Merrin

**Merrin** was a Dathomirian Nightsister who lived on her homeworld of Dathomir during the Imperial Era.

## Backstory

### Early life

Merrin was a Dathomirian female who lived on her homeworld of Dathomir during the Clone Wars. She was a member of Mother Talzin's clan of Nightsisters; a coven of witches who used their dark magicks to rule the planet unchallenged and subjugate their male counterparts, the Nightbrothers. Among her sisters, Merrin was closest to a Nightsister named Ilyana. Merrin believed that she and Ilyana would be together when they reached adulthood.

In 20 BBY, when Merrin was a child, General Grievous led the Separatist Droid Army in an attack on Talzin's clan under the orders of the Separatist Head of State Count Dooku. Including Ilyana, almost the entire clan was massacred with the exception of Merrin and a handful of others. Neither Merrin nor anyone knew who it was after she witnessed an armored being wielding a lightsaber killing her sisters. She grew up seeking vengeance for the deaths of her sisters. Perceiving herself as the only survivor, Merrin grieved as she buried the corpses of her fallen sisters alone.

### The Dark Jedi

Sometime later, Jedi Master Taron Malicos crash-landed his ship on Dathomir after escaping the execution of Order 66. Malicos was corrupted by the dark side of the Force due to the twisted nature of the planet and became disillusioned with the Jedi Order he had served. Eventually, he killed Brother Viscus, leader of the Nightbrothers, and claimed leadership of the clan.

Malicos approached Merrin, seeking to learn the secrets of the Nightsister's magick in his vain pursuit of power. The fallen Jedi used Merrin's grief to manipulate her, convincing her that it was the Jedi who had massacred her people during the Clone Wars. Now having a subject to pin her rage to, Merrin, in her anger, sought to eradicate the Jedi Order. Malicos promised to help the Nightsister with her quest, on the condition that she teach him Nightsister magick. Reluctantly agreeing, Merrin began teaching Malicos magick, although she never enjoyed his company. At one point she guided Malicos through the Tomb of Kujet, an ancient structure that served as the burial place of the Zeffo Sage Kujet.

## Bio

### Encountering Kestis

In 14 BBY, during the Imperial Era, Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis arrived on Dathomir aboard the *Stinger Mantis*. Having been told to deal with him by Malicos, Merrin materialized in front of Kestis, warning him that he was trespassing and was not welcome on Dathomir. Kestis tried to explain that they didn't have to be enemies, however, his pleads fell on deaf ears, as Merrin summoned a duo of Nightbrothers to attack Cal. Empowering her brothers with ichor, Merrin de-materialised, intending for the Nightbrothers to deal with the Jedi Padawan. However, Cal was able to deal with the Nightbrothers and the various other threats that found him on Dathomir. Eventually, Merrin confronted Cal again, telling him that he would go no further and that 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 from the dead to attack Kestis.

Shortly after, Merrin observed Malicos inviting Cal to join him in his quest for power outside the Tomb of Kujet. At that point, Merrin materialized and questioned Malicos on his actions, demanding to know why he was inviting a Jedi to join him when he had previously told her that the Jedi were behind the massacre of her people. Realizing that Taron Malicos was a Jedi himself, Merrin used the Chant of Resurrection to raise an army of Nightsisters from the dead. She commanded the Nightsisters to attack both Kestis and Malicos, stating that the Nightsisters were eternally loyal to one another in comparison to the Jedi. Kestis was able to make it off-world aboard the *Stinger Mantis* and Malicos retreated into the Tomb of Kujet.

#### Betraying Malicos

Sometime later, Kestis returned to Dathomir to complete the mission he had originally come to Dathomir to complete. Merrin once again confronted him once he entered the Tomb of Kujet. Seeking peace, Cal introduced himself to Merrin and told her that her impression of the Jedi Order was incorrect. Merrin pointed out that 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 Jedi had been peace-keepers until they were betrayed and hunted by the Galactic Empire to near-extinction. Igniting Kestis' lightsaber, Merrin recounted the massacre of her sisters during the Clone Wars 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.

