Carise Sindian

Carise Sindian became the Senator for the Centrist world of Arkanis during the time of the New Republic. She was of royal bloodline, earning her the title of Lady. While a member of the Galactic Senate, Lady Carise was a secret agent of the First Order, a remnant of the Old Empire. She used her position to search for former Imperial officers and sympathizers and helped create the contacts that connected them to the remnants of the Imperial Navy. Lady Carise encouraged these former Imperial officers and sympathizers including Arliz Hadrassian to establish a paramilitary force called the Amaxine warriors. In addition, Lady Carise and other like-minded Centrist senators established a criminal front organization led by the Nikto crime lord Rinnrivin Di to hide funds that were used to arm and train the Amaxine Warriors. Lady Carise envisioned the Amaxines as the vanguard of the First Order's war to reclaim the Galaxy.

By 28 ABY, Lady Carise had become a prominent leader of the Centrist faction in the Galactic Senate. After the dedication of a statue of Bail Organa on Hosnian Prime, Sindian informed fellow Senator and royal Leia Organa that Lord Mellowyn of Birren had died with no heir, and Organa was next in line to take the throne. Organa, hiding her dismay, informed Sindian that her staff would look into the matter.

A day after Sindian informed Organa of the governorship of Birren, an emissary from Ryloth held a Senate meeting which Sindian took part in. The emissary, Yendor informed the Senate that his homeworld was under threat from a Nikto cartel, and wished for aid. Yendor stated that his planet had gained information that a Kajain'sa'Nikto, Rinnrivin Di, was the leader of the cartel and was operating from the planet Bastatha. Sindian then asked him and the rest of the Senate if they were to be reduced to investigators. Senator Organa then spoke, volunteering aid to Ryloth and offering to leave Hosnian Prime to travel to Bastatha immediately. Sindian began to bring up concerns for Organa's safety, while Senators Tai-Lin Garr and Arbo argued over if the people of Bastatha would think it as an invasion. Sindian then questioned the Senate if it was wise to send only a Populist Senator to investigate the matter. Ransolm Casterfo, a Centrist Senator from Riosa, then announced that he would accompany Organa to Bastatha.

Organa and Casterfo returned from Bastatha with valuable information that Rinnrivin Di was in fact leading a massive cartel. They also informed the Senate that Organa had been briefly captured before being rescued by Casterfo, causing Senator Anib Ney of Sullust to claim that Casterfo was a vigilante and had put Organa's life in danger. After saying nothing for a long amount of time, Sindian gave a speech to the Senate and offered the creation of First Senator, a position replacing Chancellor. Immediately following her speech, the Senate went in a frenzy, asking questions if the position of First Senator might become another Emperor, and stating that the Senate would have to redraw the entire constitution. Even so, Ransolm Casterfo endorsed Sindian's idea, and called for a vote on the matter. The vote passed with not enough opposition votes to veto.

A full day after Sindian brought up the proposal of a First Senator, she decided to go to Senator Organa's office to discuss the governorship of Birren. Before this, Ransolm Casterfo arrived at her office, wondering if Sindian was going to see Organa. Not saying anything to Casterfo, Sindian thought that Casterfo was a fool to think that he could make friends with a Populist. Sindian traveled to Organa's office, where Organa brought up the fact that she was not of royal bloodline, and she had been adopted by her parents Bail and Breha Organa. Sindian ignored that fact, stating that Organa must take the throne, and her son must one day succeed her. Organa stated that Birren had been settled by both Alderaanians and Arkanisians. Seeing as she had no interest in being governor, she gave the throne to Sindian, who happily accepted the title.

After a short meeting with Organa concerning the title of First Senator, Sindian traveled to Birren to begin the proceedings of being crowned as ruler of the planet. She informed her pilot that they would be going to Birren's capital city spaceport. She entered the Great Hall of Birren, where she was crowned as ruler of Birren. She ordered for fireworks and music and a grand fête for the evening. She was then confronted by the Warden of the Treasures, a woman who told her that there was no need to do this all in one day. Sindian ignored the woman, and instead entered the treasure room. She found nothing of any interest to her, except for a box that was engraved for Princess Leia Organa. Sindian opened the box, finding a music box containing the song Mirrorbright, which reminded Sindian of when her grandmother would sing the song to her when she felt nostalgic about her homeworld, Alderaan. After the song, a message recorded by Bail Organa told about Organa's parentage. The recording revealed that her mother was Padmé Amidala, and her father was Anakin Skywalker, who had become Darth Vader.

