Oplock

Oplock was an Esral'sa'Nikto male mechanic who worked as part of the racer Marcus Speedstar's team alongside the astromech droid R4-D12. Around 20 ABY, when Speedstar's racing tactics resulted in the deaths of his brother Jarek Yeager's family in a racing accident, Oplock decided to forgive his employer for the incident and continue working with him. For the next several years, the Esral'sa'Nikto remained loyal to his employer and forged a deep friendship with him. At some point, Speedstar incurred heavy debts to the Guavian Death Gang, resulting in him fleeing an encounter with the group's soldiers with Oplock on the planet Rishi.
In 34 ABY, Oplock accompanied Speedstar to the supertanker fuel depot Colossus on the planet Castilon to participate in the Platform Classic race. While aboard, he visited Jarek Yeager's Repair Station with the pilot and greeted Yeager's employees, Neeku Vozo, Tamara Ryvora, and Kazuda Xiono. Afterward, the pair enjoyed beverages in the Colossus Aunt Z's Tavern in a booth. However, a pair of Guavian soldiers entered the cantina and took Oplock hostage until Speedstar repaid his debts to them. Shortly afterward, after eventually convincing Yeager to let him pull ahead in the race, Speedstar won the Platform Classic and used its prize money to free Oplock.
==Biography==
===Loyal companion===
The Esral'sa'Nikto male Oplock was a mechanic who lived during the New Republic Era. At some point, Oplock joined the racer Marcus Speedstar's team and became the pilot's trusted and loyal friend. Around 20 ABY, dates the deaths of Jarek Yeager's wife and daughter to roughly two decades after the Battle of Yavin, equating to around 20 ABY per Star Wars: Timelines. Speedstar participated in a race against his brother, Jarek Yeager, and used a large amount of hyperfuel in his ship to gain an unfair advantage. As a result, Speedstar's ship combusted and crashed into the race's viewing stands, killing Yeager's wife and daughter. Oplock forgave his employer for the mistake in the aftermath of the event.
Yeager was furious with what he perceived to be Speedstar's all-consuming desire to win and gain fame, which had resulted in him using the deceptive racing tactics that had killed his family. As a result, while Oplock stayed with Speedstar, Yeager ceased all contact with his brother and went into relative retirement from racing. Though Speedstar initially attempted to reconnect with his brother, he eventually stopped pursuing him and continued finding comfort in Oplock's forgiveness of his actions and willingness to help him improve as a person. In the following years, the Esral'sa'Nikto continued to serve in his employer's crew alongside the astromech droid R4-D12 to help repair Speedstar's racing starfighter, Galaxy's Glory. During this time, Speedstar's fame continued to grow throughout the galaxy as he won more races, including becoming the three-time champion of the Five Sabers, a prestigious piloting championship held on the planet Theron,Bloodline and participating in the Baktan 5000 race.
===Colossus arrival===
At some point, Speedstar lost several races and incurred heavy debts totalling 20,000 credits to the Guavian Death Gang criminial organizationStar Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy after taking out loans. He and Oplock attempted to avoid the organization's collectors by pulling a maneuver on the Outer Rim planetStar Wars: Galaxy's Edge: Traveler's Guide to Batuu Rishi to avoid a ship owned by Guavian soldiers. Afterward, Speedstar signed up for the Platform Classic race held on the Mid Rim planet Castilon, to both meet with Yeager again and earn much-needed funds. In 34 ABY, Oplock traveled to the supertanker fuel depot Colossus on Castilon with Speedstar and R4-D12 for the Platform Classic. When Speedstar visited Yeager's repair shop on the Colossus, Oplock accompanied him as he tried to apologize to his brother.
As the siblings walked deeper into the shop, the Esral'sa'Nikto greeted Yeager's employees—Tamara Ryvora, Kazuda Xiono, and the fellow Nikto Neeku Vozo—with a cheerful customary friendship greeting in the Cracek language, his native tongue. Though Xiono and Ryvora were frightened by the Cracek greeting, Vozo clarified its meaning to them and introduced R4-D12 on Oplock's behalf while the Esral'sa'Nikto hugged him. On the other side of the repair shop, Yeager expressed his disapproval that Oplock had forgiven Speedstar, though the latter defended his friend's choice to stay loyal to him and judge him based on his current self. Shortly afterward, Oplock left Yeager's shop with his employer and R4-D12.
