Riiken

Riiken
Biographical information
Homeworld	Onderon
Descriptive information
Species	Human
Gender	Male
Hair color	Brown
Eye color	Brown
Skin color	Dark
Chronological and political information
Affiliation(s)	Onderon Royalists Galactic Republic

"Stay out of trouble…"

―Riiken, to Meetra Surik

Riiken was a Human male who served as an officer in the planet Onderon's military prior to and during General Vaklu's militaristic rebellion in 3951 BBY. He was one of the Captains of the Guard placed in charge of maintaining order within the walled capital city of Iziz's Merchant Quarter. He was assisted in the investigation of Captain Sullio's murder by the former Jedi Knight Meetra Surik. Later, he supported the Royalist faction backing Queen Talia and the Galactic Republic while Vaklu's forces wished to depose her and secede from the galactic government. Riiken was imprisoned for his loyalties during the attempted coup, but he was later freed by Surik, who helped to resolve the conflict. After the resolution of the brief war, he was promoted to major and sent to command reinforcements during a Sith attack on Telos IV's orbital space station, Citadel Station.

Biography

"Question a superior officer, and they call that 'disrespecting the rank.' Do that too many times and it's not long before you're a civilian."

―Riiken, on the strict hierarchy of the Onderonian military

Riiken was a Human male serving in the military of his homeworld, Onderon, for some time prior to General Vaklu's efforts to overthrow the planet's monarch, Queen Talia, in 3951 BBY. As a Captain of the Guard placed in charge of maintaining order within the Merchant Quarter of the walled capital city of Iziz, Riiken remained loyal to Talia's regime despite his troops' sympathy for the General and former resistance fighter against the Mandalorian occupation.

Riiken served as part of the military in the city of Iziz on Onderon.

The Onderon Civil War

During the unrest of the Onderon Civil War, Captain Sullio of the Onderon Military was murdered in the streets of Iziz, and Riiken was placed in charge of the investigation. Soon, Doctor Dhagon Ghent, a friend of Sullio, was arrested as a suspect after Riiken had heard eyewitness accounts of a fight between the two fellows. Later, a former Jedi Knight, Meetra Surik, accompanied by Mandalore the Preserver, the leader of the Mandalorians, visited Onderon. Riiken was approached by them, and informed Surik of the doctor's arrest as well as giving her general information on his homeworld in addition to snippets of its history. When she and Ghent's friend, Nikko, were able to gather the evidence needed to exonerate the physician, those were presented to the Captain. Riiken watched a recording from the protocol droid S-0D3-GE3, one that proved the murderer had come from the Merchant Quarter, which conflicted with eyewitness reports that placed Ghent in his office at the time, on the opposite end of the plaza. Their exchange was interrupted, however, when a major attempted to remove Riiken from the case; Surik then turned to the newcomer and presented the same evidence, forcing him to fold. Ghent was swiftly set free.

In the wake of this incident and a number of fights in the western part of the Merchant Quarter, Riiken chose to relocate his post, intent on patrolling the sector more effectively, hoping to prevent further violence; as it happened, that was Sullio's former posting.

The Second Battle of Onderon

Though Riiken was loyal to the current monarch, many of the troops under his command were Vaklu supporters. His loyalty to Talia, who embraced the Galactic Republic and urged peaceful cooperation, would lead directly to his imprisonment during the Second Battle of Onderon. Riiken was freed by Surik when she penetrated the Iziz Royal Palace in an effort to forestall Vaklu's attempt at a Sith-aided coup d'etat. Joining with Surik and the other Royalists, Riiken took a decisive role in the battle by giving her the security code needed to open the door leading to the Queen's throne room. After the battle ended, Riiken was promoted to the rank of major.

The Battle of Telos

Some time later, he was sent to planet Telos IV in command of an emergency relief force which consisted of a platoon of Onderonian troops, during the Sith invasion of the planet's orbital habitation satellite. There, he once again encountered Surik, who led the charge to repel the invading Sith troopers from the station with the assistance of Riiken's detachment.

Personality and traits

Riiken was one of the soldiers loyal to Talia, the ruler of Onderon.

"Thanks for clearing this whole thing up, I could tell that justice wasn't being served. But we all have our orders. We really need to patrol that sector better."

―Riiken thanks Surik for her help in resolving the case of Sullio's murder

Riiken was a bald, dark-skinned man with brown eyes and a brown-haired beard. A competent soldier and leader, Riiken was a good-natured pragmatist who took his duty seriously. During his service, he learned that a long-term career required one to do his or her job and not question the system. Although he often harbored doubts about the basic ability of higher-ups within the military, he was careful to keep his thoughts to himself or, in the case of Meetra Surik, anyone whom he considered trustworthy. Riiken was devoted to his homeworld and its people, and thus did not shy away from danger to ensure that the peace was kept; that included his loyalty to Queen Talia, who was seen by many as the sort of leader one could trust. He was also a skilled investigator, as he was put in charge of the investigation into the death of Sullio, a fellow military officer.

Beyond his duties as a soldier, Riiken loved to collect stories about Onderon's history, including the Beast Wars and how they came to happen, as well as pointing out interesting tidbits of information to curious tourists. He did not often get the chance to relate his tales, and he was always happy to do so when the opportunity presented itself.

Equipment

Riiken wore the standard Onderonian military officer's uniform. During combat, he used a blaster rifle.

Behind the scenes

Riiken was created for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords, a video game of Obsidian Entertainment, first released in late 2004. In the game, he was voiced by Phil LaMarr. Riiken's appearance overlaps with one of the possible choices for a male Jedi Exile, the player character. Therefore, if the player chooses the Exile to look like him, Riiken's appearance will change accordingly. However, since the Exile is canonically female, his standard appearance is canon.

Aside from supporting Talia's faction, which is considered the canonical flow of events, there are other paths the player can take in the game. At the request of a Vaklu supporter named Anda, the Exile can remove the three Captains of the Guard in order to weaken the Royalist military in preparation for the attack on the Royal Palace. Anda is willing to pay the Exile 2,500 for each one she removes. If the Exile supports Vaklu during her initial visit to Onderon, she has the option of having Riiken dishonorably discharged for not being loyal to his commanding officer, either through means of normal persuasion or by using the Force to persuade him. He can also be killed while he is patrolling the Merchant Quadrant alone. Subsequently, Riiken will not make an appearance at the Battle of Telos IV.

If Riiken appears on Citadel Station during the Battle of Telos IV, it is possible for him to engage in combat with the Sith forces in the Module, even though he is not equipped with a weapon. This will only occur if all of the unidentified members of the Khoonda Militia are killed by the wave of Sith forces, and the player retreats back into Citadel Station's Ithorian Compound, leading the Sith forces into it as well. Riiken could also be killed by these Sith, assuming that the weapons they have equipped are strong enough.

Appearances

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords (First appearance)

Sources

• Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic II: The Sith Lords: Prima Official Game Guide
• The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia

Notes and references

In other languages

• Deutsch