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Riva was a famedRamatisianmediator from theplanetRamatis III. He was a member of theruling family on Ramatis, all of whom shared a genetic condition that rendered themdeaf.
Abilities[]
Because he was deaf, to communicate, Riva usedhis Chorus oftelepathicinterpreters who spoke for him. The trio represented different aspects of Riva: the "Scholar/Artist", the "Warrior/Adonis", and "Culture Woman" who held the other two together.
History[]
Riva was well known for mediating severaltreaties between theFederation andKlingon Empire; in fact, before Riva, there was noKlingon word for "peace-maker". Up untilstardate 42477, Riva had never failed at finding peace.
In2365, he was to negotiate an end to hostilities onSolais V. He was transported to the negotiations by theUSSEnterprise-D. Immediately upon meeting her, he was taken with theempathicCounselorDeanna Troi and asked her to join him for dinner that evening. She accepted and dined with Riva where she learned more about him. Riva was also fascinated with Geordi La Forge'sblindness and his use of theVISOR.
During the first meeting his Chorus was killed bya member of aSolari faction who did not wish peace. With his normal means ofcommunication gone, Riva felt he could not complete his mission. However, after some convincing by Troi, and with the assistance of CommanderData who learned hissign language so that he could function as an interpreter, Riva continued his work. Riva decided to bring thewarring sides together and teach them sign language, which would help bond the factions and provide common ground to aid in negotiations. He stayed on Solais V to begin the process of peace. (TNG: "Loud As A Whisper")
Appendices[]
Background information[]
Riva was played byHowie Seago, who is deaf in real life.
Seago petitioned the producers to create a show about deaf people to help dispel untrue and prejudiced myths about them. In the first draft, Riva learned to speak overnight after a mechanical translator he used to communicate with his Chorus failed. Seago suggested the ending used in the finished episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, 2nd ed., p. 73)
According to the episode'sscript, Riva was "around thirty years old" in 2365, placing his birth in or around2335. Furthermore, according to the script, Riva's name was pronounced as "REE-va".
External links[]
- Riva atMemory Beta, the wiki for licensedStar Trek works