He was the son and heir of the Sasanian Persian general and briefly shahanshah, Shahrbaraz.
Niketas was the son of Shahrbaraz, a famous Persian general who had led Sasanian armies in Syria, Anatolia, and Egypt during the Byzantine–Sassanid War of 602–628.
After the war ended, Shahrbaraz remained in control of Egypt and the Levant lands, until in end 628 he handed them back to the Byzantine emperor Heraclius in exchange for Byzantine support in his own bid for the Persian throne.
He survived the Byzantine defeat at Yarmouk and fled to Emesa, from where he contacted the Caliph Umar.
Niketas allegedly offered to help the Arabs conquer Persia, but Umar distrusted him and had him executed.