Vel Sartha

Vel Sartha was a human Chandrilan female during the Imperial Era who was a rebel within a network operated by the revolutionary leader Luthen Rael in resistance to the Galactic Empire. An heiress to a fortune and the cousin of Senator Mon Mothma, Sartha sacrificed personal comforts and ran off from her family to join the budding rebellion. In 5 BBY, Sartha led a team of rebels, which included her partner Cinta Kaz, on a mission to steal an Imperial payroll from the armory of the garrison on the planet Aldhani. Together with her fellow rebels Kaz, Taramyn Barcona, Arvel Skeen, Karis Nemik, and Imperial Lieutenant and inside man Gorn, they planned to infiltrate the Aldhani Garrison, steal the credits, and steal a Max-7 Rono box freighter to escape in.
However, just three days before the operation, Sartha met Rael, who forced her to accept another man into her team, Rael's new acquaintance, Cassian Andor. Sartha was upset by Rael's decision but agreed to comply when he threatened to call her operation off. Despite the having to incorporate a mercenary into the team shortly before the big operation, Sartha's unit went through with the mission. Although the theft was successful, the only survivors of the mission were Sartha, Kaz, and Andor.
When Andor became a loose end who could reveal too much if the Empire captured him, Sartha was tasked by Rael and his assistant, Kleya Marki, to kill him. Alongside Kaz, Sartha began their search on he planet Ferrix, Andor's adoptive homeworld. When their search was unsuccessful, Sartha would eventually head to the planet Coruscant to reunite with her family, where she learned of Mothma's financial issues in funding their fledgling rebellion. A short time later, upon hearing the news that Andor's adoptive mother, Maarva, had died, Sartha relayed the news to Rael before returning to Kaz on Ferrix in the hopes of capturing him. Though Andor came during his mother's funeral, he evaded detection by Sartha as well as the Imperial Security Bureau agents that had hoped to capture him. When a riot began, Sartha and Kaz departed Ferrix.
==Biography==
===Early life===
Vel Sartha was a female human from Chandrila. She grew up as an heiress to a fortune and was a cousin to Mon Mothma, who would become a Senator in the Imperial Senate.Princess Leia 1 Despite the upscale life she was born in to, Sartha preferred to live in a more rustic and grounded way, turning her back on the fortune she would inherit. Over time, she witnessed many injustices at the hands of the Galactic Empire and was motivated to become a rebel.Star Wars: Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide She began working with the revolutionary Luthen Rael and his network. At some point, she began a romantic relationship with the rebel Cinta Kaz. 
===Early rebellion===
====Planning a heist====
In 5 BBY,"Aldhani" takes place in between "Kassa," which dates itself to 5 BBY, and "Narkina 5," which dates to 5 BBY. Sartha planned a mission to rob the Imperial garrison on the planet Aldhani, hoping to secure a massive amount of credits that made up the payroll for an entire Imperial sector. The mission was contingent on information from the Imperial Lieutenant Gorn, who was a part of the Aldhani Garrison but had become disillusioned with the Empire following the death of a Dhani woman. Working as an inside man, Gorn provided Sartha with information on the layout of the Aldhani dam, the Empire's base of operations. Sartha and her team, which consisted of Kaz, Arvel Skeen, Taramyn Barcona, and Karis Nemik, made a camp made up of several huts in the planet's Highlands a distance away from the Imperial base, waiting for the day of the Eye of Aldhani, a celestial event that would provide an opportunity for their infiltration.
Three days before the mission, Sartha left their camp to meet Rael, hiking a considerable distance to convene with the man. There, Rael introduced her to a new recruit who he had recently rescued from the Preox-Morlana on the planet Ferrix. Rael introduced him as "Clem," although his real name was Cassian Andor, and explained that he intended for Clem to join her team. Sartha was displeased by the idea, but Rael sternly told her that she had to take him in or he would call their operation off. Fuming, Sartha agreed to Rael's terms. Furthermore, Rael ordered her to lie to the rest of the group and say that Clem's presence was her idea and had been planned all along. Sartha then provided Andor with clothes to make him appear as a local before starting the journey back to camp.
On the way there, Sartha questioned Andor about his arm, which was bandaged, but he reassured her that he was fine. When he asked her who Rael was, Sartha responded that he should have asked him when he had the chance and warned him not to mention him to the others, telling him that they would have a "big problem" if he did. She then began to describe the job robbing the garrison, which Andor was surprised by. After ducking a pair of patrolling TIE fighters, they continued on their way.
