Merrin

During the Imperial Era, on her homeworld of Dathomir, lived Merrin, a Dathomirian Nightsister. She was a survivor of the massacre of the Nightsisters perpetrated by General Grievous during the Clone Wars. Following the execution of Order 66 in 19 BBY (an order to eliminate all Jedi), Jedi Master Taron Malicos crash-landed on Dathomir, and Merrin encountered him. Malicos succumbed to the dark side of the Force, and desiring to master the Nightsister's magick, he deceived Merrin with falsehoods, claiming the Jedi were responsible for her losses, and falsely promising to help her avenge her fallen friends, sisters, and mothers.

When Cal Kestis journeyed to Dathomir in search of the Tomb of Kujet, Malicos requested the former Jedi Padawan to join him, leading Merrin to realize Malicos's deception. Utilizing the Chant of Resurrection, she attacked both men, but Kestis ultimately returned to fulfill his mission. Despite her initial reluctance to ally with a Jedi, Kestis reassured her of his support by sharing his own sorrowful past and offering her his lightsaber. She recounted witnessing her people being killed by an armored warrior wielding a lightsaber. Recognizing their shared status as survivors, Merrin and Kestis collaborated to defeat Malicos. Subsequently, the Nightsister joined Kestis' crew aboard the Stinger Mantis in their quest to rebuild the Jedi Order and fight against the Galactic Empire.

After several years spent evading and confronting the Empire, the Mantis crew disbanded due to irreconcilable differences. Merrin embarked on a solitary journey across the galaxy, striving to correct injustices. This path led her to become involved with the Hidden Path, an organization dedicated to rescuing Force-sensitives hunted by the Empire. During Kestis's search for the hidden world of Tanalorr, she reunited with him and rejoined the Mantis crew, hoping the obscure planet could serve as a refuge for the Path. During this mission, she and Kestis became romantically involved. Together, she and Kestis fought and succeeded in recovering the Abyss compass needed to reach Tanalorr, pledging to transform the planet into a sanctuary for those persecuted by the Empire.

Merrin, born around 33 to 32 BBY, was a female Dathomirian Zabrak who resided on Dathomir, her homeworld, both before and during the Clone Wars. As one of the Nightsisters, she belonged to a clan of Force-sensitives who expressed their connection with the Force through magick, diverging from the practices of the Jedi or Sith. This matriarchal coven held dominion over Dathomir, with their leader, Mother Talzin, also ruling the lower-class male Nightbrothers. Like other Dathomirians, Merrin was instilled with a rejection of the galaxy and a view of outsiders as threats. The elders often remarked on a perceived foolishness within her lineage. She raised a bramble lynx called Teeno from a small, endearing creature into a protective companion; Merrin later quipped that it was "very good at murders."

Among the Nightsisters, Merrin shared a close bond with Ilyana, the girl she loved. They would secretly venture into the swamps to create potions together. After Merrin nursed Ilyana back to health following an injury, Ilyana crafted a necklace for her as a token of gratitude for her care during a difficult time. She presented it to Merrin with a kiss—Merrin's first. Merrin envisioned a future where she and Ilyana would be together as adults. However, in 20 BBY, Merrin's life underwent a permanent transformation. In her childhood, the Battle of Dathomir took place, an event that would strip her of everything she held dear. General Grievous, under orders from Count Dooku, the Separatist Head of State, led the Separatist Droid Army in an assault on Talzin's clan. Merrin observed aspects of Grievous's appearance, including the golden eyes in his faceplate and the lightsabers he wielded with multiple arms, but she would only learn the armored warrior's identity later.

The forest was set ablaze, and the Nightsisters were killed, by troops, air strikes and assault tanks burned. Using the Chant of Resurrection, Old Daka resurrected an Army of the Dead from their burial pods, however, the undead were insufficient to protect the living. While Merrin survived, Ilyana and all of her sisters were slaughtered; only a few others survived. Believing herself to be the sole survivor, Merrin personally buried the remains of Ilyana and her fallen mothers, sisters, and friends. She spent her formative years mourning them and seeking retribution for their deaths.

After Order 66 was given in 19 BBY, Jedi Master Taron Malicos escaped the Great Jedi Purge and his starship crashed in the Swamp of Sacrifice on Dathomir. Brother Viscus, the leader of a Nightbrother clan, informed Merrin of the sighting. Sensing a great threat, she urged caution. At some point, she also encountered Malicos and warned him that he was unwelcome on Dathomir; the Brothers would kill him if he stayed. However, he was confident that they were no match for Merrin's power.

The Nightbrothers grew impatient awaiting further instruction from Merrin, and believed they could handle Malicos themselves in their village. Malicos, full of fear and anger, was corrupted by the dark side of the Force due to the darkness of Dathomir; the Nightbrothers realized too late that he was dangerous. He turned them against each other, killed Viscus, and subjugated the clan. Driven by a desire for greater power, Malicos sought to learn the Nightsister's magick and exploited Merrin's grief by falsely claiming that the Jedi were responsible for the massacre of her people. Seeking to eliminate those she believed responsible for her losses, Malicos proposed a deal: he would assist her in avenging her sisters if she taught him Nightsister magick. Reluctantly agreeing, Merrin began teaching him, although she considered him "a bastard."

Merrin once guided Malicos through the Tomb of Kujet, an ancient structure that served as the burial place of the Zeffo Sage Kujet. She cautioned Malicos that it was cursed and they should not be there, but he reminded her of their agreement.

In 14 BBY, during the [Imperial Era](/article/imperial_era], Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis arrived on Dathomir aboard the Stinger Mantis; Malicos instructed Merrin to deal with him and his crew. Merrin appeared before Kestis, warning him that he was trespassing and unwelcome on Dathomir. He was surprised to learn she was a Nightsister, as he believed they were all dead. He attempted to explain that they did not need to be enemies, but she believed his actions contradicted his words. Instead, she summoned two Nightbrothers and empowered them with ichor to attack Kestis, then she vanished. However, Kestis was able to defeat the Nightbrothers and various other hostile creatures that Merrin sent after him.

As Kestis explored Dathomir, Merrin occasionally threatened him from the shadows. Through his ability to sense echoes in the Force, he learned about Malicos, the Nightbrothers, the Nightsisters, and Merrin. He recognized something familiar about Merrin in an echo of her crying.

Merrin directly confronted Kestis again, telling him that he would go no further and that Taron Malicos was right about the Jedi. Kestis warned Merrin that he would strike her down if she continued to stand in his way. In response, Merrin used the Chant of Resurrection to raise several of her fallen sisters to attack Kestis, declaring that they would have their revenge, although he succeeded in defending himself.

Merrin watched Kestis interacting with Malicos outside the Tomb of Kujet, where the Padawan had experienced a disturbing vision of dead master, Jaro Tapal, that caused him to break his master's lightsaber. Malicos explained that he was a former Jedi who had survived the purge, and he invited Kestis to join "his family" and his quest for power. At that point, Merrin appeared and questioned Malicos about the change in his behavior, demanding to know why he was inviting a Jedi to join him when he had previously told her that the Jedi Order was responsible for the massacre of her people. Realizing that the newly unhinged Malicos was once a Jedi himself and had led the Nightbrothers astray, Merrin told both men that the bond between Nightsisters was eternal and they never turned on each other, unlike the Jedi. She used the Chant of Resurrection to raise an army of Nightsisters from their burial pods. Malicos retreated into the Tomb of Kujet while Kestis fled, pursued by the dead.

When Cal Kestis returned to Dathomir to complete his mission in the Tomb of Kujet, Merrin confronted him again. Seeking peace, Kestis introduced himself to Merrin and told her that her impression of the Jedi Order was incorrect. Merrin pointed out that Taron Malicos was a part of the Jedi Order just as he was, so she had no reason to trust his words. Kestis gave Merrin his lightsaber and explained that the weapon did not define the Jedi; they had been peacekeepers until they were betrayed and hunted by the Galactic Empire to near-extinction. Igniting his blade, Merrin recounted the massacre of her sisters by an armored warrior wielding a lightsaber and her subsequent meeting with Malicos. Resonating with Kestis' tragic history, Merrin gave the Jedi his weapon back and told him that Malicos could be found deeper in the tomb. Following him in her invisible state, she further empathized when he said the Empire would hunt other Force-sensitive children.

Merrin observed Kestis confronting Malicos and arguing about the ideals of the Jedi. When Kestis refused to join him, Malicos drew his lightsabers with a threat, "Then Dathomir will be your grave." The pair proceeded to duel until Malicos overwhelmed Kestis with the Force and attempted to crush him with a boulder. Before Kestis could be crushed, Merrin fired a blast of ichor at the boulder, shattering it into pieces, and told Malicos that he had no right to Dathomir or its magick. She then fired multiple ichor blasts at Malicos, who proceeded to pull apart the pedestal she was standing on. After she landed on the ground, she encouraged Kestis to continue fighting before de-materializing. She joined the duel by occasionally re-materialized and stunning Malicos with her ichor, giving Kestis openings in the fallen Jedi's strong guard, until she used her magick to immobilize Malicos and bury him alive. When he demanded to know what was happening to him, Merrin repeated his words to Kestis: "Dathomir will be your grave."

