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Merrin was a Dathomirian Nightsister who lived on her homeworld of Dathomir during the Imperial Era. A survivor of General Grievous' massacre of the Nightsisters during the Clone Wars, Merrin encountered the Jedi Master Taron Malicos after he crash-landed on Dathomir following the execution of Order 66 in 19 BBY, which called for the extermination of all Jedi. Malicos fell to the dark side of the Force, and wishing to learn the Nightsister's magick, he manipulated Merrin through lies that the Jedi were responsible for her losses and false promises to help her avenge her fallen friends, sisters, and mothers.

When Cal Kestis visited Dathomir in search of the Tomb of Kujet and Malicos asked the former Jedi Padawan to join him, Merrin realized Malicos was deceiving her. She used the Chant of Resurrection to attack both men, but Kestis eventually returned to complete his mission. Although Merrin was reluctant to fight alongside a Jedi, Kestis reassured her that he was on her side by sharing the story of his own grief-stricken past and handing his lightsaber to her. She told him about seeing her people killed by an armored warrior brandishing a lightsaber. Affirming that they were both survivors, Merrin and Kestis worked together to defeat Malicos, and the Nightsister subsequently joined Kestis' crew aboard the Stinger Mantis in their quest to restore the Jedi Order and fight the Galactic Empire.

After several years of evading and battling the Empire, the Mantis crew parted ways over irreconcilable differences. Merrin traveled the galaxy alone, righting wrongs where she could. This led to her becoming involved with the Hidden Path, which sought to save Force sensitives being hunted by the Empire. She reunited with Kestis during the latter's hunt for hidden world of Tanalorr and rejoined the Mantis crew, hoping the obscure planet could be a refuge for the Path. During this mission, she and Kestis became romantically involved. She and Kestis fought together and succeeded in recovering the Abyss compass necessary to reach Tanalorr, vowing to make the planet a haven for those hunted by the Empire.

Biography

Early life

Merrin was a female Dathomirian Zabrak who lived on her homeworld of Dathomir before and during the Clone Wars. She was one of the Nightsisters, a clan of Force-sensitives who expressed their connection with the Force through magick instead of the ways of the Jedi or Sith. Their matriarchal coven ruled over Dathomir while their own leader, Mother Talzin, also ruled the lower class of male Nightbrothers. Like other Dathomirians, Merrin was raised to reject the rest of the galaxy and view outsiders as dangerous.^[1] The elders used to tell Merrin that foolishness ran in her family. She raised a pet bramble lynx named Teeno that started out cute and small but grew to be protective; Merrin later claimed that she was "very good at murders."^[4]

Among her fellow Nightsisters, Merrin was closest to Ilyana, the girl she loved. They used to sneak out to the swamps together to make potions.^[1] After Merrin helped Ilyana convalesce after an injury, Ilyana made a necklace for her in gratitude for caring when it was most needed. She gave it to Merrin with a kiss—Merrin's first.^[4] Merrin believed that she and Ilyana would someday be together in their adulthood.^[1] In 20 BBY,^[5] however, Merrin's life changed forever. When Merrin was still a child,^[1][6] the Battle of Dathomir, the event that would cause her to lose everything she had, has taken place. General Grievous led the Separatist Droid Army in an attack on Talzin's clan under the orders of Count Dooku, the Separatist Head of State.^[7] Merrin witnessed several details of Grievous' appearance, including the golden eyes in his faceplate and the lightsabers he wielded with multiple arms,^[4] but she would learn of the armored warrior's^[8] identity only years later.^[4]

Troops, air strikes, and assault tanks burned the forest and killed the Nightsisters.^[4] Using the Chant of Resurrection, Old Daka raised an Army of the Dead from their burial pods, but the undead were not enough to save the living.^[7] Although Merrin lived, Ilyana and all of her sisters were massacred;^[1] only a handful of others survived.^[7][9] Perceiving herself as the only survivor, Merrin alone buried the corpses of Ilyana and her fallen mothers, sisters, and friends. She grew up grieving them and seeking vengeance for their deaths.^[1]

Dwelling on Dathomir

The intruder

Sometime after Order 66 was issued^[1] in 19 BBY,^[5] Jedi Master Taron Malicos fled from the Great Jedi Purge and crash-landed his starship into the Swamp of Sacrifice on Dathomir. Brother Viscus, leader of a clan of Nightbrothers, informed Merrin of what they had seen. Sensing great danger, she urged caution. At some point, she also met Malicos and warned him that there was no place for him on Dathomir; the Brothers would kill him if he remained. However, he was certain that they were no match for Merrin's power.^[1]

As the Nightbrothers grew impatient waiting for further instruction from Merrin, they believed they could deal with Malicos themselves in their village. Full of fear and anger further steeped in the darkness of Dathomir, Malicos was corrupted by the dark side of the Force; the Nightbrothers recognized too late that he was indeed dangerous. He set them against each other, killed Viscus, and subjugated the clan. In his vain pursuit of more power, Malicos sought to learn the secrets of the Nightsister's magick and used Merrin's grief to manipulate her by convincing her that it was the Jedi who had orchestrated the massacre of her people. Since she sought to eradicate those she believed responsible for her losses, Malicos made a deal with her: he would help her avenge her sisters if she taught him Nightsister magick. Reluctantly agreeing, Merrin began teaching him, although she considered him "a bastard."^[1]

At one point, Merrin guided Malicos through the Tomb of Kujet, an ancient structure that served as the burial place of the Zeffo Sage Kujet. She warned Malicos that it was cursed and they should not be there, but he reminded her of their deal.^[1]

Sisters and Brothers

In 14 BBY,^[10] during the Imperial Era, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis arrived on Dathomir aboard the Stinger Mantis; Malicos told Merrin to deal with him and his crew. Merrin materialized in front of Kestis, warning him that he was trespassing and was not welcome on Dathomir. He was surprised to realize she was a Nightsister since he had heard they were all dead. He tried to explain that they did not have to be enemies, but she felt his actions said otherwise. Instead, she summoned a duo of Nightbrothers and empowered them with ichor to attack Kestis, then she de-materialized. However, Kestis was able to deal with the Nightbrothers and various hostile creatures that Merrin sent after him.^[1]

As Kestis explored Dathomir, Merrin occasionally threatened him from the shadows. He used his ability to sense echoes in the Force, and through them, he learned parts of what happened with Malicos, the Nightbrothers, the Nightsisters, and Merrin. He recognized something familiar about Merrin in an echo of her crying.^[1]

Merrin directly confronted Kestis again, telling him that he would go no further and that Taron Malicos was right about the Jedi. Kestis warned Merrin that he would strike her down if she continued to stand in his way. In response, Merrin used the Chant of Resurrection to raise several of her fallen sisters to attack Kestis, saying they would have their revenge, although he succeeded in defending himself.^[1]

Merrin observed Kestis interacting with Malicos outside the Tomb of Kujet, in which the Padawan had experienced a disturbing vision of dead master, Jaro Tapal, that caused him to break his master's lightsaber. Malicos explained that he was a former Jedi who had survived the purge, and he invited Kestis to join "his family" and his quest for power. At that point, Merrin materialized and questioned Malicos about the change in his behavior, demanding to know why he was inviting a Jedi to join him when he had previously told her that the Jedi Order was responsible for the massacre of her people. Realizing that the newly unhinged Malicos was once a Jedi himself and had led the Nightbrothers astray, Merrin told both men that the bond between Nightsisters was eternal and they never turned on each other, unlike the Jedi. She used the Chant of Resurrection to raise an army of Nightsisters from their burial pods. Malicos retreated into the Tomb of Kujet while Kestis fled, pursued by the dead.^[1]

Graves of Dathomir

Sometime later, when Cal Kestis returned to Dathomir to complete his mission in the Tomb of Kujet, Merrin once again confronted him. Seeking peace, Kestis introduced himself to Merrin and told her that her impression of the Jedi Order was incorrect. Merrin pointed out that Taron Malicos was a part of the Jedi Order just as he was, so she had no reason to trust his words. Kestis gave Merrin his lightsaber and explained that the weapon did not define the Jedi; they had been peacekeepers until they were betrayed and hunted by the Galactic Empire to near-extinction. Igniting his blade, Merrin recounted the massacre of her sisters by an armored warrior wielding a lightsaber and her subsequent meeting with Malicos. Resonating with Kestis' tragic history, Merrin gave the Jedi his weapon back and told him that Malicos could be found deeper in the tomb. Following him in her invisible state, she further empathized when he said the Empire would hunt other Force-sensitive children.^[1]

