Zelka Forn

Zelka Forn, a Human male, resided on the planet of Taris. He established and managed a medical facility intended for the treatment of the sick and injured, aided by a single assistant named Gurney. Forn was driven by a desire to assist anyone suffering from wounds or illness, irrespective of their species, planet of origin, or political leanings. This inclusive approach contrasted with some medical professionals who might have refused service based on such factors. In 3956 BBY, following the destruction of the Galactic Republic battleship Endar Spire over Taris by the Sith Empire, a number of Republic soldiers managed to escape. As the Sith occupied the planet, Forn secured the necessary permissions to maintain the operation of his facility from the newly designated Sith Governor. Forn rescued and cared for some of the Republic soldiers, placing them in kolto tanks within a concealed area of his facility. This was done despite the risk of arrest by the Sith for providing aid to soldiers aligned with the Empire's adversaries. Forn recognized that their injuries were too severe for full recovery, but he strove to ensure their comfort during their final days.

Forn was also distressed by his inability to heal those afflicted by the Rakghoul disease, which caused its victims to transform into deformed mutants known as rakghouls. The plague presented significant challenges to some on Taris because the Sith, after seizing a Tarisian military installation containing the only samples of an antidote, reserved it for their own soldiers patrolling the Undercity, an area of Taris heavily populated by rakghouls. Forn empathized with the Outcasts, residents of the Undercity who had been—or whose ancestors had been—banished from the Upper City and were consequently exposed to the disease's effects on a regular basis. Forn devoted considerable effort to researching the origins of the rakghoul infection. During the battle above Taris, Revan, a soldier aboard the Endar Spire, reached an escape pod with fellow Republic soldier Carth Onasi and fled to the surface of Taris to search for Jedi Knight Bastila Shan, whom the Republic considered a valuable asset. Shan had evacuated with other Republic personnel from the Endar Spire and reached the planet.

Upon arriving on Taris, Revan encountered Forn's facility and discovered the Republic soldiers in the back room. Revan was impressed by the doctor's compassion and pledged not to reveal the location of the Republic soldiers to the Sith. Forn believed the soldiers would perish from the plague or be captured, which he sought to prevent. From Forn, Revan learned about the serum and its location. As Revan prepared to retrieve the antidote from the Sith base, Gurney, Forn's assistant, approached Revan and informed him of Davik Kang, the local leader of the galactic criminal organization Exchange, who also desired the serum. Gurney assured Revan that Kang would offer a significantly higher price for the serum than Forn could afford. When Revan and his companions journeyed to the Undercity, Revan located the corpse of a Sith trooper who possessed the Rakghoul serum. After obtaining the serum, Revan rejected Kang's offer and instead presented it to Forn, who offered him fifty credits and two medpacs in return. Revan declined, believing Forn had a greater need for the credits. Forn synthesized the serum to offer it at a low cost to those infected and also provided Revan with a discount on all his supplies, considering it the least he could do.

Mere hours after Forn commenced synthesizing the serum, Taris was subjected to a bombardment by the Sith Lord Darth Malak in an attempt to eliminate Shan. Forn's accomplishment in synthesizing the serum was documented in the archives of the HoloNet, and three centuries following the bombardment of Taris, a supply of the serum remained intact within the ruins of the Sepanik Memorial Hospital. During the Cold War between the Republic and a re-established Sith Empire, pirates from the Death's Claw gang extracted the serum from the hospital's remains, although they discovered that it was not fully effective due to the rakghoul virus's mutation. Doctor Ianna Cel, associated with the Taris Resettlement Initiative, employed a Republic operative to retrieve the serum from Sepanik. The operative successfully recovered some of the serum from the Death's Claw after discovering that the pirates had taken all of it. Although Forn's serum was insufficient to combat contemporary rakghouls, Cel expressed optimism about synthesizing a cure by building upon Forn's research.

Forn was an elderly man characterized by dark skin, graying dark hair, a moustache, and brown eyes. He possessed extensive medical training and was capable of treating numerous injuries despite the limited resources available in his medical facility. He exhibited profound concern for others, exemplified by his desire to provide medical assistance to all who were ill. He would never deny assistance to anyone, regardless of their status as an off-worlder or alien, or even if he harbored personal animosity towards them. This contrasted with the prevailing mentality among the Human population of Taris, who were often xenophobic and considered themselves superior to aliens. Forn feared the Sith, believing they might eventually shut down his clinic, and he preferred to avoid any interaction with them. When Revan presented him with the serum and refused his reward, Forn regarded Revan as exceptionally noble but still felt that Revan deserved some form of compensation for his efforts.

Zelka Forn made his debut as a non-player character in the 2003 video game Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, developed by BioWare. While the player has various options regarding how to interact with Zelka Forn, the light side choices are considered canonical. The game can also be played without encountering Forn's medical facility, meaning that Forn is never encountered. If the player aligns with the dark side, they can threaten to inform the Sith about the Republic soldiers unless Forn provides credits to ensure their silence. If the soldier Carth Onasi or Bastila Shan are present in the party, they will object to such actions. When attempting to enter the room in Forn's facility where the Republic soldiers are located, Revan can either force the door open or bypass the locks. If the player declares allegiance to the Republic, Forn may also simply reveal the soldiers to the player.

The player also has the option to sell the Rakghoul serum to the Hutt criminal Zax for one thousand credits. With sufficient persuasion skills, the player can convince Zax to pay one thousand five hundred credits for the serum. Both options result in the player gaining dark side points. The player can still purchase a copy of the serum from Forn, albeit at a higher price, and Forn will harbor resentment towards the player. If the player approaches Forn while wearing Sith trooper armor, Forn will assert that he possesses the necessary permits and request that the player leave, stating that he wishes to avoid trouble. However, if the player excessively angers or harasses Forn, the option to give him the serum is lost, although he will still offer supplies and healing to the player. The 2011 video game Star Wars: The Old Republic revealed that Revan had indeed given the serum to Forn, as Forn's serum played a significant role in the quest "Pirate Medicine."