Senwannus'gourkahipaff was a male Oswaft who served as one of three Elders of his space-dwelling species by 3 BBY. Senwannus'gourkahipaff served in this role when his species came under threat by an Imperial fleet, working with Human visitor Lando Calrissian to protect the Oswaft from Imperial aggression in the ThonBoka nebula. Senwannus'gourkahipaff led a large force of his people in using their natural hyperspace jumping ability to confuse the Imperial fleet into firing on each other, but was killed by a Electromagnetic torpedo fired by Sorcerer of Tund Rokur Gepta.
Senwannus'gourkahipaff—known by some as "Sen," for short—was a male member of the massive, space-dwelling species known as the Oswaft, that lived in the region of space called the ThonBoka nebula. Senwannus'gourkahipaff had become one of three Oswaft Elders by the Imperial Period, living into a period of great turmoil for their people. In 3 BBY, the relatively obscure Oswaft came to the attention of the Galactic Empire, who felt threatened by the existence of a species that had natural hyperspace capabilities, although the Oswaft themselves were nonviolent and completely uninterested in events beyond the ThonBoka. The Imperials launched a blockade intending to starve the Oswaft out. Their only potential salvation ultimately came from an unlikely source—a passing gambler named Lando Calrissian had made an acquaintance with a young Oswaft named Lehesu, and traveled to the ThonBoka in order to help the Oswaft outwit the Empire.
Senwannus'gourkahipaff, along with fellow Elder Feytihennasraof, summoned Calrissian to the Cave of Elders—the only artificial structure in the ThonBoka—only to be immediately charmed by the visiting Human over a game of sabacc. The group began discussing ways to extricate the Oswaft from their precarious position, when they were interrupted by news that fellow Elder Bhoggihalysahonues and 1,000 fellow Oswaft had been killed en masse by the Imperial fleet. The mustering of their enemies made the Oswaft's situation mortally dire, and Calrissian quickly formulated a plan to help Senwannus'gourkahipaff's people. Although Senwannus'gourkahipaff originally asserted a moral opposition to fighting back, Calrissian convinced the Elder to aid in a plan to utilize the Oswaft's natural hyperspace jumping capability, and ability to excrete heavy metals in order to create false images, to confuse the Imperial fleet into firing at one another. Leading a force of upwards of one million Oswaft, their deception initially worked brilliantly, causing significant Imperial casualties. However, Sorcerer of Tund Rokur Gepta—pursuing his own grudge with Calrissian—arrived in his flagship Wennis and attacked the massed Oswaft with an electromagnetic torpedo that killed both Elders along with many others of their kind.
Modest and conservative in nature—like most of his species—Senwannus'gourkahipaff could not conceive of one sentient willingly doing harm to another before the Galactic Empire showed up on his doorstep. This extended to self-defense, and though he had no desire to die he initially felt that it was an unavoidable alternative, as leaving the ThonBoka was an unimaginable fate. However, he found himself won over to a new way of thinking upon meeting Lando Calrissian. Senwannus'gourkahipaff became won over to the idea that individual dissent and disagreement could produce new, valuable ways forward, and began to recognize his culture's stagnation. Although games of chance were as foreign to the Oswaft as violence, Senwannus'gourkahipaff delighted in the game of sabacc, and was fascinated by Lando Calrissian's mastery of the game. Over one kilometer across in size, Senwannus'gourkahipaff was slightly larger than his fellow Elder Feytihennasraof.
Senwannus'gourkahipaff appeared in Lando Calrissian and the Starcave of ThonBoka, a novel written by L. Neil Smith and released in 1983.