- "Just try and find a better assassin for less, Wan Sandage."
- ―Aldar Beedo
Aldar Beedo, sometimes known as the "Hit Man," was a Glymphid male who worked as an assassin, bounty hunter, and Podracer pilot during the final decades of the Galactic Republic. Sadistic and cruel in nature, Beedo offered his services to whoever could offer the biggest cash reward, accepting jobs that ranged from killing high-profile targets to acting as a bodyguard. When competing in Podraces, he flew a blue MARK IV Flat-Twin Turbojet, which was renowned more for its size than its racing capabilities. Beedo hired himself out to other Podracers who needed jobs done on the track, and the massive Turbojet was generally the right craft for the job. Sometime before 32 BBY, Aldar Beedo's skill as an assassin was called upon by a smuggler who needed a rival crime lord disposed of. The target was the Fluggrian Borzu Nale, and Beedo accepted the job. However, the contract brought upon several aspects of attention to Beedo, most notably the ire of Nale's son, Kam Nale.
Beedo later raced in 32 BBY's Boonta Eve Classic race on the Outer Rim world of Tatooine. Unbeknownst to Beedo, Kam Nale had followed him to Tatooine, where Nale hoped to kill the Glymphid. Meanwhile, Beedo had also signed onto a partnership with the Devlikk Wan Sandage, and together they planned to kill Sandage's nemesis, the Dug Boonta champion Sebulba. The hit failed, as Beedo never caught up to Sebulba. In addition, Sandage crashed into a sandcrawler, which would have wasted the Glymphid's effort if he had destroyed Sebulba. Not backing down from the contract, Beedo and Sandage tried again during the following race located on the planet of Malastare, the Vinta Harvest Classic. Beedo tried to kill Sebulba twice: first during a preliminary race, and again during the main event. Complications arose both times, disallowing the completion of the assignment.
Eventually, Sandage passed away due to his health, and Beedo opted to drop the contract. Instead, he went to work for his former target as a bodyguard for the 24 BBY racing season. Beedo and Sebulba became a formidable team, with Beedo competing in all three major circuits, racking up a heavy list of opponent takedowns. The Glymphid also found popularity on the planet of Gamorr, where his violent racing style earned him the crowd's favor. However, the partnership was not to last, as Nale, under the guise of hardcore Podracer "Elan Mak," was hot on Beedo's trail. Nale eventually reclaimed his father's criminal empire and used his family funds to hire mercenaries to track the elusive Glymphid down. Beedo was finally captured by one of the mercenaries on the marshy jungle world of Baroonda while participating in a Podrace, and was brought back to Nale to face a long-awaited retribution.
Biography[]
The "Hit Man"[]
- "The track favorite is Aldar Beedo, a.k.a the "Hit Man." Boy, he sure looks tough in that big Manta RamAir MARK IV Podracer of his."
- ―Fode Annodue
Born on the the Expansion Region planet of Ploo II,[1] the young Glymphid male Aldar Beedo was born into a time of unrest for his world located in the Ploo sector. The Glymphids were caught up in a long lasting war with the neighboring world of Ploo IV, home to a squat species of amphibians known as Fluggrians. The Fluggrians were well known for their tight knit crime families,[5] and hated the rod-thin Glymphids just as much as the Glymphids hated them. Out of the violent turmoil Beedo rose through the ranks of hired assassins, growing into a cruel and sadistic individual who found himself offering his services to whomever could pay the most money. As if his current path of thrill seeking was not enough, Aldar Beedo also took up the dangerous sport of Podracing.[1]
Beedo found that the world of Podracing was just as much in need of assassins and guns-for-hire as anyone else, and that the racing itself would serve as an extra form of profit. Purchasing a Manta RamAir MARK IV Flat-Twin Turbojet and painting it blue, Beedo brought what piloting skills he had into the dangerous sport.[1] Even though the vehicle lacked a strong accelerator at the time, it had a tremendous boost package to bring the vehicle out onto the forefront, topped on with incredible handling. In addition, the massive engines made it both a viable and intimidating adversary on the track. With his aggressive racing style, Beedo eventually earned the nickname "Hit Man," a title that unwittingly pointed at Beedo's other violent profession.[6]