Merrin observed Kestis confronting Malicos and arguing about the ideals of the Jedi. When Kestis refused to join him, Malicos drew his lightsabers with a threat, "Then Dathomir will be your grave." The pair proceeded to duel until Malicos overwhelmed Kestis with the Force and attempted to crush him with a boulder. Before Kestis could be crushed, Merrin fired a blast of ichor at the boulder, shattering it into pieces, and told Malicos that he had no right to Dathomir or its magick. She then fired multiple ichor blasts at Malicos, who proceeded to pull apart the pedestal she was standing on. After she landed on the ground, she encouraged Kestis to continue fighting before de-materializing. She joined the duel by occasionally re-materialized and stunning Malicos with her ichor, giving Kestis openings in the fallen Jedi's strong guard, until she used her magick to immobilize Malicos and bury him alive. When he demanded to know what was happening to him, Merrin repeated his words to Kestis: "Dathomir will be your grave."^[1]

The path of the holocron

Retrieving the Astrium

After their victory over Malicos, Merrin asked Cal Kestis what his intentions on Dathomir were. Kestis revealed that the extinct race that built the Tomb of Kujet, the Zeffonians, had created an object called the Astrium which would open up a Zeffo vault on the planet Bogano. Inside the vault was a Jedi holocron previously owned by Jedi Master Eno Cordova that contained a list of Force-sensitive children across the galaxy, which Kestis hoped to keep out of the Empire's grasp. Although she was unaware of the Empire, his description of how they exterminated Force-sensitives made her realize the Empire would come for Dathomir one day; thus, Merrin decided to help Kestis retrieve the Astrium. Kestis thanked Merrin for her help with Malicos, and she agreed that he would have died without her. The pair were pleased that they could be allies.^[1]

Lifting various columns to allow Kestis access, Merrin accompanied Kestis further into the tomb. After reaching the next room, Kestis discovered the Astrium lying in wait and expressed excitement about the discovery. Although Merrin was happy for Kestis and his Order, she remained solemn that nothing could bring back her coven.^[1]

As she walked away, Kestis began talking about his past and the fear he used to hold that the Empire would find out who and what he was. However, his trauma had been soothed after a friend told him to go out and find his place in the galaxy and he began traveling with the crew of the Stinger Mantis. Considering Kestis' words, Merrin decided to join his crew, hoping she could find her own place in the greater galaxy. Although Jedi and Nightsisters were not traditionally comrades, Merrin believed that survivors, like them, adapted. Kestis and his droid companion BD-1 agreed to the idea, although the Padawan doubted that the rest of his crew would be ready to accept Merrin.^[1]

The pair encounter two hostile nydaks at the tomb's exit, and Kestis asked if Merrin had raised the ones he fought before. She confirmed she had to see how he might fare against Malicos. When Kestis asked Merrin for combat assistance, she declined and said he could handle it. After Kestis defeated the nydaks, Merrin asked about the woman aboard the Stinger Mantis; Malicos had wanted her to attack Kestis' crewmates, but she had observed them and felt they posed no threat. Kestis told her that the woman, Cere Junda, used to be a Jedi Knight prior to their fall. When the pair reached the entrance of the tomb, Merrin de-materialized, telling Kestis that she would meet him at his ship.^[1]

First steps

Entering the Stinger Mantis with Kestis, the ship's pilot Greez Dritus expressed shock and seemed fearful that his ship had been boarded by a "witch." She corrected him—Nightsister—and said she was joining the crew and meant him no harm. After Cal Kestis explained how Merrin had helped him, Cere Junda reluctantly accepted the Nightsister's presence because she trusted Kestis, but Merrin would have to earn it. Dritus told her not to try anything funny and Merrin took a seat as the ship departed, leaving Dathomir behind for the first time in her life.^[1]

Kestis told Merrin about Ilum, where he had built his second lightsaber after losing his first during Order 66 and breaking his master's on Dathomir. From what he said about how the Jedi had gathered their kyber crystals, she interpreted it to mean the Empire was mining Ilum to desecrate Jedi culture, but he pointed out that the Empire's goal was unclear. Ilum's state reminded Merrin of Dathomir: "once sacred, now broken."^[1]

On the planet Zeffo, Kestis told Merrin about the wreckage of a Venator-class Star Destroyer belonging to the Jedi Chiata and her Padawan, Marseph. When Merrin asked how he learned so much while exploring, he explained his psychometry, which sounded to her like an ability to read the past. While Nightsister magick was ancient, it was not the same type of connection to the past that Kestis had, and she noted that the past held much pain for both of them. Merrin also wondered about the many bounty hunters they encountered, and he explained that both he and Dritus had bounties on their heads from the Haxion Brood. Although there were many risks of traveling with the Stinger Mantis, Merrin liked that she did not know what to expect.^[1]

Kashyyyk felt to Merrin like a battlefield. Junda confirmed that recently, the Wookiees had fought hard but were ultimately driven back by the Empire. Dritus quipped that it was not all bad since Kestis got to "hitch a sweet ride with one of the locals," a phrase that confused Merrin. Junda explained that Kestis had a gift for making unusual allies and had befriended a shyyyo bird; befriending a Dathomirian beast was something Merrin could not imagine. When Kestis suggested someday showing her the Origin Tree and some of its residents; she said she would like that.^[1]

Forming friendships

After Cal Kestis brought Merrin aboard, Greez Dritus laid out for her the various rules that he had for his ship: keep anything that could stain away from the couch, stay out of the captain's chair, do not cook without his supervision, and getting too loud would lead to being ejected. At Cere Junda's incredulity, the captain said they would get a stern talking-to. Merrin learned that BD-1 was part of the crew, too. She could not understand his speech, but she tried to follow Junda's example by responding to him based on his tone and context.^[1]

As the crew traveled together, the others wondered about Merrin's reactions to the galaxy away from Dathomir. Kestis wondered what Merrin would do when the mission was over, and Dritus speculated that she would want to return to her home. Junda thought not, as she had also wanted to see the galaxy in her youth. The Latero noted gaps in Merrin's experiences, like watching fights and trying drinks, and Kestis joked Dritus could "show her some strange new wonders." Dritus grew enthusiastic about teaching her gambling, as he was sure she had skills to make the crew very rich. Kestis also asked Merrin if it was similar to how she had envisioned it to be. She noted that the galaxy was so vast and she could now see how limited her life on Dathomir had been. There, she had been lonely and had nothing after she lost her family. When Taron Malicos told her the Jedi were responsible, she was no longer alone; anger became her companion. Kestis commended her for not giving in to that emotion, and she acknowledged it was difficult to resist wielding it as a weapon and using hatred as a purpose.^[1]

Thanks to an unseen stowaway on the ship—a bogling—that everyone except Dritus knew about, he accused Merrin of using spells to come into his room to watch him nap after he sensed someone watching him. She told him she did not watch people sleep and asked Junda if they should tell him; Junda said he was better off not knowing. While en route on another occasion, after ongoing problems with foul odors, Dritus carefully chose his words as he addressed Kestis and then the two women in the crew about a suspected problem with the refresher. While he did not know or want to know who was responsible for him encountering an odor with his strong sense of smell, he was requesting that they please light a candle or otherwise address it in the future. Merrin asked if he had a gundark's blood candle, but he did not; he had wasaka berry. He warned everyone that he would throw the culprit off of his ship if it happened again.^[1]

Dritus remained "terrified" of Merrin for some time and freaked out by "the whole raising the dead thing." He was glad that Merrin voraciously ate his cooking as he hoped the woman he variously referred to as "witch lady," "space witch," "witch sister," or "night witch" would be happy and would not use her magick aboard his ship. Her lack of understanding about why a particular spoon was so important to his cooking made him bemoan that she could cast spells yet did not see the magic in little things. When she asked if he used it for conjuring, he was alarmed and pleaded with Kestis to say Merrin would not use his good spoon to raise the dead.^[1]

Junda and Merrin bonded during their journeys on the topics of traditions and pain. Merrin was curious about why Junda was no longer a Jedi, and the former Jedi explained that she had used the dark side of the Force in a moment of weakness; to use the Force again would risk being consumed by the dark side. Describing how Nightsisters channeled magick through themselves without being consumed by it, Merrin offered to show Junda how. Junda declined and asked for Merrin's understanding that it was dangerous to her. At a query from Junda, Merrin explained the meaning of her tattoos and asked about Jedi rituals; both women agreed that it was unusual for a group of peacekeepers to have a bond based on weapons. The Nightsister asked Junda if she had fought in the Clone Wars and if she ever buried someone she loved. For the Jedi, it had been metaphorical, but Merrin shared how she had literally buried Ilyana and the others. Junda described the pain as something that, in truth, they would never move past. Merrin asked Junda if it was strange to find it comforting that she was not alone in that pain, and Junda did not find it strange at all.^[1]