After their victory over Malicos, Merrin asked Cal Kestis what his intentions on Dathomir were. Kestis revealed that the extinct race that built the Tomb of Kujet, the Zeffonians, had created an object called the [Astrium](/article/astrium] which would open up a Zeffo vault on the planet Bogano. Inside the vault was a Jedi holocron previously owned by Jedi Master Eno Cordova that contained a list of Force-sensitive children across the galaxy, which Kestis hoped to keep out of the Empire's grasp. Although she was unaware of the Empire, his description of how they exterminated Force-sensitives made her realize the Empire would come for Dathomir one day; thus, Merrin decided to help Kestis retrieve the Astrium. Kestis thanked Merrin for her help with Malicos, and she agreed that he would have died without her. The pair were pleased that they could be allies.

Merrin accompanied Kestis further into the tomb, lifting various columns to allow him access. After reaching the next room, Kestis discovered the Astrium lying in wait and expressed excitement about the discovery. Although Merrin was happy for Kestis and his Order, she remained solemn that nothing could bring back her coven.

As she walked away, Kestis began talking about his past and the fear he used to hold that the Empire would find out who and what he was. However, his trauma had been soothed after a friend told him to go out and find his place in the galaxy and he began traveling with the crew of the Stinger Mantis. Considering Kestis' words, Merrin decided to join his crew, hoping she could find her own place in the greater galaxy. Although Jedi and Nightsisters were not traditionally comrades, Merrin believed that survivors, like them, adapted. Kestis and his droid companion BD-1 agreed to the idea, although the Padawan doubted that the rest of his crew would be ready to accept Merrin.

At the tomb's exit, the pair encounter two hostile nydaks, and Kestis asked if Merrin had raised the ones he fought before. She confirmed she had to see how he might fare against Malicos. When Kestis asked Merrin for combat assistance, she declined and said he could handle it. After Kestis defeated the nydaks, Merrin asked about the woman aboard the Stinger Mantis; Malicos had wanted her to attack Kestis' crewmates, but she had observed them and felt they posed no threat. Kestis told her that the woman, Cere Junda, used to be a Jedi Knight prior to their fall. When the pair reached the entrance of the tomb, Merrin de-materialized, telling Kestis that she would meet him at his ship.

Upon entering the Stinger Mantis with Kestis, the ship's pilot Greez Dritus expressed shock and seemed fearful that his ship had been boarded by a "witch." She corrected him—Nightsister—and said she was joining the crew and meant him no harm. After Cal Kestis explained how Merrin had helped him, Cere Junda reluctantly accepted the Nightsister's presence because she trusted Kestis, but Merrin would have to earn it. Dritus told her not to try anything funny and Merrin took a seat as the ship departed, leaving Dathomir behind for the first time in her life.

Kestis told Merrin about Ilum, where he had built his second lightsaber after losing his first during Order 66 and breaking his master's on Dathomir. From what he said about how the Jedi had gathered their kyber crystals, she interpreted it to mean the Empire was mining Ilum to desecrate Jedi culture, but he pointed out that the Empire's goal was unclear. Ilum's state reminded Merrin of Dathomir: "once sacred, now broken."

On the world of Zeffo, Merrin was informed by Kestis about the ruined Venator-class Star Destroyer that belonged to the Jedi Chiata and her Padawan, Marseph, which was located at the crash site. She inquired how he accumulated so much knowledge during his explorations. He then described his psychometry, which she understood as the capability to perceive the past. Although Nightsister magick was ancient, it was distinct from Kestis's connection to history, and she observed that they both carried significant pain from their pasts. Merrin also questioned the numerous bounty hunters they encountered, and he clarified that both he and Dritus had bounties placed on them by the Haxion Brood. Despite the considerable risks of traveling aboard the Stinger Mantis, Merrin appreciated the unpredictability of it all.

To Merrin, Kashyyyk felt like a war zone. Junda verified that the Wookiees had recently engaged in fierce combat but were ultimately forced into retreat by the Empire. Dritus joked that there was a silver lining, as Kestis managed to "catch a sweet ride with one of the locals," a remark that confused Merrin. Junda explained that Kestis possessed a talent for forging unusual alliances and had even befriended a shyyyo bird, an act of friendship that Merrin found unimaginable, especially with a Dathomirian beast. Kestis suggested that he would show her the Origin Tree and some of its inhabitants someday, to which she responded that she would appreciate that.

After Cal Kestis welcomed Merrin aboard, Greez Dritus outlined the rules he expected to be followed on his ship: prevent anything that could cause stains from getting near the couch, stay away from the captain's chair, refrain from cooking without his direct supervision, and excessive noise would result in immediate ejection. Cere Junda expressed disbelief, but the captain maintained that a stern lecture would suffice. Merrin also came to understand that BD-1 was considered part of the crew. Although she could not comprehend his speech, she attempted to emulate Junda's approach by interpreting his meaning through his tone and the context of the situation.

As the crew journeyed together, the others became curious about Merrin's reactions to the galaxy beyond Dathomir. Kestis wondered about Merrin's plans after their mission concluded, while Dritus speculated that she would wish to return to her home planet. Junda disagreed, recalling her own youthful desire to explore the galaxy. The Latero pointed out gaps in Merrin's experiences, such as witnessing fights and sampling various beverages, and Kestis jokingly suggested that Dritus could "show her some strange new wonders." Dritus became enthusiastic about teaching her gambling, confident that she possessed skills that could make the crew incredibly wealthy. Kestis also inquired if the galaxy was as she had imagined it. She responded that the galaxy was immense, and she now realized how restricted her life on Dathomir had been. There, she had been isolated and without purpose after losing her family. When Taron Malicos convinced her that the Jedi were responsible, she was no longer alone; instead, anger became her constant companion. Kestis praised her for resisting that emotion, and she admitted that it was challenging to resist wielding it as a weapon and embracing hatred as a guiding principle.

Due to a hidden stowaway on the ship—a bogling—that everyone except Dritus was aware of, he accused Merrin of employing spells to enter his room and observe him nap, claiming he sensed someone watching him. She denied watching people sleep and asked Junda if they should reveal the truth to him; Junda advised against it, believing he was better off not knowing. On another occasion, while en route and dealing with persistent foul odors, Dritus carefully addressed Kestis and then the two women on the crew about a potential issue with the refresher. Although he was unaware of and uninterested in knowing who was responsible for the offensive smell he detected with his sensitive nose, he requested that they consider lighting a candle or addressing the issue in some other way in the future. Merrin inquired if he possessed a gundark's blood candle, but he did not; instead, he had wasaka berry. He cautioned everyone that he would eject the culprit from his ship if it happened again.

For a considerable time, Dritus remained "terrified" of Merrin and was unnerved by "the whole raising the dead thing." He was pleased that Merrin eagerly consumed his cooking, hoping that the woman he variously referred to as "witch lady," "space witch," "witch sister," or "night witch" would be content and refrain from using her magick on his ship. Her lack of understanding regarding the significance of a particular spoon to his cooking led him to lament that she could cast spells yet failed to appreciate the magic in the little things. When she asked if he used it for conjuring, he became alarmed and pleaded with Kestis to assure him that Merrin would not use his good spoon to raise the dead.

During their travels, Junda and Merrin formed a bond through discussions about traditions and pain. Merrin was curious as to why Junda was no longer a Jedi, and the former Jedi explained that she had succumbed to the dark side of the Force in a moment of weakness; using the Force again would risk being consumed by the dark side. Describing how Nightsisters channeled magick through themselves without being consumed by it, Merrin offered to demonstrate her methods to Junda. Junda declined, asking for Merrin's understanding that it posed a danger to her. At Junda's request, Merrin explained the meaning of her tattoos and inquired about Jedi rituals; both women agreed that it was unusual for a group of peacekeepers to have a bond based on weapons. The Nightsister asked Junda if she had fought in the Clone Wars and if she had ever buried someone she loved. For the Jedi, it had been metaphorical, but Merrin shared how she had literally buried Ilyana and the others. Junda described the pain as something that, in truth, they would never move past. Merrin asked Junda if it was strange to find it comforting that she was not alone in that pain, and Junda did not find it strange at all.

