Alara came about when I was roleplaying in another group.

She is the sister to Cathrill, as they both from the same litter. However, unlike Cathrill, she wasn't given up to the Jedi Order when they came for her sister. So she grew up with her family.

She is a wicked smart person, and she thus was one to focus more on her scholastic career, and, despite the clone wars, managed to graduate University within the core with a degree in archeology.

She favors field work in the same way as Lara Croft might do. So plunging ruins is what she does best.