Assassinations and Podraces[]
By the year 32 BBY, a smuggler by the name of Orin Nyell was making it big in the form of smuggling water to the planet of Sernpidal. The water, however, was coming straight from Ploo IV, and was an especially big detriment to the activities of the Fluggrian crime lord Borzu Nale. Needing to eliminate the competition, Nyell sought out Beedo, the Glymphid hit man-turned-Podracer pilot, and hired him to pull the job of eliminating the head of the Nale crime family. Aldar Beedo accepted the job, and it wasn't long before Borzu was dead, Beedo's payment processed, and Nyell free to conduct his business. With that chapter seemingly closed, Aldar Beedo went back to his racing career.[7]
While considered a second-rate pilot, Beedo still managed to make a name for himself on the ice world of Ando Prime. Beedo turned into a natural ice racer, due in part to his RamAir's excellent traction, and eventually became the track favorite on a course known as Beedo's Wild Ride, named in the Glymphid's honor after he took the course by storm with the three-lap record time of 03:16.697 minutes. The "Hit Man" soon worked his way up as one of the most aggressive pilots in the entire sport, brutishly ramming any other pilot who dared go near him.[8]
Meanwhile, the matter of Borzu Nale's murder revived itself without Beedo's notice, as when he had done away with Borzu, the Glymphid failed to take into account Borzu's son, Kam Nale.[8] Nale had been grievously tracking down his father's killer for some time, for the most part without a name to follow. When Beedo entered the Boonta Eve Classic of 32 BBY, Nale soon after identified Beedo as the killer. Nale followed Beedo to the Boonta race on Tatooine, planning to enter the race himself and dispose of Beedo on the track.[9] However, Nale wasn't the only one on the hunt. Orin Nyell had learned of Kam Nale's existence, and fearing that the young Fluggrian may try to retake control of his father's empire, Nyell hired the rookie bounty hunter Rango Tel to take care of Nale once and for all.[7][10]
The Boonta Eve Classic[]
Collaborating with Wan Sandage[]
- «Yeah, I'm Aldar Beedo. What's it to you?»
- ―Aldar Beedo first meets Wan Sandage
The Boonta Eve Classic of Tatooine was an annual event where Podracer pilots from all corners of the galaxy came to test their skills on Tatooine's harsh desert terrain, and it was there that Beedo put both his racing and assassin skills to the test. Both seasoned professionals and newcomers participated in the race on a regular basis, though the crowd favorite was the vicious Dug pilot Sebulba, an individual that was known to employ various illegal weapons and tactics to gain the upper hand during any given race.[11] However, Sebulba was also quite skillful in his own right, but both his skill and perverse racing style conjured up numerous enemies for him. One such enemy was the aging Devlikk playboy Wan Sandage. Devlikk's had notoriously short life spans, and at the age of six, Sandage believed that his chances of beating Sebulba in a race were diminishing too fast for comfort. The Devlikk figured he had one last card to play.[12] Sandage had learned of the killing of Borzu Nale, and at some point connected the dots and drew a picture of Beedo as the assassin. Learning that Beedo was also participating in the Boonta, Sandage sought the Glymphid out, locating him in the Tatooine city of Mos Espa, where the Boonta was to take place.[9]
On the eve of the Boonta race, many of the pilots had retired to Mos Espa's Poodoo Lounge to attend the glimmik concert that racer and two-time Boonta winner Boles Roor was conducting. Sandage approached Beedo while the latter was enjoying a drink and explained his predicament. Beedo listened to the Devlikk's story, though Beedo began to rebuke Sandage after the Devlikk informed Beedo about his knowledge of Borzu Nale. Sandage quickly offered a sum of one hundred thousand wupiupi to eliminate Sebulba during the race. Aware of Sebulba's brutal race tactics and the danger of the job, Beedo demanded a price of two hundred thousand wupiupi up front, which Sandage happily agreed to pay. Sebulba entered the lounge soon after, and both pilots quickly hushed up.[9]