Now in possession of the Astrium, the crew of the Stinger Mantis journeyed to Bogano, the location of the Zeffo vault that housed the holocron. Before landing, Merrin, Cere Junda, and Cal Kestis considered whether the device could actually unlock the vault. They were interrupted by Greez Dritus, who was planning to prepare scazz steaks and wanted to know if anyone else wanted some. Merrin expressed her doubts about the Jedi mission, noting that training Force-sensitive children as Jedi would put their lives at risk, as they would inevitably become targets. Kestis argued that they needed to keep the holocron out of the Empire's reach, and Junda added that it would help bring an end to the Empire. Merrin listened to their arguments, then informed Dritus that she preferred her steak rare.

Merrin and Kestis discussed her impressions of Bogano; its energy felt peculiar to her, simpler than the intricate and ancient power of Dathomir, but she was unsure of the reason. He suggested that she was sensing the qualities that had led the Zeffo to construct their vault there. She observed that Bogano had remained virtually untouched for centuries and that the holocron had remained hidden. She then asked Kestis if the lives he sought to protect had been endangered before his intervention. He countered that by training new Jedi, they could create a galaxy that would respect and safeguard such special places; however, Merrin remained unconvinced and asked if it would be the Jedi's choice or Kestis's. He insisted that they had a responsibility to protect the Force-sensitives and that the galaxy might not survive without the Jedi.

Merrin remained with the ship while Kestis ventured to the vault with BD-1. However, the Empire had tracked the Stinger Mantis. Inside the vault, Kestis was confronted by the Second Sister, a member of the Inquisitorius who sought to obtain the holocron for her masters. The Second Sister escaped Bogano with the holocron in her possession, leaving Imperial forces behind that Kestis dealt with before returning to the Stinger Mantis. Kestis, Merrin, and the others resolved to retrieve the holocron from the Second Sister. Before doing so, Cere Junda, acting as a Jedi Master, knighted Kestis.

The Stinger Mantis followed the Second Sister to Nur, a moon in the Mustafar system that housed Fortress Inquisitorius, the headquarters of the Inquisitorius. They needed to infiltrate the fortress, but the moon was protected by a blockade of Imperial Star Destroyers. Merrin informed the crew that she could perform a ritual that would hopefully conceal the ship from the Imperials. Greez Dritus, wary of her powers, expressed apprehension about the specifics of the ritual. She jokingly told him that she would require one of his arms as a sacrifice, although she reassured him that she was jesting when he appeared to take the suggestion seriously. Seated in the ship's cockpit, Merrin began to invoke the powers of her fallen sisters and Mother, channeling her magick through a talisman. As the crew looked on, magical ichor enveloped the Mantis, rendering it invisible both visually and to Imperial sensors.

While Merrin maintained the ritual, Cal Kestis and Cere Junda proceeded to the surface and infiltrated the Fortress, eventually defeating the Second Sister and recovering the holocron. However, they were interrupted by the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader, who immediately executed the Second Sister upon his arrival, seemingly killed Junda, and relentlessly pursued Kestis through the underwater facility. Kestis managed to briefly evade Vader and reported Junda's apparent death to Dritus and Merrin via comlink. Merrin urged Kestis to continue before Vader overtook him again, igniting Kestis's own lightsaber to impale his torso. Before Vader could seize the holocron, Junda reappeared and reinforced Kestis. She drew upon the dark side, fueled by her anger and hatred of Darth Vader, but she heeded Kestis's pleas to let go. To escape the Sith, Kestis jettisoned himself and Junda into the open ocean. As Kestis and Junda began to drown, Merrin arrived and used her magick to rescue them.

After the crew escaped Nur and Kestis regained consciousness, Merrin rushed to his side and hugged him, only to apologize when he gasped in pain. He thanked her for saving him and joined Junda on the sofa, where the entire crew gathered to discuss their future. When Merrin inquired about the holocron, Junda still wished to use it to rebuild the Jedi order, while Dritus shared Merrin's concern that the Empire would hunt the next generation as it was pursuing the Stinger Mantis crew. As Kestis reflected on Merrin's and Dritus's words regarding the Force-sensitives, the Jedi Knight decided that their destiny should be entrusted to the Force instead; he destroyed the holocron. With the holocron mission complete, the crew of the Stinger Mantis were free to explore the galaxy as they pleased.

As the crew of the Stinger Mantis traveled the galaxy together, they grew closer and became like a family, with the Mantis serving as their home. Merrin viewed their differences as strengths that made them nearly unstoppable as a unit, although they were not inclined to engage in "heart-to-hearts," a term she had learned from Cal Kestis.

Cere Junda remained dedicated to preserving and restoring the Jedi Order, while Kestis was determined to bring the fight to the Empire. Merrin's crusade was more personal; she had learned from Junda and Kestis that Grievous and the other Separatists had been mere puppets of Emperor Palpatine. She sought to destroy those who had shattered her heart, but as they were already dead, she decided that any Imperial followers would serve as targets for her vengeance. Unlike Kestis, she believed that they should fight back against the Empire without bringing the fight to it. Greez Dritus, on the other hand, felt that they should all stop acting as if the fate of the galaxy rested on their shoulders and instead determine what they truly desired.

The Mantis crew developed a routine for their missions: Merrin would infiltrate and deliver death from above, while Kestis and BD-1 would attack from below, Junda would handle communications and technology, and Dritus would ensure that their ship was ready for a swift escape. Junda and Merrin would often team up for reconnaissance beforehand; however, Merrin felt that during missions, Kestis and BD-1 formed one duo, while Junda and Dritus formed another, leaving her without a partner. She also struggled with her Nightsister magicks, aside from her ability to move unseen; she began to contemplate disappearing, as it came naturally to her, but recognized the danger in that line of thought.

Due to Dritus's debts to the Haxion Brood and Kestis's victory in their fighting pit, the gangsters persistently pursued the Mantis and its crew. In one particular month between 12 BBY and 11 BBY, they encountered a Haxion Brood member who, after being intimidated by Merrin's magick, revealed the location of a Haxion Brood base on an asteroid in the Outer Rim. Destroying it, along with the numerous Brood who would be inside it following a raid, would grant the crew greater freedom and protect inhabitants of nearby systems that had been targeted by the Brood; consequently, the crew of the Mantis decided to infiltrate it and detonate it later that month.

Cal Kestis and BD-1 initially traveled to the asteroid to lower the base shields, after which Greez Dritus piloted the Mantis inside to allow Merrin and Cere Junda to disembark. Utilizing her magick, Merrin rendered herself invisible and enhanced her speed as she searched for an entrance on the roof of the base. She noticed that the outer ring appeared deserted but was uncertain as to why. Aided by Junda, Merrin defeated a bounty hunter wielding a flamethrower and then entered the venting system. Kestis and Merrin soon observed from their respective vantage points that the cantina within the base was filled with approximately ten Haxion Brood bounty hunters and unexpected guests: at least twenty Imperial stormtroopers. Junda urged Kestis to set the charges as planned rather than waste time investigating why the Imperials were present, but a bounty hunter spotted him and alerted the others to the Jedi's presence.

As Kestis battled the Haxion Brood forces with his lightsaber, Merrin descended to engage the stormtroopers with her magick, disappearing and reappearing in a manner that tricked them into shooting each other. The explosive charges began to detonate during the conflict. As Merrin moved towards the Mantis, she realized that someone was following her. She vanished and reappeared behind a woman wearing stormtrooper armor. The frightened woman pleaded with Merrin to wait and revealed that she knew about Dathomir. As Merrin paused and then threatened the woman, the Imperial began begging for her assistance. When Merrin removed the woman's helmet, she was surprised to discover a Keshiri instead of a human before seizing her throat. The Keshiri's expression of surrender prompted Merrin to release her, but she refused to jeopardize her crew to aid a stranger who might be a spy. However, Merrin silently considered doing so until Kestis and Dritus, who had been listening through the open comms, interrupted with a reminder to hurry up and escape. While she was distracted by Kestis running towards her, pursued by stormtroopers, the Keshiri woman disappeared.

As Merrin raced for the Mantis, she inquired if anyone else had seen a trooper with their helmet off before ascending the ship's ramp. She yelled to Dritus and Kestis that Junda was not on board as the ship took off. Kestis held Merrin steady and reassured her until he had to resume using his lightsaber and the Force to fend off stormtroopers who were chasing Junda. Merrin's struggle with her powers triggered a surge of grief and memory, but when she witnessed Junda nearly being struck by a blaster bolt, her fear ignited the fire in her hands; her green flames detonated a stall and killed all but one of the troopers. As Junda leaped towards Kestis's arms, Merrin realized that the helmeted stormtrooper reaching out had actually shoved Junda upwards for Kestis to grab. Merrin helped pull Kestis and Junda up the ramp, but their leader reached down to pull up the stormtrooper—the Keshiri woman, who immediately surrendered and removed her helmet.

