Celot Ratua Dil, a smuggler from the Zelosian species, was a male. He was condemned to a life of forced labor on Despayre, a planet serving as a [prison](/article/prison/legends], due to a conviction for theft. He managed to escape and found his way onto the Death Star during its construction phase above the planet. For almost two years, he resided there, developing a romantic relationship with Memah Roothes, a Twi'lek. Following the destruction of Alderaan, he became part of a group on the battle station planning to defect and join the Rebel Alliance. They successfully escaped just before the Battle of Yavin, which resulted in the Death Star's destruction.
Born into a wealthy family running a large real estate business on Coruscant, Celot Ratua Dil, a male Zelosian who was Force-sensitive, was the offspring of Nagat Keris Ratua and Feelah Derin. The family's holdings included properties like Netaluma Tower on Coruscant. However, Ratua, disliking property management, chose a life as a smuggler. Some years prior to 0 BBY, Ratua was apprehended on Trigalis alongside a group of pirate associates. Although not a member, he was attempting to sell stolen meelweekian silk at the time. Despite his claims of innocence, the presiding judge, aiming to save taxpayer money, denied him a truth-scan. Consequently, Ratua was found guilty and sent to the Slashtown Prison Colony on Despayre, an Imperial planet serving as a [prison](/article/prison-legends]. The Death Star, a battle station, was under construction above Despayre. This meant significant Imperial presence in the sector, with Imperial ships guarding the superweapon during its construction.
The planet housed numerous dangerous criminals, leading to a heavy Imperial guard presence. Ratua, considered a criminal but merely a smuggler, occasionally faced bullying from other inmates. He largely avoided this due to his sharp business acumen and talent for finding useful items, which he traded for profit. Ratua's survival also depended on his exceptional speed, used to evade predators and intimidate potential adversaries during martial arts demonstrations. This talent, combined with his ability to avoid danger, helped him befriend others, including Nova Stihl, a guard. Stihl taught Teräs Käsi, which Ratua regularly attended. Ratua's quick reflexes allowed him to make contact marks on Stihl using a practice knife.
Between 2 and 1 BBY, Ratua, with the help of a fellow prisoner named Brun who was guarding the docking bay, escaped. Brun allowed him to sneak onto a supply craft headed to a Machine Tool Storage Unit in orbit near the Death Star. From there, he reprogrammed a service droid to include his crate on the next cargo transport to the Death Star.
Once aboard the Death Star, Ratua adopted the alias "Teh Roxxor" and concealed himself in plain sight. He posed as a civilian contractor building garbage bins and created a makeshift home in an unused trash compactor. His scavenging skills again proved useful, as he collected items to trade, often with unsuspecting Imperial stormtroopers. He later encountered Memah Roothes, a Twi'lek, in the Hard Heart Cantina, owned by Roothes and located on Deck 69 of the Death Star's Sector N-One. Ratua was immediately drawn to her, and she gradually fell in love with him. After nearly two years of a simple yet enjoyable life on the Death Star, much of which Ratua spent at the Hard Heart, he spotted Nova Stihl in the cantina. Unaware of Stihl's transfer to the station, he fled, fearing the guard would turn him in. Around this time, Ratua devised a plan to allow access to normally restricted entertainment, such as smashball. While watching Despayre through this system, the Death Star destroyed it. This act of cruelty by the Empire deeply affected both him and Roothes.
Shortly thereafter, Ratua encountered Stihl again in the Hard Heart, who recognized him as an escaped prisoner. Ratua admitted his fugitive status, but Stihl, disillusioned by the destruction of Despayre, refused to turn him in. Following the destruction of Alderaan shortly after, Ratua, along with Roothes, met Stihl, Doctor Kornell Divini, pilot Villian Dance, architect Teela Kaarz, cantina bouncer Rodo, and archivist Atour Riten in the cantina. They all shared the belief that the Empire was evil and planned to escape the Death Star.
The group, aided by illegally obtained codes from Riten, intended to use an E-2T medical shuttle to escape. Their plan was initiated during the Battle of Yavin. However, the plan changed when Riten had to stay behind to secure the shuttle's clearance, and they were confronted by stormtroopers in the docking bay. Stihl and Rodo, both Teräs Käsi masters, remained to fight the Imperials, allowing the others to escape. During the fight, Ratua saved their lives by using his speed to attack a trooper armed with a blaster.
The shuttle successfully left the Death Star during the battle, but was soon confronted by Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith, in his TIE Advanced x1. Sensing deserters on board, Vader ordered them back to the station and approached their shuttle to ensure compliance. However, Dance evaded him with a simple maneuver. Before Vader could pursue, he was called back to the battle. The shuttle escaped, only to be caught in a tractor beam immediately afterward. Seconds after the shuttle was caught, the Death Star exploded, destroyed by a Rebel pilot. The ship was freed and fled to escape the shock wave.
Afterward, the group decided to join the Rebellion. Ratua suggested returning to his family and asked Roothes to accompany him, revealing his affluent background. Roothes, initially angry for his withholding of this information, agreed to meet his family.
Despite his criminal background, Ratua possessed kindness. His benevolent nature caused Memah Roothes to fall in love with him, and he reciprocated those feelings. Ratua was attracted to her and openly expressed his emotions. Initially indifferent to the Empire, the destruction of Despayre began to sway him towards believing in its evil nature. The destruction of Alderaan, a planet full of innocent civilians, disgusted Ratua, leading him to desire escape from the station. When he found like-minded individuals, he readily agreed to the dangerous plan.
Ratua excelled as a scavenger and trader, skills that aided his survival on Despayre and later on the Death Star. He sought his own path in life, leading him to abandon his wealthy family and become a smuggler.
Ratua possessed exceptional reflexes. He frequently attended Stihl's Teräs Käsi classes on Despayre, where his speed allowed him to outmatch even Stihl, a seasoned fighter.
Ratua's sole appearance to date is in the 2007 novel Death Star by Michael Reaves and Steve Perry, where he plays a key role. While the novel hints at his Force sensitivity, it was not explicitly confirmed until the release of The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia in 2008. Ratua's first visual depiction was in the 2012 The Essential Reader's Companion, but he was mistakenly portrayed with fair skin.
Ratua's alias, Teh Roxxor, is an Internet slang term meaning "excellent."