| “ | You can't! It's mine by right of birth! Nobility is sacred — they wouldn't take it away like that! | „ |
| ~ Sindian, learning of the penalty for breaking the royal seal. |
Lady Carise Sindian, is the main antagonist in Star Wars: Bloodline.
Biography[]
Sindian was born two years after the Battle of Yavin into a noble family on the outer rim world of Arkanis. Her homeworld had been allied with the Galactic Empire during Emperor Palpatine's reign, but would be liberated by the New Republic after his death.
As an adult Sindian became a member of the Galactic Senate, and a leading figure in the centrist cause, which favored a strong central government. Secretly, Sindian was a supporter of the First Order, and worked to undermine the New Republic's government to make it easier for the First Order to take over when the time came.
Being of royal blood, the Governorship of Birren was passed to her by Princess Leia after the death of Lord Mellowyn. While reviewing the property that Lord Mellowyn left, Sindian came across a music box left for Princess Leia of Alderaan. Sindian opened the music box and found it had a recording from Bail Organa in which he revealed to Leia that she was the daughter of Darth Vader, and that she had a brother.
The box was under royal seal. A major obligation of being a member of the royal houses was to maintain the royal seal even at the cost of her life if needed, and she promised to do so during her inauguration. Sindian at first was prepared to keep the information under wraps as required by the royal seal as a way of blackmailing Leia. She soon decided to violate the seal, and informed fellow centrist Ransolm Casterfo about Leia's true parentage, and he in turn revealed it to the Senate. This revelation destroyed Leia's political career and she left the Senate not long afterwards.
Later when Leia uncovered evidence that mercenaries, working with the First Order were starting to mobilize for war, Sindian acted out. Through the use of her agents, Sindian assassinated the next potential First Senator, and then framed Ransolm for the crime (since the other senator had betrayed the Centrists and vouched for Leia). Sindian publicly acted the part of a shocked and disappointed senator but was secretly delighted by this development.
The next phase of her plan was to use her influence to secede her systems from the Republic (along with many other Centrist Senators), a move that she noted might take months or even years, and then publicly support the First Order when it came out. Little did Sindian know, she would never get that opportunity.
Despite Carise's best efforts, Leia eventually discovered that the music box containing her father's message had been hidden on Birren. Thus, the Princess quickly realized that it was Sindian who had tipped off Ransolm about Organa's true parentage and was responsible for all the events that followed. In retaliation for this and everything else that Carise had done to both her and Ransolm, (who now faced the death penalty for the crimes he did not commit), Leia secretly contacted the Elder Houses to which she and Sindian belonged. She informed them about Sindian's duplicity and the violation of the oath she had taken concerning the royal seal. In response to this, the Ruling members of the Elder Houses passed their first resolution in many years.
Before leaving the Republic to found the Resistance, Leia personally confronted the double agent outside the latter's office. Although the two women spoke amiably at first, there was a clearly hostile undertone to their words. When Leia reveaied that she had uncovered Sindian's treachery, the younger woman was caught off guard. Until that moment, she genuinely believed that she had either gotten away with it, or left Leia in a position that she wouldn't be able to do anything about it. Leia then told the First Order's spy that she had already notified the Elder Houses, and was here to inform Sindian of their decision.
By official decree of the Elder Houses, Carise Sindian of Arkanis was officially stripped of her royal titles and expelled from the Royal Houses, indefinitely. This loss of status, meant that the Governorship of Birren would also be taken away from her. This cost Sindian (and by extension the First Order) her position in the Senate, both of which would be given to the next person in line. Thus, Sindian's influence over the Centrists was lost.
To say that Carise Sindian was horrified by this declaration, would be a grose understatement. She firmly believed that her birthright entitled her to a life of nobility and made her better than others. Sindian (who no longer held the title of Lady) was left greatly distraught and humiliated by this news, gasping that it could not be happening since, in her mind's eye, nobility was a sacred right.
Leia for her part felt no sympathy, telling the treacherous young woman flat out that she had brought it upon herself. She also made it clear that she in-turn considered it as a small punishment for everything Carise had done both to her and especially to Ransolm. Nevertheless, the Princess took full (almost sadistic) satisfaction in knowing that the punishment shook Carise to her very core. Leia also dropped a hint that despite this small justice, she intended to deal with Carise a lot more seriously once the coming war was over.
Carise Sindian was last seen standing outside her former office, gulping for breath, contemplating her fate. As far as Carise was concerned, she had been subjected to the worst fate she could possibly imagine - living the rest of her life as a commoner. Despite Sindian's fate, the damage she had wrought, had already been done. The exposure of Vader as Leia and Luke's biological father, tarnished their reputations, whilst also contributing to Leia's son Ben fall to the Dark Side of the Force and joining the First Order (combined with Luke's supposed betrayal and Supreme Leader Snoke's corruption), seeking to emulate the grandfather he came to idolize, while meanwhile, those in the Centrist party that were similarly aligned secretly with the First Order continued on with Sindian's plans for secession, allowing the First Order to come out of their hiding within the Unknown Regions to instead claim control over the Centrist planets that had joined it, including Arkanis.
Trivia[]
- Bloodline author Claudia Grey stated she envisioned Jamie Chung as Sindian when writing the novel.