Kestis invited the Keshiri to sit next to him, and Merrin sat beside her. While Kestis made introductions and the Keshiri responded, Merrin flushed green and felt her hands tingle with fire. As the ship exited the asteroid belt, it was struck by a blast from a TIE Brute. When the ship rolled, it sent the Keshiri falling out of her seat; Merrin grabbed her and cushioned both of them with her magick. Dritus continued evasive maneuvers as Junda confronted the Keshiri; despite having pulled her aboard, Junda ignited Kestis' lightsaber to hold to the Keshiri's throat and demanded to be convinced that the other woman was truly a deserter and not a saboteur. Merrin held the Keshiri's hand and placed a thin barrier between her neck and the weapon, arguing that the Imperial should have a chance to explain. Junda pointed out that only humans served as stormtroopers, suggesting that a Keshiri wearing their armor must have proven her loyalty to the Empire in some way and might be an agent. Kestis spoke up in defense of Merrin's instincts to give the faux-trooper a chance. She quickly introduced herself as Chellwinark Frethylrin, or "Fret," and stated that she was an analyst, not a stormtrooper or an agent spying on them. With the ship still under attack, Frethylrin provided some insider knowledge of how to escape, which Kestis and Dritus successfully implemented. In the jump to hyperspace, Merrin fell back to the floor, and Frethylrin landed on top of her. Frethylrin's useful advice convinced Junda to give her a chance.

Merrin's immediate attraction to Frethylrin made her feel nervous and embarrassed, almost unable to stop staring and blushing when she realized she was doing it; Frethylrin was more at ease with her own interest in Merrin. The crew gathered in the ship's kitchen as Frethylrin recounted a story of how she had supposedly deserted the Empire. Merrin was too preoccupied to pay much attention to details, but the pain in Frethylrin's voice evoked her empathy. Frethylrin then offered to repay her debt to the group by providing details of a job. BD-1 led Frethylrin to Merrin's cabin while the rest of the crew discussed whether or not to hear out the proposal. As their conversation grew more heated, BD-1 was upset by their fighting and interrupted them. Kestis decided that they would follow Frethylrin's directions and set course for Chikua City on Hosnian Prime.

Merrin and Frethylrin's mutual interest grew during the journey, to the point that Dritus wished they would hurry up and kiss. Junda and Kestis both sensed that the two women shared a connection that tethered them to each other in the Force; it reminded Kestis of how quickly he and Merrin had formed their own connection.

In Chikua City, Merrin and her companions journeyed to a supra-atmo skytower to convene with Qeris Lar, an Omwati associate of Frethylrin's. Lar unveiled a scheme that he and Frethylrin had devised for the team: to pilfer a datacard containing the sole schematics for a cloaking device known as the Shroud. Lar intended to utilize these schematics and his resources to produce the Shroud for rebel factions. Frethylrin revealed that the inventor desired her to defect, but they were hunted down and eliminated by the Empire, prompting Merrin to offer her sympathy. The datacard was secured within an Imperial garrison on the planet Murkhana, with Inquisitors en route to claim it as well. The crew returned to the Mantis, and despite Dritus' misgivings and objections, the remaining three members resolved to undertake the mission.

Subsequently, Merrin joined Frethylrin in the engine room, where their discussion about perils and confidence evolved into a passionate encounter, igniting Merrin's emerald fire. While the couple was preoccupied, Kestis noticed the flame and assumed Merrin was practicing and succeeding with her magick. Venturing into Merrin's vacant chamber, Kestis' apprehension regarding Frethylrin led him to interact with her possessions, triggering his psychometry. Through Frethylrin's perspective, he witnessed her affection for Irei, a Kadas'sa'Nikto woman who implored Frethylrin to escape the Empire with her, an offer Frethylrin declined. Consumed by guilt over his intrusion and reluctant to betray Frethylrin's history and suffering, Kestis opted to trust Merrin's intuition and remain silent about his discovery.

During their voyage to Murkhana City, Merrin continued her intimate relationship with Chellwinark Frethylrin, and her magick no longer presented a struggle. Both harbored resentment towards their respective traumas, and Merrin discovered that embracing her fury provided relief; she had felt unable to do so around Cere Junda and Cal Kestis, who displayed greater resignation and composure regarding their pasts. Eventually, Frethylrin confided in Merrin that she had not yet defected because she intended to leverage her system access to procure the Shroud as she fled the Empire. Merrin felt deceived, enraged, and perplexed, but she concealed her emotions from the rest of the crew, deciding to observe how events unfolded during the mission.

Upon the Mantis's arrival at their destination, Junda's crew summons interrupted Frethylrin and Merrin, but they participated in the mission briefing. Merrin and Junda's customary reconnaissance in Murkhana City included a detour for the latter to acquire the Circlet of Saresh, a Jedi artifact. En route, Junda remarked that being with Frethylrin had rekindled Merrin's fire and aided her in healing a void left by the loss of her Nightsister kin. When Junda bartered her mandolin for the circlet, Merrin discerned that Junda was not prepared to discuss it with her.

During the mission, after Frethylrin unlocked a gate to allow Kestis and Merrin passage, Junda reported via comms that the Imperials had implemented that day's new security protocols. Kestis restrained Frethylrin against a wall, but Merrin implored everyone to allow her to explain. She likened Frethylrin's utilization of Imperial intelligence to her own employment of magick through the dark side, which the crew had accepted, and defended Frethylrin's actions as convincing the Empire that she remained on active duty. Kestis was unable to respond immediately due to being underwater, and Merrin misinterpreted his silence as disapproval until he clarified. He then switched to a private channel with Junda to caution her that Frethylrin was being dishonest and might never abandon the Empire. Junda determined that the mission was too crucial to abandon, but Dritus would utilize Frethylrin's tracker to continuously monitor her whereabouts.

Merrin rationalized her decision to keep Frethylrin's secret as part of the other woman's journey to learn to trust after enduring so long within the Empire. The Nightsister persisted in eliminating stormtroopers stationed in the garrison while Junda remotely unlocked all of its prison cells to instigate a riot, an action they had not disclosed to Frethylrin. When Merrin and Frethylrin converged and sought refuge together, the latter erupted into astonished laughter regarding the riot and joked with Merrin before they shared a kiss. Kestis and BD-1 nearly collided with the couple as they rounded a corner, and the group followed Junda's instructions into the cellblock, where the records she had accessed indicated the Shroud plans were located.

Kestis was the first to discover that the prison cell housed Frethylrin's presumed deceased ex-girlfriend, Irei, just as Junda warned them that the Inquisitors had arrived. While Frethylrin was simultaneously overjoyed and devastated to see Irei, Merrin felt wounded, disoriented, and betrayed by the omission of the Nikto. Kestis was primarily concerned for Merrin and her reaction, observing that she had reverted to being terse and distrustful, reminiscent of their initial encounter, and he held her shoulder to offer support. Despite her personal anguish and anger, mirroring her agony after her previous losses, she inquired of Frethylrin what was required at that moment and deliberately introduced herself to Irei as a Nightsister of Dathomir. Although Irei initially resisted being extracted by the group, she conceded that she must escape from the Empire to prevent them from extracting her plans from her mind.

Merrin guarded the group's rear while Kestis led them forward, shouting inquiries to Irei as they advanced and battled the stormtroopers and guards. Irei's responses made Merrin realize that Frethylrin's apprehension about going into hiding with her lover was one of many things Merrin did not know. She was so overwhelmed with emotions that she tried to suppress them to avoid being consumed by her own magick.

When Irei began to express that they did not comprehend her feelings, Kestis employed the Force to subdue the prisoners and Imperials in their path. He explained how he and Merrin understood the sensation of being fearful of protecting loved ones and feeling hopeless, but the Shroud could prevent others from experiencing such despair. Frethylrin pleaded with Irei and made promises, but Irei rejected them and accepted Kestis' word instead. He then escorted Merrin aside for a private conversation away from the former couple. After inquiring about her emotional state, he stated that she would not approve, but he believed Qeris Lar should not possess the Shroud. Merrin concurred and asserted that they must take Irei with them, an idea Kestis was about to suggest before realizing they were in agreement.

Kestis was about to inform Irei and Frethylrin but the pair had vanished. Merrin assumed Frethylrin had chosen to depart with Irei rather than remain with Merrin. In her burning fury, she requested Kestis to leave Frethylrin to her if they encountered her again in the future, and he consented.

Kestis and Merrin collaborated to combat Purge Troopers. Merrin employed her magick in various ways to eliminate them, including directing her ichor into the airholes of helmets, suffocating them with green mist, and incinerating them with a wall of fire. She argued with Kestis that she did not require assistance when he offered it.