Bogano

With the Astrium now in their possession, the Stinger Mantis crew traveled to Bogano, the location of the Zeffo vault containing the holocron. Before they landed, Merrin, Cere Junda, and Cal Kestis pondered whether the device could really open the vault. They were interrupted by Greez Dritus, who planned on making scazz steaks and wanted to know if the others wanted any. Merrin raised her doubts about the Jedi mission, noting that if Force-sensitive children were trained as Jedi, their lives would be placed in danger because they would be hunted as well. Kestis said they had to keep the holocron out of the Empire's hands, and Junda said it would help put an end to the Empire. Merrin heard them out, then told Dritus she took her steak rare.^[1]

Merrin and Kestis discussed her impressions of Bogano; its energy felt weird to her, more simplistic than Dathomir's intricate and ancient power, but she was uncertain of why. He suggested that she was sensing the qualities that led the Zeffo to build their vault there. She noted that Bogano had been nearly untouched for centuries and the holocron remained hidden, and she asked Kestis if the lives he sought to protect had been endangered prior to his intervention. He pointed out that by training new Jedi, they could build a galaxy that would respect and preserve such special places; however, Merrin remained unconvinced and asked if it would be the Jedi's choice or Kestis'. He insisted they had a responsibility to protect the Force-sensitives and the galaxy may not be able to survive without the Jedi.^[1]

Merrin stayed with the ship while Kestis journeyed to the vault with BD-1. However, the Empire had followed the Stinger Mantis; inside the vault, Kestis was confronted by the Second Sister, a member of the Inquisitorius who sought to obtain the holocron for her masters. The Second Sister escaped Bogano with the holocron in hand, leaving Imperial forces behind that Kestis dealt with before making his way back to the Stinger Mantis. Kestis, Merrin, and the others resolved to take back the holocron from the Second Sister. Before doing that, in the role of Jedi Master, Cere Junda knighted Kestis.^[1]

Mission to Nur

The Stinger Mantis followed the Second Sister to Nur,^[1] a moon in the Mustafar system^[11] and the location of Fortress Inquisitorius, the headquarters of the Inquisitorius. They needed to infiltrate the fortress, but the moon was protected by a blockade of Imperial Star Destroyers. Merrin told the crew she could use a ritual that would hopefully hide the ship from the Imperials. Greez Dritus, wary of her powers, was apprehensive about the finer details of the ritual. Jokingly, she told him that she would require one of his arms as a sacrifice, although she reassured him that she was jesting when he seemed to be taking the concept seriously. Sitting in the cockpit of the ship, Merrin began calling upon the powers of her fallen sisters and Mother, channeling her magick through a talisman. As the crew watched on, magical ichor engulfed the Mantis, making it invisible both visually and to the Imperial sensors.^[1]

While Merrin maintained the ritual, Cal Kestis and Cere Junda headed to the surface and infiltrated the Fortress, eventually defeating the Second Sister and retrieving the holocron. However, they were interrupted by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, who immediately executed the Second Sister upon his arrival, seemingly killed Junda, and relentlessly pursued Kestis through the underwater facility. Kestis managed to briefly escape Vader and reported the apparent death of Junda to Dritus and Merrin via comlink. Merrin urged Kestis to press on before Vader bore down on him again, igniting Kestis's own lightsaber to impale his torso. Before Vader could claim the holocron, Junda emerged and reinforced Kestis. She drew upon the dark side in her anger and hatred of Darth Vader, but she listened when Kestis pleaded with her to let go. To escape the Sith, Kestis jettisoned himself and Junda into the open ocean. As Kestis and Junda began to drown, Merrin arrived and used her magick to save the pair.^[1]

After the crew escaped Nur and Kestis regained consciousness, Merrin rushed to his side and hugged him, only to apologize when he gasped in pain. He thanked her for saving him and joined Junda on the sofa, where the whole crew assembled to discuss their future. When Merrin asked about the holocron, Junda still wished to use it to rebuild the Jedi order, while Dritus shared Merrin's concern that the Empire would hunt the next generation like it was pursuing the Stinger Mantis crew. As Kestis reflected on what Merrin and Dritus said about the Force-sensitives, the Jedi Knight said their destiny should be trusted to the Force instead; he destroyed the holocron. With the holocron mission complete, the crew of the Stinger Mantis were free to travel the galaxy as they saw fit.^[1]

The scars of battle

Forging a family

As the Stinger Mantis crew traveled the galaxy together, they got to know each other better and became like a family with the Mantis as their home. Merrin regarded their differences as strengths that made them nearly unstoppable together, although they were not inclined to have "heart-to-hearts," a term she learned from Cal Kestis.^[4]

Cere Junda remained committed to preserving and restoring the Jedi Order, while Kestis was determined to bring the fight to the Empire. Merrin's crusade was more personal; she had learned from Junda and Kestis that Grievous and the other Separatists had been Emperor Palpatine's puppets all along. She wanted to destroy those who had destroyed her heart, but since they were already dead, she decided any Imperial followers were targets for her vengeance. Unlike Kestis, she believed they should fight back against the Empire without bringing the fight to it. Greez Dritus, however, thought they should all stop acting like the fate of the galaxy was on their shoulders and figure out what they actually wanted.^[4]

The Mantis crew developed a routine for their missions: Merrin infiltrated and brought death from above with Kestis and BD-1 from below, Junda worked communications and technology, and Dritus kept their ship prepared for quick getaways. Junda and Merrin would team up for reconnaissance beforehand; however, Merrin felt that during missions, Kestis and BD-1 made one duo and Junda and Dritus another, leaving her without a partner. She also had difficulties with her Nightsister magicks, other than her ability to move unseen; she started to wonder if she should disappear since it came naturally to her but knew that line of thought was dangerous.^[4]

Thanks to Dritus' debts to the Haxion Brood and Kestis' victory in their fighting pit, the gangsters continually pursued the Mantis and its crew. In one particular month^[4] between 12 BBY and 11 BBY,^[12] they had encountered a Haxion Brood member who, thanks to Merrin intimidating him with her magick, divulged the location of a Haxion Brood base on an asteroid in the Outer Rim. Destroying it, along with the many Brood who would be inside it after a raid, would give the crew more freedom and protect inhabitants of nearby systems that had been attacked by the Brood; thus, the Mantis crew decided to infiltrate it and blow it up later that month.^[4]

Brooding and bonding

Cal Kestis and BD-1 went to the asteroid first to lower the base shields, then Greez Dritus brought the Mantis inside to let Merrin and Cere Junda exit. Using her magick, Merrin turned herself invisible and enhanced her speed as she searched for an entrance on the roof of the base. She noticed that the outer ring seemed deserted but was unsure about why. With assistance from Junda, Merrin defeated a bounty hunter wielding a flamethrower and then entered the venting system. Kestis and Merrin soon saw from their respective vantage points that the cantina inside the base was full of around ten Haxion Brood bounty hunters and unexpected visitors: at least twenty Imperial stormtroopers. Junda urged Kestis to set the charges as planned rather than spend time finding out why the Imperials were there, but a bounty hunter spotted him and alerted the others to the Jedi's presence.^[4]

As Kestis fought the Haxion Brood forces with his lightsaber, Merrin dropped down to battle the stormtroopers with her magick, disappearing and reappearing in a way that tricked them into shooting each other. The explosive charges began detonating during the fight. When Merrin started towards the Mantis, she realized someone was following her. She disappeared and reappeared behind a woman wearing stormtrooper armor. The frightened woman asked Merrin to wait and said she knew about Dathomir. As Merrin paused and then threatened the woman, the Imperial began begging for her help. When Merrin removed the woman's helmet, she was surprised to see a Keshiri instead of a human before grabbing her throat. The Keshiri's expression of surrender led Merrin to release her, but she refused to endanger her crew to help a stranger who might be a spy. However, Merrin silently considered doing so until Kestis and Dritus, who had been listening through the open comms, interrupted with a reminder to hurry up and escape. While she was distracted by Kestis running her way, pursued by stormtroopers, the Keshiri woman disappeared.^[4]

As Merrin ran for the Mantis, she asked if anyone else saw a trooper with their helmet off before running up the ship's ramp. She yelled to Dritus and Kestis that Junda was not on board as the ship lifted off. Kestis held Merrin steady and reassured her until he had to resume using his lightsaber and the Force to fight back stormtroopers that were chasing Junda. Merrin's struggle with her powers brought on a flash of grief and memory, but when she saw Junda nearly get hit by a blaster bolt, her fear brought on the fire in her hands; her green flames exploded a stall and killed all but one of the troopers. As Junda leapt for Kestis' arms, Merrin realized the helmeted stormtrooper reaching out had actually shoved Junda upward for Kestis to grab. Merrin helped pull Kestis and Junda up the ramp, but their leader reached down to pull up the stormtrooper—the Keshiri woman, who immediately surrendered and removed her helmet.^[4]

