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Melina Carniss

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Melina Carniss was a dark-haired Human dance choreographer for Jabba Desilijic Tiure who also served as a secret security officer.

Biography[]

Early years[]

"She worked for Jabba on Tatooine. She filled a niche that would have been in the middle of his security apparatus, but she was Jabba's own agent. Formally, she was his dance coordinator. Good head on her shoulders. She understands a lot of the business, but is a bit shy on experience."
―Talon Karrde about Melina Carniss[4]

Melina Carniss served as a dancer and later a dance choreographer for Jabba Desilijic Tiure at his palace on the planet of Tatooine. She was also a secret security officer at the palace. In 4 ABY, she attempted to arrest Mara Jade, disguised as a dancer named Arica, when Jade tried to grab a blaster from one of the palace guards. Carniss thought Jade was part of an assassination attempt on Jabba by one of his rivals, Lady Valarian. However, Jade was not trying to kill Jabba, but instead Luke Skywalker, who was meeting with the Hutt.[3]

Carniss took Jade into custody and led her out of the throne room to the dungeons. However, as she turned Jade over to the Gamorrean guards, Jade used the Force to turn Carniss's blaster muzzle, causing her to shoot one of the Gamorreans. The guards turned on Carniss with their force pikes, giving Jade time to escape.[3]

The Bacta War[]

"A woman working for Talon Karrde had previously been employed by Jabba the Hutt. Subsequent to his death she spent a couple of years in abject poverty on Tatooine. Karrde took her in and has helped her get back on her feet, but her taste for fine things has never been satisfied—nor has her ambition. Karrde appointed her to liaise with the Antilles people—Booster Terrik, in fact—an old friend from Kessel."
―Fliry Vorru about Melina Carniss[4]

Two years after the death of Jabba, she was recruited by smuggler chief Talon Karrde, but she became a spy of Ysanne Isard during the Bacta War of 7 ABY. Carniss provided information regarding a smuggling shipment in the Alderaan system, leading to an ambush by Captain Ait Convarion's Star Destroyer Corrupter. The attack was repulsed successfully by Wedge Antilles' group. Karrde discovered her treachery and wanted to eliminate her immediately. However, Booster Terrik managed, with difficulty and at great expense, to persuade Karrde to leave her alive long enough to use her to feed misinformation to Isard and ultimately set the stage for the Battle of Thyferra. She captained the YT-1210 freighter Empress' Diadem during the Bacta War, which was hit by turbolaser fire from the super star destroyer Lusankya while serving as a missile platform during the final battle.[4] Following the end of the Bacta War, Karrde executed her.[1]

Two years later, Karrde would encounter a woman named Celina Marniss (an anagram of Melina Carniss), who turned out to be Mara Jade. He hired her soon after he discovered this.[5]

Behind the scenes[]

In Timothy Zahn's 1995 short story, "Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade," he described the character of Melina Carniss as dark-haired, wearing a red jumpsuit, and crouching over the rancor pit after Oola was dropped in.[3] This was later overridden, and the character in the red jumpsuit became Laudica. A Human female with black hair, wearing a white dress first appeared in the Special Edition release of Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi, but it is unconfirmed whether this character is Melina Carniss.

X-Wing: The Bacta War strongly implied that Carniss was in fact killed when the Empress' Diadem was fired upon by the Lusankya: the point of view from Lusankya's bridge described the destruction of a disc-shaped Corellian freighter matching her description. However, The New Essential Guide to Characters contradicted this.

Appearances[]

Sources[]

Notes and references[]

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 The New Essential Guide to Characters
  2. ↑ "A Time to Mourn, a Time to Dance: Oola's Tale" — Tales from Jabba's Palace
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "Sleight of Hand: The Tale of Mara Jade" — Tales from Jabba's Palace
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 X-Wing: The Bacta War
  5. ↑ "First Contact" — Star Wars Adventure Journal 1
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