In 5 BBY, a soldier within the Galactic Empire's force occupying Niamos, a specific [planet](/article/planet], was a coastal defender stormtrooper. During that year, this trooper noticed Cassian Andor, a thief attempting to remain unnoticed, making his way toward Arkie's shop. The trooper, aiming to assert his authority, stopped Andor and treated him as a suspect connected to a group of humans then being pursued by Imperial forces. Following an interrogation, the trooper directed a KX-series security droid to keep Andor under surveillance, which led to the thief's eventual appearance at a courthouse to face multiple charges.
By 5 BBY, a human was serving the Galactic Empire as a coastal defender stormtrooper. In that year, he was stationed on the planet Niamos as a member of the Imperial force engaged in its occupation. At one point, this stormtrooper was on duty at Pier Nine, specifically in front of Arkie's shop, while two fellow troopers were chasing a group of humans on a beach. Cassian Andor, a thief using the alias "Keef Girgo" while living on Niamos, observed this pursuit and was on his way to Arkie's. As Andor got nearer to his destination, the coastal defender stormtrooper noticed him looking around frequently and decided to stop him. The trooper then started to question Andor about any possible connections to the people who were running away.
The arrival of the fugitives interrupted their conversation, leading the trooper to use his comlink to inform Imperial forces about the sighting of the humans they were chasing. Even though Andor jokingly offered to "wait" for the stormtrooper if he wanted to join the chase, the trooper continued his questioning as a pair of Imperial KX-series security droids approached, capturing some of the fleeing humans. The trooper then summoned the nearest droid to assist with Andor. Claiming he needed to inspect a shelter, the trooper told the droid to "hang onto" Andor for him.
Subsequently, the trooper walked over to the entrance of Arkie's and joined a conversation with two other coastal defender stormtroopers. The security droid interpreted his command literally, proceeding to lift Andor into the air in a tight grip. Andor initially tried to persuade the approaching droid that the trooper only meant for him to "watch" him. When that didn't work, he attempted to call out to the trooper to clarify his instructions and resolve the situation. Eventually, Andor was taken to a local courthouse where he received a six-year prison sentence involving hard labor for offenses such as "civil disruption," "anti-Imperial speech," "fleeing the scene of anti-Imperial activity," and "attempted damage to Imperial property."
While serving on Niamos, the coastal defender stormtrooper tried to exert his authority over the local population. Because of this, he stopped Cassian Andor, interpreting Andor's sweating and glances at his surroundings as signs that he was connected to a group of humans being pursued by Imperial forces at that time. The trooper also reacted aggressively to Andor's surprised reaction, viewing it as an attempt to feign innocence.
The armor worn by the coastal defender stormtrooper was plastoid shoretrooper armor. The trooper's armor was similar to that worn by enlisted shoretrooper squad leaders of later periods, but instead of a fabric kama skirt, it included plastoid faulds and a pouch for storing blaster gas cartridge magazines—features shared with the armor of shoretrooper captains. The trooper carried a E-11 medium blaster rifle and had a comlink.
The coastal defender stormtrooper made an appearance in "Announcement," the seventh episode of Andor's first season, a live-action series. It was broadcast on October 19, 2022. Sam Witwer, a well-known Star Wars actor, provided the voice for the character, although he was not credited in the episode.