Kestis invited the Keshiri to sit next to him, and Merrin sat beside her. While Kestis made introductions and the Keshiri responded, Merrin flushed green and felt her hands itch with fire. As the ship exited the asteroid belt, it was struck by a blast from a TIE Brute. When the ship rolled it, it sent the Keshiri falling out of her seat; Merrin grabbed her and cushioned both of them with her magick. Dritus continued evasive maneuvers as Junda confronted the Keshiri; despite having pulled her aboard, Junda ignited Kestis' lightsaber to hold to the Keshiri's throat and demanded to be convinced that the other woman was truly a deserter and not a saboteur. Merrin held the Keshiri's hand and put a thin barrier between neck and weapon, saying the Imperial should have a chance to explain. Junda pointed out that only humans served as stormtroopers, which suggested a Keshiri wearing their armor must have proven her loyalty to the Empire in some way and may be an agent. Kestis spoke up in defense of Merrin's instincts to give the faux-trooper a chance. She quickly introduced herself as Chellwinark Frethylrin, or "Fret," and said she was an analyst, not a stormtrooper or an agent spying on them. With the ship still under attack, Frethylrin provided some insider knowledge of how to escape, which Kestis and Dritus successfully implemented. In the jump to hyperspace, Merrin fell back to the floor and Frethylrin landed on top of her. Frethylrin's useful advice convinced Junda to give her a chance.^[4]

Merrin's immediate attraction to Frethylrin made her feel nervous and embarrassed, almost unable to stop staring and blushing when she realized she was doing it; Frethylrin was more at ease with her own interest in Merrin. The crew gathered in the ship's kitchen as Frethylrin told a story of how she had supposedly deserted the Empire. Merrin was too preoccupied to pay much attention to details, but the pain in Frethylrin's voice brought out her empathy. Frethylrin then offered to pay her debt to the group by providing details of a job. BD-1 led Frethylrin to Merrin's cabin while the rest of the crew discussed whether or not to hear out the proposal. As their conversation grew more heated, BD-1 was upset by their fighting and interrupted them. Kestis decided they follow Frethylrin's directions to set course for Chikua City on Hosnian Prime.^[4]

Flickering flame

Merrin and Frethylrin's mutual interest grew during the journey, to the point that Dritus wished they would hurry up and kiss. Junda and Kestis both perceived the two women as having a connection tethering them to each other in the Force; it reminded Kestis of how quickly he and Merrin had formed their own connection.^[4]

In Chikua City, Merrin and the others went to a supra-atmo skytower to meet with Frethylrin's Omwati acquaintance, Qeris Lar, who laid out a plan he and Frethylrin had created for the crew. The task was stealing a datacard with the only copy of the schematics for a cloaking device called the Shroud; according to Lar, he would use the schematics and his resources to produce the Shroud for rebels. Frethylrin said that the inventor had wanted her to desert, but they were tracked and killed by the Empire; Merrin offered consolation. The datacard was held in an Imperial garrison on the planet Murkhana and Inquisitors were also on the way to seize it. The crew returned to the Mantis, and despite Dritus' doubts and protests, the other three decided to accept the job.^[4]

Afterward, when Merrin joined Frethylrin in the engine room, they had a conversation about threats and trust that turned into physical passion and ignited Merrin's green fire. While the couple was otherwise occupied, Kestis saw the flame and thought Merrin was practicing and having luck with her magick. Visiting Merrin's empty cabin, Kestis' concern about Frethylrin led him to touch her belongings, successfully triggering his psychometry. He saw through Frethylrin's perspective that she loved Irei, a Kadas'sa'Nikto woman who pleaded with Frethylrin to flee the Empire with her, but Frethylrin had said no. Feeling guilty about his snooping and not wanting to betray Frethylrin's past and her pain, Kestis decided to trust Merrin's gut and not say anything about what he saw.^[4]

Mission to Murkhana

During the days they were en route to Murkhana City, Merrin continued her intimacy with Chellwinark Frethylrin, and she no longer struggled with her magick. They were both angry about their respective traumas, and Merrin found that experiencing her fury helped alleviate it; over the years, she had not felt able to do so around Cere Junda and Cal Kestis, who were more resigned and calm about their pasts. Eventually, Frethylrin confided in Merrin that she had not actually deserted yet because she wished to retain and use her system access to acquire the Shroud as she escaped the Empire. Merrin felt betrayed, angry, and confused, but she kept it secret from the rest of the crew; she decided to see how things played out on the mission.^[4]

When the Mantis arrived at the destination, Junda's crew call interrupted Frethylrin and Merrin, but they joined the mission briefing. Merrin and Junda's usual reconnaissance in Murkhana City took a detour for the latter to collect the Circlet of Saresh, a Jedi artifact. On the way, Junda observed that being with Frethylrin had brought Merrin's fire back and helped her heal something she had lost with her fellow Nightsisters. When Junda traded her mandolin for the circlet, and Merrin recognized that Junda was not ready to discuss it with her.^[4]

On the mission, after Frethylrin opened a gate to let Kestis and Merrin through, Junda reported through the comms that the Imperial had used that day's new security codes. Kestis pinned Frethylrin to a wall, but Merrin asked everyone to let them explain. She compared Frethylrin's use of Imperial information to her own use of magick through the dark side, which the crew had accepted, and defended Frethylrin as making the Empire believe she was still with them on active duty. Kestis could not immediately respond because he was underwater and Merrin mistook it for silent treatment until he explained. He then switched to a private channel with Junda to give a warning that Frethylrin was lying and may never leave the Empire. Junda decided the mission was too important to not continue, but Dritus would use Frethylrin's tracker to constantly monitor her location.^[4]

Merrin justified to herself that she was keeping Frethylrin's secret as part of the other woman learning to trust after so long with the Empire. The Nightsister continued to kill stormtroopers remaining in the garrison when Junda remotely unlocked all of its prison cells to create a riot, something they had not told Frethylrin they were doing. When Merrin and Frethylrin rendezvoused and hid together, the latter burst into shocked laughter about the riot and joked with Merrin before they shared a kiss. Kestis and BD-1 almost crashed into the couple as they ran around a corner, and the group followed Junda's guidance into the cellblock, where the records she had sliced said the Shroud plans were located.^[4]

Kestis was the first to discover that the prison cell held Frethylrin's presumably dead ex-girlfriend, Irei, just as Junda warned them that the Inquisitors had arrived. While Frethylrin was both elated and devastated to see Irei, Merrin felt hurt, confused, and betrayed that she had not been told of the Nikto. Kestis was primarily concerned for Merrin and her reaction, seeing that she had reverted to being curt and mistrustful like when they met, and held onto her shoulder to support her. Despite her own pain and anger, similar to her agony after her previous losses, she asked Frethylrin what was needed at the moment and pointedly introduced herself to Irei as a Nightsister of Dathomir. Although Irei initially refused to be extracted by the group, she agreed that she must escape from the Empire so they could not rip her plans out of her mind.^[4]

Burning up

Merrin guarded the group at the rear while Kestis led them forward, yelling questions to Irei as they ran and fought through the stormtroopers and guards. Irei's answers made Merrin realize that Frethylrin's fear of going into hiding with her lover was one of many things Merrin did not know. She was so overwhelmed with emotions that she tried to shut them down so she would not burn from her own magick.^[4]

When Irei started to say they did not know how she felt, Kestis used the Force to knock down the prisoners and Imperials in front of them. He described how he and Merrin did know what it felt like to be scared about protecting people you cared about and feeling hopeless, but the Shroud could help keep other people from feeling that way. Frethylrin pleaded with Irei and made promises, but Irei rejected them and accepted Kestis' word instead. He then pulled Merrin aside for a quiet conversation away from the former couple. After checking in on her emotional state, he said she would not like it, but he thought Qeris Lar should not have the Shroud. Merrin agreed and said they had to take Irei with them, and Kestis began suggesting the same before realizing they were on the same page.^[4]

Kestis was about to tell Irei and Frethylrin but the pair had slipped away. Merrin believed Frethylrin had chosen to leave with Irei over staying with Merrin. In her burning rage, she asked Kestis to leave Frethylrin to her if there was a future encounter, and he agreed.^[4]

Kestis and Merrin worked together to battle Purge Troopers. Merrin used her magick in various ways to kill them, including sending her ichor flowing into the airholes of helmets, suffocating them with green mist, and burning them with a wall of fire. She argued with Kestis that she did not need help when he assisted her.^[4]

After making it to the mess hall, a commander incapacitated Merrin with a shock grenade that prevented her from using her magick. Although some of the commander's blaster shots missed, one grazed her shoulder through her body armor and another glanced off of her necklace. The grenade's effects wore off and she killed the commander slowly, then used their corpse to strike the trooper fighting Kestis. Before he could speak, another wave of Purge Troopers broke in and Merrin could tell he wanted her to leave him behind to protect Dritus and Junda.^[4]