While Sebulba wasn't aware of any names out to get him, he was wary of the possible attempts on his life, and quickly met up with his own hired gun, Dud Bolt. Bolt, like Beedo, worked as both a hit-man and a Podracer pilot. His job at this point though was as a bodyguard to Sebulba, and was just as dangerous as the others when on the track. Meanwhile, hidden in an apartment, Nale laid out his plan for Beedo in a recording.[9] Having purchased a Podracer of his own, an outdated Kurtob KRT 410C, Nale planned to enter the Boonta using what money he could and shoot Beedo down during the race.[9] In another meeting with Sandage located at the bar Maggy the Gorgon's, Beedo noted that his usual fees stood at one hundred thousand truguts for any job, with fifty-thousand upfront and the final fifty-thousand upon completion of the job. Sandage, desperate, agreed to the additional fees.[3]
Dug hunt[]
On the next morning, the racers assembled at the Mos Espa Grand Arena. Aldar Beedo's Podracer was one of the first on the grid, placed on the outside pole position of the first row, starting right next to Sebulba's massive orange Collor Pondrat Plug-F Mammoth Split-X Podracer. Dud Bolt was, in turn, right behind the both of them. Sandage, however, started in the last row of the pack on the outside position.[11] Nale, having made it to the arena after a narrow encounter with Rango Tel that left the latter dead in the dust,[10] started on the inside of the fourth row,[11] having now changed his name to "Elan Mak" in hopes of avoiding the suspicions of Aldar Beedo.[13] The race's host, Jabba the Hutt, began the race after the Troig race announcers, Fodesinbeed Annodue, conducted the opening ceremonies. With the Hutt's go ahead, the racers blasted out into the course for both victory and blood. Beedo and Mak quickly took positions behind Sebulba as the Dug viciously rammed the Gran contestant Mawhonic into a rock wall during the early moments of the race that sped through Mushroom Mesa. Sandage trailed behind the pack near the Xamster pilot Neva Kee. Sandage was quickly surpassed by the sole Human contestant, Anakin Skywalker, who had actually stalled during the race's opening moments. Mak remained in second place for a portion of the first lap, but hung back and landed behind Beedo. The Glymphid eventually ended up in third for the majority of the first lap, while Bolt stayed near the middle of the pack near the Nosaurian pilot Clegg Holdfast.[11]
Beedo eventually fell further behind, surpassed by Gasgano, Teemto Pagalies, Mars Guo, and Skywalker during the second lap. Sebulba held the lead for both laps one and two, though he was nearly surpassed by Holdfast. To counter the Nosaurian pilot, Sebulba roasted Holdfast's engines with an illegal flamethrower. When lap three hung around, Beedo had yet to make his way back to Sebulba[11] and "Mak" was having difficulties shooting Beedo's Pod due to Ebe E. Endocott set between them.[9] Sandage eventually flew off course and crashed into a wayward sandcrawler, ending his chances at victory.[12] Bolt, meanwhile, had collided with the Nuknog pilot Ark Roose.[14] Beedo eventually caught up to the top four—Sebulba, Guo, Skywalker, and Gasgano. Using a piece of debris, Sebulba clogged the engines of Guo, causing the Phuii pilot to wreck while moving Beedo a place ahead. Skywalker and Sebulba eventually became entangled in each other's Pods, and Skywalker, upon accelerating to break off, totaled Sebulba.[11] Beedo managed to place third with a a total time of 15:52.108 minutes[1] while Skywalker attained victory.[11]
After the race, Sebulba quickly purchased Skywalker's Podracer, and many of the pilots began to sign up for the next Podrace which was to be located on Malastare. While Sandage was angry for having crashed and being out-flown by Beedo, the Glymphid promised Sandage that he would finish the job on Malastare. Both pilots signed up for the Malastare race, and Mak, who had placed fifth in the Boonta behind Endocott,[9] followed suit.[15]
Malastare and the Vinta Harvest Classic[]
The Phoebos Memorial Run[]
- "I have you now Dug! Time for Aldar Beedo, ace assassin, to make good on his contract!"
