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Andina is a handmaiden to the Tarr family who comes to live with them after Stahma makes a deal with her father.

Background[]

Andina lived in Defiance with both her parents until her mother died in the razor rain storm in 2046. After her mother’s death, she lived in poverty with her ill father.

Her mother used to tell her, "what is runoff for some is, to others, river." It's an old Castithan saying, meaning we should help others.

Season 2[]

With her mother dead and her father gravely ill, Andina is first seen living in poverty, relying on food walks sponsored by the Tarr family. When Stahma Tarr personally arrives at her home to deliver food, Andina hungrily devours the high quality offerings. Andina's father, Kirus, mentions that he had been unable to locate any other family members to care for Andina after his death, so when Stahma offers to bind Andina to the Tarr family as a handmaiden in exchange for Kirus providing a false confession to a murder, he accepts the offer. Stahma then welcomes Andina into her home, hugging her upon her arrival at the Tarr house.

When Stahma first takes Andina in, her husband, Datak, is not living with the family, but Stahma and Datak reunite not long after Andina moves in. She is the first to welcome Datak home, taking the dirty sack of laundry from him as he enters the house. Later, she stands in the background, silently watching as Datak feasts and the family fights over his return.

When Pilar and Quentin kidnap Alak and Christie, Andina is left standing in the middle of the street screaming. She then runs to Datak and Stahma to alert them of the kidnapping.

Season 3[]

While Stahma and Datak are away searching for Alak and Christie, Andina continues to live at the Tarr house and enjoy herself. She can be seen wearing Christie's old bathing costume and enjoying the kiri eshkyulo (pleasure crystals) in the bathtub. She bathes alone. While bathing alone is unusual for Castithans, Stahma Tarr also enjoys bathing alone and using the kiri eskyulo. The Tarrs arrive and catch her in the act. While she is deeply embarrassed, they laugh it off and make a joke.

With the Tarrs back in the house, Andina resumes her role as servant to them, primarily in taking care of Stahma. One evening, as she brushes Stahma's hair, she asks Stahma what Rahm Tak is like in person because she saw a photo of him and found him attractive. She tells Stahma that she likes her men dangerous and asks Stahma if she agrees. Andina smiles when Stahma says, "generally [dangerous men] prefer me."

As she talks with Stahma, she reveals that the other servants believe that humans have brought Rahm Tak's rath upon themselves. "If humans had been better about sharing their planet, then we wouldn't hate them." Andina does not directly state whether or not she agrees with this statement, but she does not disagree. She seems to be seeking Stahma's opinion to help inform her own.

Alak Tarr then enters the room, and holds a knife to Stahma's throat. He's upset that Stahma killed his wife, and Andina fears he might kill Stahma in revenge, so she runs to find the lawkeeper, Joshua Nolan. When Nolan arrives, Stahma and Datak encourage Andina to lie and say nothing happened. Datak tells Nolan that Andina is not a bright girl, and Andina obediently replies, "I get confused sometimes." Alak, on the other hand, does not play along with their lies. He tells Nolan that his parents have been working as spies for the Votanis Collective, and they blew up the arch.

With Datak and Stahma on the run, Andina once again stays in the Tarr house without them, watching Luke for Alak. Alak soon moves to the McCawley house, but Andina continues to care for Luke and assist Alak with his parenting duties. While she lives in the Tarr house, twice a week, she brings Alak food and clean laundry and does what she can to make him happy.

Stahma stays in hiding with T'evgin until Datak makes an agreement which grants her a full pardon for her crimes. The town is not happy with this pardon, and the Tarr house is graffitied with the word "terrorist" which Andina is left to scrub off. As she's cleaning, Stahma finally returns home. Andina runs to hug Stahma, relieved to know Stahma is still alive.

As Andina brushes Stahma's hair, Stahma asks how Alak is doing. Andina expresses a desire to see him return to the Tarr house as the McCawley house frightens her. She is afraid of death, and all the McCawleys were recently killed. Andina admits that she finds it beautiful the way Alak loved Christie, but believes that he must mourn them and move on. When stahma suggests she accompany Andina to visit Alak on her next visit, Andina advises against it. Alak keeps a gun by the door with two bullets meant for Stahma. One for Rafe's death and one for Christie's.

When Stahma attends a formal function in the Darby Building with T'evgin, Datak is without a date, so he brings Andina as his plus one. At the function, Andina is introduced to the mayor, Amanda Rosewater. Throughout the evening, Andina stands at Datak's side, remarking that Stahma looks like a princess and T'evgin is handsome. Datak, who isn't particularly pleased to see Stahma with her former lover, has no patience for Andina's romantic commentary. He tells her to stop fidgeting and to "try not to stand like a scullery maid."

Despite her fear of death, when the Tarr house is left unprotected, Andina takes a gun from Datak, vowing to protect Stahma. She says, "I'll fight for you, Favi... die defending you, if necessary." Alone in the house together, Stahma asks Andina to sit beside her, treating her more like a friend than a servant. She begins to show Andina a Castithan weaving technique. Andina ambitiously says she could make a bonnet for Luke who is now crawling and starting to talk. Stahma notices that Andina seems sad and asks why. She reveals that she has enjoyed spending so much time with Stahma and her family, but knows this closeness cannot last. Stahma is Shanje, and Andina is just a handmaiden, but Stahma tells Andina that it is possible to elevate one's status through marriage and reminds her of how good a job she's done taking care of Luke after Christie's death. She then adds that Luke isn't the only one with needs. Her son has needs too.

Stahma calls Andina a trusted friend and asks her to promise that will never change. Understanding the nature of the conversation, Andina offers to bring Luke to visit Stahma in secret and thinks that she can get Alak to forgive Stahma in time. Andina hopes that one day, when she has married into the Shanje liro, they will drink tea as equals. Stahma tells Andina, "You have quite a knack for this. I'm impressed." And although they are still weaving, the weaving is not all Stahma is impressed by.

In the next episode, Alak thanks Andina for all her help and tells her that he doesn't know what he would have done without her. She responds that she is sworn to his family and is therefor his always. Andina steps forward and they share a brief kiss. Alak decides its too soon after Christie's death to start a romantic relationship with Andina. She tells him she will wait for him to be ready, but immediately after the kiss, Kindzi enters the house and kills her.

Quotes[]

Andina: The McCawley house frightens me.
Stahma: Afraid of ghosts?
Andina: No, afraid of death. I think that's a very reasonable fear, don't you? -Ostinato In White

I'm not stupid. I know it can't last... You are Shanje. I'm a handmaiden. Soon enough, this crisis will pass, and everything will go back to the way it used to be. It's just nature. -Of a Demon In My View

I'm a patient person, Alak. I can wait. -The Awakening

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