Instead, Merrin used the Chant of Resurrection, a spell she had not been willing or able to use since fighting Kestis on Dathomir, to reanimate a small group of the fallen prisoners. The undead fought alongside Kestis until the distracted and terrified troopers were also dead. He was in awe of how she used her power but told her to go; while he did not say it, he wanted to either defeat or stall the incoming Inquisitor long enough for the rest of the crew to get away. As she raced towards the Stinger Mantis, the Fifth Brother found Kestis.^[4]

Healing and breaking

During Cal Kestis' duel with the Fifth Brother, the Jedi asked for and received a brief status update from Merrin that they were starting the engines but there was an issue. She did not get a chance to explain that by the time she arrived at the Stinger Mantis, which Greez Dritus had moved to the courtyard, Cere Junda had gone back for Kestis herself. Merrin looked lost when Dritus asked where the others were. As she explained, he grabbed her arm and told her she was doing the right thing for the team, and they just had to figure out which right thing was next. As they argued over who should remain with the Mantis or go back for the others, Chellwinark Frethylrin shouted for a medbay and limped towards them with Irei across her shoulders.^[4]

The Stinger Mantis did not have a medbay, only basic and limited medical supplies, but Irei was dying from blaster wounds and burns from electro-weapons. Merrin used her de- and rematerializing to bring the other two women into the ship. Despite the earlier battle and not being accustomed to healing, Merrin offered to help Irei with Frethylrin's assistance; Irei was too important to Frethylrin to let her die. With the repair bench in the engine room as a makeshift gurney, Merrin applied her magick to save a life instead of taking it. She soothed and numbed Irei's pain and kept her from regaining consciousness during the worst parts, while Frethylrin supported Merrin and also utilized the medical supplies. When Irei's condition was stabilized, Frethylrin held Merrin, comforting her and praising her work.^[4]

Meanwhile, Junda used the Force to hold the Fifth Brother in place while trying to convince him to turn back to the light side of the Force; Dritus pleaded with her to stop and instead help him get the injured Kestis back to the Mantis. When the Inquisitor attempted to kill Kestis with Junda's lightsaber, Dritus leapt between them and lost one of his four arms. Merrin expected the trio to come running back together, but instead saw Junda and Kestis supporting Dritus' lower arms as they carried him into the ship. She shouted for Frethylrin to fly them out and Junda stepped in as co-pilot. In their own ways, Merrin and Kestis tried to reassure Dritus.^[4]

After the Mantis entered hyperspace, Junda took Dritus away to treat him and Merrin explained to Kestis that there was nothing she could do after the reanimation spell and healing Irei. She asked him what happened, but he was unsure. Despite her own exhaustion, she stayed in the galley attending to Kestis' injuries with a medpac. They discussed how Merrin had not known about Irei, but Kestis knew something about her through his psychometry. He apologized for not telling Merrin sooner, and she wondered aloud why it seemed they kept hurting each other and apologizing. After treating his back, she worked on his face. They were both worried about how far she had gone in the battle, although he said raising the dead was helpful. He assured her concern that they were now and would always be "okay."^[4]

After the crew kept their distance from each other for a day and a night, Dritus emerged. He scolded Merrin when she tried to help with his balance and she concealed her hurt. Dritus wanted to confront Frethylrin and accused her of leaving them all to die, resulting in losing his arm. Kestis interrupted their shouting, but he also demanded an explanation of her lies and omissions; otherwise, she must leave the ship with Irei. Merrin agreed with him.^[4]

Frethylrin and the crew gathered in the map room and she told them the truth about her personal history with Irei, which was difficult for Merrin to listen to, and with the Empire. The would-be deserter justified remaining in the Empire until she secured the Shroud schematics, while Dritus pointed out that she had knowingly and foolishly endangered his crew, costing him an arm. Because Kestis knew the sincerity of Frethylrin's emotions and wanted to protect Irei as a fellow Force-sensitive fugitive, he asked Frethylrin what they were going to do about her and Irei being on the run.^[4]

Kestis' question turned into a larger confrontation between him, Dritus, Junda, and Merrin; they all had frustrations about the immediate situation and their motivations had diverged further over their years together. Holding Frethylrin responsible for Dritus' arm, Merrin accused her of running off with her girlfriend instead of staying to help defeat the Purge Troopers. Frethylrin argued back that Irei needed protection, not a battle. Merrin also told the crew was fighting the Empire for every dead Nightsister since she could not do it to the Separatists; she was not interested in defeating the entire Empire like Kestis or establishing a future for the Jedi like Junda. Irei emerged from the engine room to tell them all to stop and focus on their immediate, mutual predicament regarding the Shroud. Junda made a decision for everyone to spend forty-eight hours resting and getting medical help for Dritus. When they had clearer heads, they would meet back at the Mantis.^[4]

Resting on Zimara

After Dritus set the Stinger Mantis down in a village on Zimara, a small moon in the Outer Rim, Merrin went to the sulfur baths to relax and soak. After a full day on the moon, Frethylrin sought her out to discuss their relationship and how she had genuinely Irei was dead; she otherwise would have told Merrin about her. Frethylrin asked what the Nightsister did about feeling haunted, and Merrin claimed that Dathomir had pretty ghosts that were good kissers. More seriously, she asked if Frethylrin had loved and still loved Irei; Frethylrin had and always would, but said it did not change how she felt about Merrin.^[4]

Merrin expressed her gratitude to Frethylrin for helping her find herself again, which helped her with not drawing upon Dathomir as the source of her magick; she could be her own spark. However, she needed more time to herself to figure out what was next for her and her crew. She was puzzled when Frethylrin thought she meant what she had with Cal Kestis, but Merrin said Kestis cared about and protected everyone, not just her. After the two women agreed they wanted to remain friends, they shared a last kiss.^[4]

Merrin and Frethylrin arrived at the Stinger Mantis together, only slightly late for the rendezvous, while Dritus was the only one yet to arrive. While Junda and Frethylrin prepared to fly the ship in case he did not return, Merrin patiently listened to Kestis describing the upgrades he had made to his lightsaber. Just as Junda told everyone to prepare for takeoff, Dritus arrived. Merrin, Kestis, and Junda all rushed to hug him.^[4]

The fate of the Shroud

Merrin, Irei, and Chellwinark Frethylrin sat together as everyone discussed what to do about the Shroud and Qeris Lar. Irei had only worked with him because her prototype would require mirkanite and he presented himself as anti-Imperial; she did not trust him with her technology and feared she would be trading one prison for another. Merrin laughed at the idea that they could prepare for all possible circumstances, but reminded them he was expecting delivery of the schematics. Cere Junda suggested they give a fake prototype to Lar, and Greez Dritus pointed out that the Omwati would want to kill Frethylrin. To address the latter problem, Merrin and Frethylrin worked together to make new armor from scraps Dritus took from the Haxion Brood base. Cal Kestis worked with Irei to rig an explosive faux prototype.^[4]

Before they landed, Kestis was repairing some minor damage to his lightsaber when Merrin approached him to talk. They sat side-by-side on his cot and she told him not to ask her to leave Lar's skytower. Kestis protested that he only did it to protect her and believed she was capable; she also wanted to protect their crew and it was not his job to sacrifice himself for them. Merrin and Kestis both felt they would never forgive themselves if something happened to the other that they could have prevented. He avoided giving her the promise she wanted while assuring her that she did not need to prove anything; he knew her and they were in together. Merrin accepted it for the moment and Kestis held her hand as they settled into silence.^[4]

With Junda and Dritus in low orbit over Hosnian Prime, they monitored the meeting with Lar through cams worn on the outfits of the organics and on top of BD-1's head. Irei presented the fake prototype to Lar and asked him to guarantee her safety and Frethylrin's in exchange. Merrin was alert when Lar sealed his doors and knew his explanation about sensitive subjects was a lie. As predicted, Lar said they must "renegotiate" leaving the Shroud prototype and plans with him and Irei working for him to manufacture her invention. Lar asked Frethylrin if she would reconsider since he could reveal her whereabouts, but she refused and Merrin reiterated they would not change their minds. Lar fired a small but powerful blaster at Frethylrin's armored chest that sent her flying and knocked her out. BD-1 and Irei rushed to attend to her.^[4]

Merrin, desperately hoping Frethylrin's armor had worked, drew upon her magick as Lar's Hosnian Brood guards exited the elevator and reminded Kestis to not tell her to leave, because she would not. She battled each group of Brood that came up the elevator while Kestis goaded Lar into detailing how he had bought up most of the galaxy's mirkanite mines with the intent of selling the rare mineral to the Empire as it mass produced the Shroud. Everything Lar said was recorded by Junda and Dritus, who were engaging Hosnian Brood ships. Lar grappled with Kestis for a time, but when the Omwati saw Merrin approaching him, he was terrified and took to the air.^[4]