- ―Aldar Beedo, preparing to shoot Sebulba during the Vinta Harvest Classic
Malastare's Vinta Harvest Classic was known for a course that stretched through various terrains, including methane lakes, forests, and the city of Pixelito. The Classic contained five elimination rounds that would see who would go on for the final and main event. The fifth and final run of the elimination rounds was a course known as the Phoebos Memorial Run, and Aldar Beedo had managed to stay alive long enough to participate. Wan Sandage and Elan Mak had also both successfully competed up to the Memorial Run, and both of them were still out to settle their own scores on the track. During the race's last lap, the Twi'lek racer By't Distombe was in the lead with Sebulba trailing close behind, piloting the Pod he bought from Anakin Skywalker. Racing through a methane lake, the cam droids were having difficulty keeping the racers in focus. Aware of this, Sandage began pressuring Beedo to shoot Sebulba with his blaster.[15]
Beedo, piloting a Podracer similar to his Mark IV, refused, believing that the time was not right and that he didn't have a clear shot. Little did Beedo realize, though, that Mak had taken a position above him and was preparing to fire his own blaster at the Glymphid. Neither of the gunmen were able to make their shot, though, as Sebulba made a quick dash for the lead ahead of Distombe. Sebulba threw an empty bottle of Vinta Harvest Ale behind him, which struck the Twi'lek racer in the forehead. Distombe lost control and flew over a geyser, which caused his cockpit to explode, launching Distombe through the air and forcing the other pilots to break off and avoid Distombe's loose engines. Sebulba won the round, with Sandage in second place, followed closely by Mak and Beedo. All four, having finished each of the elimination rounds, were on their way to competing in the main event of the Vinta Classic.[15] Beedo, however, was no longer just working on Sandage's bounty.[18]
Contracts from Lannik[]
Taking place during the main Podracing event, the Jedi Council was attempting to help establish peace between the ruling powers of the planet Lannik and a terrorist faction known as the Red Iaro, who wished to overthrow the self-centered Lannik Prince, R'cardo Sooflie IX.[15] The Red Iaro, partnered with the Gran senator Aks Moe, needed the Jedi removed from the affair in order to successfully assassinate Sooflie.[19] However, they were not the only ones looking to remove the prince. Another Lannik terrorist known as the Chosen One was also looking to upset the peace conference and hired Beedo's to kill the Jedi Master Even Piell, a Lannik himself, during the upcoming Vinta Harvest race when the Jedi's speeders passed through the course.[18] The Iaro, however, had installed several of their own suicide bombers onto the speeders.[19]
The main Podracing event included several former Boonta contestants, including Mawhonic and Teemto Pagalies, who had both survived their wrecks from the Boonta. Mawhonic acted as the local Gran favorite. As per Malastare tradition, the alien known only as Nugtosh climbed to the top of a spire and waved the racers off of the starting grid. The pilots darted off, with Beedo keeping Sebulba square in his sights. As planned, the Jedi's taxi speeders had made their way into a portion of the track that wove through a Malastare city. The speeders carried the Jedi Council ambassadors, including Mace Windu, Piell, and Adi Gallia. Aldar Beedo narrowly missed the Jedi's speeders as he sped through the course, but slowed down in order to allow Sebulba to pass him. At this time, the suicide bombers attempted to kill the Jedi with explosive vests in order to prevent the Jedi from helping Prince Sooflie any further.[19]
They failed in killing the Jedi, and only managed to kill themselves and destroy their speeder, which caused the Jedi Masters to fall into the path of the oncoming racers.[19] As Beedo started to aim for Sebulba, the Jedi managed to grab hold of the Dug's power cables. After Sebulba forced them off, Gallia used a magnetic cable to latch onto Sebulba's cockpit. At this point Beedo made his move, firing his blaster pistol. The shot lagged behind and missed Sebulba's pod entirely. Instead, he shot Gallia's line and sent the Jedi tumbling down to the ground below. The Jedi were rescued by another speeder, however, and as such Beedo failed to acquire either bounty. Sebulba later sped into and killed the Red Iaro leader Myk'chur Finux Zug, who was attempting to escape the Jedi with a jetpack, thus ending the Red Iaro's efforts.[16]
Euceron and the Galactic Games[]