Upon reaching the mess hall, a commander incapacitated Merrin with a shock grenade that prevented her from utilizing her magick. Although some of the commander's blaster shots missed, one grazed her shoulder through her body armor and another glanced off of her necklace. The grenade's effects subsided, and she executed the commander slowly, then used their corpse to strike the trooper fighting Kestis. Before he could speak, another wave of Purge Troopers breached the room, and Merrin could discern that he wanted her to abandon him to safeguard Dritus and Junda.

Instead, Merrin invoked the Chant of Resurrection, a spell she had been unwilling or unable to use since battling Kestis on Dathomir, to reanimate a small group of the fallen prisoners. The undead fought alongside Kestis until the distracted and terrified troopers were also deceased. He was in awe of her use of power but instructed her to leave; while he did not verbalize it, he intended to either defeat or delay the approaching Fifth Brother long enough for the rest of the crew to escape. As she raced towards the Stinger Mantis, the Fifth Brother confronted Kestis.

During Cal Kestis' duel with the Fifth Brother, the Jedi requested and received a brief status update from Merrin, confirming that they were initiating the engines but encountering an issue. She did not have the opportunity to explain that by the time she arrived at the Stinger Mantis, which Greez Dritus had relocated to the courtyard, Cere Junda had returned for Kestis herself. Merrin appeared lost when Dritus inquired about the others' whereabouts. As she explained, he seized her arm and assured her that she was making the right decision for the team, and they simply needed to determine the next course of action. As they debated over who should remain with the Mantis or return for the others, Chellwinark Frethylrin shouted for a medbay and limped towards them with Irei across her shoulders.

The Stinger Mantis lacked a medbay, possessing only basic and limited medical supplies, but Irei was succumbing to blaster wounds and burns from electro-weapons. Merrin employed her de- and rematerializing abilities to transport the other two women into the ship. Despite the prior battle and her inexperience with healing, Merrin offered to assist Irei with Frethylrin's support; Irei was too significant to Frethylrin to allow her to perish. Utilizing the repair bench in the engine room as a makeshift gurney, Merrin applied her magick to preserve a life rather than extinguish it. She soothed and numbed Irei's pain and prevented her from regaining consciousness during the most critical moments, while Frethylrin supported Merrin and also utilized the medical supplies. When Irei's condition stabilized, Frethylrin embraced Merrin, consoling her and commending her efforts.

Meanwhile, Junda employed the Force to restrain the Fifth Brother while attempting to persuade him to return to the light side of the Force; Dritus implored her to cease and instead assist him in retrieving the injured Kestis back to the Mantis. When the Inquisitor attempted to kill Kestis with Junda's lightsaber, Dritus intervened and lost one of his four arms. Merrin anticipated the trio to return together, but instead witnessed Junda and Kestis supporting Dritus' lower arms as they carried him into the ship. She shouted for Frethylrin to fly them out and Junda stepped in as co-pilot. In their own ways, Merrin and Kestis attempted to reassure Dritus.

After the Mantis entered hyperspace, Junda escorted Dritus away for treatment, and Merrin explained to Kestis that she could not do anything further after the reanimation spell and healing Irei. She inquired about the events that transpired, but he remained uncertain. Despite her own exhaustion, she remained in the galley attending to Kestis' injuries with a medpac. They discussed how Merrin had been unaware of Irei, but Kestis had learned something about her through his psychometry. He apologized for not informing Merrin sooner, and she wondered aloud why they seemed to repeatedly hurt each other and apologize. After treating his back, she tended to his face. They were both concerned about the extent of her involvement in the battle, although he acknowledged that raising the dead was beneficial. He assured her that they were and would always be "okay."

After the crew maintained their distance from one another for a day and a night, Dritus emerged. He scolded Merrin when she attempted to assist him with his balance, and she concealed her hurt. Dritus sought to confront Frethylrin and accused her of abandoning them all to die, resulting in the loss of his arm. Kestis interrupted their shouting, but he also demanded an explanation of her lies and omissions; otherwise, she and Irei must leave the ship. Merrin concurred with him.

Frethylrin and the crew gathered in the map room, and she recounted the truth about her personal history with Irei, which was difficult for Merrin to hear, and with the Empire. The would-be deserter justified remaining in the Empire until she secured the Shroud schematics, while Dritus pointed out that she had knowingly and foolishly endangered his crew, costing him an arm. Because Kestis recognized the sincerity of Frethylrin's emotions and desired to protect Irei as a fellow Force-sensitive fugitive, he inquired of Frethylrin what they intended to do about her and Irei being on the run.

Kestis' question escalated into a larger confrontation between him, Dritus, Junda, and Merrin; they all harbored frustrations regarding the immediate situation, and their motivations had diverged further over their years together. Holding Frethylrin responsible for Dritus' arm, Merrin accused her of fleeing with her girlfriend instead of remaining to assist in defeating the Purge Troopers. Frethylrin countered that Irei required protection, not a battle. Merrin also declared that the crew was fighting the Empire for every deceased Nightsister since she could not do it to the Separatists; she was not interested in defeating the entire Empire like Kestis or establishing a future for the Jedi like Junda. Irei emerged from the engine room to implore them all to cease and focus on their immediate, mutual predicament regarding the Shroud. Junda decided for everyone to spend forty-eight hours resting and obtaining medical assistance for Dritus. When they had clearer minds, they would reconvene at the Mantis.

After Dritus landed the Stinger Mantis in a village on Zimara, a small moon in the Outer Rim, Merrin went to the sulfur baths to relax and soak. After a full day on the moon, Frethylrin sought her out to discuss their relationship and how she had genuinely believed Irei was dead; she otherwise would have told Merrin about her. Frethylrin asked what the Nightsister did about feeling haunted, and Merrin claimed that Dathomir had pretty ghosts that were good kissers. More seriously, she asked if Frethylrin had loved and still loved Irei; Frethylrin had and always would, but said it did not change how she felt about Merrin.

Merrin expressed her gratitude to Frethylrin for helping her find herself again, which helped her with not drawing upon Dathomir as the source of her magick; she could be her own spark. However, she needed more time to herself to figure out what was next for her and her crew. She was puzzled when Frethylrin thought she meant what she had with Cal Kestis, but Merrin said Kestis cared about and protected everyone, not just her. After the two women agreed they wanted to remain friends, they shared a last kiss.

Merrin and Frethylrin arrived at the Stinger Mantis together, only slightly late for the rendezvous, while Dritus was the only one yet to arrive. While Junda and Frethylrin prepared to fly the ship in case he did not return, Merrin patiently listened to Kestis describing the upgrades he had made to his lightsaber. Just as Junda told everyone to prepare for takeoff, Dritus arrived. Merrin, Kestis, and Junda all rushed to hug him.

Merrin, Irei, and Chellwinark Frethylrin sat together as everyone discussed what to do about the Shroud and Qeris Lar. Irei had only worked with him because her prototype would require mirkanite and he presented himself as anti-Imperial; she did not trust him with her technology and feared she would be trading one prison for another. Merrin laughed at the idea that they could prepare for all possible circumstances, but reminded them he was expecting delivery of the schematics. Cere Junda suggested they give a fake prototype to Lar, and Greez Dritus pointed out that the Omwati would want to kill Frethylrin. To address the latter problem, Merrin and Frethylrin worked together to make new armor from scraps Dritus took from the Haxion Brood base. Cal Kestis worked with Irei to rig an explosive faux prototype.

Before they landed, Kestis was repairing some minor damage to his lightsaber when Merrin approached him to talk. They sat side-by-side on his cot and she told him not to ask her to leave Lar's skytower. Kestis protested that he only did it to protect her and believed she was capable; she also wanted to protect their crew and it was not his job to sacrifice himself for them. Merrin and Kestis both felt they would never forgive themselves if something happened to the other that they could have prevented. He avoided giving her the promise she wanted while assuring her that she did not need to prove anything; he knew her and they were in together. Merrin accepted it for the moment and Kestis held her hand as they settled into silence.

With Junda and Dritus in low orbit over Hosnian Prime, they monitored the meeting with Lar through cams worn on the outfits of the organics and on top of BD-1's head. Irei presented the fake prototype to Lar and asked him to guarantee her safety and Frethylrin's in exchange. Merrin was alert when Lar sealed his doors and knew his explanation about sensitive subjects was a lie. As predicted, Lar said they must "renegotiate" leaving the Shroud prototype and plans with him and Irei working for him to manufacture her invention. Lar asked Frethylrin if she would reconsider since he could reveal her whereabouts, but she refused and Merrin reiterated they would not change their minds. Lar fired a small but powerful blaster at Frethylrin's armored chest that sent her flying and knocked her out. BD-1 and Irei rushed to attend to her.

