R'Kayza was a former Gand findsman, who left his homeworld to pursue a career first as a bounty hunter, and later as an assassin. He built a sturdy reputation as a cold and swift killer, choosing to employ subtle, stealthy tactics, unlike Haelon Tice, his longtime partner, who preferred a more direct approach. Together, the two assassins worked for an Anomid informant named Yin Vocta for over twelve years, accumulating an impressive tally of successful kills.
Biography[]
Early life[]
R'Kayza was a male Gand, an insectoid species native to a planet of the same name. Early in his life, he became a findsman, a title integral to Gand culture. Over time, R'Kayza's reputation grew, and he was considered a legendary findsman by many. The findsmen acted as a sort of bounty hunter, using their Force-talent to perform ceremonies, which helped them locate their quarry.[1]
Like many other findsmen, R'Kayza embarked on a career acting as a fully-fledged bounty hunter when modern technology began to take the place of the findsmen's rituals. R'Kayza, however, found that he was unsuited to the profession, and brought back more corpses than live prisoners, the latter of which he was paid to do. He grew frustrated with this, and became an assassin, earning a reputation as a stealthy and deadly killer.[1]
Assassin[]
R'Kayza with his partner and employer
Eventually, his exploits came to the attention of Yin Vocta, an Anomid businessman who was the proprietor of Bantha Traxx, a dining establishment located on Lianna in need of security personnel. R'Kayza, and another assassin named Haelon Tice were hired, though in truth Vocta needed them for far more than bodyguard duties—although Vocta's outward appearance was that of a businessman, he was actually a notorious information broker, with hundreds of contacts all over the galaxy. R'Kayza and Tice would act as assassins for the Anomid dealer when he wanted someone dead, or, alternatively, someone called in a favor or paid Vocta in order to gain access to the duo's services.[1]
R'Kayza, however, was often absent, and thus, was commonly unable to perform his duties as a security officer at Bantha Traxx. Vocta employed a group of Jawas led by Jik'Tal for security when R'Kayza and his partner were away on "business." While R'Kayza had no qualms about Jik'Tal's employment, he and Tice protested when Vocta hired a young woman named Sha'Dria to work as a barmaid in his establishment. She wore an ornate mask at all times, and piqued Vocta's interest, so, despite his two henchmen's complaints, he gave her the job working behind the bar at Bantha Traxx.[1]
For over a dozen years, R'Kayza served at Tice's side, and the two achieved an impressive tally of kills while working together. The two had contrasting approaches to killing; R'Kayza was quiet, cunning and subtle, preferring to use his findsman's methods to locate a target, while Haelon Tice was brash and loud, using the brute force offered to him by his many cybernetic enhancements to great effect. It was because of their differing styles of assassination that they worked so well together, with R'Kayza's stealth and Haelon Tice's sheer brutality leaving very few targets alive.[1]
Working for Vocta[]
Around the time of the Galactic Civil War, R'Kayza and Tice were sent after a group of spies operating on the planet Lianna under the employ of crime lord Jabba the Hutt. Vocta arranged a meeting with a being named Divv, who had all the information required for R'Kayza and his partner to assassinate the spies. Vocta had an intense personal hatred for Jabba the Hutt, though his efforts to poison the Hutt had ended in failure. After finally getting the names of the spies from Divv, R'Kayza and Tice left Vocta's room, ready to kill them.[1]
In his later years working for Vocta, R'Kayza was sent after Sha'Dria after the Anomid suspected something was amiss. It transpired that she had been a member of the Alliance to Restore the Republic all along. Sha'Dria was aided in her escape by other Rebels, though R'Kayza and Tice forced them into a trap.[1]
Personality and traits[]
R'Kayza was very aloof, with most finding him distant and detached in manner. He was merciless and cold, and cared little for the lives of others. R'Kayza also continued to practice the ceremonies of his people even after he had left his homeworld behind, though he had no sense of honor, and killed purely for money. R'Kayza never spoke more words than were needed, and only when he was with his partner Tice did he ever actively participate in conversation. R'Kayza was also extremely obedient, and never delayed in seeing to Vocta's orders.[1]
Powers and abilities[]
R'Kayza was among the most talented and feared assassin of his era, and had few outward flaws which detracted from his ability to kill others for a living. Like all findsmen, R'Kayza was Force-sensitive, and used various Gand ceremonies to aid him when tracking targets. The rituals, however, took several hours to complete. Unlike many others in his line of work, R'Kayza preferred a subtle, stealthy approach when hunting quarry, using surprise attacks and overwhelming swiftness to take out his targets.[1]
Equipment[]
R'Kayza wore a black colored suit, covered in basic armor, and a helmet, which matched his physical face. When he was working for Vocta, he was always armed to the teeth, carrying hunting knives, Rodian throwing razors and a hold-out blaster with him at all times.[1]
Behind the scenes[]
R'Kayza was created by Star Wars author Paul Danner for Wretched Hives of Scum & Villainy, and was illustrated by Brian Schomburg.[1] His name was later mentioned in the 2003 sourcebook Ultimate Alien Anthology, as an example Gand name.[2]
Sources[]
- Wretched Hives of Scum & Villainy (First mentioned)
- Ultimate Alien Anthology