Dren Melne, hailing from Naboo, was a male Human in the annals of Legends continuity. In his youth, he departed his home planet to pursue a career as a mercenary. Later in life, he came back and enlisted in the Naboo Royal Space Fighter Corps. He became romantically involved with his superior officer, Essara Till, only to later betray the Space Fighter Corps. His treacherous act involved a failed attempt to seize control of N-1 starfighters. Ultimately, his own employers eliminated him to ensure his silence regarding their involvement.
Born on the planet of Naboo in a secluded mountain village around 66 BBY, Dren Melne's family, which included a younger brother, held strong anti-Galaxy sentiments during Ars Veruna's reign as King of Naboo. They believed that weapons were the cause of wars, and they attributed the influence on Dren's life to Veruna's off-world dealings, as Dren yearned to leave Naboo and explore the Galaxy, captivated by the romantic notions of spacers. Despite his family's warnings, he left his village as a young man and relocated to Theed, volunteering for the Royal Naboo Security Forces before eventually leaving Naboo to become a mercenary and fighter pilot. Homesickness eventually led him back, but he found his family's disdain unchanged when he visited in a black flight suit with a blaster pistol instead of a Hunting rifle, leading to his ostracization.
Around 31 BBY, he encountered Essara Till, who had also left Naboo to become a mercenary pilot before returning. Their shared background fostered a friendship that blossomed into romance. However, this relationship couldn't quell Dren's resentment towards his family, and by 33 BBY, he was secretly contracted by Governor Challep of Agamar to steal several N-1 starfighters to enhance their planetary defenses. He received approximately one hundred thousand credits from his account on Ord Mantell, which he transferred to his home in Selton.
He tried to persuade Essara Till to join him in developing Agamar's fighter capabilities, but she declined, preferring to stay on Naboo and train new pilots. During their argument, Senator Sio Bibble declared a Class One Emergency. Station TFP-9 was under attack by unidentified forces consisting of Z-95 Mark II Headhunters and a Hornet-class carrier.
Dren and Till piloted Bravo's Eight and Seven in N-1 starfighters, while Echo Flight, comprised of twelve less experienced pilots, including Rhys Dallows on Echo Five, flew N-X Police Cruisers. During the battle, the Police Cruisers and Till successfully eliminated the Z-95s with minimal damage to Echo Flight. However, as Till and Echo One and Two prepared an attack run on the carrier, another carrier and Z-95s armed with concussion missiles arrived, engaging Echo Flight while the first carrier deployed droid starfighters to engage Till. It was at this point that Dren revealed his true intentions, betraying his squadron by attacking Echo Flight while being pursued by Till. He revealed that the Agamari governor wanted the Naboo technology and this attack was supposed to be a demonstration to its abilities, the extra forces arrival weren't just a sign of the Governor's approval, they were here to imply that only an idiot would continue the fight against such odds.
After Echo Flight suffered heavy losses, Till ordered a surrender but chose to engage the first carrier instead of powering down her systems. She held her own against the cruiser, even with depleted shields, and with Rhys Dallows in Echo Five disobeying the order and joining her, they destroyed the carrier, while Echo Six engaged Dren Melne to distract him. By the time the two decided to engage Melne together he shot down Echo Six killing the pilot Harlaan, removing any chance of redemption to Till. As they pursued and closed in on Dren, who was racing to the other Carrier, Captain Sorran of the Velumina declared that he had failed in his promise to deliver the goods and launched multiple missiles, one of each to both Rhys and Esarra, and the rest to Dren, despite his protests and offering his own ship which the captain argued that the two could disable him before he escapes and even if he did jump, his fighter could be traced. Till managed to destroy four missiles before one struck her fighter, crippling it, while at least eight missiles struck Melne's fighter, resulting in his death at the hands of his own employers.
Dren Melne's demise provided Rhys Dallows with firsthand experience of betrayal, influencing Essara Till's decision to leave her mercenary life behind and return home. Sio Bibble and Ric Olié collaborated with Rhys Dallows and Essara Till to investigate the incident, but their efforts led to dead ends. Essara Till, feeling responsible for the battle, wrote letters to the families of the seven pilots who perished in the skirmish. She also visited Melne's family to inquire about his betrayal, but was met with hostility as they vented their anger at her, and his parents watched with pride as their younger son chased Till onto the streets, she soon believed that Melne's family was the core reason for his betrayal. Rhys Dallows then took Dren's place as her wingman.
Despite being raised in a family that abhorred violence and external influences, favoring tradition, Dren Melne's desire to explore the Galaxy, fueled by romanticized tales of space, superseded his family's wishes. The hostile reception he received upon his return, particularly from his family, fostered a coldness towards Naboo, prompting him to seek distance from his homeworld. His decision to assist the Agamar Governor in stealing N-1 technology demonstrated his willingness to prioritize personal gain over Naboo's future. He believed that true soldiers had no place on a peace-loving planet like Naboo.
Although he harbored romantic feelings for Essara Till and desired her to join him on Agamar, he was willing to threaten and endanger the lives of Echo Flight's pilots to pressure her into surrendering the battle and was not afraid to kill those who were fighting back.
He was also horrified that his own contractors would be willing to kill him to terminate his contract and to cover their tracks rather then cover his retreat, despite the argument he made of bringing his own fighter with them.
Dren Melne's character was conceived by Steve Miller for the short story The Starfighter Trap, featured in Star Wars Gamer 1. The story offers only a brief glimpse into his background, concluding with his death. More extensive details about his appearance and backstory were available on Wizards.com, but they have since been removed from the official website and are now accessible through Internet archives.