Shalam

OnALegendsArticle

"Treaty signings bore me, and besides that worthless son of a slorth Gareth tried to cheat me at Laro last time we were there."
―Han Solo, about Shalam[2]

Shalam was an Inner Rim planet that was home to the Shalamite cultural group. It was subjected to a bombardment by the Galactic Empire Star Destroyer Emperor's Disciple and had become a part of the New Republic by 12 ABY. Seven years later, the Shalamite had imposed a one-hundred-percent tariff on the import of the Jandarra vegetable from the planet Jubilar. The New Republic politician Leia Organa Solo made at least two diplomatic visits to Shalam, and in 19 ABY, Mayor Incavi Baker of Jubilar's city Death made an offer of a smuggling run to Shalam to Han Solo, Organa Solo's husband who was posing as a visiting independent trader, as a way to lead him into an ambush by the bounty hunter Boba Fett.

Description

Shalam was a terrestrial[2] planet[5] located in the Shalam system, a part of the Northern Dependencies portion of the Inner Rim.[1]

History

"Look, Chewie's gone home and won't be back for another few weeks, my wife and kids are off—"
"—the Shalamite trip. Right. Why didn't you go?"
―Han Solo and Luke Skywalker[2]

At some point between 2 BBY[6] and 4 ABY,[7] the Star Destroyer Emperor's Disciple of Grand Admiral Ishin-Il-Raz of the Galactic Empire carried out a bombardment of Shalam.[6] By 12 ABY, Shalam fell within the borders of the New Republic.[4] The Human[8] New Republic politician Leia Organa Solo and her husband, the Human New Republic general Han Solo, visited Shalam[2] at one point by 19 ABY,[9] with Han playing the laro card game with[2] the planet's[3] King Gareth. That year, Organa Solo again traveled to Shalam on a two-week-long treaty signing visit. She took her children with her—reasoning it would be a useful experience for them—as well as her[2] protocol droid C-3PO.[10] Despite her attempts to persuade her husband to accompany them, he refused the offer.[2]

A confrontation between Boba Fett (left) and Han Solo, into which the latter was lured with an offer of a supposed smuggling run to Shalam

A confrontation between Boba Fett (left) and Han Solo, into which the latter was lured with an offer of a supposed smuggling run to Shalam

By that time,[2] intending to capitalize on the value of the delicacy vegetable[11] Jandarra of[2] the Outer Rim Territories[12] planet Jubilar, Shalam's Shalamite social group[2] had imposed a one-hundred-percent tariff on its import.[11] During Leia's visit to Shalam, Han—who was being nostalgic for his prior smuggling career—left the New Republic capital planet Coruscant and traveled to Jubilar, which he had visited decades prior and where he posed as "Luke Morgavi," an independent trader looking for a smuggling job. Mayor Incavi Baker[2] of[13] the local city Death, who was also an informant for the bounty hunter Boba Fett, then learned of "Morgavi's" arrival and, recognizing Solo, notified Fett about it.[2]

In order to help arrange for an ambush opportunity for the bounty hunter, Baker had an aide approach Solo and offer him a deal involving the smuggling of a cargo of Jandarra to Shalam. Due to the irony of his wife being on that planet on official business at the time, coupled with the fact Jandarra was among Leia's favorite treats, Solo nearly laughed out loud at the offer. He further imagined even Leia would be amused at him arriving at Shalam with a cargo of the vegetable, and the Shalamite would not dare to prosecute him over the infraction. During the subsequent meeting between Solo and Baker, the former realized it was a trap, and during the ensuing firefight, Fett accidentally fatally shot the mayor,[2] with both Solo and the bounty hunter ultimately surviving the encounter.[8]

Inhabitants

"Jandarra. […] After almost two years of work we managed to cultivate them—"
"And the Shalamite slapped a 100% tariff on you."
―Incavi Baker and Han Solo, posing as "Luke Morgavi"[2]

Shalam was governed by a monarchy[3] and was home to a social group known as the Shalamite, who maintained a space navy.[2]

Behind the scenes

Shalam was first mentioned in "The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett," a short story by Daniel Keys Moran that was published in the 1996 anthology Tales of the Bounty Hunters.[2] 2008's The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia erroneously claimed that Han Solo and Gareth played a game of laro on Coruscant[3] instead of on Shalam.[2] The 2009 reference book The Essential Atlas placed the Shalam system, and therefore the planet itself, in grid square M-7, thereby also placing it relatively far from Jubilar,[1] which overrode The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia's characterization of the worlds as being "nearby."[11]

Appearances

This article has an associated index page with page numbers and/or timestamps.

Sources

Wiki-shrinkable
Explore all of Wookieepedia's images for this article subject.

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 The Essential Atlas — Based on corresponding data for Shalam system
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 "The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett" — Tales of the Bounty Hunters
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 323 ("Gareth, King")
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Essential Guide to Warfare — Based on corresponding data for Shalam system
  5. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. III, p. 143 ("Shalam")
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 SWInsider "Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals" — Star Wars Insider 66
  7. ↑ SWInsider "Who's Who: Imperial Grand Admirals" — Star Wars Insider 66 establishes the bombardment of Shalam took place before the Battle of Endor, which The New Essential Chronology dates to 4 ABY.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 The Essential Reader's Companion
  9. ↑ The Essential Reader's Companion dates the main events of "The Last One Standing: The Tale of Boba Fett," during which Shalam is mentioned, to 19 ABY.
  10. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 101-102 ("C-3PO (See-Threepio)")
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. II, p. 137 ("jandarra")
  12. ↑ The Essential Atlas — Based on corresponding data for Jubilar system
  13. ↑ The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 55 ("Baker, Mayor")
In other languages