Richard Amaris

Richard Amaris (b. 25?? - d. 2619) was the first President of the Rim Worlds Republic, overthrowing the military junta that deposed his father in the wake of the Reunification War.

Biography

Puppet of the Wbika Junta

Son of First Consul Gregory Amaris, Richard was among the few members of the Amaris family to survive the 11th August 2599 coup by Admiral Hakim Wbika following the conclusion of the Reunifcation Wa]. Although he expected to be killed, instead Richard was selected as the figurehead of Wbika's junta as a means of ensuring a peaceful transition, styled as President rather than his father's title of First Consul. Despite having fought for decades to restore his father to power, the Star League chose to view Gregory's removal as an internal matter, leaving Wbika and his junta to remain the new government of the Republic.

While the Junta were safe from external attack, Richard had no intention of remaining a puppet of the Wbika and his "hand-picked staff". Though Amaris would dutifully carry out Wbika's "advice" at first, he was merely buying the time to study the weaknesses of the junta members and establish ties and support both in and outside the Rim worlds to launch a counter-coup. Focusing on Wbika's chief aide General Samuel Macao, highly capable but also petty and unable to control his often violent temper, Richard slowly engineered obstructions and miscommunication among the members of the junta that ultimately triggered Macao to angrily and aggressively turn on Wbika in 2604. With Macao's ranting at Wbika the signal to the guards loyal to Richard Amaris to purge the palace of junta members, Richard himself would shoot Wbika and his aide, returning the Republic to the control of House Amaris.

Death and Legacy

Richard died of a brain fever in 2619, succeeded as President by his daughter Amanda.

Bibliography

• Historical: Reunification War
• The Periphery (sourcebook)