Okay, I have official word from Karen on this, from her Yahoo groups e-mail.
"Mij Gilamar, battlefield medicine expert. The sergeant who knows
where to stick a hypospray to do most damage when he runs out of
ammo. Yes, Omega and Skirata do refer to him in TC.
(There was discussion with Hasbro about Kal, but the head mold was
too young, so I asked if they wouldn't mind changing the names.)
Jim [Gilmer] won't say it, being a modest sort of chap, but rearrange the
first name and say the second one a bit faster, and there you go. By
way of thanks to Jim for all the friendship and practical support
he's given me over the years. When Hasbro said they were doing the
Cuy'val Dar and we talked about names, I thought it would be pretty
cool to have an action figure named after him.
Naming characters is one of a few lasting tributes that a writer can
give special people. There are a few in the various series, and you
already know about Ray's Ram Zerimar character in my LOTF books.
Yes, Rav Bralor is also one of my OCs and appears in TC. (All the RC
cast are my OCs, except Delta.) I mentioned her in Hard Contact and
Triple Zero, and everyone assumed Rav Bralor was male. (Tut tut.) In
TC, you'll meet her.
KT"
And as far as Vhonte Tervo goes:
"> I mean, what gives? I understand that
> Tom Hodges wasn't too happy they renamed the red
> female Mando Rav Bralor, instead of Vhonte Tervho. I
> heard a rumor that Karen was going to include Vhonte
> Tervho in her next commando book, True Colors, and
> make her finally canon in the Expanded Universe. Is
> that true?
Simple answer: I don't know what gives, either, and that's normal
procedure in the industry. All I did was provide a list of character
names when asked, with one-line descriptions, and I didn't know at
that time how many figures would be produced; I commented on the names
Hasbro already came up with (like "no Zs, please") and I commented on
an interim stage where I saw some of the figures, and the Kal one
looked too young, with darker hair IIRC. The next I knew was when the
packs came out. Writers don't usually get consulted at all, so it was
generous of Hasbro to even run *any* stuff past me. Some I hoped would
make the cut didn't. And Vhonte is named in True Colors, so she is
canon. (And that reminds me I need to check the second pass galleys
for spelling, because the H got lost last time.)
KT"
Karen has spoken. Amen.