Kelko began his life as a Rodian fringer, but he eventually transitioned into the world of business.
Born to Rodian parents whose identities remain a mystery, Kelko's origins were complicated. His parents, from opposing and warring clans, knew their love was forbidden and escaped Rodia, seeking refuge on Ryloth. Tragically, assassins from a rival Rodian clan, seeking to escalate the conflict between Kelko's parents' clans, found and murdered them in Sal'kaasa on Ryloth.
A Rodian mechanic named Dindoo discovered Kelko and adopted him as his own son. Neither Kelko nor Dindoo knew of Kelko's true parentage, believing instead that he had been abandoned.
Poverty forced Kelko to work, becoming a rycrit herder and assisting Dindoo in his mechanic shop. Dindoo's untimely death, resulting from a sabacc dispute, left Kelko to rely on his own ingenuity to keep Dindoo's business afloat.
Against the odds, Kelko managed to sustain the business and even launched a side venture, Dindoo Tours, a few years later. This involved taking tourists on sightseeing trips to the Bright Lands in a shielded speeder bus. While still working as a mechanic, he found the tours offered a welcome sense of "freedom".
Fate took a turn when the speeder bus was destroyed in a bizarre incident involving a rampaging lylek, a pair of swoops, and the daughter of a wealthy Twi'lek politician. The details remained hazy, but Kelko, prioritizing his well-being, decided to leave Ryloth aboard a freighter bound for the Outer Rim. Understandably, he was keen to avoid any further encounters with Twi'lek politicians.
In the Outer Rim, Kelko once again had to earn his keep through various jobs, while simultaneously exploring the region. His skills allowed him to save enough credits to purchase a used repair droid named WED00-88, nicknamed "Weedo". Kelko spent his free time modifying the droid, adding features like a concealed blaster mount. He was also known to associate with individuals such as Vor'en Kurn, Arani Korden, Rann I-Kanu, Rorworr, Deel Surool (surprisingly, a Twi'lek), and Sia-Lan Wezz.
In 31 BBY, Kelko was spotted on Genarius, a gas giant located in the Cularin system.
He held the position of manager at the Grande Game casino, where he was regarded by locals as a somewhat disreputable character who disliked his middle-class patrons. Kelko was a constant presence in his own casino, ensuring that customers were spending money and preventing them from winning excessively, even resorting to cheating. If a customer was caught questioning another without a permit, Kelko would immediately eject them from the establishment, a harsher response than typically seen among other businessmen. He used an old protocol droid, S2-36B, for translation purposes. A Near-Human named Aria attempted to impress Kelko with her skills to gain employment, but he preferred to have her work for free in his stead.
Kelko and Weedo secured what seemed like a relatively stable job on Shusko Station: a mining operation situated on the Gam Tim'nisi asteroid belt, near Bespin. Kelko appeared willing to accept almost any job, provided the price was right.
After a year of working on the station, Kelko was approached by Govenni, his grandfather, who revealed that Kelko's father's clan had finally made peace with his mother's, uniting against the clan responsible for their parents' deaths. Govenni, already advanced in age, had spent years searching for his lost grandson. The reunion wasn't solely for sentimental reasons; Kelko was wealthy, and the now-united clan owned numerous businesses throughout the galaxy, including Shusko Station, and Kelko was given the opportunity to choose one for himself (a decision that some of his relatives opposed).
Kelko chose to take control of Shusko Station, despite the availability of more lucrative options. Within a few years, Shusko Station became one of the most successful small-scale mining operations in the Outer Rim. Kelko also acquired a new personal vessel, the Dindoo's Glory, which he used for trips with his trusted mechanic companion, Weedo.
Kelko married a Rodian woman named Shinba, and they had two children together.
During the Clone Wars, Kelko once again collaborated with Arani Korden, surveying the scene of a major battle.
Sometime after the war, Kelko and Korden were together in an Imperial-controlled city, where they were hiding while she attempted to talk her way past an inquisitive officer.
Kelko's likeness was initially used in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game as an example of a first-level character from the Fringer class. His backstory was later provided by Wizards of the Coast on their website. With the release of the Saga Edition of the Star Wars Roleplaying Game by Wizards of the Coast, Kelko's class was changed to Scout due to the removal of the fringer class.
Kelko makes an appearance as a non-player character in the role-playing game adventure titled Clouded Paths.