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Zhaban was a male Romulan featured in the first season of Star Trek: Picard. He was portrayed by Jamie McShane.
Zhaban was a northerner, a group of Romulans who had developed ridges on their foreheads during their many centuries on Romulus.
In keeping with Romulan custom, he was promised to his wife Laris as a child and the two were later married. Growing up he became a member of the Tal Shiar. His mother was also an operative who once drunkenly told Laris about the Zhat Vash, a secretive group within the Tal Shiar dedicated to the extermination of artificial life. During his time with the Tal Shiar Zhaban received advanced combat training.
When Admiral Jean-Luc Picard and Commander Raffi Musiker were captured by the Romulan Governor Shiana of Yuyat Beta, both Zhaban and Laris defected to the Federation, rescuing Picard and Musiker. After Picard left Starfleet, both Zhaban and Laris relocated to Earth where they went to work for Picard at his Chateau as housekeepers, estate managers, and bodyguards.
Zhaban helped arrange for an interview with the Federation News Service and Picard - who had for over 15 years refused all interviews with the FNS or other media outlets. Despite laying out clear conditions, the reporter ignored Zhaban's conditions and pressed Picard on his resignation from Starfleet.
Later, when Zhat Vash operatives assaulted Picard's home in an attempt to kill him, Zhaban put his advanced combat training to good use in defending Picard from the team, managing to capture one of the Romulans in the process. He was stopped from killing the unconscious Romulan by Laris and Picard. When the Romulan woke up the three tried to interrogate the Romulan, but being a "stubborn northerner" the Romulan refused to answer and then committed suicide.
When Picard left to find and save Soji Asha from the Zhat Vash, Zhaban and Laris remained behind on Earth to continue running Chateau Picard. The pair continued working for Picard after he returned to Earth in a new synthetic body that did not have the anamoly that killed Picard's original body.
In 2400 Zhaban passed away leaving behind his wife and Picard, who he had come to see as a good friend. The two greatly missed Zhaban's presence.