Chellwinark Frethylrin

Chellwinark Frethylrin, who went by the shortened name Fret, was a female Keshiri whose homeworld was Kesh, and she was born at some point between 33 and 32 BBY. Her native planet was not affiliated with the Galactic Republic, and for a time, her parents were sympathetic to the Separatist cause. Her family relocated from Kesh during her childhood, specifically during the Clone Wars that spanned from 22 BBY to 19 BBY. Following the self-proclaimed Emperor Palpatine's declaration of the Republic's termination and the establishment of the Galactic Empire, the governing body of the Imperial Era ceased its reliance on clones for labor purposes. Frethylrin severed ties with her family, whom she never encountered again, to pursue training and employment as an analyst—a role she later described as a "people-watcher." Analysis was a sector within Imperial Intelligence responsible for the acquisition and interpretation of surveillance data. During her training period, she encountered Irei, a Kadas'sa'Nikto woman who was serving as an apprentice at her parents' droid repair establishment situated in the town. Imperial trainees had limited personal time and were discouraged from engaging in any form of fraternization, yet Irei and Frethylrin developed romantic feelings for each other.

Irei eventually confided in Frethylrin—whom she addressed as "Chell"—that she possessed Force-sensitivity. The Nikto girl's apprehension regarding the Empire made Frethylrin realize that her employment with them would inflict harm on others and that the actions of individuals held significance; however, it was the only existence Frethylrin had ever known. In addition to their repair shop, Irei's parents also provided services to the local Imperial garrison, resulting in frequent interactions with Imperial officers and stormtroopers, and consequently, they possessed numerous records and reports containing their names. Frethylrin covertly manipulated Imperial records with the intention of concealing Irei's existence from routine surveillance, such as erasing security holograms or exchanging images and names.

Irei initiated the design of a device referred to as the Shroud, which theoretically would aid in their mutual concealment. She dedicated a year to its development, and Frethylrin believed in her capacity to finalize it. However, during a meeting on an extremely hot day at the droid repair shop, when Irei implored Frethylrin to desert and elope with her, the Keshiri girl refused. She was excessively fearful of the repercussions and believed she could somehow effect change within the Empire from within or secretly safeguard individuals from a position of privilege; furthermore, she reasoned that Irei would face greater peril if they were fugitives together. Frethylrin persuaded Irei to remain and ceased contact with her, convinced that she was selflessly ensuring Irei's safety. However, Frethylrin's data manipulations had inadvertently drawn attention to Irei. The Empire remained unaware of the individual responsible for altering the records, but when Frethylrin reached the age of eighteen, the Empire located Irei and set fire to the shop where Irei and her parents were employed. The grief-stricken Frethylrin, unaware that Irei had escaped, presumed she had either been captured or killed; Frethylrin held herself accountable.

Irei's apparent demise and Chellwinark Frethylrin's involvement in it spurred her to commit to eventually leaving the Empire. She continued her Imperial career for three years, striving to assist others by refining the methods she had attempted to employ for Irei. Upon overhearing conversations regarding the Shroud and its connection to the wealthy Omwati Qeris Lar, she established contact with him. Lar was cognizant of Irei's continued existence, but he withheld this information from Frethylrin; instead, he informed her that Irei had completed her schematics and he could direct the Imperial toward their location, and that he possessed the resources to manufacture it for anti-Imperial purposes. Frethylrin sought to preserve Irei's life's work, prevent it from falling into the Empire's possession, and extricate herself from her situation.

Lar also provided Frethylrin with information about a specific S-161 XL luxury yacht named the Stinger Mantis and its crew: Jedi Master Cere Junda and Jedi Knight Cal Kestis, both human but respectively a woman and a man; the Latero pilot Greez Dritus; and Merrin, a Nightsister from Dathomir; Frethylrin was particularly intrigued by the latter. Her knowledge of the Stinger Mantis crew transformed them into a symbol of hope for her. She concluded that her sole means of escaping the Empire and safeguarding Irei's work was to project the image of the perfect Imperial until the opportune moment; otherwise, she would be subjected to investigation and "disappearance." By retaining her access to Imperial systems and information, she could facilitate the Mantis crew's acquisition of the Shroud's schematics. After monitoring the movements of Imperial troops and the Mantis crew, she resolved to place herself in the crew's path, anticipating that they would transport her to safety. To the Empire, she would appear to be engaged in a data-collecting mission in the Outer Rim and not due to report back for another month.