Merrin, desperately hoping Frethylrin's armor had worked, drew upon her magick as Lar's Hosnian Brood guards exited the elevator and reminded Kestis to not tell her to leave, because she would not. She battled each group of Brood that came up the elevator while Kestis goaded Lar into detailing how he had bought up most of the galaxy's mirkanite mines with the intent of selling the rare mineral to the Empire as it mass produced the Shroud. Everything Lar said was recorded by Junda and Dritus, who were engaging Hosnian Brood ships. Lar grappled with Kestis for a time, but when the Omwati saw Merrin approaching him, he was terrified and took to the air.

Fifth Brother's interference with the group's communications stemmed from his discovery of a tracker surreptitiously placed on Irei. Merrin, poised to eliminate both him and Lar, found herself immobilized by the Inquisitor's Force abilities, which he then used to draw Lar across the space and fatally strike the Omwati with his lightsaber. As Kestis and the Fifth Brother resumed their combat, Merrin remained frozen until the Inquisitor diverted his attention to restraining Kestis. Just as the crimson lightsaber threatened Kestis, Merrin vanished only to reappear, intercepting the blade with her hands enveloped in green fire. Sensing the power she attributed to her heritage, the Fifth Brother was caught off guard; the moment the stasis lifted and Kestis cried out in agony, her focus wavered, resulting in burns to her palms from the lightsaber. Kestis, struck in the arm, propelled her towards Irei and the unconscious Frethylrin. Overwhelmed by despair, Merrin's attention was then drawn to the counterfeit Shroud, a potential tool for creating a diversion. When Kestis attempted to seize it, she forcibly prevented him, arguing against his self-sacrifice, emphasizing their unity as a team.

After ensnaring the Fifth Brother within a vortex of green flames, Merrin reiterated her refusal to abandon Kestis, urging him to accept her assistance, despite his apprehension for her safety. Her persistence led her to hold his hands, bestowing kisses upon them, which ultimately convinced him to confront the situation together.

As Merrin's cyclone dissipated, she engaged the Inquisitor, providing Kestis and Irei the crucial time needed to amplify the explosion of the fake Shroud. Merrin experienced a resurgence of her full magical abilities, reminiscent of her time on Dathomir. She resurrected Qeris Lar's corpse, directing it against the Fifth Brother, alongside other magical attacks, while Kestis joined the fray with his lightsaber. To buy Irei additional time, he and Merrin opted to improvise their strategy. Once the device was primed, Merrin kept the Fifth Brother occupied until Kestis employed the Force to hurl it directly at him. The Inquisitor's attempt to deflect the device with his lightsaber triggered an explosion that caused the room to collapse.

Amidst the debris, Merrin lay unconscious as Dritus and Junda arrived via the elevator. Kestis insisted on checking on Merrin, prompting Junda to attend to her. Frethylrin, regaining consciousness, noticed Merrin's injured and breathless state, and approached her. After whispering to Merrin, touching her face, and kissing her forehead, she was revived, leading Kestis to immediately embrace her. Following Merrin's suggestion, the group reconvened on the Mantis.

Frethylrin and Irei made a mutual decision to seek refuge together, utilizing Frethylrin's connections and Irei's technological expertise. As Dritus transported them to Zimara, Merrin engaged in conversation with them in the engine room, inquiring about their plans while Frethylrin tended to her injuries. Irei excused herself to allow for a private discussion, mentioning that Frethylrin had an offer for Merrin originating from both of them. Frethylrin extended an invitation for Merrin to accompany them. Touched by the gesture, Merrin speculated whether the other two were rekindling their previous relationship, but acknowledged that they had both undergone significant changes, and Frethylrin had since met Merrin. The Nightsister conveyed to the former Imperial her inability to join them, expressing her desire to remain, while also expressing gratitude for their shared experiences. Both expressed hopes for a future reunion and pride in each other's accomplishments.

Upon the Stinger Mantis' arrival on Zimara and the commencement of farewells, Merrin and Frethylrin secluded themselves for a final goodbye. As Irei and Frethylrin departed, Merrin grasped Kestis' hand, affirming her decision to stay; she noted that the elders had always said foolishness ran in her family.

Following the Shroud conflict, the Mantis crew disbanded due to escalating disagreements. Merrin, having spent the majority of her life isolated on Dathomir, chose to embark on a solo exploration of the galaxy. Her travels took her to numerous destinations, including Persaya and Kuratow. Despite the pervasive suffering, she came to appreciate the galaxy's inherent beauty. Merrin dedicated herself to alleviating this suffering, selflessly aiding those in need. During her journeys, she revisited Dathomir to commune with her fallen coven, acquiring new magical techniques. Her altruistic endeavors brought her into conflict with the Empire, leading her to support the Hidden Path. This involvement resulted in her reunion with Cere Junda, who had risen to a leadership position within the Path. Operating from a concealed Anchorite base on Jedha, Cere had reconnected with her former master, Eno Cordova, and was working to rebuild the Jedi archives and secure safe havens for Force-sensitives being hunted by the Empire.

In 9 BBY, Merrin was reunited with Kestis, BD-1, and Dritus on the sacred moon of Jedha, following their arrival. As a massive dust storm threatened the Narkis Anchorite base where Merrin was stationed to support Junda and the Hidden Path, the Mantis was compelled to land a considerable distance from the base. However, they received notification that a trusted contact would assist in escorting Cal to the base. Kestis was unaware that this contact was Merrin herself, who informed him that significant changes had occurred since their last encounter and that she had specifically requested to escort him. Upon reaching the rendezvous point, Kestis and Merrin collaborated to overcome several Imperial patrols as they made their way back towards Merrin's speeder, noting the similarity to a mission they had previously undertaken on Nar Shadaa. The pair worked in tandem, with Merrin utilizing her magic to assist Cal in navigating the terrain and reconstructing collapsed structures to clear their path. Upon their arrival, however, Merrin discovered that her speeder had been destroyed by Stormtroopers. As the dust storm intensified, the two rode on the back of a spamel, with Merrin holding onto Kestis' waist for stability. The storm eventually caught up with them, causing the spamel to throw them off before fleeing to safety. The friends continued on foot through the storm until they found refuge in a cave, where they also found the same spamel seeking shelter. Merrin and Kestis built a small fire and spent the night on the cave floor. Before falling asleep, Merrin asked Cal to recount his adventures since the Mantis crew disbanded, and he shared his discovery of a potential sanctuary where the Empire could not reach them, but it would require abandoning the fight against Imperial tyranny. Merrin used the metaphor of a fire to illustrate how determination and purpose could be comforting, yet all-consuming if left unchecked. She then moved closer to Cal, playfully teasing him. After acknowledging their mutual longing, Merrin explained how traveling the galaxy on her own terms allowed her to discover herself beyond her identity as a Nightsister. As their conversation drew to a close, Merrin rested her head on Cal's left shoulder, his arms gently embracing her. During the night, Merrin kept watch as Kestis slept, taking the opportunity to lie down beside him, her hand resting on his.

The next morning, Kestis awoke to find BD-1 scanning Merrin for a holographic image of her posing with a dagger. The three then proceeded to the Anchorite base, where they reunited with Junda, Cordova, and the newly arrived Mantis crew. Upon Kestis' introduction to Cordova, she quipped that she had yet to meet a Jedi with a better sense of humor than Cordova, despite only knowing Cal and Cere. Here, Merrin also met Kestis' new companion Bode Akuna, a gunslinging mercenary who had recently joined the Mantis crew. Kestis sought information from Cordova regarding the hidden planet Tanalorr and a fallen Jedi from the High Republic Era known as Dagan Gera. Information found in the archives led Kestis, Akuna, BD-1, and Dritus back to the Koboh system, while Merrin remained on

Upon the Stinger Mantis' return, Kestis brought back two broken Abyss compasses, devices used by High Republic Era Jedi to navigate the Koboh Abyss and establish a Jedi temple on Tanalorr. At that moment, an alert came in that the Pilgrim's Sanctuary safe house was under attack by the Empire. Merrin led Kestis on a daring mission to rescue Brother Armias, the Anchorite at the safe house who held the contact codes for the Hidden Path. They arrived at the Hidden Path safe house to find a Trident-class assault ship drilling into the ancient structure. Although they were unable to save Brother Armias, they successfully recovered the contact codes. Merrin protected Kestis from falling debris using her magic, and gave him an enchanted device that allowed him to pass through energy barriers. The two headed up the top of the sanctuary before being cornered to a dead end. Merrin the used a magic potion to create portals that bent space, allowing her and Kestis to safely traverse through the air. Before jumping through, Merrin drew Kestis in for a deep kiss. The two Force wielders then used their combined power to destroy the assault ship.

