Pret Swain (pictured) was the nephew of Vance Caelli and Rondale Merced.
A notorious smuggler and weapons dealer, Vance Caelli was an important member of the smuggler and pirate organization Black Bha'lir, which was based in the Socorro and Omman Minor systems of the Outer Rim Territories. They and their fellow Black Bha'lir member Rondale Merced—also known as Lee Merced—were uncles of Pret Swain, a young man from the Core Worlds planet Alderaan.
By the time of the Galactic Civil War, Caelli and Merced had established the highly profitable Caelli-Merced Syndicate corporation. Based on the planet Socorro, the company produced ground vehicles and starship upgrade components as well as illegal weaponry—with it being the only weapons manufacturing enterprise on Socorro.
At the time Alderaan was destroyed by the Galactic Empire in 0 BBY, Caelli and Merced were being visited by Swain on Socorro. When news of the event reached the planet, the devastated Alderaanian had nowhere to turn, and his uncles offered for him to become a full partner of the Caelli-Merced Syndicate and help manage the company—an offer that Swain accepted. Caelli and Merced both disappeared at some point under mysterious circumstances, which left Swain as the sole head of the corporation and made him relatively paranoid.
Vance Caelli had a smooth and amiable personality, a trait they shared with both their partner Rondale Merced and nephew Pret Swain.
Vance Caelli was mentioned in the 1997 West End Games roleplaying sourcebook The Black Sands of Socorro, which was written by Patricia A. Jackson for use with Star Wars: The Roleplaying Game.
- The Black Sands of Socorro