Merai, a Mon Calamari commander, famously aligned himself with the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars, a decision that ultimately led to his demise during the First Battle of Kamino.
Merai, recognized as one of the most accomplished Calamari commanders of his era and a highly decorated hero of the Quarren War, chose to join the Confederacy following the attack perpetrated by the [Force Harvester] (/article/force_harvester) on his homeworld. Passel Argente promptly tasked him with a crucial mission: to strike at Kamino, the very core of the Republic's clone army. Securing coordinates for the main reactor of Tipoca City from the Corporate Alliance, he planned to disrupt the Republic's supply of clone troopers. Despite the dubious nature of the information, lacking both context and corroboration, Merai trusted his instincts and launched an assault on Kamino. His starfighters clashed with the Jedi defending Kamino, and initially, the battle seemed to favor the Separatists.
Unexpectedly, Merai's vessel was downed, yet the commander refused to surrender. He ejected in his starfighter, named Shark, from his crippled command ship with the objective of personally destroying the main reactor. It was at this point that he discovered the deception. The provided information was inaccurate, and Merai found himself surrounded by Delta-7 Aethersprite-class light interceptors. Merai, recognizing the dire situation, diverted the Jedi's attention away from his remaining forces who continued to assault the Kaminoan defenses, fully aware that the battle was already lost. In a final, desperate act, he piloted Shark directly into the cluster of hyperdrive docking rings utilized for transporting the Jedi Starfighters to and from Kamino. He made the ultimate sacrifice, detonating his ship, destroying numerous hyperspace rings, and enabling his remaining forces to withdraw.
In contrast to many other Separatist commanders, Merai regarded battle droids as valuable soldiers rather than expendable assets. He held the Mon Calamari crew of his ship as close as family and was prepared to give his life for them, ensuring their continued fight against the Republic and the Jedi. Merai was a firm believer in the ideals of the Confederacy of Independent Systems, viewing it as the galaxy's best hope for achieving freedom.