Lieutenant Dedra Meero never missed a detail. When a Starpath unit popped up in a report describing a botched Pre-Mor raid on Ferrix, the Imperial Security Bureau investigator linked it to a theft at the Steergard Naval Yard. Convinced that the Starpath unit was part of a pattern of thefts, Meero argued that an organized rebellion was taking shape, although her superiors including Major Partagaz were skeptical of her theory.

After the robbery of an Imperial vault on Aldhani, Meero used the resulting Imperial Emergency Act to get the data she needed to identify other equipment gone missing from Imperial bases. ISB Supervisor Blevin accused her of overreach in front of their colleagues, but she had been able to obtain the proof Partagaz wanted. Soon, the ISB granted Meero everything she needed to set up a surveillance operation on Ferrix to find both Cassian Andor and his contact known only as Axis. 

On Ferrix, Meero detained Andor’s known associates like Bix Caleen and authorized the use of torture to get whatever information they could from her. Soon after, Maarva Andor’s death of natural causes presented the opportunity Meero needed; Andor would come to them. During the funeral, however, tensions bubbled over and the locals rioted against the Empire’s presence. Meero was caught in the crossfire. Disgraced Pre-Mor inspector Syril Karn, seemingly obsessed with both Meero and Andor, had also traveled to Ferrix for the funeral. He pulled Meero away from the chaos to safety.