Thalia Kael was born on Cathedral, one of the primary illuminate planets. Named after one of the freedom fighters that fought against the Order of the Illuminate during the later days of the Infinite War, Thalia also had distant ties to Evaluator Kael, the cruel leader of The Order.
Thalia’s father, Jeremiah Kael, was a businessman who, post-Coalition, became a wealthy power broker that moved freely between all three factions. His high profile, however, made him a target for anti-Illuminate groups within both his own faction and the UEF.
Thalia’s mother, Jane Kael, died of a degenerative disease shortly after Thalia’s birth. With her father frequently away on business, she was mostly watched over by her older brother Jaran.
Shortly after Thalia turned 10, Thalia’s father was killed by UEF nationalists. Thalia and Jaran spent the rest of their childhood being passed between family members.
Following the lead of her brother, Thalia expressed an interest in joining the military. She showed extremely strong leadership skills, and was promoted to Cadet-of- Swords, the second highest rank in the Illuminate academy, by the time she was 21. At this point, she was sent to Coalition Commander School on Altair II, where she excelled in her studies.
It was around this time that her brother was diagnosed with the same degenerative disease that killed their mother. With Jaran unable to work, Thalia left the academy early to take care of her brother.