Arriving at camp, Skeen and Barcona were quickly annoyed by Andor's presence. Barcona asked to speak with Sartha about the matter, but she quickly denied him and told the group to help their new man settle in. When Barcona raised his voice again, Sartha coldly ordered him and Skeen to go secure the animal pens. Later, when Kaz was treating Andor's wounded arm, Barcona approached Sartha again and asked how she knew the man. Sartha replied that he had come highly recommended, and Skeen stated that the answer confirmed that she did not know him. Sartha sternly replied that she knew the group needed another man and that he was good backup, finishing by saying that she would not answer any more questions about his background so as not to violate security. Skeen demanded to know if he trusted the newcomer with their lives, and Sartha stared him down and said that it was her call.
Later that day, Gorn arrived at the camp on a speeder. When Skeen told him about their newest team member, Gorn stormed over to Sartha to voice his displeasure. Sartha told him that he had no say in the matter. Gorn demanded to know more about Andor, but Sartha again shut him down and said that he was their much-needed backup and that was all that mattered. When Barcona brought Andor with him to help assist Nemik with a task, Sartha questioned Gorn about the Imperial patrols, and Gorn elaborated on recent movements before heading back to base, needing to be present for a midnight inspection.
====Change in plans====
That evening, Sartha gathered the team together in a small hut that had a visualization of the Imperial base and the surrounding terrain. She fully detailed their plan to Andor, who admitted that he did not think the plan had much of a chance of working. The next day, Sartha and Barcona were conversing in one of the huts when she brought Andor in to question him on how to calibrate the weight on a Max-7 Rono box freighter, which was the ship the group planned to escape in. Andor asked if he was being tested, but Barcona only insisted he answer the question. Andor then began to doubt that they knew how to fly the freighter, which Sartha denied. However, when Andor pointed out that they had to get the freighter off the runway first, and neither Sartha or Barcona responded, Andor all but confirmed that they did not know how to fly the ship. Explaining how to fly it, he questioned what they would have done without him, to which Sartha retorted that they would have simply figured it out themselves. Andor then stated that he would pilot the ship. Sartha initially refused, but when Andor said that if his life was on the line, he wanted to fly, Sartha paused before agreeing.
Later, as Barcona, Skeen, Nemik, and Andor drilled, Sartha and Kaz observed them. Andor asked what they would be doing while the four men entered the garrison posed as Imperial Army troopers, but Sartha did not respond, with Barcona stating that Andor only needed to worry about his part of the mission. When Andor suggested that Barcona and Skeen, who were side by side at the front of their formation, switch sides due to Skeen being left-handed, he was shut down by Barcona. However, Sartha then spoke up and asked why Andor had made the suggestion. Andor said that each man's weapon should be on the outside. Sartha then quizzed him on each individual's dominant hand, to which Andor knew each person's preferred hand. This caused Sartha to make a face at Barcona, who understood and implemented Andor's suggestion.
Later, as the group packed up their camp, Skeen picked up Andor's pack, which he took exception to. Sartha arrived to break up the argument. In the evening, the group burned their model of the Imperial garrison, with Sartha toasting to the Rebellion. The next morning, the group set their animals loose and began the hike towards the Imperial base. Sartha once again quizzed Andor on the details of the mission as they marched. At one point, Andor asked Sartha a question, wanting to know more about Gorn. Sartha stated that it made no difference, but when Andor insisted that everyone else seemed to know what his deal was, Sartha explained Gorn's disillusion with the Empire.
When the group stopped to eat, Sartha witnessed another incident between Skeen and Andor, the former of who held a knife to the latter's throat before claiming his kyber crystal necklace. He proclaimed to the group that his suspicions were not unfounded and asked what kind of man brought treasure to a robbery, noting that the object was worth at least thirty-thousand credits. When Andor threatened to shoot Skeen, Barcona also drew his blaster, causing Sartha to shout at everyone to stand down. After cooling the team down, Barcona put his blaster away and Sartha ordered Skeen to give Andor his necklace back. Before they continued on their way, Andor told the group that he was being paid to help them. Sartha explained that she had known but had no choice but to have him join them if they wanted to finish the mission. Skeen said that she should have told them that days ago, to which Sartha admitted that she should have.
