Ce'na, better known by her alias Vette, is a fictional character in BioWare's massively multiplayer online role-playing game Star Wars: The Old Republic. The starting companion for players who select the Sith Warrior class, Vette is a Twi'lek, a humanoid species within the Star Warss universe known for the twin tentacular appendages that protrude from the back of their heads. As the player character's slave, Vette comes with a shock collar that the player may either remove, or utilize to torture her. She is voiced by Catherine Taber.
Vette's character has received a mixed response. While she is popular with players and her characterization is generally well received, the moral implications of the player character abusing her via the shock collar has been met with criticism and controversy.
Concept and design
Vette is developed as a selectable companion character from the player's pool of allies in The Old Republic. Companions are fully-functional characters directed by artificial intelligence, who are capable of fighting by the player's side through much of the single player content for The Old Republic, and joining multiplayer parties to fill in for other players who have to take their leave mid-session when necessary. Vette may also be instructed to craft items as a companion. Her appearance can be customised by the player, a feature intended to help make each player's companions feel unique despite the MMO nature of The Old Republic. Prior to The Old Republic update 4.0 patch released on October 20, 2015, the nature of Vette's relationship with the player character was measured numerically as "Affection" and could be altered depending on whatever decisions are made; this mechanic has since been replaced with "Influence", which also builds when a player makes meaningful decisions with companions but is not a determinant as to whether they like the player character or not.
Catherine Taber, a self-described Star Wars fan, voices Vette. She was offered the role without being required to go through an audition. Taber and BioWare had a clear vision on what Vette would be, and wanted to use her to infuse the game with traditional Star Wars humour. Taber drew on parts of Indiana Jones while voicing the character—at one point improvising the line "K'lor'slugs, why did it have to be k'lor'slugs?" in reference to the character.
Appearances
Vette is introduced near the start of the Sith Warrior storyline, having been captured by the Sith after an attempt to break into an ancient tomb. The Warrior is given her as a slave, wearing a shock collar, to help them access a secret entrance to the tomb, as part of their trials. It is at this point she becomes a companion, and afterwards, the Warrior's master, Baras, allows the Warrior to keep her. The player may choose to free her or keep her as their slave, the latter of which allows opportunities to shock her at various points in the story. As they increase in character levels, the player character has further conversations with Vette where they learn about her backstory. Additionally, throughout the game, Vette may comment on the player's choices, and the tone she adopts is dependent on the nature of her relationship with the player character. In the character's questline, the Warrior meets a group of Twi'leks she used to be part of and helps her track down her family: Vette finds her sister, though her mother is already dead, to which the Warrior may either encourage Vette to let it go or to try and take vengeance. If the player chooses a male Sith Warrior, Vette may, over the course of the game, develop a romance with the character.
Reception
Critical reception for Vette has been mixed, though the character is generally popular with The Old Republic players. A 2012 fan poll by IGN placed Vette as the fourth favourite of all Old Republic companions. According to player infographics released by BioWare in celebration of The Old Republics fifth anniversary, Vette along with Lana Beniko were the most recruited companions as of July 2016.