The group's comms were jammed by the Fifth Brother, who had located them using a tracker hidden on Irei without her knowledge. Merrin was prepared to kill him and then Lar, but the Inquisitor used the Force to freeze her in place and pull Lar across the room, impaling the Omwati on his lightsaber. As Kestis and the Fifth Brother fought again, Merrin remained in stasis until the Fifth Brother shifted focus to hold Kestis instead. Before the red-bladed lightsaber could strike Kestis, Merrin disappeared to race between them and reappear holding the blade between her green-fire–covered hands. The Fifth Brother sensed her strength that she told him came from her family, but when the stasis dropped and Kestis screamed in pain, she lost her concentration and the lightsaber burned her palms. Kestis shoved her over to Irei and the unconscious Frethylrin as his arm was struck, and Merrin had a moment of despair until she noticed the fake Shroud, which they could detonate as a distraction. When Kestis grabbed it, she kicked it away from him and argued with him about getting himself killed; they were part of a team.^[4]

After she trapped the Fifth Brother in a cyclone of green fire, Merrin told Kestis again that she would not leave and he needed to let her help, but he was afraid she would get hurt or killed. She did not relent and held his hands, kissed both of them, and he agreed that they would face it together.^[4]

When Merrin's cyclone collapsed, she kept the Inquisitor occupied as Kestis and Irei hurried to make the faux Shroud produce a larger explosion. Merrin finally felt she could access all of her magick again, as if she were back on Dathomir. She used the reanimation spell on Qeris Lar's body and set it against the Fifth Brother, along with using other magick, and Kestis joined the battle with his lightsaber. He and Merrin decided to "wing it" to give Irei more time. When the device was ready, Merrin kept the Fifth Brother busy until Kestis used the Force to throw it directly at him. The Inquisitor's attempt to deflect it with his lightsaber triggered an explosion that caved in the room.^[4]

Merrin was unconscious in the rubble as Dritus and Junda arrived in the elevator. Kestis insisted they check on Merrin and Junda went to her. Frethylrin regained consciousness, saw that Merrin lay injured and not breathing, and went over to her. After Frethylrin whispered to Merrin, touched her face, and kissed her forehead, until she revived; Kestis promptly hugged her. The group took Merrin's suggestion and regrouped on the Mantis.^[4]

Frethylrin and Irei decided to go into hiding together as friends using the former's network and the latter's technical know-how. As Dritus flew them to Zimara, Merrin talked with them in the engine room and asked about their plans while her wounds were tended to by Frethylrin. Irei left them to talk privately but said Frethylrin had an offer that came from both of them. Frethylrin asked Merrin to come with them. Merrin was touched by the offer and wondered if the other two were resuming their old relationship, but they had both changed too much, and Frethylrin had met Merrin. The Nightsister told the former Imperial she could not go with her because she wanted to stay, but she was grateful for what they had together. They both hoped to see each other again and were proud of each other.^[4]

After the Stinger Mantis landed on Zimara and the farewells began, Merrin and Frethylrin stepped out of the others' sight for a last goodbye. As Irei and Frethylrin walked away, Merrin held Kestis' hand and acknowledged that she had decided to stay; the elders always said foolishness ran in her family.^[4]

Journeys alone

At some point after the conflict over the Shroud, the Mantis crew split up over their growing differences. Merrin, having spent most of her life isolated on Dathomir, chose to explore the galaxy alone. During her travels, she visited many places, including Persaya and Kuratow. She came to believe that there was much beauty in the galaxy, despite the immense suffering throughout. Merrin did what she could to alleviate this suffering, altruistically helping those in need. During her travels, she returned to Dathomir to commune with her fallen coven, and learned new methods of magick. Her altruistic endeavors brought her into conflict with the Empire, and she began assisting the Hidden Path. This led to her reuniting with Cere Junda, who had become one of the leaders of the Path. Operating from a hidden Anchorite base on Jedha, Cere had reunited with her old master, Eno Cordova, and was attempting rebuild the Jedi archives and find safe hiding places for Force-sensitives hunted by the Empire.^[3]

Reunion with Cal

The dust storm

In 9 BBY,^[13] Merrin reunited with Kestis, BD-1, and Dritus on the holy moon of Jedha, after the men touched ground. As a massive dust storm approached the Narkis Anchorite base where Merrin had been stationed to help Junda and the Hidden Path, the Mantis was forced to land far from the base, but they were alerted that a trusted contact would help escort Cal to the base. Kestis was unaware that the trusted contact would be Merrin herself, who told Kestis that much had changed since we last saw each other and that she had requested to escort him. Once at the rendezvous, Kestis helped Merrin fight through several Imperial patrols as they traveled back towards Merrin's speeder and they remarked how it felt like a similar mission they had undertaken previously on Nar Shadaa. The pair combined to fight together and she would use her magick to aid Cal in traversing terrain and rebuilding fallen debris to clear their path. When they arrived, however, Merrin found that her speeder had been destroyed by Stormtroopers. As the dust storm closed in, the two rode the back of a spamel, Merrin holding onto Kestis' waist for support. The storm caught up with them, and the spamel threw them off its back before running for safety. The friends walked through the storm until they found shelter in a cave, finding the same spamel taking refuge there. Merrin and Kestis made a small fire and spent the night on the floor of the cave. Before falling asleep, Merrin asked Cal to fill her in on his adventures since the Mantis crew split, and he explained to her that he had come across an opportunity to take shelter somewhere the Empire could not find them, but it would mean leaving the fight against Imperial tyranny. Merrin used the analogy of a fire to explain how determination and purpose could be comforting, but all-consuming if left unchecked. She took this opportunity to slide closer to Cal, playfully teasing him. After acknowledging that they missed one another, Merrin explained how traveling the galaxy on her own terms in order to find herself beyond her identity as a Nightsister. As their conversation wound down, Merrin rested her head on Cal's left shoulder, his arms gently embracing her. In the night, Merrin kept watch as Kestis slept, but she took the opportunity to lie down beside him, her hand resting on his.^[3]

The following morning, Kestis awakes to find BD-1 scanning Merrin for a holographic image of her posing with a dagger. The three then head the rest of the way to the Anchorite base, where they reunited with Junda, Cordova, and the freshly-arrived Mantis crew. Upon Kestis meeting Cordova, she deadpanned that she hadn’t met a Jedi with a better sense of humour then Cordova, despite only knowing Cal and Cere. Here, Merrin also met Kestis' new friend Bode Akuna, a gunslinging mercenary who recently joined the Mantis crew. Kestis asked Cordova on information about the hidden planet Tanalorr and a fallen Jedi from the High Republic Era known as Dagan Gera. Information in the archives led Kestis, Akuna, BD-1, and Dritus back to the Koboh system, while Merrin stayed behind on ^[3]

Pilgrim's Sanctuary

Upon the return of the Stinger Mantis, Kestis brought back two broken Abyss compasses, devices used by High Republic Era Jedi to navigate the Koboh Abyss and establish a Jedi temple on Tanalorr. At that moment, an alert came in that the Pilgrim's Sanctuary safe house was under attack by the Empire. Merrin led Kestis on a daring mission to rescue Brother Armias, the Anchorite at the safe house who held the contact codes for the Hidden Path. They arrived at the Hidden Path safe house to find a Trident-class assault ship drilling into the ancient structure. Although they were unable to save Brother Armias, they successfully recovered the contact codes. Merrin protected Kestis from falling debris using her magick, and gave him an enchanted device that allowed him to pass through energy barriers. The two headed up the top of the sanctuary before being cornered to a dead end. Merrin the used a magick potion to create portals that bent space, allowing her and Kestis to safely traverse through the air. Before jumping through, Merrin drew Kestis in for a deep kiss. The two Force wielders then used their combined power to destroy the assault ship.

