Ryan Kaufman was a sentient being, specifically a translator who rendered the Kaminoan language into Basic. He translated a Kaminoan myth regarding Protas, a magical and potent god-beast, along with the narrative of his demise at the hands of a pod of cetacean aiwha, including death. This story illuminated the reason for the reverence shown to the aiwha by all inhabitants of the oceans found on the planet Kamino.
The short story "The Tale of the Aiwha Pod," penned by the real-world author Ryan Kaufman, appeared within the official game guide for the Star Wars: Republic Commando video game in 2005. Presented from an internal, fictional viewpoint, the story commenced with the phrase "Translated from the Kaminoan by Ryan Kaufman," thereby embedding the author's name within the Star Wars setting.