Duttes Mer held the position of colonial governor for the Rafa system during the Imperial Period. A towering Human male, Mer developed an all-consuming fixation with the ancient Sharu relic known as the Mindharp after taking office on Rafa IV. He then collaborated with Sorcerer of Tund Rokur Gepta to devise a scheme to obtain the Mindharp in 3 BBY. After manipulating offworld spacer Lando Calrissian into locating the artifact, Mer—convinced that the Mindharp would grant him dominion over the minds of every being in the system—succeeded in his quest. However, Mer, failing to grasp the Mindharp's true function, met his end upon activating the device.
By 3 BBY, Duttes Mer, a Human male, had risen to become the colonial governor of the Rafa system, a system situated in the Centrality and famed for its extensive ruins left behind by the long-gone Sharu species. It was around this time that Mer forged an alliance with Rokur Gepta, a member of the enigmatic Sorcerers of Tund, who shared Mer's deep interest in Sharu artifacts. The two became particularly intrigued by the Mindharp, an object featured prominently in the legends of the Rafa system's native Toka, which Mer believed held the key to subjugating the galaxy. Together, Mer and Gepta pilfered a key said to unlock the path to the Mindharp from a museum located offworld, and together they crafted a strategy to acquire the artifact. Although Mer—frightened by the powerful Gepta—acted as his subordinate, Mer secretly harbored his own ambitions for the Mindharp, believing it would grant him absolute control over the minds of everyone within the Rafa system.
Mer and Gepta engaged a local anthropologist, the Ottdefa Osuno Whett, tasking him with traveling to the mining asteroid Oseon 2795 to locate a down-on-his-luck spacer capable of undertaking the mission. An outsider was essential to secure the cooperation of the Toka, who possessed prophecies foretelling the arrival of a stranger who would liberate their people. Whett was then to lure the spacer to Rafa IV with the promise of treasure, further enticing him with Vuffi Raa, a starfish-like droid of mysterious origin that Whett would "lose" to the target in a sabacc game, but would require travel to Rafa IV to secure. Raa was programmed to assist the pilot on their quest, only to betray them to colonial authorities the moment the Mindharp was obtained. Much to Mer's delight, Whett ensnared a target on his very first attempt: a gambler and smuggler named Lando Calrissian, who promptly journeyed to Rafa IV to claim Raa and search for the treasure.
Upon confirming Calrissian's arrival on Rafa IV, Mer dispatched one of his top enforcers, Constable Captain Myle Jandler, to seize him from his hotel room and escort him to Mer, subjecting him to rough treatment along the way. When Calrissian was brought before Mer in his office, the governor threatened him with a litany of fabricated charges for minor infractions. However, as he proceeded to the second phase of his plan—offering Calrissian a way out and securing his cooperation—Mer was interrupted by Rokur Gepta, who dramatically entered Mer's office by blasting a hole through the wall. Gepta sidelined Mer and assumed control of the negotiation with Calrissian, reaching an agreement whereby Calrissian would take the key and pursue the Mindharp on their behalf, in exchange for a cargo hold filled with valuable life-crystals. Calrissian and Raa departed for Rafa V to locate the Mindharp, while Mer remained in his palace in the city of Teguta Lusat.
Four months later, Calrissian and Raa unexpectedly reappeared on the streets of Teguta Lusat, carrying the Mindharp. Following his programming, Raa immediately alerted a passing constable and turned Calrissian in, returning the artifact to Mer. Mer took possession of the artifact and sent Calrissian to the penal colony on Rafa IV. Mer had seemingly achieved his ambition—however, he had failed to consider two crucial factors. First, despite his programming, Vuffi Raa had formed a bond with Calrissian during their search for the Mindharp, and remained loyal to the smuggler even after betraying him. Secondly, Mer had completely misunderstood the true nature of the artifact. The Mindharp was not intended to grant control over minds—instead, it was designed to restore the Toka to their true forms, the long-vanished Sharu, and usher in a rebirth of their civilization. Revealing his true intentions, Mer boasted to Gepta about his plans to seize total control over the Toka system, but upon activating the Mindharp, he realized too late that his assumptions were incorrect. The power of the Mindharp annihilated Mer's body, fusing it with the artifact into a radioactive mass and putting an end to his aspirations for ultimate power.
Duttes Mer was an imposing figure, powerfully built and exceptionally broad, with delicate, wispy hair and a high-pitched voice that seemed strangely out of place with his physique. Upon their first encounter, Lando Calrissian quickly sized up Mer as a cunning and ruthless player who approached schemes methodically, but was prone to complaining and fits of rage when the tables were turned. Mer placed little importance on ostentatious displays of wealth and power—his sole motivation was power itself, and the ability to control the lives of others, which he symbolized with a desk crafted entirely from massive, incredibly valuable life-crystals.
The intensely Humanocentric Mer derived personal satisfaction from manipulating those he considered inferior, and regarded the Rafa system's native Toka as little more than domesticated animals. Despite his commanding demeanor, however, Mer was deeply afraid of Rokur Gepta, addressing the Sorcerer of Tund as "Your Puissance" and behaving subserviently in his presence. Nevertheless, Mer was not so intimidated as to refrain from plotting against Gepta, becoming obsessed with the Mindharp in the belief that it would grant him ultimate power over all beings in the Rafa system. Mer reveled in the power he believed the Mindharp would bestow upon him, eagerly attempting to activate the artifact before incurring Gepta's wrath, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Duttes Mer served as a primary antagonist in Lando Calrissian and the Mindharp of Sharu, a novel penned by L. Neil Smith and published in 1983.