In 26 BBY, the Galactic Games took place on the planet Euceron, and Aldar Beedo, Elan Mak, and Sebulba all managed to find their way there.[20] Wan Sandage, however, was nowhere to be seen, having died in 29 BBY due to his age.[21] Mak was still after Beedo, while the Glymphid sat in a transitional period due to Sandage's death. However, this time around, Sebulba wasn't racing. Sebulba's son Hekula had been moving up the playing field, and it was time for Hekula to prove to his father that he could race just as well as Sebulba could. Former Boonta contestants Ody Mandrell and Gasgano were also present within the Great Dordon Caves, where the illegal podrace was held, along with Podracer pilots "Scorch" Zanales and Will Neluenf. Also among the racers, and positioned next to Beedo's pit, was Ratts Tyerell's Titan 2150 Podracer, albeit no Ratts Tyerell. Having perished in his collision during the Boonta, his daughter Djulla was sold as a slave to Sebulba by her uncle in order to keep the family financially afloat. In a bid to reverse their uncle's doing, Tyerell's sons, Doby and Deland, took up Podracing themselves in hopes of winning enough money to buy their sister's freedom. Beedo was present when a scuffle broke out between Sebulba and the boys, with Boonta victor Anakin Skywalker, now a Jedi in training, caught in the middle. Annoyed, and with his concentration lost, Beedo intervened and threatened all of them with a blaster.[20]
Sebulba was partially bested by Skywalker in the scuffle due to the boy's Jedi abilities, and Doby warned that Beedo could face the same defeat. The Glymphid was unfazed by the threat. When Djulla attempted to intervene, the fight worsened and Deland's arm was broken by Sebulba. Beedo, decidedly no longer concerned by this "family matter" left the group alone to prepare for the upcoming race. The "Hit Man" now found himself up against Skywalker for a second time, as the Jedi had stepped in for the injured Deland. The race started off with Skywalker and Hekula quickly starting their bid for first. Aldar Beedo followed close behind Mandrell with Mak in tow, but Mandrell failed to make the next turn. Mak surged forward, seeing the chance to kill his father's murderer. Mak swung out and in front of Beedo in an attempt to cut the Glymphid off, successfully smashing Beedo into the ground, but forcing the other contestants to scramble to avoid hitting them; the Fluggrian's success was also limited, however, as his pod was caught in the collision as well. Both racers, crawling from the wreckage and rushing to the sidelines to escape the danger of the track, commenced to accuse and blame each another for the crash. Beedo soon left Euceron, leaving Mak empty handed yet again.[20]
By 24 BBY, Wan Sandage Jr. had picked up the fallen reigns of his father to continue Sandage's racing legacy. By that point, Beedo had finally severed his ties with the Sandage family, and he quit the contract to kill Sebulba. Instead, the "Hit Man" went to work for the Dug.[22]
Further racing career[]
Target turned client[]
- "Aldar Beedo seems to be having trouble with his pit droids. Let's hope he gets them back in line before the race starts."
- ―Fode Annodue
Dud Bolt had found himself falling out of favor with Sebulba, and the Vulptereen bodyguard's days were severely numbered. Finally, Bolt was indeed ousted from the coveted position of Sebulba's bodyguard, and that's where Aldar Beedo stepped in. Sebulba had eventually come aware of Beedo's continuous hits, and decided it was time buy out the Glymphid for himself.[24] With two of the most dangerous racers together, it was their turn to take the 24 BBY race season by storm, where everyone had scores to settle. Once again, Anakin Skywalker had returned to the Podracing circuits, having re-secured his old Podracer from Sebulba and Hekula. Sebulba had a new toy, however—a massive Plug-G Gargantua Split-X Podracer, painted black. Sebulba was out for a Jedi's blood, and planned to secure it on the race course. Beedo was present to aid the Dug in his quest, while keeping a heavy roster of enemies at bay. Bolt had since sworn eternal hatred against both Beedo and Sebulba, and had souped up his skills and pod in order to run both enemy pilots into the ground.[22]
After his devastating crash during the Boonta years in the past, Mawhonic had since posted numerous bounties on Sebulba's relatives as an act of revenge,[25] and Gasgano was out to prove himself to everyone after gaining the financial backing of Jabba the Hutt. Sebulba also had an interest in Teemto Pagalies, who in years past had attempted to run off with his masseuse, Ann Gella. With the racers stronger, faster, and deadlier than ever, the "Hit Man" had his hands full.[22] Making matters worse, Elan Mak was blasting away on the race courses, still on his hunt for the elusive Glymphid.