That night, when they reached the garrison, Barcona signaled to Gorn, who watched him wave a torch through quadnoculars from the base. Then, Sartha instructed Skeen to apologize to Andor by telling him about his stake in the fight. After elaborating about his brother and his death, Andor accepted his apology. Then, Sartha and Kaz loaded up their equipment and prepared to depart. Sartha told the four men that they would see each other the following night before leaving.
====Infiltrating the garrison====
Sartha and Kaz holed up inside a small cave near the lake that surrounded the garrison. Donning wetsuits, the two used a small vehicle to travel underwater to the base wall. Climbing up the ladder, Sartha disabled the comms with a scrambling charge before joining Kaz. Kaz told her to check in with the others, and when Sartha began to stall, Kaz angrily told her to check in. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was in position and waiting for her signal. Sartha eventually gave the go-ahead, and as the others marched toward the base, with Gorn covering their backs, Sartha and Kaz used grappling cables to descend into the base. Sartha followed Kaz to the area where Barcona and the others were located, and Kaz shot and killed the Imperial colonel Soden Petigar, who had a blaster pointed at Nemik's head. They rounded up the other hostages, namely Commandant Jayhold Beehaz as well as his wife and son. Sartha kept her weapon pointed at Commandant Beehaz and told him that if their mission failed, everyone, including him and his family, would die. She instructed Barcona and Andor to take him upstairs in the lift before going to the vault. Beehaz told her that he could not help them open the vault, but Sartha retorted that she knew he was lying and reminded him the stakes if he did not comply.
Sartha and the others followed them in the turbolift once the Imperials there had been subdued. Sartha then brought Barcona, Skeen, Andor, Nemik, and Beehaz to the vault room while Kaz stayed with the hostages. The six guards who were there formed up when Barcona, still in uniform, called for an inspection. The others than drew their weapons, forcing them to surrender. Sartha trained her blaster rifle on them as Skeen searched for weapons and Andor and Nemik prepared the ship. Then, Sartha, Barcona, and Skeen forced Beehaz and the other Imperials to load the credits onto the ship. Gorn arrived some time after, but he was followed by a group of Imperials who had noticed the comms outage and overheard communication between Nemik and Kaz mentioning their location in the vault. Gorn attempted to bluff their way out of a fight, but when Beehaz, who had been pulling heavy carts of credits, collapsed, a firefight erupted.
Sartha was pinned down as the Imperials opened fire. Unable to reach the ship, she fired on the Imperials who had been moving the credits before they could escape. When Barcona came out to help her, Skeen failed to cover him and Barcona was gunned down. Sartha eventually made her way to the ship, and the group took off with eighty million credits onboard. However, due to the speed of the launch, the credits slid around in the hold, with one container crushing Nemik. Sartha and Skeen went to help him as Andor piloted, with Nemik telling Sartha that he could not feel his legs. Sartha quickly reached for a med-spike and jabbed it into Nemik's chest as Skeen held him still. Nemik was then able to help guide Andor to safety through the Eye of Aldhani and past the three TIE fighters in pursuit, escaping Aldhani.
When Andor asked where they were going after, Skeen said that they had to go to a doctor to help Nemik and said that Sartha did not want to do that because it could jeopardize the mission. They decided to go to the doctor despite the risk, traveling to the moon Frezno, where the surgeon Quadpaw unsuccessfully operated on Nemik, who died despite his best efforts. Sartha watched and later thanked Quadpaw for trying. However, just then, Andor entered with his blaster trained on Sartha. Seeing Andor's betrayal, she angrily said that she should have listened to Barcona and then called for Skeen. Andor revealed that he had killed Skeen after he suggested they steal the money for themselves. Sartha responded by saying that Skeen would not have done that, causing Andor to scoff. He said that he wanted his cut before going on his way, giving back the kyber crystal that Rael had given him before the mission and telling Sartha that she could have the rest of the money. Before Andor walked out, Sartha handed him Nemik's manifesto, telling him that Nemik insisted he take it before he died.
===After Aldhani===
====Coruscant meeting====
Sartha eventually made her way to the planet Coruscant, where she met with Rael's assistant, Kleya Marki, just outside the Coruscant Eastern Spaceport. Marki warned her that neither of them should be there, but Sartha ignored her and told her that they had done their job. Marki remarked that she had indeed done exceptional work but then asked about loose ends. Sartha told her that the ship was buried and gone for good, but then Marki asked about Clem. She told Sartha that his real name was Cassian Andor and that he had to be tracked down. Sartha inquired if she was being asked to kill Andor, to which Marki affirmed that he could not be allowed to roam free with his knowledge of Rael. Sartha asked about Kaz, to which Marki said that she was doing her job.
