"After you spend a target lock, you may receive 1 stress token to acquire a target lock."

Do you have to decide whether or not you're using the ability before you execute the rerolls from the initial target lock? Or can you spend the initial lock, reroll, and then decide whether to take the stress and acquire a lock?

Personally I would deem it ok to do it after the re-roll. You spend the token to allow the reroll, which is an ability depending on you spending the TL. Using the pilot ability is also triggered by spending the target lock. And when you have two or more abilities that resolve at the same time, you get to choose the order.

It could be argued though that spending the target lock and re-rolling the dice are two distinct steps, and therefore you'd have to use the ability after spending the lock but before rolling the dice.

But then here's also the fact that this ability could be used after spending a target lock to fire ordnance, which, if we're going by how Vessery works, could gain you a target lock to spend on that same attack. Which could trigger the ability again, since it doesn't specify you can't be stressed to use it. Might get loopy.

Spending the TL token and rerolling dice are made in the same step: modifying results. It could be said that in order to modify red dice results (reroll) you have to spend a TL token, (and not viceversa, like Stephen suggested). I think it works more like a cost rather than an 'activated ability'.

I mean, every ship can reroll attack dice provided it -anyhow- has a blue TL token to spend. There's nothing that 'triggers' the reroll like if it was an ability, such as: "Because X happened, now you can reroll dice"... That "ability" is always "on", for every ship... You only need to have a token to spend, whithout needing any specific trigger.

Vessery has a very specific timing, detailed in its ability, which places its ability right after step 2 in the attack sequence (rolling dice) but before step 3 (modifying results), so I don't think he's the best example to compare with.

A better candidate for comparison would be Hobbie Klivian, whose ability also works when spending TL tokens.

In the case of Drea, the ability says "After", while in Hobbie's ability says "When". I'm not sure why the difference, but it may matter for timing purposes.

But then here's also the fact that this ability could be used after spending a target lock to fire ordnance, which, if we're going by how Vessery works, could gain you a target lock to spend on that same attack. Which could trigger the ability again, since it doesn't specify you can't be stressed to use it. Might get loopy.

That's precisely why I'm wondering about this - take a target lock with her, fire a torpedo, take a target lock and stress to modify the torpedo results, and then potentially take another target lock and stress to use the R4-B11 astromech's ability on the defender's evade dice.

But then here's also the fact that this ability could be used after spending a target lock to fire ordnance, which, if we're going by how Vessery works, could gain you a target lock to spend on that same attack. Which could trigger the ability again, since it doesn't specify you can't be stressed to use it. Might get loopy.

That's precisely why I'm wondering about this - take a target lock with her, fire a torpedo, take a target lock and stress to modify the torpedo results, and then potentially take another target lock and stress to use the R4-B11 astromech's ability on the defender's evade dice.

That seems perfectly legal.

But then here's also the fact that this ability could be used after spending a target lock to fire ordnance, which, if we're going by how Vessery works, could gain you a target lock to spend on that same attack. Which could trigger the ability again, since it doesn't specify you can't be stressed to use it. Might get loopy.

That's precisely why I'm wondering about this - take a target lock with her, fire a torpedo, take a target lock and stress to modify the torpedo results, and then potentially take another target lock and stress to use the R4-B11 astromech's ability on the defender's evade dice.

I think the question here is whether you can reroll before deciding to use her ability to avoid using it (and getting stress) if you're going to destroy the target.

But then here's also the fact that this ability could be used after spending a target lock to fire ordnance, which, if we're going by how Vessery works, could gain you a target lock to spend on that same attack. Which could trigger the ability again, since it doesn't specify you can't be stressed to use it. Might get loopy.

That's precisely why I'm wondering about this - take a target lock with her, fire a torpedo, take a target lock and stress to modify the torpedo results, and then potentially take another target lock and stress to use the R4-B11 astromech's ability on the defender's evade dice.

This is definitely legal.

I think the question here is whether you can reroll before deciding to use her ability to avoid using it (and getting stress) if you're going to destroy the target.

That's an interesting question too.

Also, in my example, the timing of the ability could matter - you'd obviously want to see the results of the naked torpedo shot before committing to the stress re-lock (because you'd want to avoid ending up double-stressed after using the droid, if possible).

That you can't do... You spend the lock for the torpedo in Step 2, well before you roll dice.

The only real open question here is the timing after the lock to reroll, and whether Andrea's ability is before, after, or simultaneous to the reroll.