Katya Derevko

Yekaterina "Katya" Derevko, alias The Black Sparrow, was the second of the three Derevko sisters to be introduced on the ABC television series Alias. She was played by Isabella Rossellini.

Character Biography

Katya first appeared during the third season, sent by Irina in response to Jack Bristow's request for help in extricating Sydney and Vaughn from a North Korean prison. Following the mission, Katya kisses Jack passionately.

In the course of searching for The Passenger after her abduction in season 3, Sydney and Vaughn discover video files of Nadia as a small child in an abandoned Russian military bunker, formerly the center of Soviet Rambaldi research. Katya and several Russian guards confront them, but Katya turns on the guards, subduing them with tranquilizer darts, and the three of them travel to St. Petersburg. Katya fills them in on Nadia's background, claiming that Nadia was born to Irina in a Russian prison after Irina left Jack. Since Sydney was born in April 1975 and Irina left Jack in late 1981, Nadia must have been born in 1982. This timeline is irreconcilable with reports that Vaughn's father had rescued Nadia as a young girl, since he was killed by Irina in 1979, confirming the belief that Elena Derevko had fabricated the story of Bill Vaughn's involvement. Katya and Jack work together to trace Sloane's movements through bank activity, and Katya flirts outrageously with Jack. Jack initially rebuffs her advances but later kisses her deeply.

After Nadia's rescue, Vaughn tracks his wife, Lauren Reed. He has captured her, beaten her, and is about to kill her when Katya intervenes, stabbing Vaughn in the back and releasing Lauren. While engaged in reconnaissance of a Covenant operation in Palermo, Sydney encounters Katya again. Katya attempts to shoot her (thereby confirming to Sydney that Katya is allied with the Covenant), but Sydney has removed the bullets from Katya's gun. Sydney hits Katya with a tranq dart and Katya is taken into federal custody.

Nothing is seen of Katya until Nadia visits her in prison in season 4, seeking to learn more about the mother Nadia never knew. Katya eats some chocolate Nadia brought her, triggering a near-fatal allergic reaction to illustrate her desperation to meet with Sydney. Sydney does meet with Katya in the prison infirmary to warn her against continuing to see Nadia. Katya tells her that she never intended to harm Sydney in Palermo, and Irina never intended to harm Sydney either. Irina had tried to contact Katya, concerned someone was setting her up. Katya asks Sydney to retrieve the message from Irina, which is contained in a music box. Sydney retrieves the box and recovers the message, which leads her to bank records in the name of Arvin Sloane. Sydney informs Katya that the records exonerate Irina and implicate Sloane (it was later determined it is not Sloane but an impersonator, dubbed "Arvin Clone," who in turn was a pawn of Elena Derevko, who was behind it).

After Elena's raid on the Department of Special Research and with Katya being the only Derevko he has access to, Jack visits her in prison seeking information on the whereabouts and operations of Elena. In exchange he promises to do everything in his power to secure for her a pardon and release. Katya tells him Elena was the true power behind the Covenant and advises him that Elena's base of operations is in Prague, but only Irina knew Elena's full endgame and how to stop it.

Whether Jack was successful in securing Katya's release is unknown, and no further information regarding her current status is extant.