Riah Connadine[note 1] is the head of the BIS on Palisade. He is a super-spy of "the George Smiley, Tinker Tailor model of super-spy."[1]
Appearance
Connadine's appearance is extremely nondescript: "If you were to see him, you wouldn't think anything strange about it, but you wouldn't be able to accurately describe his features an hour later."[2] He is a white man who appears to be somewhere in his late 40s to mid-50s, and resembles the midpoint between Bill Nighy, Mark Rylance, and Gary Oldman.[3]
History and Involvement
Connadine graduated from Willinoor Square in 1395, where he majored in psychological operations and minored in folklore. He has subsequently spent most of his career in the BIS, first as a frontline operative and then as a professor back at Willinoor Square. On the orders of the Princept, Connadine was called back into active duty with the BIS on Palisade.
He had a predecessor who was removed unceremoniously from the position. At the Paint Shop, he announces a grand plan to bring Palisade on Cycle.[3]
When Stargrave Elcessor, in a fit of paranoia, arms her stellar combustor, Connadine leaves his post to pay her a visit and attempt to talk her down. He's unsuccessful.[4]
This section contains spoilers for PALISADE's Weapons Ready arc.
Click here to reveal.
After members of the Blue Channel permanently disable all stellar combustors in the galaxy, the BIS loses much of its power on Palisade. Soon after that, the Divine, Arbitrage and Connadine take part in dinner date negotiations. Arbitrage explains its plan to impose the Principality's ideology as universal law, which brings a tear to Connadine's eye. Connadine is persuaded to leave the BIS and agrees to grant Arbitrage access to the Paint Shop's brainwashing room; in exchange, Arbitrage will bring Connadine off planet so that he can speak with it "face-to-face" as its new partner.[5]
This section contains spoilers for PALISADE's An Impossible Ideal arc.
Click here to reveal.
Connadine then strategically "loses" key intel on the Paint Shop to Eclectic Opposition. When Eclectic sees what he's doing and demands to know why, Connadine says that he's done with the Paint Shop and that Eclectic should get off of Palisade, which is about to (metaphorically) explode.[1]
Quotes
“
We understand, as an old friend of mine once said, that the easiest way to ensure that any tomorrow is a Tuesday is to make sure people believe that today is a Monday.”