Merza Dolchet

Official art by Tom Campana

**Merza Dolchet** is a curious individual from a bat-like species they refer to as "I Bring Sweet Relief". A medical scientist of admirable skill they currently offer their services to the Brightest Eye vessel Screaming Valor as thanks for being rescued from the failed Brightest Eye colony on Ootheca.

## Biography

### Backstory

Merza's full history is unknown but it is heavily implied that they were a prisoner to the Cyryn at some point prior to meeting the Screaming Valor crew, developing a strong hatred for the species in the process. Due to unknown circumstances, Merza ended up stranded in space on a "dead refugee vessel" close to the planet Ootheca.

They were however rescued by the Brightest Eye colony ship destined for Ootheca and Merza was welcomed by the colonists, who told them that the new Brightest Eye queen had abolished slavery. When the Ta'al Klee supercomputer took control of the Brightest Eye on Ootheca through their Concordance, Merza, horrified by the changes in the colonists, fled the colony and sought shelter in a cave in a dangerous area of the planet filled with unstable gasses and chemical reactions called "the Blue Reckoning". It is there that they were discovered by an away party from the Screaming Valor consisting of Captain Louvin Yikjaal Muur, Tactical Officer Visionary Destroyer, Helmsman Rayk Yikjaal Muur, Science Officer J'kal and Security Officer Fearless Pioneer.

### Joining the Screaming Valor crew

Merza quickly explained the situation to the team and assisted them in freeing the Brightest Eye on Oohteca from the supercomputer's control only to be captured by a Vrer force almost immediately afterwards.

Merza, Rayk, Lulu and Visionary Destroyer were brought deeper into Vrer space, with the mission of stealing the dead body of a Vrer, with which an opportunistic Vrer leader named Vigil would create an even more powerful version of the supercomputer that enslaved the Ootheca colony and use it to assume total control over the Vrer.

During the mission they developed a bond with Visionary Destroyer, using their innate symbiotic abilities to bolster her already formidable skills in battle in exchange for protection, as well as developing a sense of kinship with the rest of the crew, opting to accept Lulu's offer to remain on the Screaming Valor upon their safe return to the ship, but not before using their vast medical skills to tend to Rayk's severe injuries sustained in a fight with the Vrer in order to ensure his best recovery with fewest long-term aftereffects.

Afterwards, as a result of Good Idea unleashing slate energy to destroy the Vrer fleet orbiting Oohteca, the resulting residual energy cloud drew the attention of Ghasca Ueno and her new fleet of remote controlled drone ships.

An altercation over the energy field resulted in Ghasca and the Screaming Valor bridge crew, including Merza, to find themselves scattered across various points of space-time, with Merza and Visionary Destroyer finding themselves on what appeared to be Merza's homeworld, "Infinite Grasses," in either its distant past or future. There, Merza and Visionary Destroyer hunted a large bull-like animal called a Blackhorn. The two used the Blackhorn's blood to seal a pact that bonded them together.