With the threat eliminated, Merrin and Kestis returned to the Anchorite base to deliver the contact codes to Junda. Merrin ensured that they were not tracked by the Empire on their return. Cordova then informed Kestis about the history of Republic research on the Koboh Abyss and Tanalorr, but broke the news that the two Abyss compasses he brought could not be repaired. Fortunately, there was one final compass made, and Kestis decided he would search for it. Kestis invited Merrin to join him, to which she explained how their connection as survivors, which once seemed so unique, was a common theme among many across the galaxy. Nevertheless, Merrin agreed to join her friend on his journey back to Koboh. Upon their return, the crew learned that a group of raiders led by Dagan Gera had kidnapped ZN-A4, a droid Kestis had recently recovered and served the Jedi during their time on Koboh. As Kestis, BD-1, and Akuna went to rescue the droid, Merrin stayed behind with Dritus to protect the latter's cantina, Pyloon's Saloon, which she referred to as a dirty oasis, from any Bedlam Raider attacks.

As Kestis made ground against Dagan Gera and his raiders, Merrin protected the townsfolk of Rambler's Reach Outpost and journeyed with him to Koboh's Shattered Moon. As Cal reckoned with the parallels of his own journey and that of the fallen Jedi Gera, she recognised his brooding, saying it was no Jedi trick, she just paid attention. Cal worried that Dagan’s obsession with Tanalorr was similar to his fight with the Empire and he feared losing his way like Dagan did. When Cal remarked that he couldn’t understand how Santari Khri, a Jedi Master and scientist from the High Republic era and Gera's closest friend, did not notice the change in Dagan until it was too late, Merrin countered by saying Khri and Gera dreamed together and suffered together, and that a shared dream was not so easy to wake from. She promised Cal that she would guide him back if he were to ever lose his path. She used her magic to cloak the Mantis from the nearby Vulture droids as the ship approached the Shattered Moon, and dryly told Bode, who she referred to as Jetpack, that she might need some of his blood in case she gets tired, leaving the mercenary confused and slightly concerned. Kestis eventually slayed Gera, and acquired the final Abyss compass. The crew traveled back to the Anchorite base on Jedha, and gave the final compass to Cordova for him to repair. Giving the Jedi Master time to concentrate, Merrin and the others sat around a fire that evening, drinking tea, reminiscing on the past and celebrating a future in which the Hidden Path could establish itself on Tanalorr, where the Empire could not reach them. After the others had gone back inside, Merrin and Cal enjoyed the desert view, and Merrin commented that there was beauty in the emptiness - Kestis replied that she was starting to sound like a Jedi. Kestis then confessed that the Jedi teachings of attachment were best left in the past, and that he was ready to be romantically involved with Merrin. She was pleased he finally came around, and the two leaned in for another kiss.

The following morning, Cordova finished the compass, but suddenly the base's klaxons began sounding the alarm as Imperial forces closed in from all sides. Akuna used the distraction to kill Cordova and steal the compass. Kestis pursued the traitor across the desert. Merrin helped Junda defend the base from Imperial forces and stall while the Anchorites evacuated. After preventing a full-on assault of the base interior, Junda managed to transfer the contact codes to BD-1, but lost in a duel against Darth Vader, the Sith Lord who served as the Emperor's apprentice and enforcer. Merrin, along with Dritus, Kestis, and BD, were heartbroken at the loss of their crewmate and friend. Further distraught by the Akuna's betrayal and the revelation that he was once a Jedi himself, the crew felt lost as to their next steps.

The Mantis crew used a locator beacon Akuna left in his possession to track the spy to an Imperial Security Bureau satellite station in the Nova Garon system. They infiltrated the base, with Merrin defending the Mantis while Kestis pursued Akuna. Cal managed to find Akuna and his daughter, but the spy sounded the alarm, alerting the Inquisitorius of Kestis' presence. As Imperial forces came down on Kestis, Merrin supported Cal with her magic. After clearing most of the main hangar of Imperials, ISB Commander Lank Denvik burst into the hangar, armed with a blaster. Kestis channeled his anger at Akuna, swiftly disarming the ISB officer and putting him into a Force choke. Merrin pled with Kestis, reminding him of who he is, and convinced the Jedi to drop Denvik. She has Kestis promise to tell her if he ever felt the pull of the dark side again and reminded him that if he ever strayed from the path, the Mantis crew would be there to put him on the right track. They regrouped on the Mantis, where they discovered a hidden recording from Khri who revealed a secondary way to reach Tanalorr, which involved aligning the beams emitted from Republic installations in the system towards particular coordinates.

The crew traveled back to Koboh where, en route, Merrin told Cal she wouldn't talk about their kiss on the Jedha mesa as her sisters taught her that to discuss a spell was to unravel it, so it was best to let it lie for the time being. On the planet, she protected the Outpost whilst Kestis successfully aligned the beams. With everything in place, the crew made the perilous journey through the Koboh Abyss. With so much Koboh matter along the winding path, Dritus doubted his ability to pilot through successfully. Merrin encouraged the Latero, reminding him to fly, not pilot. ZN-A4 alerted the crew that the alignment station was becoming unstable, and the Koboh matter began closing in on the Mantis. Kestis used the Force to time a hyperspace microjump to Tanalorr before the Abyss consumed them. In their relief, Merrin and Kestis share a long kiss as Dritus screamed, unsure of their survival. The crew then landed on Tanalorr to pursue Akuna. Merrin noted that Tanalorr was unlike anywhere she had seen in the galaxy, but could feel the darkness within the planet.

Merrin and Kestis walked from the Mantis' landing site to the Jedi Temple. As they made their way to the temple, they agreed to give Akuna one last chance to change his mind, but they feared violence was inevitable as Bode already had what he wanted and would fight to the death to keep it. She told Kestis that Akuna must pay and to remember that people were counting on them. In the temple's atrium, they encountered Kata, Bode's daughter. Kestis introduced her to Merrin, and the two explained to Kata that they were asking for something her father had stolen back. Kata was willing to take them to her father, especially because she disliked the lonely planet she was told to call home. As they walked down a dark hallway, Merrin used her magic to light the way with a green flame. In the main hall of the temple, Merrin and Kestis confronted Akuna, who was shocked to see them on Tanalorr. Akuna refused to give back Tanalorr, and used the Force to crumble a bridge separating Kata from the rest. Merrin and Kestis fought against Akuna, who was armed with Dagan Gera's lightsaber and a blaster pistol. As Akuna used the Force to further crumble the temple, Merrin was forced out of the battle to protect Kata from harm. Kestis continued to fight Akuna until the former embraced the dark side of the Force to overpower his opponent. Kestis got Akuna down to his knees, his lightsaber aimed at his throat. Merrin teleported herself and Kata down to the men, and they gave Akuna one last chance to stand down. He pretended to relent, but used the opportunity to put Kestis into a chokehold, pushed Kata back, and Force choked Merrin. Realizing his friend was beyond saving, Kestis pushed Akuna off balance, giving Merrin the opportunity to throw a dagger into Akuna's shoulder. Kestis then shot Akuna twice in the chest, killing him.

Merrin brought Kata back to the Mantis, and gave her a talk about loss, grief, and moving through it without losing one's self. She immediately felt protective over the young girl and wanted to ensure she had space during the difficult times she would face. She was acutely aware that she and Cal both also grew up without parents this knowing what it was like, but Kata herself would determine who she becomes. Merrin and the others then had a funeral for Akuna, Junda, and Cordova on Tanalorr, in which Merrin used magic to ignite their pyres. The Mantis crew then made plans to honor Junda and Cordova and establish the Hidden Path on their new home of Tanalorr. Merrin planned to reach out to those in the network to gather further allies and to build something new. She knew it wouldn't be easy and that they must only keep council with those they trusted. She intended to find the remaining Anchorites to help to make Tanalorr their own and said the Path would need more compasses.

Following the defeat of Akuna on Tanalorr and the Bedlam Raiders on Koboh, Merrin told Cal that they couldn’t go back to how things were between them. She told the Jedi that even if things were not so simple, they would figure it out together. She continued to remain protective over Kata, believing that they both would need time to adjust to their new lives.

Merrin knew that Koboh was in the Empire’s grasp before the Imperial-class Star Destroyer appeared over the planet, and she knew that they would have to take the fight to them which excited her as she couldn’t wait to take out a Star Destroyer. When the crew returned to Coruscant with Kata, she used magic once again the conceal the ship. After spending a short time on the planet, she said the galaxy needed a true revolution, noting all the people on Coruscant who had no idea of the war the crew were fighting.

Merrin possessed silver hair, brown eyes, and a fair, alabaster complexion. Like other Nightsisters, Merrin bore tattoos bestowed by her mother, representing her connection to her coven; these markings were gray and adorned her forehead, cheekbones, the bridge of her nose, beneath her lower lip, and on her fingers. Her skin would take on a greenish hue when she blushed. As the Mantis crew journeyed together, Merrin maintained her distinctive accent and continued to favor attire in red and black, while also experimenting with clothing that deviated from the traditional Nightsister style. She consistently wore her necklace as a daily accessory.