Sindian was surprised by this revelation, and realized that she could topple the Populist's chances at getting a member of their party into the position of First Senator, but remembered that she had taken an oath. The oath, the royal seal, made sure that she had to keep this revelation a secret. Still, she kept the box for safekeeping.

Sindian returned to Hosnian Prime just in time for Equinox Day, and quickly placed the wooden chest that contained Bail Organa's recording in her office. Before this, she encountered Ransolm Casterfo who spoke about his encounter with the drink Port in a Storm, as Sindian mused if he was trying to get in good with a Populist candidate for First Senator. They said their goodbyes, as Sindian returned to her office and contacted Arliz Hadrassian, her contact within the First Order. She questioned Hadrassian on tipping off Ransolm Casterfo of their plans, and also asked if she had completely abandoned the First Order. They argued about their plans, Sindian claiming that she had ruined their plans over and over again. Sindian turned off the connection, now torn between the Birrenese royal seal and her loyalties to the First Order.

Sindian sat in Ransolm Casterfo's office when he entered, and informed Casterfo that Leia Organa had been lying to him the entire time. Casterfo was confused at her statement, but then Sindian said that it was time for him to learn the truth that Organa was Darth Vader's daughter. Only moments after the Senator Varish Vicly nominated Organa for the position of First Senator, Casterfo objected to it, telling the entire Senate that Leia Organa was in fact the daughter of Darth Vader. After Senator Vicly claimed the statement was a lie, Casterfo came with proof, playing the recording of Bail Organa's revelation. Leia acknowledged that this was, in fact, true.

Soon after the revelation of Leia Organa's parentage, she gave a speech to the entire Senate where she revoked her nomination as First Senator, explained her parents, and expressed her feelings about being Darth Vader's daughter. Sindian spoke at the end of Organa's speech, saying she appreciated Leia's honesty, but believed it was late in coming. She also mentioned Luke Skywalker, and asked what would happen if he used his rumored strength in the Force for evil purposes. Organa was shocked at Sindian's statement, and angrily asked Sindian why she would question Skywalker, and mentioned that he had destroyed the first Death Star, and was responsible for ridding the galaxy of Emperor Palpatine. Sindian then questioned if that were true or not. Senator Garr interrupted the argument, saying that Sindian had no right to question Skywalker.

Despite Lady Carise's attempt to turn the Galactic Senate against Senator Organa, Leia still proceeded with her mission to Sibensko. As a result, Leia discovered that the Amaxine warriors were linked to Rinnrivin's cartel. In addition, Leia was also involved in a brief skirmish which led to the destruction of the main Amaxine base; a catastrophic setback for the Amaxines and their First Order handlers. Arliz Hadrassian contacted Lady Carise and the two engaged in a heated hologram discussion. Carise blamed Hadrassian's impatience for the disaster. In response, Hadrassian criticized the Centrists for not seceding from the New Republic and accused her financier of being too cowardly to take risks.

Lady Carise counteracted that the disaster on Sibensko and the Napkin Bombing proved that the Amaxines were a liability rather than a useful asset to the First Order's cause. Frustrated with the Amaxines' incompetence, Carise hinted that she would cut off support to the militia. In response, Hadrassian pleaded for Lady Carise to allow her to kill Leia Organa in order to avenge her warriors. Hadrassian's remarks prompted Carise to criticize the Amaxine leader for taking the conflict personally. As a political player, Lady Carise preferred to assassinate Organa's character and to sow discord within the Populist faction. Before ending the conversation, Hadrassian warned Lady Carise that she would have greater need of soldiers someday and that she would regret abandoning the Amaxines. In private, Lady Carise was relieved that the Amaxine warriors had been eliminated as a viable actor because she regarded them as a pretext rather than a means for the First Order to "restore order" to the galaxy.