Sartha later made it to Ferrix, where she reunited with Kaz as they began watching the Andor household. As the two discussed Andor and whether he would turn up, Sartha expressed her doubts and proposed that her and Kaz run away, but Kaz reminded her that, despite her having the same feelings towards Sartha, the struggle would always have to come before their relationship. When asking Kaz who she would be, Kaz referenced Sartha's own past, which bothered her.
====Many meetings====
Following Kaz's comment and feeling she could not avoid her past any longer, Sartha decided to return to her homeworld and her family, first visiting her cousin Mothma and her family on Coruscant. There, she gifted Leida a golden gown just as Mothma arrived, Leida left and the two cousins spoke privately. Sartha told Mothma she had been traveling for the past six months and was evasive when Mothma began asking her about Rael. Leida then returned to show off her new dress. During breakfast, Mothma's husband, Perrin Fertha, questions Sartha about home and when she was returning, Sartha claiming that she was heading back soon for The Pilgrimage. Fertha then asked her when she would find a husband, to which she said it was not her priority. As Sartha left, Mothma urged her to keep the façade as a spoilt and politically inept woman. The two hugged and Sartha departed.
Sartha eventually made her way to Rael's shop, Galactic Antiquities and Objects of Interest, and was greeted by Marki, who kept up the façade and treated her like a customer despite Sartha's attempts to engage in covert discussion. She demanded to see Rael, but Marki only expressed her disappointment in how Sartha was conducting herself and told her that she was lucky that Rael was not around to witness it. Sartha pressed and asked what she had done for him lately, stating that she had given him Aldhani, but Marki hardened and replied that Sartha was just one of many needy people that Rael had to deal with. However, she then asked what Sartha was there to tell him, and she notified her that Andor's mother had died and that it was getting "very busy" on Ferrix. Marki told her that she would pass the information along and then prompted her to leave.
Some time later, Vel joined Mon at the embassy and observed Leida take part in a traditional ceremony that both women disapproved of despite Leida's love of the old ways. Later that night, Mothma disclosed to Sartha that she was in desperate need of 400,000 credits and how Tay Kolma tried to help but had only discovered how deep in trouble she was. Mothma disclosed she found a solution, but that it was not one that she liked. Leida then approached to greet Sartha and the two ceased the discussion.
====Reuniting with Cinta====
Sartha returned to Ferrix and met with Kaz. Although being saddened that Kaz seemed to care more about their mission than greeting her, Sartha and Kaz pleasantly discussed the ISB surveillance and the likelihood the Imperials would be able to capture Andor. Sartha told Kaz to step away from the window to talk, but Kaz was unresponsive and continued to stare out of it instead of looking at her. Sartha then met with Rael and they discussed how to kill Andor. Eventually, Rael instructed her to return to Kaz, who was keeping an eye the Andor house.
Sartha witnessed the riot on Rix Road, but did not get involved, instead returning to Kaz's room to pack. When Kaz returned, the two quickly cleared out their gear, but Sartha became worried when she noticed Kaz had blood on her arm. However, Kaz replied that it was not her own, having just murdered an ISB agent.
==Personality and traits==
Vel Sartha was a stern and steady leader. She had an innate confidence that partly stemmed from her privilege.Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy Although she was not initially receptive to adding Andor to her team, when given orders by Rael, she willingly followed orders and accepted his presence, agreeing to lie to her team and say that his presence was her idea. When her team questioned why Andor was joining them, Sartha demanded that they respect her decision and vouched for him.
Sartha and Cinta Kaz were a couple. Sartha cared for her team, particularly Kaz, but still had a no-nonsense attitude that allowed her to lead an efficient and eventually successful operation on Aldhani. She was extremely committed to the cause, willing to sacrifice comfort, relationships, and even her life for the rebellion. She trusted her team greatly, not believing that Skeen would have betrayed them when Andor revealed that he had killed the man after he attempted to convince him to leave Sartha and take the money and the ship. When she witnessed Barcona's death, she was shaken by it. As the survivors escaped Aldhani, Skeen accused Sartha of giving up on saving Nemik, who was mortally wounded, and said that even if she thought that the mission could be compromised, she had to try and help Nemik by going to see a doctor.