Upon discovering that the Stinger Mantis crew were infiltrating a Haxion Brood base located on an asteroid within the Outer Rim, Chellwinark Frethylrin positioned herself there and stole a set of stormtrooper armor as a means of disguise. She did not attract attention because the base was heavily populated with stormtroopers and Haxion Brood personnel. After Cere Junda, Cal Kestis, and Merrin detonated charges to destroy the base and commenced their escape, Frethylrin trailed behind Merrin while wearing her stolen armor. However, the Nightsister detected that she was being followed and vanished, reappearing behind the "stormtrooper." With apprehension evident in her filtered voice, Frethylrin instructed Merrin to wait, claiming knowledge of Dathomir—referencing the battle that resulted in the deaths of the other Nightsisters—and expressing remorse. As she faced a threat from the Dathomirian, Frethylrin recited additional biographical details and appealed to Merrin for assistance. Merrin removed Frethylrin's stormtrooper helmet and seized the other woman's throat, but Frethylrin reiterated her plea for help from Merrin and the Stinger Mantis crew, asserting that they represented her only avenue of escape from the Empire and that she was not a spy, as Merrin suspected. Their exchange was interrupted by a comm from Greez Dritus and by Kestis, who was being pursued by stormtroopers. While Merrin was distracted, Frethylrin fled from her presence and donned the helmet once more.

Unbeknownst to the two women, the entire conversation was overheard by the crew through their open comms. Kestis silently reflected on fallen comrades and desired to believe and assist Frethylrin, but that was not the reason the Mantis crew was present at the base. While Junda was rushing to the Mantis to board it, Frethylrin assisted in boosting the human into the Mantis before the other woman reciprocated by pulling her inside as well. After Frethylrin rolled into the hold, she immediately surrendered and removed her helmet again. Although Dritus was incredulous, Junda stated that they would address the matter later, after their escape. Frethylrin accepted Kestis' invitation to sit on the bench with him, and Merrin slid in next to her. She quickly ingratiated herself with Kestis by complimenting BD-1, his amiable BD unit. As the young man was providing introductions, the Mantis sustained a blast that caused the ship to roll, dislodging Frethylrin and Merrin, who seized the Keshiri and cushioned them both with a flash of her magick.

Frethylrin provided Dritus and Kestis with instructions on how to deceive the Imperial systems and their operator for a sufficient duration to jump to hyperspace and evade having their trajectory captured. When the two men stared, she stated that she had previously maintained a close relationship with an engineer. Junda deferred to Kestis, who made the decision to follow Frethylrin's instructions. During the jump, Frethylrin fell backward onto Merrin's front as they tumbled to the floor together, and the crew's bogling stowaway settled into Frethylrin's lap. Now that she had provided Junda with a reason to trust her, the Jedi Master inquired as to what other information she possessed that they could utilize against the Empire. Dritus, however, remained suspicious and unwelcoming.

Later, with the crew assembled in the ship's kitchen as Frethylrin consumed caf, she asserted that she had already deserted the Empire. In an attempt to flatter the crew, she fabricated a story, claiming that they and their ship had a reputation within the Empire for being formidable rebels in a dangerous warship; in reality, they were barely known. She truthfully informed them that the Empire was all she had ever known, that an external perspective had made her realize her work as an analyst was hunting and harming people, and that she desired to leave. Merrin, preoccupied with her infatuation with Frethylrin, only partially listened to the story, but the others posed questions. The pain in Frethylrin's voice was genuine, and Merrin responded to it, which the Keshiri appreciated. She offered to repay her debt to the crew with a task she had in mind, specifically the acquisition of the Shroud schematics. After BD-1 guided Frethylrin to Merrin's cabin, the Mantis crew deliberated the proposal, with Dritus as the sole dissenter; the outcome was the acceptance of Frethylrin's offer.

Frethylrin and Merrin grew closer as they journeyed to Chikua City on Hosnian Prime, where they linked up with Qeris Lar. A warm embrace initiated their meeting, before they detailed their scheme to liberate the Shroud's datacard from an Imperial base on Murkhana, a remote planet in the Outer Rim. She shared that she had known the inventor, who had wanted Frethylrin to leave the Empire, but they were tracked and killed by the Empire. She kept secret the depth of her feelings, and the romance she had shared with the inventor. Lar asserted he would leverage the datacard, his mirkanite access, and other resources to fabricate the Shroud for the rebellion, emphasizing the urgency due to the impending arrival of the Inquisitorius, who were just days away from seizing the schematics themselves.

