Ria Clarr

"I was afraid of doing anything myself&mdash;I was afraid of what the Empire would do to me&mdash;until I heard the Holonet broadcast by that boy, calling everyone to stand up against Imperial tyranny. I thought, if a kid wasn't afraid of defying the Empire, I shouldn't be either."

- Ria Clarr

Ria Clarr was a human female analyst and geologist who worked for the Galactic Empire until she became a rebel after discovering lies behind Imperial propaganda.

Imperial service
"I believed the Empire was a force for good, and would help lift Lothal out of poverty and obscurity."

- Ria Clarr

Ria Clarr was a human female who served the Galactic Empire in the Capital City of the planet Lothal. She worked within the Imperial Mining Institute, making dozens of researches. During the industrialization of Lothal, Clarr discovered that a rich vein of mineral laid below the farms of Lothal citizens and convinced Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin that mining the ores would be a worthy profit. Based on her reports, Tarkin built Lothal re-settlement camp 43 to move the people out of their lands and to the camp instead, and named it as "Tarkintown". Clarr realized that the conditions were bad than she thought when she flew out for a follow-up survey to the town, and felt guilty of being complicit to the situation. Since then, she no longer thought the Empire was the good. She agonized over what to do&mdash;remain loyal or leave&mdash;being afraid of what the Empire might do to her, until she heard the HoloNet broadcast of a young rebel kid Ezra Bridger.

Taking the bets
Bridger's transmission inspired Clarr; she deleted the databases for Lothal's geological surveys and fled Capital City. After that, she went into Old Jho's Pit Stop to search for someone who could help her, a rebel. She participated in a Sabacc game with Lando Calrissian, Cikatro Vizago, and Jho. During the game, Vizago dumped a handful of credit chits into the Sabacc pot, raising the bet by a thousand. Calrissian tossed in a keycard of his Ubrikkian 9000 landspeeder, which he bought for scouting potential mining sites on his farmland he'd purchased from Vizago. Jho and Clarr gave up, however, Clarr managed to steal the betting while the two players were focusing on the game and headed towards Tarkintown riding Calrissian's landspeeder. After she's gone, an Imperial Troop Transport came along to the Pit Stop to question about a rebel runner. Shown a holographic image of Ria Clarr by a stormtrooper squad leader, Calrissian noticed that the woman who was playing along with was a rebel on a run. Although she stole their bits, he didn't told her whereabouts because he knew Jho would never risk his Pit Stop's reputation and hand someone over to the Empire.

Giving for the poor
"What in Malachor are you doing?" "Making amends."

- Vizago witnesses Clarr dole the stolen bets out to Tarkintown inhabitants

Clarr reached the town and doled out credit chits she stole to the refugees. Calrissian and Vizago tracked her to the town using Calrissian's chrono that was linked to his speeder's navigation systems. When they witnessed her giving away the bets, Vizago threatened her with his blaster pistol, but Calrissian strode foward into the path of his blaster, seeing something in Clarr similar to what he saw in a band of rebels who helped him. When Calrissian asked, Clarr told them about her story and asked in return for Calrissian's services, clarifying that she needed a rebel to help her, someone like him. He refused, telling her that he didn't want to get involved in a revolution. She responded back that she once thought so, but it would be a game that he'll lose if he doesn't get involved.

Becoming a rebel
Moments later, an ITT transport arrived at the town with the same stormtrooper squad who visited Old Jho's Pit Stop. The squad leader noticed Calrissian, and with suspicion, he barked for the location of Ria Clarr. Meanwhile, Clarr sneaked up to the ITT vehicle, exchanging a momentary glance with Calrissian. He kept the troopers' attention off the transport, and Clarr managed infiltrate the vehicle and taken charge of its weaponry, shooting the squad leader's head in the back. The other two stormtroopers whirled and focused their fire on the transport's open hatch. Clarr got hit in the hip and abdomen, although it wasn't fatal. Before the stormtroopers could do any serious damage to her, the refugees came out of their settlements and suppressed them, saving Clarr.

After a short skirmish in Tarkintown, the refugees began to arm themselves with Imperial blasters inside the troop transport or custom weapons, directed by Clarr, who was confined to a repulsor sled due to her injuries. Calrissian recommended Clarr to board Vizago's freighter and leave Lothal, explaining her that the Empire would be back in full force and wouldn't take prisoners. Despite the danger, she refused and decided to remain. She thanked Calrissian, and bid farewell. Like the kid who called everyone to stand up against Imperial tyranny, Ria Clarr gave purpose and inspired the people of Tarkintown, and she would continue to fight against the Empire.

Behind the scenes
Ria Clarr is a character who appears in Rebel Bluff, a short story by Michael Kogge that will be published in Star Wars Insider 158.