User:Zed42/Workbench2

"Kairos has her own challenges. They are classified."

- IT-O, to Yrica Quell

Kairos was a female individual who piloted a UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft in the New Republic's Alphabet Squadron. She was a silent and distant individual, who masked her face and was often violent in her service to the New Republic.

Early life
According to Kairos, she was born on a world far from the Core, living a simple life. The Galactic Empire arrived on her world, and her life was disrupted. Kairos eventually came to join the Alliance to Restore the Republic, who fought to put an end to the Empire.

At some point during the Imperial Era, Kairos met Caern Adan, a journalist who had been imprisoned by the Empire. She also developed a skill at piloting UT-60D U-wing starfighter/support craft. After the Rebel Alliance victory at the Battle of Endor and the death of Emperor Palpatine, Kairos became a part of the fledgling New Republic.

Recruiting a team
"Kairos. What happened?" "What about Kairos?" "Back at the Hive, she went to you. She convinced you to join. I know she did, I'm not stupid, so&mdash;what happened?"

- Yrica Quell and Nath Tensent

Kairos was recruited into a New Republic Intelligence working group under the leadership of Officer Adan, whose goal was to take down the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing, a threatening Imperial fighter wing nicknamed "Shadow Wing" that had managed to survive through the Imperial loss at Endor, fortifying themselves on the planet Pandem Nai. She piloted a U-wing transport to Traitor's Remorse, a shantytown for Imperial defectors, to collect Yrica Quell, a former member of Shadow Wing who had also been recruited by Adan.

Their next stop was the asteroid trading post Entropian Hive, to recruit former Rebel Alliance pilot Nath Tensent, whose previous squadron had been destroyed by Shadow Wing. Adan had assigned Quell to speak with Tensent, and Kairos waited in the U-wing. Tensent refused the offer, but Kairos went to him once Quell had left, showing him a recording from Adan, which promised a monetary reward if he were able to uncover Quell's true record. The promise of both vengeance and money convinced Tensent to join them, following in his Y-wing.

Altercation with Quell
"Listen&mdash;you're right. You're right about what I'm doing. But I need&mdash;I need a chance. I want to make it right." "Make it right."

- Yrica Quell and Kairos

Aboard the bulk freighter Buried Treasure, on its way to assist the Barma Battle Group in the Barma sector, Quell briefed Adan, Kairos, and Tensent on the 204th Imperial Fighter Wing. Once the briefing was finished, Adan assigned Kairos and Tensent to investigation, while giving Quell data analysis.

Some time later, Kairos encountered Quell attempting to steal an X-wing from the airless cargo bay of the Buried Treasure. Using a metal rod, she threw Quell to the ground, knocking away her oxygen mask. Quell, who had wanted to steal a starfighter to investigate potential Shadow Wing locations on her own, attempted to convince Kairos to give her a chance. Kairos returned Quell's mask, letting her live and continue her mission.

A day later, Quell returned with evidence that Shadow Wing had attacked the New Republic frigate Hellion's Dare above the planet Jiruus and pursued it into the Oridol Cluster. To locate the extract the frigate, Adan and his working group planned to capture Harrikos-Fifteen Research Station, an Imperial space station studying the star cluster. Kairos piloted her U-wing, carrying a New Republic security team led by Corporal Shroi. They successfully captured the station, sending out probe droids to search for the Hellion's Dare.

Eventually, the A-wing pilot Wyl Lark and the B-wing pilot Chass na Chadic, who had barely escaped the destruction of the Hellion's Dare, jumped into the Harrikos system. Adan, who intended to recruit the two survivors, arranged for them to meet with his current working group. When the Buried Treasure joined the Barma Battle Group aboard the cruiser Lodestar, Adan spoke with General Hera Syndulla, who gave Quell leadership of the newly-formed squadron.

Under new management
"You saved my life on Abednedo. I got kind of creeped out when I saw you fight. You're intense, and I&mdash;okay. I'm grateful for the save."

- Chass na Chadic, to Kairos

Quell tested her squadron with training exercises, such as in the Gobreton minefield, a field of smart mines. The variation in starfighter type and the unfamiliarity between the pilots proved difficult for Quell to handle. Confusion among the squadron ended in damage to Lark's A-wing starfighter, and Quell was left unsure whether Kairos had provided any assistance toward the end of the exercise. Quell also attempted to utilize a simulation of the Battle of Endor, which Tensent managed to break.

After some time, during which the squadron practiced in simulations and tactical analysis of encounters with Shadow Wing, General Syndulla assigned them a mission. They were sent to the planet Abednedo, which had been unsuccessfully attacked during the Empire's Operation: Cinder shortly after the Battle of Endor. The New Republic had received coded transmissions suggesting that Imperial forces survived on Abednedo, and Quell's squadron were chosen to determine whether the transmissions were true.

The squadron arrived above Abednedo, and Quell ordered Kairos and Chadic to follow her to the surface, while Lark and Tensent waited in orbit. They landed in the city of Neshorino, where Kairos remained with her U-wing while Quell and Chadic spoke with the contact. They discovered that their contact had a number of Imperial prisoners, which Quell inspected while Chadic escorted one, a stormtrooper sergeant, back to the U-wing. Before Chadic could return, she came under attack by Imperial forces. Kairos came to her aid, killing several Imperials, both using her bowcaster and by hand. With Kairos' help, Chadic was able to return the prisoner to the U-wing and signal Quell.

