Berluk was a Jedi Master of the Quarren species, identified as male, who dedicated his service to the Jedi Order during the era of the New Sith Wars. He was also a participant in Operation Influx, serving as a member of Vannar Treece's Jedi team. In 1032 BBY, he, along with his fellow Jedi, infiltrated the planet of Oranessan. Later, Berluk was involved in a raid targeting Chelloa, a key source of baradium. Tragically, he met his end in an explosion triggered by baradium, which was ignited by the Kinetic corruptor of the Sith Lord known as Odion. He fought using a green lightsaber.
During the era known as the Republic Dark Age, specifically within the final century of the [New Sith Wars](/article/new_sith_wars], lived Berluk, a Jedi of the Quarren species. This period was marked by the fall of the New Sith Empire, leading to the rise of various Sith warlords who seized control over vast stretches of the galaxy. The Galactic Republic had diminished to a smaller state, primarily centered around the Core Worlds, and was defended against Sith incursions by a protective zone around the Colonies. At some point, the Jedi Order discovered Berluk's Force-sensitive abilities, and he steadily advanced to the rank of Jedi Master. Throughout his time as a Jedi, Berluk distinguished himself in combat, participating in numerous operations against the Republic's Sith adversaries.
Vannar Treece, a Jedi Master, selected the Quarren Master for Operation Influx because of his respected rank and proven success. This operation was a three-part rapid assault designed to disrupt the supply of baradium, a highly unstable material used in ammunition production, to the front-line ammunition factories of the Sith warlord Daiman. Treece discovered in 1032 BBY that Daiman had started mining baradium on Chelloa and was exporting significant amounts to ammunition factories near the front lines. Treece was concerned that Daiman's baradium advantage would upset the stalemate in the Grumani sector, giving him an advantage over his Sith rivals and posing a greater threat to the Republic in the future.
Subsequently, Treece secured permission from Supreme Chancellor Genarra to initiate Operation Influx. This operation consisted of three stages: infiltrating the Daimanate by landing on Oranessan, a crucial transportation hub; disrupting baradium export operations; and escaping to the Republic via a direct hyperspace route leading to neutral territory.
Treece learned about the baradium operations from Gorlan Palladane, an old friend and undercover Jedi operative who led the Chelloan resistance. Palladane and his Rodian mechanic friend Skodo reactivated a hyperspace relay using a stolen transmitter to communicate with Treece. However, the Sith Lord Odion was monitoring the transmission and prepared to invade Chelloa. The nihilistic Sith Lord believed that the planet's high concentration of baradium created a Force imbalance and needed to be destroyed.
To counter the threat posed by Daiman, Treece assembled a diverse group of Jedi volunteers, including friends from previous "knight errant" missions, Jedi who had excelled in other combat operations, and acquaintances who owed him favors. Treece also exploited a loophole in Genarra's decree that allowed Jedi Knights sixteen days of unrestricted travel throughout the galaxy between their regular duties of three months in law enforcement patrols and nine months of active service on the Republic's contested borders.
Besides Berluk, other known members of the strike team included Mrssk, a Trandoshan Jedi; Dorvin Eltrom, a Cerean; and Kerra Holt, Treece's former apprentice who had recently completed her Jedi Trials and been promoted to Jedi Knight. This was Kerra's first return to her home sector since the Chagras Hegemony's invasion of Aquilaris Minor in 1032 BBY. The young Human woman had spent most of her adolescence with the Jedi on Coruscant and was mentored by Treece, who also became a foster father to the orphaned young woman.
The initial phase of Operation Influx proceeded without incident, with the Jedi team safely arriving on a starship at Oranessan. During their descent into the planet's atmosphere, they intercepted and destroyed a personnel shuttle carrying flight crew to a spaceport where a fleet of Daimanate Heavy-Lift Starcrossers awaited departure for a delivery run to Chelloa. The shuttle crashed on a hillcrest in the mud flats, and the Jedi quickly obtained the crew's cloaks and identification badges. After eliminating a group of Daimanate sentries at the landing zone, the Jedi seized an empty Starcrosser transport from the spaceport's landing zone and prepared to depart for Chelloa.
The Jedi intended to use the transport to reach Chelloa, but they discovered that the transport's navigation computer lacked its [activation cylinder](/article/activation_cylinder]. Although the transport could still fly, it was unable to perform a hyperspace jump. While Republic-registered vessels typically carried their activation cylinders on board, Sith Lord Daiman prohibited his men from keeping the devices on his ships to reduce desertion rates.
While Master Treece considered reverting to their backup plan of returning to their Jedi starship and using it to destroy the departing Daimanate transports, Kerra disagreed, arguing that Daiman could easily reroute other ships within his territory to Chelloa. Undeterred by the challenges, Holt stole a replacement cylinder from a nearby hangar, and after installing the device, the Jedi left Oranessan for Chelloa as planned.
During the second part of the operation, the Jedi strike team landed in the spaceport town of Jenith, where they, with the assistance of the Chelloan resistance, overwhelmed a small Daimanate security force. Their attack was disrupted by the arrival of Sith Lord Odion's forces, who deployed a kinetic corruptor that ignited a large area of the surface. The resulting explosion killed many Jedi, Daimanate guards, and miners in the vicinity. Berluk was killed in the explosion, while Treece was killed by Odion in a lightsaber duel.
Kerra Holt was the only survivor, sheltered by Palladane. She would later evacuate the planet's 63,000 inhabitants to the safety of Republic space after Daiman ignited the planet's surface with his own kinetic corruptors at the end of the Chelloan affair. Despite Berluk's death on Chelloa, the Jedi and the Republic continued their fight against the Sith, who were ultimately defeated at the Seventh Battle of Ruusan in 1000 BBY.
Berluk was initially presented as a supporting character within the new comic series titled Knight Errant, which saw its debut during August of 2010 through the release of Knight Errant 0 during Celebration V. John Jackson Miller developed his backstory, while artist Federico Dallocchio provided the illustrations, and Michael Atiyeh was responsible for the coloring. Furthermore, he made an appearance in the short story titled Star Wars: Knight Errant: Influx, which was also penned by Miller and explored the events on Oranessan leading up to the events in the Aflame storyline. This short story was originally released on October 19, 2010. Berluk's character was eliminated in Knight Errant: Aflame 1, the inaugural issue of the Star Wars: Knight Errant: Aflame storyline, which was first made available on October 13, 2010.