The father of Varel DeVay hailed from the Core Worlds, where he enjoyed a life of privilege. His daughter, Varel, was a xenobiologist who had studied at some of the best universities in the Core. In 8 ABY, she was trapped on the planet Kal'Shebbol by the Imperial warlord, Moff Kentor Sarne and forced to work on biological weapons for him. After Varel's release when the New Republic liberated the planet, she contacted her father; he begged her to return home, but Varel refused as she was ashamed of what she had done. Instead, she signed on to the crew of the FarStar, a New Republic corvette.