Merrin observed Cal confronting Malicos, and watched on as they began to argue about the ideals of the Jedi. When Kestis refused to join him, Malicos drew his lightsabers, telling Cal that "Dathomir will be your grave". The pair proceeded to duel until Malicos overwhelmed Cal with the Force and attempted to crush him with a boulder. However, before Kestis could be crushed, Merrin fired a blast of ichor at the boulder, shattering it into pieces. She then fired multiple ichor blasts at Malicos, who proceeded to destroy the pedestal Merrin was standing on by throwing his lightsabers. Falling to the ground, Merrin encouraged Kestis to continue fighting, before de-materializing. During the fight, Merrin occasionally re-materialized and stunned Malicos with her ichor, giving Kestis openings in the Jedi Master's strong guard. After a lengthy battle, Merrin was able to use her magick to immobilize Malicos and bury him alive. When Malicos demanded to know what was happening to him, Merrin responded by telling him that "Dathomir will be your grave", just as he had said to Kestis preceding the duel.

#### Joining the crew

After their victory, Merrin asked Cal Kestis what his intentions on Dathomir were. Cal revealed that the extinct race that built the Tomb of Kujet, the Zeffo, had created an object called the 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 Cal hoped to keep out of the Empire's grasp. Upon realizing that the Empire would come for Dathomir one day, Merrin agreed to help Cal retrieve the Astrium. Before heading further into the Tomb in search of the Astrium, Cal thanked Merrin for her help with Malicos, and the pair expressed happiness that they could be allies. Lifting various columns to allow Kestis access, Merrin accompanied Cal further into the tomb. After reaching the next room, Cal discovered the Astrium lying in wait and expressed excitement towards 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, Cal began talking about his past, and the fear he used to hold for the Empire. However, his trauma had been soothed when he began traveling the galaxy with the crew of the *Stinger Mantis*. Considering Cal's words, Merrin decided to join his crew aboard the *Stinger Mantis*, hoping she could find her own place in the greater galaxy. Although Jedi and Nightsisters weren't traditionally comrades, Merrin believed that their shared trauma and survival had brought them together. Kestis and his droid companion BD-1 agreed to the idea, although expressed doubts that the rest of his crew would be as ready to accept Merrin. As the pair headed to the tomb's exit, they encountered two hostile Nydaks. Kestis asked Merrin for combat assistance, however, wanting to see what Cal was capable of, the Nightsister declined. After Kestis defeated the Nydaks, Merrin asked who the woman that served aboard the *Stinger Mantis* was, as she had observed the ship while Cal was still an enemy. Kestis told her that her name was Cere Junda, and that she used to be a Jedi Knight prior to the fall of the Jedi. When they reached the entrance of the tomb, Merrin de-materialised, telling Cal that she would meet him at his ship.

Entering the *Stinger Mantis* with Cal, the ship's pilot Greez Dritus expressed shock that a stranger from Dathomir had boarded his ship. Merrin told Dritus that she would be joining the crew, and was subsequently introduced to the pilot and Junda by Cal. Greez seemed fearful of the fact that a witch was standing before him, only to be reassured by Merrin that she meant him no harm. After Cal explained how Merrin had helped him, Junda reluctantly accepted but told Merrin that she would have to earn her trust. Dritus accepted as well, and Merrin took a seat as the ship left the planet, leaving Dathomir behind for the first time in her life.

### The holocron

#### Adventure into the galaxy

With the Astrium now in their possession, Merrin, Junda and Kestis pondered on whether they could really open the vault with the device. They were interrupted by Dritus, who planned on making scazz steaks and wanted to know if the crew wanted any. Merrin raised her doubts about Cal's mission, believing that if Kestis took the Force-sensitive children for training, their lives would be placed in danger as they would be hunted by the Empire. As the *Stinger Mantis* arrived on Bogano, Merrin requested to Greez that her steak be made rare.

Disembarking from the *Mantis*, Merrin took her first steps on a brand new planet. The Nightsister found Bogano strange, remarking how different the atmosphere was to Dathomir, and how the energy of the planet felt a lot simpler than Dathomir's. She pointed out that the planet had been untouched by civilization for centuries, so she saw no point in retrieving the holocron that she believed would stay undiscovered by the Empire. Cal brought up that the Jedi he would train would protect special places like Bogano from the Empire, although Merrin remained unconvinced that they were doing the right thing. Changing the subject, Cal asked Merrin if the galaxy was similar to how she'd envisioned it to be. She noted that the galaxy was so large, and could now see how small her life on Dathomir had been.