The 24 BBY racing season[]
As the season started, Beedo took part in all three major Podracing circuits for that year: the Galactic Trials, the Podracing Open, and the Hutt Championships, making his way onto knockout charts almost everywhere. In the Trials, Beedo ravaged the Mos Espa Open on Tatooine, gaining the second top position for most knockouts during a single race with three total knockouts. Skywalker meanwhile held all of the course's top speed records. On the planet of Sullust, Beedo scored the second-best time for a three-lap race for the SoroSuub Facility course, standing with a time of 03:53.30 minutes. Aldar Beedo was particularly successful on the world of Gamorr, where he placed several speed records and topped the knockout chart with a total of five knockouts for a single race on the course Watchtower Run. The "Hit Man" secured his fame by elevating his status to the course's favored pilot.[22]
Meanwhile, Mawhonic was making waves in the Podracing Open, becoming the track favorite for a Ryloth course known as the Brightlands. With that, Aldar Beedo stepped in, taking the top position for most knockouts and the second best three lap record, beating out Mawhonic on both levels by one position. As the Open continued, the circuit weaved back to Tatooine, to Gasgano's favored course, the Badlands. Beedo and Sebulba took the course by storm, topping both the best three lap race times and the knockout chart. Gasgano held the best time for a single lap however, while Beedo held the third best time, standing at 01:17.19 minutes. Beedo also savaged the knockout chart for the Mon Calamari race course known as the Ballast Complex, with a total of four knockouts for a single race. The final race of the Podracing Open returned to Gamorr, where Beedo scored the third best three lap speed record.[22]
Beedo's success on Gamorr continued with The Citadel race course, where Beedo was second only to the tough "Scorch" Zanales, whom Beedo raced against back on Euceron, for the best three-lap record. The Glymphid was also second on the knockout chart with a total of two knockouts. Returning to Ryloth, Aldar Beedo came across the chance to appear twice on the same record chart. For the Nightlands race course, Beedo held both the second and third positions on the knockout chart, standing with scores of two knockouts and one knockout respectively. Throughout the course of the 24 BBY season, Beedo was the only known racer to hold a double standing.[22] Beedo's career was not without its pitfalls, however. At least twice during the season Beedo's pod was destroyed during a race. While racing on a course that wove through a sprawling city, Beedo attempted to destroy the racer of Wan Sandage Jr, but instead collided into the pilot Kraid Nemmeso while Sandage flew off unharmed. During a race on Tatooine, Beedo attempted to go after Skywalker, but was bested by the Jedi when Skywalker pushed Beedo into a large boulder that was blocking a part of the course. Sebulba had a similar encounter with Skywalker on Sullust. While racing through tight hallway filled with piping, Skywalker slammed Sebulba into a wall, causing the Dug to lose all control and crash.[26] While neither Beedo nor Sebulba were able to kill Skywalker, the "Hit Man" at some point tossed a wrench into Pagalies' starboard pod, causing the Veknoid to wreck, which ended up costing Pagalies an arm.[27]
Temporary capture on Baroonda[]
Aldar Beedo was still very much active on the course by 22 BBY, where racing arrived on the Galactic Republic's capital city of Coruscant, among other locations.[28] Elan Mak was still relentlessly on the hunt, but the encounter with bounty hunter Rango Tel from so many years before had left the Fluggrian scared. Mak realized that he may never personally get to kill Beedo either on or off the track. Temporarily ditching the pseudonym he had been using since 32 BBY, Kam Nale returned to his home in order to pick up the pieces of his father's criminal empire. With brand new funds at his disposal, Nale hired a cache of bounty hunters and mercenaries to track Beedo down and capture him alive.[7]
One such mercenary was quick to get on the Glymphid's tail, and followed him to the jungle world of Baroonda.[7] Baroonda's Fire Mountain Rally was in full swing, and the "Hit Man" was in attendance. Eying up the shot, the mercenary fired his ranged weapon and brought Beedo down on the track right in front of the cameras.[29] The mercenary arrested Aldar Beedo and eventually made it back to Nale, where Beedo was finally going to face his long-awaited retribution.[7] However, with the public capture of Beedo, things were not bound to stay quiet. Nale had continued to race, and it wasn't long before "Elan Mak" was undermined, and Nale was exposed as a crime lord to the public. However, the seedy capture of Aldar Beedo and the truth behind "Mak" were only two of the issues that put the future of Podracing into serious question.[29]
Team Sebulba vs Team Watto[]
Despite, the capture and the HoloNet news reports, both Mak and Beedo returned to Podracing later in the year. Sebulba and Beedo were now publicly realized as a racing team, with Beedo filling in as the pilot due to Sebulba's retirement. Sebulba was becoming disgruntled, however, with the Nosaurian pilot Clegg Holdfast and needed the Podracing Quarterly reporter disposed of for good, as Holdfast had been steadily providing aid to an up and coming team known as Team Watto. Once again, Beedo was right for the job, and it was during a race on Coruscant when Beedo caught up to Holdfast on the track and repeatedly attacked him. Holdfast held his ground for much of the single-lap race, but was bested near the end of the race. Holdfast was killed in the resulting crash.[28]
Personality and traits[]
- "All beings are the same once they're dead."