After undergoing a mission to Sibensko, Senator Organa requested a Senate hearing on the topic of her mission and investigation of Rinnrivin Di. She was one vote short, and that vote was filled by Senator Casterfo, who allowed her to have the hearing. She spoke about the conclusion of her mission, the destruction of the Sibensko city, and Rinnrivin Di's death. While listening to the speech and viewing a data packet that Organa had submitted as evidence, Sindian was horrified to learn that the Sibensko computer had no security systems in place, thus exposing the connections between the Amaxines and Rinnrivin's cartel. However, Carise was relieved that Leia had failed to uncover data layers that identified herself and other Centrist senators as the financiers behind the two entities. After concluding her speech, Senator Casterfo then took the floor backing up Organa's statements, much to Sindian's surprise. Sindian then decided that she needed to deal with Casterfo, believing that he had betrayed her after she gave him an opportunity of a lifetime.

Ten days after Organa's speech, Tai-Linn Garr held his first campaign rally for First Senator. Nearing the end of his rally, he was assassinated by Arliz Hadrassian, who then killed herself. Sindian then framed Casterfo for the crime, creating a fake recording of Casterfo and Hadrassian shaking hands. Following Casterfo's arrest, Lady Carise and other "respectable" members of the Centrist faction issued statements publicly disassociating themselves from Casterfo. Carise and her allies also supported a motion calling for the Senate to suspend elections in the wake of Tai-Lin's assassination. In addition, Carise also planned to submit a motion for the Centrist worlds to secede from the New Republic.

Despite Lady Carise's best efforts, Senator Organa discovered that Sindian had planted the fake recording, and that she had also broken the oath she had given about the royal seal, as she had played the music box containing Bail Organa's recording, which was under the Elder Houses' royal seal. In retribution, Organa contacted the ruling members of the Elder Houses, who upon learning of Sindian's infringement passed a resolution forever stripping Carise of all her titles and the supreme governorship of Birren. Leia delivered the news to Sindian personally, noting that she viewed it as a small punishment for betraying both her and Ransolm, but acknowledged (with satisfaction) that it was one that would hurt Sindian, who viewed nobility as sacred, to her very core. Bidding the treacherous young woman goodbye, Princess Leia Organa left Sindian's office, leaving behind a very distraught and humiliated Carise Sindian, who no longer bore the title of Lady.

Lady Carise was an attractive human woman with dark-brown eyes and dark hair. She wore long silvery robes embroidered with jewels to display the wealth and power of her homeworld Arkanis. As a New Republic senator, Lady Carise cultivated a reputation as a vain, shallow, and frivolous individual in order to mask her activities as a clandestine agent of the First Order, a remnant of the "Old Empire" that aspired to overthrow the Republic and "restore order" to the galaxy. She took pride in her status as an aristocrat and treasured being called "Lady Carise." Desiring power and privilege, she convinced Senator Organa to help her secure the title of supreme governor of Birren following the death of Lord Mellowyn.

Lady Carise's political ambitions and position as a prominent Centrist senator led her to violate an ancient oath that demanded that the supreme governor uphold the sanctity of her royal seal until death. Using her new-found position, Lady Carise disclosed information about Leia's true parentage which brought about Leia's political downfall. As a Centrist senator working in cahoots with the First Order, Carise actively and secretly tried to discredit Leia's investigation into Rinnrivin's cartel and the Amaxine warriors in order to advance the First Order's interests. When Ransolm Casterfo broke ranks with his Centrist colleagues and defended Leia, Lady Carise framed him for the murder of Tai-Lin Garr and the Napkin Bombings.

In retaliation for Lady Carise's duplicity and her opportunism, Leia convinced the Elder Houses to strip Carise of all her titles and powers. Believing that her birthright entitled her to a life of nobility, Carise was greatly distraught by the news and began hyperventilating. She regarded living as a commoner as the greatest humiliation.

Carise Sindian first appeared in the 2016 novel Bloodline, written by Claudia Gray.

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