The threat neutralized, Merrin and Kestis headed back to the Anchorite base to give the contact codes to Junda. Merrin ensured that they were not tracked by the Empire on their return. Cordova then informed Kestis about the history of Republic research on the Koboh Abyss and Tanalorr, but broke the news that the two Abyss compasses he brought could not be repaired. Fortunately, there was one final compass made, and Kestis decided he would search for it. Kestis invited Merrin to join him, to which she explained how their connection as survivors, which once seemed so unique, was a common theme among many across the galaxy. Nevertheless, Merrin agreed to join her friend on his journey back to Koboh. Upon their return, the crew learned that a group of raiders led by Dagan Gera had kidnapped ZN-A4, a droid Kestis had recently recovered and served the Jedi during their time on Koboh. As Kestis, BD-1, and Akuna went to rescue the droid, Merrin stayed behind with Dritus to protect the latter's cantina, Pyloon's Saloon, which she referred to as a dirty oasis, from any Bedlam Raider attacks.^[3]

Attack on Jedha

As Kestis made ground against Dagan Gera and his raiders, Merrin protected the townsfolk of Rambler's Reach Outpost and journeyed with him to Koboh's Shattered Moon. As Cal reckoned with the parallels of his own journey and that of the fallen Jedi Gera, she recognised his brooding, saying it was no Jedi trick, she just paid attention. Cal worried that Dagan’s obsession with Tanalorr was similar to his fight with the Empire and he feared losing his way like Dagan did. When Cal remarked that he couldn’t understand how Santari Khri, a Jedi Master and scientist from the High Republic era and Gera's closest friend, did not notice the change in Dagan until it was too late, Merrin countered by saying Khri and Gera dreamed together and suffered together, and that a shared dream was not so easy to wake from. She promised Cal that she would guide him back if he were to ever lose his path. She used her magick to cloak the Mantis from the nearby Vulture droids as the ship approached the Shattered Moon, and dryly told Bode, who she referred to as Jetpack, that she might need some of his blood in case she gets tired, leaving the mercenary confused and slightly concerned. Kestis eventually slayed Gera, and acquired the final Abyss compass. The crew traveled back to the Anchorite base on Jedha, and gave the final compass to Cordova for him to repair. Giving the Jedi Master time to concentrate, Merrin and the others sat around a fire that evening, drinking tea, reminiscing on the past and celebrating a future in which the Hidden Path could establish itself on Tanalorr, where the Empire could not reach them. After the others had gone back inside, Merrin and Cal enjoyed the desert view, and Merrin commented that there was beauty in the emptiness - Kestis replied that she was starting to sound like a Jedi. Kestis then confessed that the Jedi teachings of attachment were best left in the past, and that he was ready to be romantically involved with Merrin. She was pleased he finally came around, and the two leaned in for another kiss.

The following morning, Cordova finished the compass, but suddenly the base's klaxons began sounding the alarm as Imperial forces closed in from all sides. Akuna used the distraction to kill Cordova and steal the compass. Kestis pursued the traitor across the desert. Merrin helped Junda defend the base from Imperial forces and stall while the Anchorites evacuated. After preventing a full-on assault of the base interior, Junda and BD-1 went back to the archives to secure the Hidden Path contact codes while Merrin stayed behind to defend the Mantis. In the archive, Junda managed to transfer the contact codes to BD-1, but lost in a duel against Darth Vader, the Sith Lord who served as the Emperor's apprentice and enforcer. Merrin, along with Dritus, Kestis, and BD, were heartbroken at the loss of their crewmate and friend. Further distraught by the Akuna's betrayal and the revelation that he was once a Jedi himself, the crew felt lost as to their next steps.^[3]

Pursuit of Bode Akuna

The Mantis crew used a locator beacon Akuna left in his possession to track the spy to an Imperial Security Bureau satellite station in the Nova Garon system. They infiltrated the base, with Merrin defending the Mantis while Kestis pursued Akuna. Cal managed to find Akuna and his daughter, but the spy sounded the alarm, alerting the Inquisitorius of Kestis' presence. As Imperial forces came down on Kestis, Merrin supported Cal with her magick. After clearing most of the main hangar of Imperials, ISB Commander Lank Denvik burst into the hangar, armed with a blaster. Kestis channeled his anger at Akuna, swiftly disarming the ISB officer and putting him into a Force choke. Merrin pled with Kestis, reminding him of who he is, and convinced the Jedi to drop Denvik. She has Kestis promise to tell her if he ever felt the pull of the Dark Side again and reminded him that if he ever strayed from the path, the Mantis crew would be there to put him on the right track. They regrouped on the Mantis, where they discovered a hidden recording from Khri who revealed a secondary way to reach Tanalorr, which involved aligning the beams emitted from Republic installations in the system towards particular coordinates.

The crew traveled back to Koboh where, en route, Merrin told Cal she wouldn't talk about their kiss on the Jedha mesa as her sisters taught her that to discuss a spell was to unravel it, so it was best to let it lie for the time being. On the planet, she protected the Outpost whilst Kestis successfully aligned the beams. With everything in place, the crew made the perilous journey through the Koboh Abyss. With so much Koboh matter along the winding path, Dritus doubted his ability to pilot through successfully. Merrin encouraged the Latero, reminding him to fly, not pilot. ZN-A4 alerted the crew that the alignment station was becoming unstable, and the Koboh matter began closing in on the Mantis. Kestis used the Force to time a hyperspace microjump to Tanalorr before the Abyss consumed them. In their relief, Merrin and Kestis share a long kiss as Dritus screamed, unsure of their survival. The crew then landed on Tanalorr to pursue Akuna. Merrin noted that Tanalorr was unlike anywhere she had seen in the galaxy, but could feel the darkness within the planet.

Merrin and Kestis walked from the Mantis' landing site to the Jedi Temple. As they made their way to the temple, they agreed to give Akuna one last chance to change his mind, but they feared violence was inevitable as Bode already had what he wanted and would fight to the death to keep it. She told Kestis that Akuna must pay and to remember that people were counting on them. In the temple's atrium, they encountered Kata, Bode's daughter. Kestis introduced her to Merrin, and the two explained to Kata that they were asking for something her father had stolen back. Kata was willing to take them to her father, especially because she disliked the lonely planet she was told to call home. As they walked down a dark hallway, Merrin used her magick to light the way with a green flame. In the main hall of the temple, Merrin and Kestis confronted Akuna, who was shocked to see them on Tanalorr. Akuna refused to give back Tanalorr, and used the Force to crumble a bridge separating Kata from the rest. Merrin and Kestis fought against Akuna, who was armed with Dagan Gera's lightsaber and a blaster pistol. As Akuna used the Force to further crumble the temple, Merrin was forced out of the battle to protect Kata from harm. Kestis continued to fight Akuna until the former embraced the Dark Side of the Force to overpower his opponent. Kestis got Akuna down to his knees, his lightsaber aimed at his throat. Merrin teleported herself and Kata down to the men, and they gave Akuna one last chance to stand down. He pretended to relent, but used the opportunity to put Kestis into a chokehold, pushed Kata back, and Force choked Merrin. Realizing his friend was beyond saving, Kestis pushed Akuna off balance, giving Merrin the opportunity to throw a dagger into Akuna's shoulder. Kestis then shot Akuna twice in the chest, killing him.

Merrin brought Kata back to the Mantis, and gave her a talk about loss, grief, and moving through it without losing one's self. She immediately felt protective over the young girl and wanted to ensure she had space during the difficult times she would face. She was acutely aware that she and Cal both also grew up without parents this knowing what it was like, but Kata herself would determine who she becomes. Merrin and the others then had a funeral for Akuna, Junda, and Cordova on Tanalorr, in which Merrin used magick to ignite their pyres. The Mantis crew then made plans to honor Junda and Cordova and establish the Hidden Path on their new home of Tanalorr. Merrin planned to reach out to those in the network to gather further allies and to build something new. She knew it wouldn't be easy and that they must only keep council with those they trusted. She intended to find the remaining Anchorites to help to make Tanalorr their own and said the Path would need more compasses.^[3]

The aftermath of Tanalorr

Following the defeat of Akuna on Tanalorr and the Bedlam Raiders on Koboh, Merrin told Cal that they couldn’t go back to how things were between them. She told the Jedi that even if things were not so simple, they would figure it out together. She continued to remain protective over Kata, believing that they both would need time to adjust to their new lives.^[3]

Merrin knew that Koboh was in the Empire’s grasp before the Imperial-class Star Destroyer appeared over the planet, and she knew that they would have to take the fight to them which excited her as she couldn’t wait to take out a Star Destroyer. When the crew returned to Coruscant with Kata, she used magick once again the conceal the ship. After spending a short time on the planet, she said the galaxy needed a true revolution, noting all the people on Coruscant who had no idea of the war the crew were fighting.^[3]

Personality and traits

Physical

Merrin had silver hair, brown eyes, and light alabaster skin. Nightsisters like Merrin received tattoos from their mothers to symbolize their bond with their coven; hers were gray markings on her forehead and cheekbones, across the bridge of her nose, beneath her lower lip, and on her fingers.^[1] Her skin was tinged green when she blushed. As the Mantis crew traveled together, Merrin retained her accent and continued to favor red and black attire while experimenting with clothing that was not in the traditional style of the Nightsisters. She continued to wear her necklace every day.^[4]

Mental and emotional

Merrin thought of her homeworld and her sisters as simultaneously beautiful, strong, and terrifying; all loveliness had a danger within it, but Dathomir's dark energy was motivating and sustaining. While fighting the Empire, she sometimes had flashbacks to Dathomir, especially to the massacre. She associated the smell of charred remains with home. For a time, she believed the only thing she was meant for was avenging her sisters and her world.^[4]