After Aldhani, Sartha felt distant from Kaz. Despite repeated attempts to have personal conversations with her girlfriend, Sartha was unable to shift Kaz's focus away from their mission, which was covert surveillance on Ferrix. Where Kaz decided that her personal relationship needed to be sacrificed in the name of duty, Sartha was intent on making both work.
Despite being born into Chandrilan privilege, Sartha turned her back on her upbringing in favor of a more grounded life. Throughout her rustic experiences, she witnessed the injustices of the Empire and was motivated to aid the growing rebellion. Although she did not favor her upscale beginnings, Sartha had a strong relationship with her cousin Mon Mothma. As they were both involved in the nascent rebellion, they could both communicate about one of the most difficult aspects of their lives. Sartha was looked up to by Mothma's daughter Leida, although Sartha aligned more with Mon's sentiments when it came to her views on traditional Chandrilan cultural practices. Although she was very committed to fighting against the Empire, she still cared tremendously about her familial relationships.
She was able to put on the persona of a rich and spoiled girl, falling seamlessly back into the world of luxury when necessary. When visiting Mothma to discuss their rebel operations, Sartha put on an aura of selfishness and opulence to disguise her collusion.
==Equipment==
During the raid on the Aldhani garrison, Sartha made use of a collapsible BK-43 blaster rifle. She wore clothing that allowed her to appear as a local ghoat-herder while preparing for the mission and later made use of a brown jacket with black pants and fingerless gloves. On Coruscant, she wore luxurious robes.
==Behind the scenes==
Vel Sartha was played by Faye Marsay in the television series Andor. She made her first appearance in "Aldhani," the fourth episode of the first season of Andor.
Writer Tony Gilroy made Sartha the cousin of Mon Mothma after realizing there was not much information on the latter's family life. When he was writing Sartha's relationship with Cinta Kaz, no one at Lucasfilm said they could not do it and no one told him to do it. Gilroy did not want the relationship to be performative in any way. Artist Andrei Riabovitchev created concept art based on costume designer Michael Wilkinson's design for Sartha. The art depicted her with brown hair and a staff. Concept art of Sartha and Cassian Andor hiding from TIE fighters was created by concept artist Chester Carr. Carr also made art of Sartha and her rebel infiltration team looking at a model of the Aldhani dam in their tent. Production designer Luke Hull created concept art of Sartha and Luthen Rael watching Cassian Andor exit the latter's ship. Sartha's team's disguises were made from natural fabrics, and Wilkinson made the costumes dark, textural, and organic.
Marsay knew she would audition for the role, so she watched Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and a few other films. After getting the role, she did a bit of research on the franchise. Marsay felt more pressure from joining Star Wars than when she joined the show Game of Thrones because she was playing a main character. Despite the show's secrecy, Marsay was given the breakdown and knew what actors she would work with so that she could prepare before shooting. She knew about her character's relationships with Cinta Kaz and Mon Mothma. As preparation, Marsay looked at groups of women who became part of a cause and she read the book Shoot the Women First, which is about female-led rebellions. The actress felt that she brought a part of herself to playing Sartha. She enjoyed that Andor showed Sartha's human side and real sensitivity. The writing gave Marsay a lot of freedom to explore Sartha's human side, including the things that upset her and the things that frightened her. Marsay wanted her character to help normalize LGBTQ+ relationships.
Scenes on Ferrix were filmed in an intricate set in Little Marlow, Buckinghamshire. According to Tony Gilroy, everything on Ferrix was filmed first. During the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, scenes on Aldhani were filmed at the Cruachan Dam and the surrounding mountains in the Scottish Highlands. Marsay said working on the show was very hard work for grueling hours. Sartha's rebel garb was made to fit her. The costume worn on Coruscant took much longer to get ready for in terms of hair, makeup, and costume. Scenes in the Chandrilan embassy were filmed in a practically built set that had a wraparound LED screen that used StageCraft technology. Scenes in Luthen Rael's gallery were filmed in a set designed by production designer Luke Hull.
==Appearances==
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==Sources==
==Notes and references==
Category:Aldhani rebel infiltration team members
Category:Chandrilans
Category:Females
Category:Freedom fighters
Category:Humans
Category:Individuals with she/her pronouns
Category:LGBTQIA+ individuals
Category:Mothma family