The Merson pirates operated within the galaxy throughout both the Republic and Imperial Eras. During the [Clone Wars](/article/clone_wars], they were among the various pirate factions that received support from the Confederacy of Independent Systems. Count Dooku, the Separatist leader, actively encouraged them to disrupt the Galactic Republic's supply routes during the conflict.
Later, in 9 BBY during the Galactic Empire's rule, Princess Leia Organa was starship spotting on her home planet, Alderaan. In the course of her adventures, Organa found a Tri-Wing S-91x Pegasus Starfighter and believed it might belong to an Aquillian Ranger searching for the Merson pirates.
The initial mention of the Merson pirates in the new Star Wars canon occurred in Rise of the Separatists, a 2019 addition to Fantasy Flight Games' Star Wars Roleplaying product line. Within the Star Wars Legends timeline, the Merson pirates were first seen in a flashback sequence in the twenty-fourth edition of Marvel Comics' Star Wars comic series, written by Mary Jo Duffy and released on February 27, 1979.