Countess Iran Ryad was a prominent Human Imperial politician and highly skilled starfighter ace within the Galactic Empire. During Emperor Palpatine's rule, her political career allowed her to amass considerable wealth and influence, enabling her to pursue starfighter pilot training as a recreational activity.
Following the significant loss of experienced Imperial pilots during the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Ryad chose to leave politics and become a pilot. Leveraging her influence, she secured an advanced TIE/D Defender as her personal starfighter, eventually rising to command Red Star Squadron. Under her leadership, the squadron began aggressively targeting any ships entering Imperial space without authorization. Ultimately, Ryad was accused of treason and subsequently tracked down and killed by the renowned Imperial ace Baron Soontir Fel.
As a Human, Countess Iran Ryad built a successful career as a politician in the Galactic Empire, which granted her substantial wealth and power. Throughout her life, she cultivated a deep interest not only in military politics, but also in the Imperial Navy and starfighters. This fascination spurred Ryad to seek training as a starfighter pilot, a pastime made possible by her political connections and considerable financial resources.
At some point after the Battle of Yavin, Iran Ryad engaged in a combat encounter with at least one Rebel pilot. Although Ryad was defeated in this engagement, she managed to escape with her life in her damaged TIE Oppressor.
Around 3 ABY, the Empire introduced the TIE/D Defender, a significant departure from the standard TIE Series due to its inclusion of systems typically absent from Imperial starfighters, such as deflector shields and a hyperdrive. Its high cost and deviation from standard Imperial tactics made it unpopular, but Ryad was among the few influential politicians who advocated for the new starfighter.
In 4 ABY, the Alliance to Restore the Republic inflicted a major defeat on the Galactic Empire at the Battle of Endor. Emperor Palpatine himself was killed, as was his apprentice, Darth Vader. Additionally, the Imperial Navy suffered substantial losses, including the destruction of the second Death Star and many of its most skilled TIE pilots. Following Palpatine's death, the Empire began to disintegrate, with various military leaders declaring themselves warlords and attempting to establish their own territories.
As the Empire faced a shortage of skilled pilots, Ryad left her political career to become an Imperial pilot. She eventually used her connections to acquire a TIE Defender to serve as her personal starfighter, named the Red Star 1. Ryad spent 62,500 credits modifying the ship, equipping it with an enhanced shield generator, an improved ion drive for increased maneuverability, and advanced fire control systems.
For over a year, the Countess led a flight group of four TIE Defenders on patrols along the Coreward borders of the remaining Imperial space. After successfully completing a dozen patrols, Ryad achieved a high number of kills and earned the title of starfighter ace. These accomplishments led to her being given command of her own squadron. Ryad staffed Red Star Squadron with pilots who shared her belief in a zero-tolerance border policy. With Ryad leading the squadron from the Red Star 1, the Imperial pilots aggressively pursued any starships that entered Imperial space without authorization.
During her career, Ryad made rivals within the Empire, most notably Baron Soontir Fel, a veteran of the Galactic Civil War who remained loyal to the Empire under the leadership of Ysanne Isard, the former Director of Imperial Intelligence who governed the Empire after Palpatine's death. Around 5 ABY, Ryad's actions resulted in accusations of treason, and she was subsequently hunted down and killed by Fel.
Iran Ryad possessed an eccentric personality and held a position of influence as a politician and diplomat, with a longstanding interest in military and spacer history. She was willing to leverage her wealth and connections for personal benefit. She used her influence to gain training as a starfighter pilot and later to acquire her personal TIE Defender. Although piloting initially served as a hobby, she dedicated herself to it and became a skilled pilot and commander, inspiring confidence in those under her command. Ryad challenged conventional military tactics, favoring the use of the TIE Defender over mass waves of unshielded starfighters and advocating for a strict border policy where any unannounced intruders were destroyed. However, her beliefs came at a high price and ultimately led to her demise.
Iran Ryad wore the black Imperial Navy crewwoman's uniform.
Iran Ryad was conceived by Brian Campbell and Owen K.C. Stephens for the Starships of the Galaxy web supplement More Starships!, which was released on Wizards of the Coast's website on November 15, 2001.
In the MMORPG Star Wars Galaxies: An Empire Divided, Iran Ryad was incorporated into the game as a non-player character (NPC) in Game Update 20. Rebel players undertaking Tier 7 Duty Missions from specific space stations had a chance to encounter an elite Imperial pilot during the mission's final stage, and Iran Ryad could be one of these pilots. If a player defeated Ryad, she was not destroyed. Instead, a message appeared, indicating the player's success. The player then received a collection icon, which, when combined with others, awarded a badge for defeating all ten elite Imperial pilots. However, elite Imperial pilots could also be encountered in various space battles occurring in the Naboo, Tatoo, and Corellian system. As Ryad only appeared in the space component of Star Wars Galaxies, initially introduced with the Jump to Lightspeed expansion pack, she was typically only seen inside her TIE Oppressor. However, a comm display could appear during the battle, showing Ryad's face. Furthermore, the collection icon depicted Ryad's physical appearance.