Shahan Alama

"No lightsaber cuts… Interesting."

―Shahan Alama, upon finding his droid partner's remains —

Shahan Alama was a Weequay bounty hunter who was active during the Clone Wars. He, along with Cad Bane and a group of other bounty hunters and mercenaries, participated in the Senate hostage crisis in order to free the Crime lord Ziro the Hutt and deliver him to the Grand Hutt Council.

BiographyEdit

"You have two more floors to check."
"Come on. We've got two more floors to check."

―Skywalker uses a mind trick on Alama —

Listen (file info)^[src]

AlamaIG86Hunting-HC — Alama and his droid partner hunt Skywalker in the corridors of the Senate Building

In 21 BBY,^[3] Shahan Alama was recruited by fellow bounty hunter Cad Bane to break the nefarious crime lord Ziro the Hutt out of Galactic Republic custody. Bane planned to blackmail the Republic's Supreme Chancellor, Sheev Palpatine, into releasing Ziro by holding a group of Senators hostage. His posse including, Alama, arrived at one the Senate Building's many landing platforms where their unauthorised arrival garnered the attention of a group of Senate Commando's stationed there. The commandos demanded that they leave but Bane refused, stating that he had business with the Galactic Senate. Alama and the bounty hunters then engaged the commandos in a brief confrontation, that was quickly ended thanks to Aurra Sing's skilled marksmanship.^[2]

The hunters then headed into the Senate building where Bane used his knowledge of the building to anticipate the Senate Commando guard change and promptly dealt with them using a thermal detonator. The group then swiftly entered the control room and Robonino shut down the power to the building. As the confused Republic senators gathered in the lobby atrium, the bounty hunters entered and surrounded them. Bane contacted Palpatine, demanding Ziro's release but the Chancellor refused. Bane locked down the building in retaliation and prevented all communication to the outside world. He hung up and began to confiscate the senators' comlinks and other valuables but, before he could search senator Padmé Amidala, he noticed the Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker hiding in the upper levels. He opened fire on the Jedi and ordered Alama and an assassin droid to find him.^[2]

Alama and the droid hunted Skywalker through the Senate Building's now darkened corridors. The Jedi briefly managed to contact Palpatine by hot-wiring a terminal and Alama heard the noise from afar. He and the droid investigated but Skywalker was able to perform a mind trick on Alama, which convinced him they had to check the other two floors. Alama subsequently decided it would be best if he and his partner split up: the droid was to check one floor whilst he checked another. During his search, Alama suspected he'd discovered Skywalker's location, but upon entering the room he instead found a BD-3000 luxury droid inside. Alama laughed and shushed the droid before he quickly continued with his search. Hearing commotion on the droid's designated floor, he rapidly went downstairs to investigate and found the droid's mangled remains. However, he noticed that the droid had no lightsaber cuts and cleverly deduced that the Jedi must not have his weapon. Alama reported his findings back to Bane who then sent Sing to help with the search. Alama and Sing eventually found Skywalker attempting to enter the control room to turn the power back on. Robonino ambushed the Jedi from behind, shocking him with electricity and rendering him unconscious. The trio cuffed the Jedi and brought him back to Bane, who tossed him in with the senators. Palpatine agreed to have Ziro released but Bane decided to give the senators a "parting gift" before they left. The group set up a laser system around their captives that, if triggered, would detonate explosives wired to blow up the entire atrium thereby killing everyone inside.^[2]

The hunters proceeded to exit the building with their mission apparently complete, however, as they arrived outside, clone shock troopers disembarked from gunships and held the group at gunpoint. Speaking to Palpatine via hologram, Bane revealed the trap he'd set for the senators and threatened to activate the explosives from a remote detonator. The clones were consequently ordered to stand down and the hunters board their getaway speeder, Bane's finger positioned over the detonator all the while. As they flew away, Bane activated the explosives as payback for the indignities that Ziro suffered while in prison, but Skywalker, who had awoken and retrieved his lightsaber from Amidala, was able to save the senators with a hasty escape.^[2]

Personality and traitsEdit

Shahan Alama was a male Weequay who stood at 1.85 meters tall.^[1] His right forearm was also cybernetic.^[2] Alama relished the opportunity to hunt Anakin Skywalker through the senate buildings corridors.^[1] When one of his colleagues, an assassin droid, was destroyed by the Jedi Knight, Alama noticed that there were no lightsaber cuts, intelligently deducing that the Jedi was without his lightsaber.^[2]

Behind the scenesEdit

Shahan Alama first appeared in "Hostage Crisis," the twenty-second and final episode of the first season of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars television series. In the episode, he was voiced by Corey Burton, who also provided the voice of Cad Bane. Though not named within the episode itself, Alama's name was given during the episode's credits.