Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3 introduces a way for Jedi to escape the clutches of the Empire through something named the Path, with one theory stating that none other than Cal Kestis created it. Obi-Wan and a young Princess Leia Organa encountered the Path through Tala, an undercover Imperial officer who helped the duo and was in contact with Haja, Kumail Nanjiani's character from Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2. Tala took Kenobi and Leia to a safehouse on Mapuzo and insisted she could get them safely away from the Empire's grasp through the use of an undercover network.
Tala explains that this network is in place across many different systems, all of which lead to the planet of Jabiim. On Jabiim, Jedi and Force-sensitive children are given new identities to evade the Empire and can begin new lives in peace. Tala explains that Kenobi and Leia need only follow a tunnel that leads to a pilot who can take the duo to Jabiim, and from there can take Leia back to Alderaan and her parents.
This anti-Imperial network is named the Path and is known to have been used by other famous Clone Wars-era Jedi such as Quinlan Vos. Naturally, theories began over who set up this network to save Jedi and young Force-sensitive children. This theory explains why Cal Kestis makes the most sense to have created the Path. Outside of Cal being a former Jedi himself, there are a lot of reasons as to why Cal setting up the Path makes sense, all while tying Cal to live-action through Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Cal's Journey Has Been Centered Around Jedi Younglings
Cal Kestis is the main character of the video game franchise Star Wars Jedi, introduced first in Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and returning for the sequel Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. In the first game, Cal was revealed to be a young Jedi padawan in the days of the Clone Wars, who witnessed his master get killed during Order 66. After witnessing this, Cal went into hiding on the planet of Bracca, a giant scrap planet, on which Cal became a rigger for the Scrapper Guild. Eventually, Cal using the Force to save his friend Prauf's life drew the attention of the Imperial Inquisitors, Star Wars' Jedi hunters. He then joined the crew of the Mantis, befriending the Mantis' pilot Greez and former Jedi master Cere.
The crew of the Mantis then embark on a new mission, finding a way to unlock a Holocron that contains a list of all Force-sensitive children across the galaxy. Throughout Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, Cal's journey is centered around finding these children to rebuild the Jedi Order and defeat the Empire. This shows how much of an impact young Force-sensitives have on Cal, being the basis of his entire journey in the first game. This supports the theory that Cal created the Path, as it is simply a way to save Jedi and Force-sensitive children from the Empire, something that was his focus throughout Fallen Order. Given how Cal is shown to have such a connection with Jedi younglings, it would make sense that saving them from the Empire would be a priority for him.
Jedi: Survivor Hints At Cal Setting Up The Path Seen In Obi-Wan
The second game in the Star Wars Jedi series was announced at Star Wars Celebration 2022 under the title Star Wars Jedi: Survivor. This new title, and the difference from the title of the first game, reinforces the idea that Cal sets up the Path in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first game was titled Fallen Order to reflect Cal's and Cere's attempts to rebuild the Jedi Order using the Force-sensitive children across the galaxy. The second game's title though only goes to add further evidence to Cal setting up the Path seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3.
The entire purpose of the Path is to simply help Jedi and other Force-sensitive people escape the Empire by giving them new identities. Rather than use Force-sensitive people to rebuild the Order and combat the Empire, as was his mission in the first game, Cal may now be helping people survive above anything else through the Path. At the end of the first game, Cal destroys the Holocron he spent the entire game trying to unlock. This is because it almost fell into the hands of Vader and the Inquisitors. Cal, knowing that if the Empire got hold of the Holocron the children would be in danger, destroys it. It would be perfectly in character for Cal Kestis, played by Cameron Monaghan, to begin thinking of ways to help the Force-sensitive children of the galaxy in a way that would keep them safe from the Empire, leading to the creation of the Path. Rather than rebuild the Jedi Order and put himself and the other Jedi in direct danger from the Empire, the Path offers a safer way for Force-sensitive people of the galaxy to simply survive as Cal is.
Also, Tala specifically mentions in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3 that Force-sensitive children are a target of the Empire. She states that she doesn't know what happens to them if they are captured, only that they are never seen again. As Cal has been dealing with this issue for a while since the events of Jedi: Fallen Order and since becoming a Jedi survivor of Order 66 it would make sense for him to impart the importance of saving young Force sensitives due to the unknown horrors that await them should the Empire capture them.
The Timeline Of Kenobi's And Cal's Journeys Lines Up
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order takes place five years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. It was confirmed upon the announcement of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor that the game will have a five-year time jump, taking place 10 years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. In Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1, it was confirmed that the show also takes place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, showing what Obi-Wan Kenobi went through after the events of the film. If Jedi: Survivor does in fact deal with Cal and his continued mission to keep Force-sensitive safe from the Empire, it would make sense for the Path to have been set up by Cal and witnessed by Kenobi, as both were active around the same time.
Jedi: Survivor could begin with Cal having already set up the Path, leading to it being featured in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3. Not a lot has been revealed about the sequel to Fallen Order besides what was shown in the trailer, with even that being vague in terms of the plot of the game. However, it is safe to assume that the game continues Cal's quest to protect the Force-sensitive children of the galaxy which eventually extends to Leia, daughter of Padme, also theorized to be Force-sensitive.
The end of Jedi: Fallen Order was fairly open, leading to much speculation on where the series could go should a sequel be made. It led to even more speculation when it was revealed the sequel would line up with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the timeline. It would be a missed opportunity for the creatives at Lucasfilm to not include a crossover between two projects existing at the same point in the timeline. Given how both Fallen Order and Obi-Wan Kenobi have dealt with the Empire and Inquisitors, it would make sense for the two to have some kind of connection. Having Cal Kestis be revealed as the creator of the Path is the perfect way to tie these two seemingly separate projects together, all without taking away the spotlight from the titular character in Obi-Wan Kenobi and his rematch with Vader.