Merrin stayed with the ship while Cal journeyed to the vault with BD-1. Unfortunately, the Empire had followed the *Stinger Mantis* to Bogano. 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 was able to escape Bogano with the holocron in hand, leaving Imperial forces behind to deal with the Jedi. After dealing with the Imperials and making his way back to the *Stinger Mantis*, Kestis and the crew resolved to take back the holocron from the Second Sister.

#### Mission to Nur

The *Stinger Mantis* followed the Second Sister to Nur, a fortified Imperial world where Fortress Inquisitorius, the headquarters of the Inquisitorius, was located. Unfortunately, the planet was protected by a blockade of Imperial Star Destroyers, making it impossible to reach the surface. As no one else had any ideas, Merrin told the crew that she could use a ritual that would hopefully hide the ship from the Imperials. Dritus, wary of her powers, was apprehensive about the finer details of the ritual. Jokingly, Merrin told Greez that she would require one of his arms as a sacrifice, although she reassured him that she was jesting when he seemed to be taking the concept seriously. Sitting in the cockpit of the ship, Merrin began calling upon the powers of her fallen sisters and the deceased Talzin, channelling her magick through a talisman. As the crew watched on, magical ichor engulfed the *Mantis*, making it invisible both visually and to the Imperial sensors.

Cal and Cere headed to the surface and infiltrated the Fortress, eventually defeating the Second Sister and retrieving the holocron. However, they were interrupted by the Sith Lord Darth Vader, who immediately executed the Second Sister upon his arrival. After seemingly killing Junda, Vader relentlessly pursued Kestis through the facility, determined to take the holocron from the young Jedi. Kestis managed to briefly escape Vader, taking the time to report the death of Junda to Greez and Merrin via comlink. Merrin urged Cal to press on as Vader once again arrived to bear down on Cal. When it seemed as though Cal would be killed, Junda arrived to reinforce him, revealing that she survived her apparent death. In order to escape Vader, Cal jettisoned himself and Cere into the open ocean. As Cal and Cere began to drown, Merrin arrived and used her magick to save the pair, although Kestis fell into a coma as a result of the experience.

After escaping the planet's surface, Cal eventually woke up. Upon discovering that he was no longer bed-ridden, Merrin rushed to his side and hugged him, only to awkwardly apologize when he gasped in pain. Kestis thanked Merrin for saving him and joined Cere on the sofa. With the whole crew assembled, Cal, having reflected on Merrin's words, destroyed the holocron, believing that the destiny of the children should be left to the Force. With their mission complete, the crew of the *Stinger Mantis* were no longer shackled by their responsibilities and were, therefore, free to travel the galaxy as they saw fit.

## Personality

Due to witnessing the deaths of her fellow Nightsisters and the lies of Taron Malicos, Merrin became hostile and aggressive, especially towards other Jedi. She had falsely believed that Jedi were thieves and who slaughtered others for their own gain. She grew determined to protect what remained of Dathomir and was willing to share her secrets with Malicos, despite Nightsister tradition advising against it. After learning the truth and joining Cal Kestis and the crew of the *Stinger Mantis*, she became level headed and put aside her previous animosity toward Jedi as they were both "survivors." Merrin had some sense of humor, demonstrated when she joked with Greez saying that she needed one of his arms as a sacrifice for a ritual to get past the blockade of the Empire at Nur.

Due to her isolation on Dathomir, Merrin showcased fascination and child-like wonder when visiting other planets, such as Kashyyyk and Bogano. In addition, she appeared to be socially awkward and indifferent towards others, but not heartless.

## Physical Appearance

Merrin had light alabaster skin with gray markings on the face.

## Powers and abilities

Merrin was versed in Nightsister magick, capable of enhancing Nightbrothers in combat, teleporting from one place to another at will, and throwing blasts of ichor by hand. She could even use the most potent magick of the Nightsisters, the Chant of Resurrection, which could resurrect dead Nightsisters; the only other person known to be capable of harnessing this magick was Old Daka, the oldest and wisest of the Nightsisters.

Using her power, she could also manipulate the ground of Dathomir itself, such as by raising platforms through telekinesis or morphing the ground to bury a man alive. This telekinesis was not limited to Dathomir, as she proved able on Nur to raise two adult humans out of deep water with her magick alone. One ritual she knew could be used to cloak an entire S-161 "Stinger" XL from sensors.

## Trivia

* Merrin will meet The Belcher Family in *Bob Belcher's Adventures of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order*.
* Merrin will meet Hiatt Grey's Engines in *Hiatt Grey's Engines' Adventures of Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order*.