- ―Aldar Beedo
Aldar Beedo was a cold, sadistic individual and was regarded as one of the more aggressive Podracers ever to take to the Podracing circuits. The Glymphid showed no qualms about accepting hits, though he would decline an assignment he perceived as too dangerous unless the buyer offered a higher payout. Once on the job, Beedo showed that he wasn't the kind to back off of a contract until it was completed, thus bestowing on him a kind of hunter's honor. However, while working for Wan Sandage, and with failed hit after failed hit on Sebulba, the Glymphid ended up jumping ship after Sandage's death. Beedo wasn't intimidated easily, and despite a hesitance to off Sebulba, he accepted the job and wasn't afraid to risk his Podracing career by using various illegal methods to bring Sebulba down on the race track. At the same time, the "Hit Man" had no qualms about using his own vehicle as a weapon, and again, he wasn't afraid to do so. He wasn't even intimidated by the threat of a Jedi, as proven during his confrontation with Anakin Skywalker on Euceron. To Beedo, no one was better than the other once they were dead, and whatever they accomplished in their past life did not matter in the end. He only left Skywalker alone when the skirmish between the Jedi and Sebulba worsened, and Beedo knew enough that his place wasn't in their fight.[20]
A Glymphid, Aldar Beedo's short, rod-thin body gave him an edge when racing. His small size meant a small weight, which allowed his Podracer to reach its top speeds. Beedo had notably sharp reflexes that allowed him to pilot such a craft, as such reflexes were more or less required to fly a Podracer in the first place. A lanky individual, Beedo had thin fingers that ended in suction cups, though such features didn't hinder his ability to fire a weapon. Beedo was covered in scaly skin of various colors and hues, though his body was mostly a yellowish beige, while the top of his head was blue, with splotches of gray on his abdomen. Aldar Beedo had stark orange reptilian eyes.[1] Glymphids were short aliens, and Beedo stood only at 1.3 meters,[1] with a body weight of 32 kilograms.[2]
Skills and abilities[]
- «The flames hide us now, Aldar! Shoot Sebulba now, you idiot!»
«Patience, Sandage. I'm the assassin here! I'll decide when the best time is!» - ―Wan Sandage and Aldar Beedo argue during the Phoebos Memorial Run on Malastare
Aldar Beedo was a skilled pilot with fast reflexes and a sharp mind that kept him on the track. However, despite victories on Ando Prime and Gamorr, Beedo was largely considered to be a second-rate racer;[1] the claim was reasonable due to the fact Podracing was only a secondary profession for the Glymphid. A trustworthy assassin, he made it his primary work. Beedo had a successful enough track record to have been hired by the smuggler Orin Nyell, and successfully tracked down and killed a Fluggrian crime lord. However, despite the success, Beedo never was able to down his most sought-after quarry, Sebulba. Despite having skill with a blaster, he was unable to time his shots correctly when racing, not accounting for the speed of Sebulba's racer versus the speed of the laser shot. Beedo did, however, have more success with take downs regarding his Podracer. Throughout the 24 BBY racing season Aldar Beedo hit numerous targets with his racer, topping several knockout charts across the Outer Rim circuits.[22] He even had managed to damage Clegg Holdfast's Podracer so intensely that the Nosaurian was killed during the crash.[28] However, Beedo's assassination and racing skills were not enough to keep him out of the hands of the mercenary who claimed him on Baroonda.[29]
Equipment[]
- «You'll get real used to the glow of my afterburners, friend.»