Upon their return to the Mantis, the crew engaged in a debate regarding their next move. Dritus voiced his apprehension, deeming any confrontation with an Inquisitor as an unacceptable risk, and expressed distrust towards Lar. Frethylrin countered that such a confrontation was avoidable: if the information was accurate, they would secure the plans and subsequently decide whether to entrust them to Lar; if the information was flawed, they would engage in "a bit of action and a quick escape," but she insisted it was not. The two Jedi considered utilizing Lar's resources in exchange for the plans, though their individual desires differed, with Frethylrin suggesting the Shroud itself as sufficient compensation. Dritus remained opposed, advocating for Frethylrin's departure and a return to their previous lives. Kestis then circled back to Frethylrin's initial point, concluding that the Shroud's potential impact rendered it too valuable and dangerous to fall into Imperial hands, and that a decision could be made post-retrieval.

In the engine room, Frethylrin and Merrin engaged in a discussion about trust. Following Merrin's warning against betrayal, their conversation transitioned into a passionate encounter. During their time together, Kestis employed psychometry on Frethylrin's wrist wraps, witnessing a memory of her love for Irei and her refusal to abandon her. He resolved to remain silent, considering it a betrayal, and to prioritize Merrin's judgment of Frethylrin over his own reservations.

As Frethylrin and Merrin's bond deepened both emotionally and physically, the Nightsister found her magical ichor easier to summon. Eventually, the Imperial revealed that she had not completely deserted, explaining her reasons for retaining access. Merrin was hurt, but she kept Frethylrin's secret.

Upon the Mantis's arrival at Murkhana, Junda interrupted an intimate moment with a crew-wide summons for a mission briefing. Frethylrin detailed the target location: a facility situated just outside Murkhana City, complete with a garrison and a prison. The strategy involved Frethylrin using her codes to grant Kestis and Merrin access through the compound's outer wall, after which the pair would assume their customary roles—Merrin entering from above and Kestis from below—with Frethylrin providing additional code support as needed. Dritus again voiced his reservations about the mission, which were dismissed, but he landed the ship. During a reconnaissance mission with Merrin, Junda remarked on the positive impact of Frethylrin on Merrin's well-being and happiness.

The mission immediately encountered a complication when Frethylrin's utilization of the current security codes revealed her continued active-duty status within the Empire. After Merrin defended Frethylrin and her decision to keep it secret, Kestis privately informed Junda that he was aware of Frethylrin's deception and her failure to leave despite Irei's wishes. While Junda opted not to abort the mission, Dritus maintained constant surveillance of Frethylrin's location via a tracker, anticipating potential issues.

Unbeknownst to Frethylrin, the crew had remotely unlocked all prison cells, triggering a riot among the inmates and their stormtrooper guards. Frethylrin was both alarmed and amused. She shared a private moment with Merrin before Kestis and BD-1 joined them. Over comms, Junda reported that the Shroud plans were, inexplicably, located within a prison cell. As the group approached, Frethylrin released Merrin's hand upon discovering that Irei was alive and therefore must possess her own schematics. Frethylrin experienced a mix of devastation and elation, as neither she nor Irei had anticipated seeing each other again.

However, Frethylrin's emotional processing was cut short by the arrival of the Fifth Brother in orbit, dispatched to interrogate Irei and extract the plans from her mind. Frethylrin briefly introduced her to Kestis and Merrin as the inventor of the Shroud and "dead." Initially, Irei refused to leave her cell, but after Kestis explained their efforts to protect the Shroud from the Empire, she agreed to be taken away at all costs. Through her expression, she conveyed to Frethylrin that she preferred death, and wished for her former lover to kill her, rather than Imperial capture.

Via comms, Junda guided the quartet towards a potential exit, amidst a shouted conversation. Merrin, despite her heartbreak and anger over Frethylrin's deception, continued to protect the former couple. Kestis refused to return Frethylrin's blaster, and she insisted she would have told them about Irei. When the Nikto began to say they did not know how she felt, Kestis knocked down the Purge Troopers, stormtroopers, and prisoners in front of them. He did know how it felt to have to hide from the galaxy and believed Irei's invention would keep anyone else from having to feel the same. Frethylrin took Irei's hand and pleaded with her to keep moving and not get shot because she was needed. However, Irei rebuffed Frethylrin's promise to protect her and took Kestis' word instead.

During a brief private moment with Merrin, Frethylrin and Irei slipped away. At some point, Frethylrin disabled the tracker that Dritus had been monitoring. She reasoned that remaining close to Merrin and Kestis would jeopardize Irei's safety, as the engineer was a "walking target" vulnerable to Inquisitor capture, while the other two were prepared for combat.

