot: UnlockedCurrent Mods: NoneBonus: Pulse suppression (non-lethal option), enhanced accuracy
"Perfect," Kael muttered. "And the perimeter?"
"Secure. Motion sensors armed. If Maul approaches, we'll know."
Kael nodded. "We may need to engage him directly."
Ghost cocked his head. "Not recommended."
"He's not here for me," Kael said. "But if he threatens the kid, I'm not staying out of it."
He suited up. His new armor shimmered faintly as he moved, and the magnetic rifle locked onto his back with a soft hum.
The time for subtlety was ending.
That night, Kael sat alone outside the hangar, gazing up at the stars.
He could feel it — a ship entering the system. Cold, quiet, like a blade sliding into flesh.
Maul was here.
[ Timeline Update: Darth Maul Arrival – Confirmed. Boonta Eve Event – 48 Hours ][ Optional Objectives: Confront Maul (High Risk) | Sabotage Sith Probe Droids | Defend Anakin if Targeted ]Suggested Action: Prepare Combat Loadout | Identify Sith Recon Routes
Kael stood, pulling his cloak over his armor.
"Time to hunt a hunter."