Species: Gelt
Caste: Warrior Caste (formerly) / Reconditioned Consort
Affiliation: House Laral (formerly), later defected
Spouse: Laral Umish (deceased)
Overview
Lady Peteesh is a Gelt woman introduced in Second Wave, originally born into the Warrior caste but later reconditioned into a submissive consort to pay off a family debt. Though initially complicit in her husband Laral Umish’s occupation of Amargosa, Peteesh becomes increasingly disillusioned with both her role and her people’s actions. Ultimately, she defects to the human resistance and surrenders to Davra Andraste, offering to cooperate in hopes of ending the occupation.
Background
Peteesh was born a Gelt Warrior, a rare position for a woman in a male-dominated caste. However, her family fell into debt, and she was sold to Laral Umish’s father, who reconditioned her as a submissive concubine-consort for his son. Peteesh herself refers to this reconditioning as something that once made her a skilled pilot but later left her unable to perform under pressure — a lingering side effect of her transformation into a ceremonial companion.
Despite being the legal spouse of Umish, Peteesh frequently endures humiliation and abuse. She is presented publicly in elegant gowns with a tethered human “pet,” Davra Andraste, but is privately tormented by her husband’s violent and dehumanizing treatment — including at least one non-consensual sexual assault.
Personality and Role in the Occupation
Peteesh presents herself as vain and preoccupied with status, frequently doting on Davra and speaking to her in both the Gelt Mother Tongue and Humanic. While she condescends to her human servant, she often contradicts her own supremacist views, showing both affection and dependence on Davra’s companionship.
Notably, Peteesh openly supports Umish’s vision of humanity as domesticated pets, believing it a more “benevolent” form of subjugation. She attempts to justify her husband’s actions by positioning Gelt rule as civilization imposed on savagery. However, these beliefs begin to unravel as she is confronted with the horrors of the occupation and her own abuse.
Defection and Captivity
As the resistance mounts and the Gelt occupation begins to collapse, Peteesh helps Davra escape the doomed colony transport, piloting a livestock shuttle through the chaos. Despite her fear, she follows Davra’s advice and surrenders to the human resistance, placing herself formally under Davra’s custody. Her decision to cooperate with the Compact earns her temporary asylum and protection from the resistance, though her long-term fate is left unresolved by the end of the story.
Legacy and Impact
Peteesh is emblematic of the contradictions within Gelt society — a once-proud Warrior reduced to a ceremonial status, then cast aside after her husband’s death. Her shift from arrogant consort to traumatized collaborator humanizes the enemy in unexpected ways, offering a rare view into the domestic and political dynamics within Gelt nobility.
She ultimately denounces Laral Umish after his death, cooperating with the humans and expressing hope that she might be granted asylum. Her story highlights both the brutality and fragility of the Gelt occupation, and her final act of surrender marks a personal rebellion against the oppressive system that created her.
Appearances: Second Wave, Storming Amargosa