[Bedwyr]

What method would I use to execute a W10 command to launch the Settings app? Do I need to create an executable from a batch file to make this work? (background: I can get a submenu setting in Kodi to launch Settings but unfortunately Kodi is greedy about focusing and dumps Settings to the background.)

No idea. Do you know how to open that window from the console (command line)? Once you tell me that I can help with the AEL configuration.  

 From the run window it's "ms-settings:". From cmd it's "start ms-settings:". When invoked directly as a Kodi command, the app becomes a pop-under.

My guess is that because Settings operates as a Windows 10 app, it's treated exactly as News, Money, or Weather store apps. I recall vaguely I had to do some batch file trickery to invoke those apps and then turn the batch file into an exe so AEL could find it (I think it was the Netflix app).