Salla Zend, a Human female, once shared a romantic connection with Han Solo. Later, she and her associate Shug Ninx played a crucial role in assisting Solo and his wife, New Republic Senator Leia Organa Solo, in their mission to rescue Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. Furthermore, they aided in thwarting the resurrected Emperor Palpatine's scheme to seize control of the galaxy from Byss, an event that unfolded years after the pivotal Battle of Yavin. Zend piloted her exceptionally swift vessel, the Starlight Intruder, a ship she frequently boasted was superior in speed to the Millennium Falcon. However, despite her claims, the Starlight Intruder consistently failed to outperform the Falcon in numerous races.
Zend possessed a natural talent for repairing and modifying machinery during her student days. However, instead of pursuing formal education to become an engineer or technician, she opted to work as a spaceship mechanic on a corporate vessel. Eventually, she accumulated sufficient funds to secure a loan and acquire her own ship.
Her initial experience on Nar Shaddaa proved to be quite eventful. She found herself in a confrontation with a smuggler known as "Jump," who initially attempted to woo her but later resorted to aggressive behavior, which resulted in a dislocated shoulder for him. After enhancing her ship, the Rimrunner, Zend commenced repaying her debt by engaging in smuggling activities alongside Han Solo.
She was among the numerous smugglers who participated in the Battle of Nar Shaddaa, where she and Lando Calrissian, piloting the Millennium Falcon, formed a partnership. During the battle, she personally destroyed three Guardian-class light cruisers utilizing her ship's concussion missiles.
A perilous race with Solo near a neutron star nearly resulted in catastrophe when her hyperdrive malfunctioned, and Solo risked his life to rescue her. Deeply affected by the near-death experience, Zend expressed her desire to marry Solo, but he declined and ended their relationship. Subsequently, she formed an alliance with Shug Ninx.
The debut appearance of Salla Zend and the Starlight Intruder occurred in the third installment of the Star Wars: Dark Empire series, titled The Battle for Calamari.
Glynnis Talken, a voice actress, lent her voice to Salla in the 1994 Dark Empire audio drama. In 1995, Talken reprised her role as Salla in the Dark Empire II audio drama.
Despite the initial edition of The Essential Guide to Characters definitively identifying Salla's species as Human, her voice in these audio adaptations features a distinct "purr" and a subtle alien reverb.