===Hostage situation===
Oplock, Speedstar, and R4-D12 then visited Aunt Z's Tavern establishment, and the former two enjoyed beverages while sitting at a booth. When a pair of Guavian Death Gang soldiers entered the cantina looking for Speedstar, Oplock nervously clutched his drink and drank from it while sinking further into his seat. The two soldiers waved off Speedstar's excuses for the Rishi maneuver, roughly forcing the mechanic into their custody. The racer attempted to reassure Oplock that he would be free within a few hours, after he had won the Platform Classic and used its prize money to pay off his debts. As the Death Gang enforcers escorted the Esral'sa'Nikto away, Speedstar sorrowfully watched them leave and claimed that he would win the upcoming race, as no pilot on the station could compete with him.
Moments after, Yeager entered Aunt Z's Tavern and announced he would compete against Speedstar in the upcoming race. Although the former had expected his brother to back down, Speedstar agreed to race his older sibling, knowing he had to win to save Oplock. Yeager was shocked, having counted on the other pilot not to agree to race him. However, he remained committed to beating Speedstar to teach him a lesson and assigned Xiono to help him prepare for the race since Oplock had been apprehended. Despite Xiono's attempts to convince Yeager that his brother needed the Platform Classic's prize money to save Oplock, the older man insisted it was not his concern.
===The Platform Classic===
Speedstar continued to plead with Yeager to listen as they began the race and later on as they flew alongside each other. Meanwhile, Oplock remained on the Colossus in the custody of two Guavian Death Gang enforcers who prodded at him with their weapons. In the Platform Classic's final stages, Speedstar apologized to Yeager in full for his family's deaths, insisting that he was racing in this competition to save Oplock, not for a selfish reason as he would have in the past. As they approached the end of the race, Yeager relented and pulled away, allowing Speedstar to win the Platform Classic.
Afterward, Speedstar used his prize money to pay the Guavian Death Gang enforcers, who allowed Oplock to walk free. Although Oplock was slightly disgruntled with how the guards had treated him, Speedstar was happy to have his trusted mechanic back. As their racing crew prepared to depart the Colossus, the Esral'sa'Nikto helped carry a supply case up a ladder. Once Speedstar and Yeager had parted on amiable terms, Oplock boarded the Galaxy's Glory with his employer and left the Colossus.
==Personality and traits==
Oplock had gray skin and black eyes. He could not speak Galactic Basic Standard but spoke Cracek and used facial expressions to show his feelings. According to Speedstar, Oplock was a forgiving person who judged him by the person that he was. Oplock stood by Speedstar when Yeager severed relations following a racing accident that claimed the lives of his wife and daughter. Oplock expressed fear and anxiety after he was taken hostage by the Guavian Death Gang to ensure that Speedstar would pay his debts. He was elated when Speedstar won the race and was able to secure his freedom, happy to be with his friend again.
==Skills and abilities==
As a mechanic and part of Speedstar's racing team, he helped maintain the racer's ship, Galaxy's Glory.
==Equipment==
While working as a mechanic, Oplock wore a gray and black jumpsuit with purple detailing on its sleeves and collar. He also donned a pair of gray and purple boots.
==Behind the scenes==
Oplock first appeared in "The Platform Classic," the ninth episode of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars Resistance, which aired on November 25, 2018. The Esral'sa'Nikto's facial fins were designed to help him express his emotions while speaking Cracek by flaring outward.
Lucasfilm Animation artist JP Balmet created a concept-art illustration of him on May 12, 2017. In "The Platform Classic," the Esral'sa'Nikto was voiced by the actor Jonathan Lipow. In the audio commentary for the episode, Christopher Sean, the voice actor of Kazuda Xiono, praised Lipow's performance of the language's sounds. Sean also expressed that he liked Oplock as a character and appreciated Speedstar's care for his mechanic.
==Appearances==
*Star Wars Resistance: Le Secret de Yeager
* 
==Sources==
*
*
*
*
*
*Ultimate Star Wars, New Edition
*
*Star Wars: Timelines
*Star Wars Encyclopedia: The Comprehensive Guide to the Star Wars Galaxy
* 
*
*
==Notes and references==
Category:Esral'sa'Nikto
Category:Individuals with he/him pronouns
Category:Males
Category:Mechanics