Gilling was one of the Imperial Security Bureau officers serving on the Reprisal under Colonel Vak Somoril. He accompanied the Colonel in an investigation into a group of defecting stormtroopers. Along with his partner Brock, he was dispatched to Somoril to track Mara Jade, an Emperor's Hand. He was killed by the BloodScar pirates, who had interrupted his attempt to detain Jade.