- ―Aldar Beedo taunts a rival pilot
Aldar Beedo used various weapons during races, and maintained and used at least two different Podracers throughout his career. While weapons were illegal on the track, Aldar Beedo was nonetheless able to smuggle a blaster pistol into the Vinta Harvest Classic, and attempted to use it against Sebulba. Beedo's silver pistol had a large, round receiver and a narrow barrel, and it fired green lasers. The weapon was strong enough to cut through magnetic cables.[16]
Aldar Beedo's primary Podracer was a Manta RamAir MARK IV-Flat Turbojet, a wide Podracer with two massive engines painted blue with yellow markings that also appeared on the flag Beedo used to represent himself. The RamAir was notable for its above-average stats across the board, minus its acceleration. Its best trait was its handling, performing well on some of the galaxy's twistier courses. However, with upgraded accelerators the vehicle could become a powerhouse of a machine. Perhaps its major downfall was the vehicle's width. The RamAir was much wider than some other pods, and as such was not the perfect choice for the narrower courses with tighter roads that would lead to more close-knit packs.[6] For the narrower courses, Aldar Beedo did have a backup Podracer. The racer shared the previous one's cockpit, and featured MARK IV engines that were half their original size. Whereas the normal engines had two jets on the back for propulsion, the new engines each only had one jet. The fact that the vehicle was drastically smaller meant that Beedo could perform far better on the narrower courses, such as the tracks that Malastare presented. He used both vehicles during the course of 32 BBY,[16] but later solely relied on his original RamAir as his Podracer of choice for the 24 BBY season.[22]
Aldar Beedo did not wear much in the way of gear, and seldom wore anything. Around 32 BBY he could be found wearing shorts and a brown racing cap with a black and white checker pattern down the center.[8] He also sometimes wore a brown shirt and wrapped a bandolier around himself.[3]
Behind the scenes[]
Aldar Beedo first appeared in the 1999 novel Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace written by Terry Brooks, based on the film of the same name released later the same year, which was directed by George Lucas. Detailed concept art was created for Beedo, most of it deisgned by Terryl Whitlatch. An equally detailed maquette was built by the Lucasfilm Ltd. art department. The character was only realized in the film as a low-resolution digital model that was used for medium and distance shots of the character's Podracer. A graphic was created using the maquette to be used for view-screens in the film, though it could be seen only fleetingly.[1]
An interesting note is that Aldar Beedo was possibly replaced by Mawhonic as the first podracer pilot to crash in the race by Sebulba during the storyboards stage. This iteration of Aldar Beedo is shown with a shorter snout and having a set of spikes around his face and snout and neck.
Aldar Beedo had a far more substantial appearance in the 1999 video game Star Wars Episode I: Racer, released on the same day as the film. Beedo's backstory was fleshed out in the game's companion guides published by Prima and Nintendo Power. Also, while he did not make an appearance, Beedo was mentioned in the Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace video game. His parked racer could also be encountered by the player. Aldar Beedo later went on to appear in Racer's sequel, Star Wars: Racer Revenge, and the 2012 Xbox 360 video game Kinect Star Wars, where Beedo acted a major character in the game's ambiguously canon Podracing feature. In Revenge and Racer Beedo was voiced by Nick Jameson, who also voiced Knire Dark in Revenge. Beedo later received a brief mention in the novel Tatooine Ghost.
The conflict between Beedo and Kam Nale was explored in several Star Wars Legends publications, but the conflict did not receive closure until 2013 with the release of the Star Wars Blog article The Not-So Magnificent Seven, which expanded on the lives of several untalented bounty hunters. Both Beedo and Nale were mentioned under Rango Tel's entry in the blog article. While Aldar Beedo has never been realized as an action figure, he has appeared twice as a LEGO mini-figure. The first one was designed out of several parts of other minifigures, which bore only a fleeting resemblance to Beedo. The second mini-figure was a single mold without any moving pieces, based on Beedo's maquette.
Appearances[]
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Sources[]
Non-canon sources[]
- LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary
- LEGO Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
- LEGO Star Wars: The Visual Dictionary: Updated and Expanded