Varel DeVay, a xenobiologist of Human female origin, hailed from the Core Worlds. Having been raised in luxury, DeVay received a top-tier education and subsequently held positions at various research institutions across the galaxy. An offer of employment on Kal'Shebbol, the planet serving as the capital within the Kathol sector sector, led her to become unwillingly involved in the development of biological weapons under the command of Imperial warlord Moff Kentor Sarne. Following the New Republic's liberation of Kal'Shebbol in 8 ABY, she was rescued from Sarne's control. Subsequently, DeVay joined the crew of the CR90 corvette named FarStar, tasked with the pursuit of the fugitive Moff. Her duties on the ship primarily involved managing the hydroponics bay. Later, she participated in the landing party dispatched to Binaros. Unbeknownst to the crew, they carried back spores from a feeder plant found on the planet's surface. As the plant matured, it triggered malfunctions in the ship's systems. DeVay faced an attack from the plant's mobile feeders and played a crucial role in devising a countermeasure that successfully eliminated the threat.
Varel DeVay's early years were spent on a small planet situated in the Core, where she enjoyed a life of privilege. She was educated at prestigious universities, acquiring a first-rate education that presented her with numerous career paths. DeVay was deeply intrigued by the diverse array of alien species populating the galaxy, and this fascination led her to pursue a career in xenobiology, ultimately becoming a xenobiologist. After completing her studies in 3 ABY, DeVay embarked on a career working for various research firms, frequently changing positions to advance her career and secure her financial future. Within a span of five years, she held four different jobs across three distinct worlds.
In 8 ABY, DeVay received an offer from a small company located on Kal'Shebbol, the sector capital of the Kathol sector in the Outer Rim Territories, promising double her current salary. Within a month, DeVay resigned from her existing job and reported for duty. However, upon her arrival, she discovered that the company was nonexistent. Moff Kentor Sarne, the Imperial warlord ruling the planet, had orchestrated a scheme to attract scientists to his territory by creating fictitious companies offering employment. Once on Kal'Shebbol, these individuals were subjected to strict immigration controls imposed by Sarne, preventing them from leaving. DeVay fell victim to Sarne's deception and was effectively conscripted into Sarne's forces, where she was coerced into developing biological weapons against her will.
DeVay's period of forced servitude came to an end when the New Republic liberated Kal'Shebbol in 8 ABY. She contacted her family, and her father implored her to return home. However, DeVay's pride prevented her from admitting that her father had been correct about her situation, leading her to decline his offer. Learning about the mission of the New Republic CR90 corvette FarStar, she enlisted as a crew member. Due to manpower shortages, the New Republic military was unable to fully staff the vessel and recruited personnel from the population of Kal'Shebbol. The ship was embarking on a deep space journey into the Kathol sector to locate Moff Sarne, who had fled the planet with his forces during the New Republic's attack. DeVay was assigned to oversee the hydroponics bay and was placed in charge of the vessel's three J9 worker drones. Having a strong dislike for droids, DeVay meticulously reviewed their work to ensure it met her exacting standards. She consistently submitted requests to the command crew for additional biological personnel to assist her.
Several weeks after departing from Kal'Shebbol, the FarStar traversed the Marcol Void, a region of space devoid of planetary systems. Following a lengthy voyage, the ship encountered the planet Binaros. Initial sensor readings and analysis conducted by the laboratory staff convinced Captain Kaiya Adrimetrum that the planet offered a promising source of fresh food and water. She authorized a reconnaissance team to explore the surface and instructed DeVay to accompany them. DeVay voiced her objections to being included in the team, arguing that she would be of limited value in any potentially dangerous situations. Adrimetrum countered this by stating that DeVay could identify potential food sources on the ground, thereby avoiding the need to waste time and resources shuttling samples back to the ship only to find them unsuitable. She also advised DeVay to acquire a blaster from the armory as a precautionary measure.
