Merlok, also known by a variety of aliases such as Salvan Tai and Fefar Flashblade, was a Shi'ido Glorian male who served as a general and spy for the Glorian Empire.
History[]
Born on the Shi'ido homeworld of Lao-mon, Merlok was among those who joined Sarron Noole's sect and helped establish what would become the Glorian Empire. After winning a number of successful campaigns in the Unknown Regions, including Rhand, Merlok caught the eye of the Watcher and was made into one of his agents. Tasked with paving the way for the Glorians to invade the known galaxy, Merlok adopted the alias of Sakiyan bounty hunter Salvan Tai and infiltrated the galaxy's seedy underworld, eventually joining Black Sun.
After Black Sun was disbanded in 24 ABY, Salvan inherited a large amount of wealth from one of Black Sun's Vigos and retired to Lianna, fashioning himself as a baron. In secret however, Black Sun was secretly regathering under the Falleen Prince Xalren. Six years after his "retirement," Salvan recruited the rogue Mandalorian Kadar into Black Sun, and together the pair eliminated many of Prince Xalren's targets, among them Jaxx Goldam.
When the Glorian Empire commenced its invasion five years later, Salvan remained on Lianna, manipulating elements of the underworld to better suit his superiors' motives. A year into the invasion, New Republic agents Wallen Nix and Xemer were sent to find Salvan Tai to gather intelligence on Black Sun's activities. However, this turned out to be a trap as Xemer was in fact a Glorian sleeper agent, whom Salvan proceeded to "activate." Before he could capture Wallen for the Glorians to interrogate, Salvan was confronted by a team of bounty hunters, among them Jaxx Goldam's son Dax and Salvan's former partner Kadar who was on a mission to eliminate all of Black Sun's Vigos. After a scuffle between them and the Snatchers, whom Salvan had hired for protection, the Glorian agent shape-shifted and fled from his estate on Lianna.
With the Glorian Empire's collapse at the Battle of Coruscant a year later, Merlok was forced to go into hiding. By 40 ABY, he had managed to infiltrate the Galactic Alliance Guard as the Kel Dor sergeant "Saltai Deen." Following a breakout at the Detention Center, Merlok slipped away and was about to return to his life on Lianna when his associate Remar Almor informed him of a bounty posted on Kadar. Eager to make a fortune from the death of his former partner, Merlok adopted the alias of Nosaurian "Fefar Flashblade" and joined Almor's crew in their hunt for Kadar. Traveling to the Wheel, Merlok and Almor competed with four other bounty hunters for a chance to kill Kadar in exchange for a million credits from the Vigo Scur Bodalla. However, the bounty hunters were stopped by the Wheel's administrator Master-Com and forced to leave the space station.
Several months later, Merlok and the others traveled to Takodana after being alerted of Kadar's presence there by the Rybet informant Cyclops and cornered the ex-Mandalorian in the forests surrounding Maz Kanata's castle. However, before Merlok could take his revenge, the Mirialan captain Kyla Kishanti came to Kadar's aid and stood up against Merlok and Almor. This turn of events caused Almor and his Wookiee partner Sharbrook to turn on Merlok, forcing him to flee back into Maz's castle. Taking on the form of a Togruta, Merlok quickly got himself a place in the crew of Sidon Ithano and began life anew once more as "Talsai Van."
After a year of traveling with Ithano and his crew, Talsai Van's true nature was discovered by the Delphidian pirate and Merlok was dropped onto the Dune Sea when the crew arrived on Tatooine. As he roamed the desert, he was picked up by a sandcrawler driven by the Jawa Trek, in fact a former Glorian general as well known as Valkor.
Appearances[]
- Terrors of the Underworld (First appearance)
- The Yesterday Jedi
- The Gathering Force
- The Final Destiny
- Miserable Woe