Merrin's perception of her homeworld and her sisters was one of simultaneous beauty, strength, and terror; she believed that all beauty contained an element of danger, but Dathomir's dark energy was a source of motivation and sustenance. When engaged in combat against the Empire, she would sometimes experience flashbacks to Dathomir, particularly to the massacre. She associated the scent of charred remains with home. For a period, she was convinced that her sole purpose was to avenge her sisters and her world.

Due to her isolation on Dathomir, Merrin displayed a sense of wonder and fascination when visiting other planets. While she could be direct and at times appeared indifferent towards others, she was not without compassion; for example, she expressed concern for the well-being of Force-sensitive children she had never encountered. Years after leaving Dathomir, she reflected on her initial behavior, acknowledging that she treated people poorly and made peculiar choices when she first ventured beyond her world. Cal Kestis found her unsettling, partly because her magic drew upon the dark side, and even after years of friendship, he was not always certain when Merrin was being humorous. Her sense of humor could be perceived as dark by some, such as when she jokingly suggested to the incredulous Dritus that she required one of his arms as a ritual sacrifice to bypass the Imperial blockade at Nur. She also exhibited sadistic tendencies; she ensured Malicos would endure a prolonged death underground and found it amusing and gratifying to use her magic to cause the demise of Imperials.

Merrin connected with the elders' teachings about how their magic was akin to fire and their emotions served as the fire's fuel; a fire would extinguish without fuel, and magic could not be ignited by dulled emotions. When she initially left Dathomir and spent time with Kestis and the rest of the Stinger Mantis crew, she did not feel as empty as she had feared, but her anger intensified over time, evolving into depression stemming from her inability to satisfy her need for vengeance. While her new family had opened her up to experiencing love instead of shutting down, it also put her at risk of immense pain and overwhelming emotion that could lead to her own magic burning her.

Having witnessed the massacre of her fellow Nightsisters and been deceived by the former Jedi Taron Malicos, Merrin developed a hostile and aggressive demeanor, particularly towards Jedi. Driven by her desire to avenge her sisters, she accepted his claims that the Jedi were thieves who slaughtered others for their own gain, and despite her distrust of him, she was willing to share secrets of Dathomir in exchange for his promised assistance in her quest for vengeance. After learning the truth and joining Cal Kestis and the crew of the Stinger Mantis, she became more composed and set aside her previous animosity toward Jedi, recognizing them as fellow survivors.

Merrin was attracted to beings of all genders when she felt a strong connection to them, particularly if their personality was exceptional, and with few limitations. She had some flings when the Stinger Mantis remained in one location, including someone so temperamental that she could not be sure where she stood with him and another who seemed to love her power more than Merrin herself. Part of her attraction to Chellwinark Frethylrin was being pleasantly reminded of Dathomir. Merrin inwardly compared Frethylrin's red eyes to coals and the Rift Valley's red skies, her freckles to crater orchid petals, her skin to violets with morning dew, her scent to spiced ahrisa and wax on Grave Thorn wood. Like Dathomir, Frethylrin was deadly and dangerous. Merrin thought they were like binary stars, giving off and absorbing each other's light, and she was able to feel her frustration and anger about her losses. After a passionate fling, however, Merrin and Frethylrin separated.

Merrin cherished the Mantis crew and considered them her family. She regarded Junda as the closest thing she had left to an elder sister. Greez Dritus was the "weird" and "greasy uncle" Merrin had never had but continually found impressive and frustratingly likable. BD-1 was strange but cute to the point of nausea and she wanted to crush him to death with hugs. Kestis was a fellow survivor who was sometimes annoyingly sweet, and his earnestness was one of her favorite things about him despite how its wholesomeness sometimes made her sick to her stomach. She saw him as the star that illuminated her shadow.

After disagreements caused the Mantis team to disband, Merrin chose to explore the galaxy independently. As she traveled, she found herself missing her former comrades, especially Cal, whom she often thought about. She eventually reunited with Cere and helped her create the Hidden Path. In 9 BBY, Cal and Merrin's paths crossed again when Cal went to Jedha to meet Cere. While seeking shelter from a sandstorm in a cave, Merrin and Cal shared a moment of intimacy, and she cautioned him against letting his desire to fight the Empire consume him. As they journeyed through Jedha's deserts, they frequently engaged in playful banter and flirtation. During a critical mission to destroy an Imperial Trident, Merrin kissed Cal, after which they successfully destroyed the warship together. Following this, Merrin decided to rejoin the Mantis crew to be near Cal. Initially hesitant due to the Jedi's stance against attachments, Cal ultimately decided the prohibition was misguided, and he and Merrin began a relationship after the Abyss compass was recovered. The night before the crew's departure for Tanalorr, they shared a passionate kiss on Jedha's cliffs.

The betrayal of Bode Akuna and the subsequent deaths of Eno Cordova and Cere Junda deeply affected Merrin, who grieved especially for Cere. After a failed attempt to apprehend Bode at Nova Garon, Merrin assisted Cal in overcoming the Imperial forces. When Cal, fueled by the dark side, nearly killed the defenseless ISB officer Lank Denvik, Merrin intervened, stating she couldn't bear to lose another person to the Empire. Cal assured her he wouldn't succumb to the darkness. After successfully navigating the Koboh Abyss, Cal and Merrin celebrated with another kiss. Together, they then fought and defeated Bode Akuna. During the funeral service for Cordova, Cere, and Bode, Merrin was the last of the crew to leave Cal's side, and they vowed to navigate their new relationship together.

Merrin displayed compassion towards Bode Akuna's daughter, Kata, who in turn expressed her gratitude. During the confrontation with Bode, Merrin saved Kata when her father's violence put her in danger. Following Bode's death, Merrin comforted Kata, helping her deal with her grief. In the weeks that followed, Merrin showed a protective and caring attitude toward the young girl.

Merrin possessed extensive knowledge of Nightsister magick, which she began studying in her youth. She appeared to teleport by willing herself to become unseen—vanishing into invisibility accompanied by a burst of green flame, enabling her to move at superhuman speeds, and then reappearing amidst more flame and ash. While using this ability, she described feeling disconnected from reality until she rematerialized. Her dematerialization and rematerialization could extend to other beings; she utilized it with Irei and Chellwinark Frethylrin, as well as with a pair of Nightbrothers. She also knew a ritual that could conceal an entire S-161 "Stinger" XL from sensor detection.

Using her magick for offensive purposes was intuitive and simpler than healing, especially without the aid of potions, formulas, or the Water of Life. Merrin could asphyxiate beings using a green mist or by manipulating the earth to bury them alive; she could also control the ground to create elevated platforms. Her magick could enhance Nightbrothers in combat, and she was capable of launching destructive blasts of ichor. On multiple occasions, Merrin utilized the Chant of Resurrection, a powerful Nightsister magick previously employed by Old Daka until her death during the massacre. Without a seeing glass, Merrin was unable to complete the entire chant, but for a short period, she could raise and control numerous undead bodies from species other than Dathomirians and on planets other than Dathomir.

Unlike some Dathomirians, Merrin did not consider her magick a religion or a shamanistic practice, nor did she have faith in any higher power; instead, she believed that she herself was the source of the power. However, because she defined herself by her power, difficulties in accessing it made her feel as though she had lost her identity, leading to a cycle of depression. She initially believed she was struggling due to being too far from her home planet and her deceased sisters to replenish her connection to her magick. When she regained her abilities, she realized they were different than before, detached from any other being or Dathomir itself, and originating from within herself.

In addition to Dathomirian language, Merrin spoke Galactic Basic Standard fluently, though she occasionally struggled with colloquial expressions. She was capable of swimming and rescuing drowning individuals. After many years away from Dathomir, Merrin maintained her natural night vision.

She used to spend nights dancing with her sisters on Dathomir, and after being alone for years following the Nightsister massacre during the Clone Wars, Merrin adapted and became physically protective and skilled in hand-to-hand combat. She later promised to teach Kata how to dance and fight.

Merrin's debut occurred in the 2019 video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order, the initial entry in the Star Wars Jedi series, where Tina Ivlev portrayed her through motion capture. During the game's development, an early concept for the main antagonist was called Mag Zaroff. Some design elements intended for Zaroff, such as her cloak, were later incorporated into Merrin's design. The Art of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order featured various design concepts for Merrin illustrated by Jordan Lamarre-Wan.

Sam Maggs, the author of the 2023 novel Jedi: Battle Scars, hoped to write a book from Merrin's point of view after playing Fallen Order, wanting to explore the character's narrative potential. Respawn Entertainment, the studio responsible for developing Fallen Order, had already conceived of Merrin as pansexual and established this in the game. However, Respawn and Lucasfilm desired Battle Scars to more explicitly establish Merrin's pansexuality as canonical, and Maggs was pleased to have the opportunity to further explore this aspect of her character.