Transported to the surface of Binaros aboard Brophar Tofarain's ship, the Muvon, DeVay was instructed by the mission leader, First Officer Gorak Khzam, to gather and analyze vegetation and plants for edible food. DeVay established a portable science station in the landing party's main camp area, while other members of the party collected samples. They brought their findings back to DeVay, who analyzed them with her equipment to determine their suitability. During the expedition, the Defel scout Kl'aal inadvertently collected spores from the native feeder plant and unknowingly carried them back to the FarStar upon the landing party's return. The spores detached from Kl'aal and settled in isolated areas of the corvette. Although most of the spores died, some found suitable conditions, thriving in the ship's warm environment and abundance of metallic nutrients. Rooting in the forward lower hold, the spores initiated their life cycle, developing into the mother plant. Subsequently, the mother plant produced its feeders to gather the necessary nutrients, food, and water.
The feeders' activities caused perplexing malfunctions throughout the ship, and they also siphoned seventy-five liters of water from the hydroponics lab's irrigation system tank. DeVay noticed the theft and reported it to the command staff. To her dismay, Khzam dismissed the theft as insignificant, but DeVay recognized the importance of having all available water to maintain the hydroponics bay's optimal operation. In the hold, the mother plant entered a stage of its life cycle requiring nitrogen from the blood of living creatures, and it directed its feeders to obtain the necessary element. Shortly after reporting the theft, DeVay was attacked by the feeders in the hydroponics bay. She managed to contact the command staff and inform them of the attack. Cornered by the creatures, she defended herself with a vibrospade until Khzam—who had ordered all available personnel to respond to the distress call—arrived. The crew members drove off the feeders and tracked them back to the mother plant's location. DeVay observed the mother plant and realized that she could create a gaseous poison capable of killing it. The poison took several hours to formulate, but it successfully neutralized the threat posed by the plant.
DeVay continued her service on the FarStar throughout its journey through the Kathol sector, where her expertise in xenobiology proved invaluable to the mission on multiple occasions. She sought to improve the corvette's food preservation methods and diligently analyzed plant samples. During one experiment, DeVay experienced hallucinations, a common side effect of traveling through the Kathol Rift—a volatile region characterized by dense gas clouds and lightstorms—and believed that the sample she was examining had sprouted tentacles and was suffocating her. After a brief moment, the hallucination subsided, and DeVay found herself unharmed in the lab with the plant sample motionless on the sensor equipment. After several months, the FarStar located Sarne in the Kathol system and eliminated the threat he posed to the region.
Varel DeVay possessed a height of 1.8 meters and had [brown](/article/color-legends] eyes and hair. Driven and ambitious, DeVay was determined to climb the corporate ladder and achieve financial security, a pursuit that led her to frequently change jobs and ultimately resulted in a temporary loss of her freedom. Despite being proud and stubborn, DeVay was perceived as meek by some and readily admitted her aversion to potentially dangerous situations. However, when faced with the threat of feeder plants on the FarStar, DeVay overcame her fear and fought back to save her life.
As a xenobiologist, DeVay possessed extensive knowledge of alien species and languages, enabling her to assess the value of natural resources. She was skilled in forest survival, animal riding, sensor equipment operation, computer programming and repair, and first aid administration. A perfectionist by nature, she demanded that the work of the droids assigned to the hydroponics bay alongside her meet her exacting standards. DeVay harbored a dislike for droids and resented having to work with them on the FarStar. She consistently requested additional biological assistance in her department, but none was available. To aid her in her work, she typically carried datapads containing relevant information on plants and animals, a comlink, a glowrod, a recording rod, a hand microscope, and a hand vibro-hoe.
Varel DeVay was conceived for the West End Games roleplaying-game adventure titled Plant Food, authored by Chris Doyle, which was featured in The Kathol Outback, a supplement for The DarkStryder Campaign. She played a central role in the adventure but did not appear in any subsequent installments. A brief mention of the character was included in the crew notes of The Kathol Rift, the second supplement for The DarkStryder Campaign, noting that the Gamemaster and players had the latitude to develop the character as they saw fit.