Zekk Ryen

Zekk Ryen was a male Human who became a sergeant in the Imperial Army during the Galactic Empire's reign. He was killed by a group of Massassi in a blood sacrifice during a mission to Yavin 4 in 3 ABY.

Biography
Born into an upper-class family on the planet Chandrila in 23 BBY, Zekk Ryen was only four years old when the Galactic Republic became the Empire. During his teen years, he entered into the Imperial Academy and graduated, becoming an officer and eventually rising to the rank of sergeant, having been viewed for a potential promotion before his death.

Several days after the Battle of Hoth's conclusion, he and Lieutenant Delof Terallo were dispatched on a mission, alongside Terallo's astromech droid R5-C3, to the planet Yavin 4 by Moff Jerjerrod, in order to recover any useful leftover machinery to use in the second Death Star. While investigating the planet's ancient Great Temple once used as a base by the Rebel Alliance, he discovered a young green-skinned Twi'lek named Dija Kullias, the only survivor of a pirate gang named the Eellayin Wanderers, and took her with him as a slave girl, dressing her in a revealing outfit much to her dismay. As he was a favourite of Imperial High Command, Terallo could do nothing to stop him.

Soon afterward, he and the lieutenant discovered an unmarked cavern built into a cliff face, and decided to traverse it. They then discovered a group of dormant Massassi, who had been in stasis for thousands of years. The sergeant accidentally hit one with a rock, causing them to awaken, and attacked him, later killing him in a ritualistic blood sacrifice; Kullias escaped back to the temple, while Terallo and R5-C3 withdrew further into the cavern.

Though the Imperial Reclamation Service later visited the cavern, they were unable to recover Ryen's body as the majority of it had been consumed by the Massassi in the sacrifice.

Appearances

 * Ancient Artifice 

Behind the Scenes
The character of Zekk Ryen was created by HarmonyGrex for his first piece of Star Wars fan fiction. As the only character in the short story who perished, he is confirmed to not be appearing in the sequel, Survivor. He acts as a foil to Lieutenant Terallo, and his treatment of Dija is very similar to Jabba the Hutt's treatment of women like Oola in Return of the Jedi to show the cruelty of Imperial officers.