Born on his native planet of Dorin, Kuse had the distinctive silver eyes of a Kel Dor force sensitive and was quickly identified by the Jedi order as being a candidate for induction into the order. Kuse showed great promise as a youngling, mastering the basics of force use and demonstrating a remarkable understanding of the teachings of the Jedi, especially the search for knowledge and his connection with other living beings. At 12, he successfully passed his initiate trials and was taken into service as a Padawan to Jedi Researcher Arlye Naar. Here, Kuse showed his aptitude as a researcher and explorer, with his ability to connect to new creatures and find hidden relics setting him apart from many other intellectually minded Padawan. However, he frequently struggled to control his feelings in connection to living beings, often requiring the intervention of Master Naar to defuse conflicts and pull Kuse back from his flaring emotions. Because of this struggle Kuse remained in his Master’s company for longer than many apprentices, his previously observed promise thought lost, with the brash Kel Dor all but resigned by the council to his fate in a service position. This soon changed with the outbreak of the Clone Wars, where Kuse and his master were tasked with preventing the destruction of many important cultural sites and protection of indigenous species, and the Padawan soon came into his own, using his connection to other living beings to his advantage in their protection. In 20 BBY, he was granted the opportunity to take the Jedi Trials and passed, finally being fully granted the title of Jedi Knight. A year later, tragedy struck, and the Great Purge heralded the beginning of the Dark Times. Kuse had been on a covert operation to determine the Separatist threat to an ancient Jedi Temple when Order 66 was activated, allowing the newly minted Jedi to fend off the small squad of clones he had with him and escape. His master, having seen the cyclical nature of the Sith and their power, had set up a rendezvous with Kuse on an uncharted planet they had studied ancient ruins on in the case of a dire emergency, and the Jedi set course for the planet. Naar never made it to the planet, and Kuse began a life of solitude, only occasionally interacting with the native population and never with the colony that was established there, believing it to be an Imperial colony.