Rijj Bacc
Homeworld: Kashyyk
Age: 39
Species: Wookiee
Native Language: Wookiee
Gender: Male
Skin Color: Black (somewhere under the fur)
Height: 2.25 Meters
Weight: 126 Kilograms
Hair Color: Dark Brown
Facial Hair: Much, often arranged in Wookiee style war braids at random around his face
Eye Color: Brown
Scars: A large burn on his back where hair will not grow, starting at the top of his right shoulder and ending at the left side of his lower back. He also has an old scar on the left side of his neck unseen under his fur, from a slaver’s control collar.
Tattoos: None
Physical Description
Rijj is typical for his species in many respects, as he is tall, strong, and possessed of a physical presence which makes it impossible for him to hide in a crowd. His fur is very dark compared to most Wookiees. His singular identifying physical characteristic is a large burn that runs diagonally across the length of his back. Like others of his kind, he is uncomfortable wearing more equipment or clothing than is absolutely necessary for him to function at a given job. His facial hair is often braided around the perimeter of his face.
Emotional Description
Rijj is untrusting of members of other species, even beyond the natural tendency of his race based on language barriers. Everyone is suspect to him until they prove their value and win his respect. Life has taught him hard lessons about trust. In Kashyyk there is a saying, ‘The wisdom of the wind is only spoken to the silent’. He holds this belief close to his heart, and tries to say as little as is necessary. As a counterpoint to his personal philosophy, he knows the value of teamwork in combat, works with his wingmates, and pursues battle as a cold hearted exercise in professionalism. He does, however, possess a long memory for the faithfulness of his squad mates, or their lack thereof. He will just as quickly leap to the defense of someone he respects as he will abandon the cause of someone he believes to be unworthy of it.
Character’s Background
A native of Kashyyk, the homeworld of his race, Rijj had a childhood typical of his kind. Growing up in Ghoryyl, the village of his tribe, he learned to love the beauty of the natural world around him, and respect the hard realities of it. When he reached that age all Wookiees do when the wonder of the stars calls to them, he began work as a deckhand on a light freighter which belonged to a merchant of his province. After years of service he managed to rise through the ranks and attain the Wookiee equivalent of Jr. Officer. He earned his identifying scar in a boarding action when the YT-510 he was serving on was attacked by unknown pirates near the planet Dressel in Bothan space. While trying to reinforce the blast doors, the ship was rocked by an explosion that left him unconscious. He woke up a captive aboard the pirate’s corvette, in agonizing pain from his injury, and chained to the floor in an animal cage by durasteel restraints. To this day he still does not know the fate of many of his crewmates, who were dear to him, and his last link to his people.
The next two years were a cultural shock for him, as he was sold into slavery on an off world market station controlled by a local crime syndicate. He was largely treated as a beast, having no means of communicating with those around him. His captivity was enforced by means of a debilitating pain inducing collar he was made to wear around his neck. Often he was made to fight for entertainment, and was at times sold or lost as a gambling wager. It was at this time that he was given the name ‘Ridgeback’ by the crowds at the fighting pits, due to his scar. While Rijj has particularly hateful memories of some of his ‘owners’, often his indenture changed hands so many times, so quickly, that he had no idea to whom he belonged. His reputation began to grow as being unruly and unwilling to submit, relative to the rate at which his credit value as a slave dropped. It was during this time that he was able to learn enough Galactic to understand most humans at least, even if the guttural nature of his Wookiee vocal cords made it impossible for him to communicate in return.
His luck took a turn for the better when he was used to pay part of a debt his current owner owed to a legitimate businessman from Hapan. His new owner, having little respect for the practice of owning living property, made sure he was treated fairly enough, and asked no more of him than his towering presence at negotiations where he wanted to make a bold impression. Rijj’s big break came when the shuttle craft they were aboard suffered an equipment malfunction, and found itself fighting a losing battle against the gravity well of the star they were attempting to slingshot around. Rijj understood enough of what was being said to understand that no one aboard had the skill to address the issue, and made an outlandish racket until his master sent for his protocol droid to see what the problem was with the Wookiee. Having no other option, his owner relented and allowed him to attempt to repair the sub-light drive on the ship. Rijj made short work of the problem, saving his master’s life and the lives of his crew, a fact that was not lost on him. When asked what his name was, the Wookiee grinned and replied ‘Rijj Bacc’. His own real name was unpronounceable to humans anyway, and the meaning of these words in Kashyyk held an ironic meaning for Rijj, even while they would serve to be a constant reminder of what the humans had named him in years to come. After some weeks of taking the time to get to know his savior, the merchant freed Rijj and offered him the job of personal pilot and bodyguard, a position he would hold for years until his former master became too old to have any interest in travel.
Now, finding himself the master of his own destiny at last, Rijj has made a bid to join the Navy in the hopes that he can exact some repayment against the kinds of villains who killed his brethren and caused him so much pain. He would rather fly a TIE in Bothan space than be commander of a Victory class Star Destroyer somewhere else, simply in the hopes that he might be able to learn the fate of his old comrades, and bring about the demise of his old enemies. His ambition, though great, is not driven by his lust for power, glory, or honor. It is fueled only by his desire to put himself in a position to kill the most scum.
Personality
Rijj is hard to get to know. Although polite, he won’t go out of his way to speak to non-Wookiees unless he respects them, or is required to, as is the case with superior officers and wingmates. He is loyal and trustworthy to his friends, and has little or no use for anyone else. He would rather have one or two close trusted friends than be liked by everyone, and is not interested in the opinions others have of him for the most part. Among Wookiees he is completely different, and is outgoing and friendly, perhaps even overly so, as his adventures have given him good reason to miss his home and his people.
[TRN]/[CRW]/[Ridgeback]/[flt des]/[S:137 Raptor]/[W:1 Phoenix]/[mSSD Atrus]/[TF:A]/[1Flt]/[SFC]/[VEN]