Frethylrin's decision proved detrimental to all involved. Much of her stolen armor was destroyed, and Irei sustained severe blaster and electro-weapon injuries. Kestis had insisted that Merrin leave him behind to face the Fifth Brother and Junda had joined her Padawan. Shortly after Merrin returned to the Mantis, Frethylrin limped towards it with the dying Irei across her shoulders, shouting for a medbay; however, the ship did not have one, only basic supplies. Despite not being accustomed to healing, Merrin offered to help Irei through magick and the limited medical supplies with Frethylrin's support. When Irei's condition was stabilized, Frethylrin held Merrin.

When Dritus went to plead with Junda to help get the injured Kestis back to the Mantis and instead of trying to turn the Fifth Brother to the light side of the Force, the Latero put himself in front of Kestis when the Inquisitor swung Junda's lightsaber—at the cost of one of his four arms. Junda and Kestis carried Dritus back into the ship and Merrin yelled for Frethylrin to fly them. With the Jedi Master co-piloting, Frethylrin launched the Mantis and made the jump to hyperspace. When she was not flying the ship, she was at Irei's side, hoping for her to wake up.

After a day and a night of the crew maintaining distance from each other, Dritus confronted Frethylrin. To prevent a physical altercation as Dritus accused Frethylrin of abandoning them, resulting in the loss of his arm, Cal Kestis intervened, demanding an explanation for her lies and omissions or she must leave the ship with Irei.

Frethylrin and the crew convened in the map room, where she revealed the truth about her personal history with Irei and the Empire, and how she believed she had caused Irei's death three years prior. She asserted her intention to leave the Empire after securing the Shroud schematics, while Dritus retorted that she had knowingly and recklessly endangered the crew, costing him an arm. However, Kestis, through his psychometry, recognized the sincerity of Frethylrin's emotions and sought to protect Irei as a fellow Force-sensitive fugitive.

After Kestis inquired about their plans for life on the run, a larger argument erupted between Dritus, Kestis, Junda, and Merrin, addressing their frustrations and differing long-term motivations, as well as the events surrounding Frethylrin. The shouting match was interrupted by Irei, whom Frethylrin quickly hastened to help walk, urging them to cease and focus on their shared predicament. Junda agreed, proposing a forty-eight hours respite to lay low, seek medical attention for Dritus and Irei, and reconvene at the ship to make decisions with clearer minds.

With Dritus at the helm, the Stinger Mantis landed in a village on Zimara, a small moon in the Outer Rim. Frethylrin accompanied Irei for further medical treatment; afterwards, Irei desired rest at a local inn, while Frethylrin sought to discuss their relationship with Merrin. After a full day on the moon, Frethylrin found Merrin soaking in the sulfur baths, where they discussed how the former had not meant to deceive the latter about Irei; she had genuinely believed her former girlfriend was dead and would have said something if she had known. When Frethylrin asked what Merrin did when feeling haunted, the Nightsister claimed that the ghosts on Dathomir were pretty and good kissers. More seriously, she asked if Frethylrin had loved and still loved Irei, and the Keshiri said it did not change how she felt about Merrin. The Nightsister was grateful for how being with Frethylrin had helped her find herself again, and thus how to be her own spark for her magick without Dathomir as the source. She asked Frethylrin for time to herself to figure out what was next for her. Frethylrin thought Merrin might mean to figure out what she had with Cal Kestis, but Merrin said that was just how Kestis was. The two women agreed they wanted to be friends and shared a last kiss.

As the deadline to return to the Mantis approached, Frethylrin and Merrin arrived together. With Dritus running late and seemingly deciding to stay, Cere Junda and Frethylrin prepared for takeoff as pilot and copilot, respectively; however, Dritus returned, to everyone's relief.

Frethylrin sat with Irei and Merrin as everyone discussed what to do about Qeris Lar and the Shroud. Irei did not trust him and thought she would be trading one prison for another if she went to him. Since Lar wanted the Shroud, Junda suggested that they give the Omwati a fake and then disappear; Dritus also pointed out that Lar was likely to kill Frethylrin and she agreed. On the way to Hosnian Prime, Irei and Kestis rigged a faux prototype that could be detonated while Merrin helped Frethylrin build new armor out of scrap that Dritus had taken from the Haxion Brood base.