Due to her isolation on Dathomir, Merrin expressed fascination and wonder when visiting other planets. While she was blunt and sometimes seemed indifferent towards others, she was not heartless; for instance, she was concerned for the fate of Force-sensitive children she had never met.^[1] Years after leaving Dathomir, she characterized herself as treating people badly and making strange choices when she first left her world. Cal Kestis found her unnerving, in part because her magick drew on the dark side, and even after a few years of friendship, he was not always sure when Merrin was joking.^[4] Her sense of humor seemed dark to some other beings, such as when she joked with the incredulous Dritus that she needed one of his arms as a ritual sacrifice to get past the Imperial blockade at Nur. She also demonstrated sadistic tendencies; she ensured Malicos would have a slow death underground^[1] and she found it humorous and satisfying to magick Imperials to their deaths.^[4]

Merrin related to lessons from the elders about how their magick was like fire and their emotions were the fire's fuel; a fire would burn out for lack of fuel and magick did not spark from deadened emotions. When she first left Dathomir and spent time with the Kestis and the rest of the Stinger Mantis crew, she initially did not feel as empty as she feared she would become, but her anger festered over time and became depression about her inability to sate her need for vengeance. While her new family had opened her up to experiencing love instead of shutting down, it also put her at risk of immense pain and overwhelming emotion that could lead to her own magick burning her.^[4]

Relationships

Due to witnessing the massacre of her fellow Nightsisters and the lies of the former Jedi Taron Malicos, Merrin became hostile and aggressive, especially towards Jedi. In her need to avenge her sisters, she believed his claims that the Jedi were thieves who slaughtered others for their own gain, and despite her distrust of him, she was willing to share secrets of Dathomir in exchange for his promised help with her vengeance. After learning the truth and joining Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis, she became levelheaded and put aside her previous animosity toward Jedi as they were both survivors.^[1]

Merrin was attracted to beings of all genders when she felt a strong connection to them, particularly if their personality was exceptional, and with few limitations. She had some flings when the Stinger Mantis remained in one location, including someone so temperamental that she could not be sure where she stood with him and another who seemed to love her power more than Merrin herself. Part of her attraction to Chellwinark Frethylrin was being pleasantly reminded of Dathomir. Merrin inwardly compared Frethylrin's red eyes to coals and the Rift Valley's red skies, her freckles to crater orchid petals, her skin to violets with morning dew, her scent to spiced ahrisa and wax on Grave Thorn wood. Like Dathomir, Frethylrin was deadly and dangerous. Merrin thought they were like binary stars, giving off and absorbing each other's light, and she was able to feel her frustration and anger about her losses. After a passionate fling, however, Merrin and Frethylrin separated.^[4]

Merrin loved the Mantis crew and regarded them as her family. She viewed Junda as the closest thing she had left to an elder sister. Greez Dritus was the "weird" and "greasy uncle" Merrin had never had but continually found impressive and frustratingly likable. BD-1 was strange but cute to the point of nausea and she wanted to crush him to death with hugs. Kestis was a fellow survivor who was sometimes annoyingly sweet, and his earnestness was one of her favorite things about him despite how its wholesomeness sometimes made her sick to her stomach. She saw him as the star that illuminated her shadow.^[4]

When the Mantis crew split up over their differences, Merrin decided to travel the galaxy on her own. On her journey, Merrin came to miss the crew dearly, particularly Cal, whom she said was never far from her thoughts. Eventually, she reunited with Cere, and assisted her with building the Hidden Path. In 9 BBY, Cal and Merrin reunited when Cal traveled to Jedha to meet with Cere. Merrin shared a tender moment with Cal while sheltering in a cave from a sandstorm, and she warned him against being consumed by his obsession with fighting the Empire. While traveling through the deserts of Jedha, the two frequently traded jabs and flirtations. During a tense moment on a mission to destroy an Imperial Trident, Merrin kissed Cal, and the two then worked together to destroy the war machine. After this, Merrin rejoined the Mantis crew to be close to Cal. Cal was initially reluctant, citing the Jedi prohibition on attachments, but eventually decided that the prohibition was wrong, and Merrin and Cal began a relationship following the recovery of the Abyss compass. The night before the crew was to depart for Tanalorr, the two shared a passionate kiss on the cliffs of Jedha.^[3]

Following the the betrayal of Bode Akuna and the resulting deaths of Eno Cordova and Cere Junda, Merrin was distraught, and mourned for Cere in particular. After an attempt to catch Bode at Nova Garon went awry, Merrin helped Cal defeat the Imperial forces. When Cal nearly killed the defenseless ISB officer Lank Denvik in a Dark Side-fueled rage, Merrin talked him down, saying she could not allow Cal to be another person she lost to the Empire. Cal promised her that he wouldn't lose his way. After successfully navigating the Koboh Abyss, Cal and Merrin shared another kiss in exuberance. The two then fought together to defeat Bode Akuna. During the funeral for Cordova, Cere, and Bode, Merrin was the last crewmember to leave Cal's side. The two promised to work through their new relationship together.^[3]

Merrin showed kindness towards Bode Akuna's daughter, Kata, and Kata expressed appreciation for her. During the fight with Bode, Merrin rescued Kata when her father's violent outbursts endangered her life. After Bode's death, Merrin comforted Kata, speaking to her about coping with grief. In the following weeks, Merrin expressed a protective and caring attitude towards the girl.^[3]

Powers and abilities

Magick

Merrin was versed in many aspects of Nightsister magick, which she began learning as a child. She seemingly teleported from one place to another^[1] by willing herself to become unseen—disappearing into invisibility with a burst of green flame, moving faster than she otherwise could, and then reappearing in more flame and ash. When she used that ability, she felt detached from reality until she revealed herself. Her dematerializing and rematerializing could include other beings; she used it with Irei and Chellwinark Frethylrin^[4] and with a pair of Nightbrothers. She also knew a ritual that could cloak an entire S-161 "Stinger" XL from sensors.^[1]

Killing with her magick was instinctive and much easier than healing, especially without potions, formulas, or the Water of Life. Merrin could suffocate beings with a green mist^[4] or by morphing the ground to bury them inside it; she could also manipulate the ground to raise platforms out of it. Her magick could enhance Nightbrothers in combat and she could throw destructive blasts of ichor. More than once, Merrin harnessed the Chant of Resurrection,^[1] a potent magick of the Nightsisters that the wise Old Daka used until her own death during the massacre.^[7] Without a seeing glass, Merrin could not complete the full chant, but for a brief time, she could raise and command multiple undead bodies of species other than Dathomirians and on worlds besides Dathomir.^[4]

Unlike some other Dathomirians, Merrin did not treat her magick like a religion or shamanistic tradition, nor did she believe in any higher power; she believed in herself as the power. However, because she regarded her power as what defined her, difficulties drawing upon it left her feeling like she had lost herself, creating a self-perpetuating depression. She thought she was struggling because she was too far from her homeworld and her dead sisters to replenish her connection with her magick. When she regained her fire, she realized it was different from before, disconnected from any other being and from Dathomir itself, and it came from within herself instead.^[4]

Other abilities

In addition to the Dathomirian language, Merrin was fluent in Galactic Basic Standard, although she did not always understand colloquialisms. She could swim and rescue drowning swimmers.^[1] After years away from Dathomir, Merrin retained her natural night vision.^[4]

She used to dance long into the night with her sisters on Dathomir, and, after spending years alone following the Nightsister massacre during the Clone Wars, Merrin adapted and learned how to protect her physically and adept at hand to hand combat. She later promised to teach Kata how to both dance and fight.^[3]

Behind the scenes

Merrin first appeared in the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the first installment of the Star Wars Jedi series, where she was portrayed by Tina Ivlev^[1] through motion-capture.^[15] During the development of the game, an early concept for the main antagonist was called Mag Zaroff. Aspects of the designs for Zaroff, such as her cloak, were transferred to Merrin. The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order included several design concepts for Merrin illustrated by Jordan Lamarre-Wan.^[11]

When Sam Maggs, author of the 2023 novel Jedi: Battle Scars, finished playing Fallen Order, she specifically hoped to write a book from Merrin's perspective and explore the potential in the character's story. Respawn Entertainment, the studio that developed Fallen Order, envisioned Merrin as pansexual and established her as such in that game. However, Respawn and Lucasfilm wanted Battle Scars to make Merrin's pansexuality more clearly canonical, and Maggs was glad for the opportunity to explore that further.^[14]

Appearances

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• Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (First appearance)
• Jedi: Battle Scars
• Jedi: Battle Scars audiobook
• Star Wars Jedi: Survivor
• Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes

Sources

Notes and references