Escorting their contact's freighter, containing the Imperial prisoners, the squadron returned into space, where several TIE bombers pursued them. The bombers chased after Kairos' U-wing, and the squadron managed to destroy two of them. The surviving bomber instead headed towards the freighter, colliding into the the starship and destroying it, killing the prisoners inside. Mostly unsuccessful, the squadron returned to the Lodestar, where Quell got into an argument with Adan.

Secrets of the Harkrova system
"Wyl Lark. The Emperor's shadow is long."

- Kairos, to Wyl Lark

As Quell's squadron, which had been nicknamed "Alphabet Squadron" by the other New Republic pilots, was using resources that Syndulla wanted to use elsewhere, the general sent them to collect an old Rebel Alliance supply cache on the moon of the planet Harkrova I. The squadron entered the Harkrova system, landing on a mountain on the surface of the moon. As they hiked down to the supply cache, Chadic spoke to Kairos, giving thanks for the assistance in Neshorino, which Kairos silently acknowledged.

As night fell, the squadron camped inside a forest, several kilometers from the supply cache. The pilots talked to each other, with Tensent telling stories of his former squadron and Lark speaking of his homeworld, while Kairos merely listened. Once the sun had risen, they continued towards the rebel base, discovering it to be in a temple which Tensent assumed to be built by the Jedi. They began removing the supplies from the base, but had not finished before the day ended, setting up camp outside the temple. As the pilots talked amongst themselves, Kairos stood, illustrating her life story in a series of drawings made of dust and dirt.

During the night, they were awoken by a starship passing overhead. Quell returned to the squadron's ships in case of hostiles, leaving the other pilots to continue collecting the supplies. There were no further sightings, however, but they were woken during the next night by a ringing sound that echoed throughout the forest. Kairos began to enter the temple, waiting for her fellow pilots before stepping inside, witnessing a galactic map made from a display of light, that they also assumed was created by the Jedi.

The squadron finished packing up the supply cache, returning to their ships. The gear they had collected was loaded aboard Kairos' U-wing, taking two hours to do so. When the squadron was ready to depart, Lark went to check on the U-wing, discovering that Kairos was outside, staring back in the direction of the temple. Once Lark had approached, Kairos turned and cryptically spoke to him for the first time, before returning to their ships.

Further missions
Following the mission to the moon of Harkrova I, the squadron returned to the Lodestar in the Borleias system, where General Syndulla gave them a mission to assist with the New Republic's battle against Imperial forces on Argai Minor. They planned to patrol near the Treinhaus Citadel and allow time for a New Republic salvage team to collect data from the ruins.

The length of their patrol was forcibly adjusted when time estimates of the salvage team and predictions from Vanguard Squadron proved to be incorrect. For the first several hours, there was no major threat that needed to be dealt with, but nightfall brought repeated attacks from both Imperial ground forces and TIE bombers. Kairos successfully destroyed two of the TIE bombers during the following five hours, after which the attacks ceased.

The squadron's next mission was to Rentaxius VIII, the location of an Imperial cargo freighter that they believed had been resupplied at Pandem Nai. The vessel initially surrendered to the New Republic forces, until the captain was murdered and replaced by a new commander who refused to surrender, instead opening fire. While attempting to disable the ship, a stray shot hit an oxygen generator, and the squadron was forced to evacuate the survivors in escape pods.

After Rentaxius VIII, the squadron was sent to assist Hail Squadron, who had been targeting a wrecked Star Destroyer in the Haldeen sector when they had been decimated by an Imperial cruiser-carrier. Working together, the two squadrons managed to destroy the capital ship.

Shortly after a mission to raid an Imperial outpost that had been relaying messages to Pandem Nai, Quell called the squadron into their hangar. Quell, in attempt to improve her relationship with her squadron, accepted the "Alphabet Squadron" nickname they had been given, getting the mechanic Ragnell to paint a crest on their respective ships. Kairos was transfixed by the emblem painted onto her U-wing, stepping over to the ship and gently touching the paint.

Attack on Pandem Nai
Alphabet Squadron continued to prepare for an attack on the forces of Shadow Wing. General Syndulla's battle group managed to secure enough star systems to take control of the Skangravi-Mestun Regional Hyperlane, which led close to Pandem Nai. Quell developed a plan for her squadron, which was reviewed and approved by New Republic High Command.

Personality and traits
"Still be easier if we knew you. You are kind of a freak."

- Chass na Chadic, to Kairos

A humanoid being, Kairos masked her face and wrapped herself with strips of graying fabric, over which she wore a cloak.

Behind the scenes
Kairos first appeared in the 2019 novel Alphabet Squadron, written by Alexander Freed. Prior to the novel's release, publisher Del Rey revealed the character of Kairos, along with the rest of the Alphabet Squadron, through a post on Twitter, with art created by Jeff Langevin.

Appearances

 * Alphabet Squadron
 * Alphabet Squadron audiobook

Notes and references
Interlang

Category:Alphabet Squadron personnel Category:Females Category:Humanoids Category:Rebel Alliance members