As usual, Junda and Dritus remained on the Mantis while monitoring the others as they met with Lar. As predicted, when the team asked him to guarantee Frethylrin and Irei's safety in exchange for "prototype," he claimed they would have to renegotiate while leaving behind the plans, the prototype, and Irei herself to work on the Shroud. He also threatened to tell the Imperials where to find Frethylrin. After Merrin reiterated that they would not change their minds, Lar took out a small blaster and shot Frethylrin in the chest. Although her newly rigged armor protected her, she was thrown across the room and remained unconscious through the subsequent events. Junda and Dritus recorded Lar describing his intent to sell mirkanite to the Empire as it produced the Shroud en masse, Merrin and Kestis battled Lar and his hired Haxion Brood guards, and the Fifth Brother arrived thanks to a tracker the Empire had hidden on Irei.

Frethylrin regained consciousness after Irei set off an explosion that took out the Inquisitor and collapsed much of the room. Seeing that Merrin lay injured and not breathing, Irei helped Frethylrin over to her. She spoke to and gently touched Merrin, who revived.

Regrouping on the Stinger Mantis, Cere Junda took care of the tracker on Irei and Greez Dritus flew a meandering route to Zimara to throw off anyone who may be trailing Irei and Chellwinark Frethylrin, although the Imperial channels believed everyone had died in the explosion. The former couple had decided to go into hiding together using Frethylrin's network and Irei's technical capabilities; however, they had both changed too much to resume their old relationship and Frethylrin had met Merrin.

Before arriving on Zimara, Frethylrin and Irei decided they wanted to ask Merrin to come with them. In the engine room of the Stinger Mantis, Frethylrin and Merrin helped patch each other's wounds while Irei repaired Frethylrin's damaged leather jacket before leaving them to discuss the offer. Merrin appreciated it, but the Mantis was home and she did not want to hide.

As Frethylrin and Irei prepared to leave the ship, Junda told Dritus that she believed the two would be seeds that grew the revolution against the Empire. Frethylrin confirmed with Dritus that they would be able to get in contact if needed through the holotable, which Irei had repaired. As Frethylrin hugged Kestis goodbye, she noted that Merrin could take care of herself, but Kestis did not need her to finish speaking before he understood that she wanted him to look out for Merrin. Frethylrin had a private goodbye with Merrin before she and Irei left the Stinger Mantis on the sunless side of Zimara.

Chellwinark Frethylrin, having spent years within the Imperial structure, developed a habit of deceit and a general distrust of others. Her lack of candor with the Mantis crew manifested primarily through the omission of crucial details, but also included direct falsehoods, such as her claim of having deserted the Empire prior to joining them. On multiple occasions, after admitting to her deceptions, she implored Merrin to "believe me," despite having provided ample reason for doubt.

She carried herself with a swagger and exuded confidence, self-assurance, and sufficient charm to make her likable to Cal Kestis, even when he suspected her untrustworthiness before the full extent of her duplicity was revealed. While she often adopted a lighthearted and joking demeanor with the Stinger Mantis crew, such as describing their luxury yacht as "pretty cute," she became serious when discussing the ecological devastation on Murkhana caused by the Clone Wars and wept while recounting her true history.

Frethylrin's shaggy purple hair was cut above her shoulders, short in the front with thin curls at the base of her neck, but thick and long on top and in the back—what Cal Kestis characterized as a mullet. She had red eyes and lavender skin with dusky-purple freckles across her nose and on her chest, which was flat and smooth with old scars wrapped around it. Although her face and her waist were soft, she had strong features, including a jutting chin, full and dark lips, a wide back and shoulders, curved hips, and strong thighs. She was taller and broader than Merrin, who estimated Greez Dritus's height as about one-third of Frethylrin's. Her voice was in the soprano range and she had what Merrin considered to be a sharp accent. When she was nervous, she spoke quickly and quietly.

During her tenure as an analyst within the Empire, Frethylrin specialized in Outer Rim troop deployments, determining troop numbers, deployment locations, and withdrawal/reinforcement schedules. She possessed expertise in data analysis and manipulation, including concealing her location using multiple locator beacons and identifying illicit activities to shield from the Empire.

Frethylrin gained piloting experience through research and reconnaissance flights for the Empire, primarily in her "little analyst solo ride." She demonstrated sufficient competence to pilot the Stinger Mantis, a ship with controls tailored to Greez Dritus's four-armed piloting style, in emergency situations and without hesitation.

Chellwinark "Fret" Frethylrin made her debut in the novel Jedi: Battle Scars, penned by Sam Maggs and published by Random House Worlds on March 7, 2023. Prior to the novel's release, Fret was initially alluded to as an "Imperial deserter" in two announcements on December 1, 2022: by Kristin Baver on that day's episode of This Week! in Star Wars and in the official jacket copy revealed on StarWars.com. On February 22, 2023, IGN published an excerpt from the novel and its audiobook depicting the first meeting between Fret and Merrin.