Van Kellen, prior to 32 BBY lived on the planet Corellia in the Core Worlds where he was known as a trade master and raised a family including his daughter, . In 32 BBY the Trade Federation lead by the Neimoidian Nute Gunray attempted to invade the Mid Rim planet of Naboo unsuccessfully, this still however caused considerable damage to the planet's government and population. Seeing a business opportunity he brought his entire family to Naboo where he planned to setup permanent residence and attempted to petition the recovering government for a trade agreement.
Kellen however was not the only trade delegate to seize the opportunity and she quickly became rivals with the Human trade delegate Hella Cordoni from Chandrila who had also moved to Naboo with her family to petition for trade agreements. Both parties' rivalries however did not extend to their children and Remi and Hella's son soon became romantically involved in secret. When Hella and Kellen found out about this relationship they were both outraged and placed great amounts of pressure on the pair to break up. This instead caused the pair too steal a landspeeder and flee together from their controlling parents. Kellen and his rival then quickly hired a group of spacers visiting Naboo to find their lost children and return them.
The spacers discovered the pair had fled to the city of Keren were they had purchased supplies to move into the Gungan swamps. The outfitter who had sold them said goods however was involved with a number of criminal organizations including a slaver ring that had captured the pair of lovers as they left the city. The spacers, ambushed by the slavers themselves set out to free the pair and complete their contract. Whether they were successful or not and returned Remi to Kellen is unknown.
Kellen was a hot-tempered and brash trade master and clearly placed huge importance on his work, moving his entire family to follow a business opportunity and becoming angry at his daughters love for a rival instead of supporting her. As he paid for Remi's rescue however he clearly did care for his family above his profit.
Van Kellen was created as part of the adventure idea 'young love... what a pain!' which was included in the Star Wars Roleplaying Game supplement book Secrets of Naboo, published by Wizards of the Coast and written by Steve Miller and J.D. Wiker. The short story was included to give 'game masters' ideas for their own story lines or to be expanded upon and used as the basis for a short adventure. Kellen acted as the one of the possible starting points for the adventure who would give the players their mission as well as the individual who would presumably reward them for their success.