Battle of Naboo (Imperial Period)

"During the rise of the Empire, the Emperor's home planet of Naboo rapidly established itself as a major irritant. After a number of Naboo's ambassadors were sent home in various states of dismemberment, her newly elected Queen broke off diplomatic ties, and began exploring military options. Clearly it was time for a regime change, a change that would be effected by the 501st, now under the direct command of Darth Vader."

- Anonymous 501st Legion stormtrooper

The Battle of Naboo in the Imperial Period, also known as the Fall of Naboo or the Assassination of Queen Apailana, was an isolated event that occurred in the first year of the Galactic Empire.

Background
"I hate the Empire, even the Emperor who runs it."

- Anonymous Royal Naboo Security officer

Because of Queen Apailana's polite and subtle refusal to accept the New Order, the Empire harbored suspicions about her true allegiance.

This state of unease kept up for one year, until Darth Vader found out that the Naboo were hiding Jedi refugees trying to escape the Great Jedi Purge. Vader ordered Apailana's execution on the charges of treason, but knowing her guards would expect the assassination attempt on her, he sent the 501st Legion, an elite group of stormtroopers, to deal with the Royal Naboo Security Forces.

The battle
"Our orders were simple, to infiltrate the city and take out their leader, sending a clear signal to other potential troublemakers in the Empire."

- Anonymous 501st Legion stormtrooper

Naboo's capital of Theed was placed under siege by the 501st immediately when the city would not surrender its queen, however, bold Naboo security guards defended their home well with loyal soldiers and AAC-1 hovertanks. The 501st Legion landed in the royal plazas and engaged the nearby Naboo soldiers, quickly securing their landing area.

The Theed Royal Palace was well defended by a grid of powerful particle cannon turrets which were controlled by a console near the palace gates. The Imperial soldiers managed to secure a landing zone on the side of the royal plaza, establishing a perimeter around the palace.

501st Legion stormtroopers, under support fire from a TX-130T fighter tank, worked their way onto the balcony where the auto-turret grid console was guarded. They saturated the area with grenades, killing the guards and destroying the console.

Death of the Queen


Imperial troopers skirmished with Naboo forces inside Theed Palace. Shortly after the deactivation of the defensive turrets, Apailana broke out of the palace in a last effort to flee to the hangar, under escort of several Jedi Masters and Padawans the queen was previously suspected and accused of harboring. The Jedi, though formidable, were outnumbered, surrounded by the stormtroopers, and ultimately exterminated, but not before they killed many of the stormtroopers that attacked them head on.

Presumably, as seen in the journal entry of the retired clone trooper, a sniper hidden on a bridge shot the queen with a high powered sniper rifle. Her escorts were surrounded and executed by stormtroopers thereafter.

Aftermath
"With the Queen eliminated, Naboo quickly fell in line. It was the first time the 501st was called upon to "adjust" a planet's government, but it wouldn't be the last. Within months, the 501st gained a well-deserved reputation as "Vader's Fist"."

- Anonymous 501st legion clone trooper

The security and palace guards were taken prisoners and were said, like many of the Empire's captured enemies, to "disappear". They were in fact transported to the secret, under-construction Death Star for safekeeping. Most would join Rebel inmates and die fighting in the later Death Star Uprising.

To cover up the incident, the Empire declared that terrorists had attacked Theed Palace and the 501st Legion had arrived to stop the chaos, the Queen being killed "just before she could be saved" amidst the intense assaults. The Royal Security Forces never got a say in the matter, however.

An Imperial Officer overseeing the stormtrooper's efforts said that it would intimidate potential uprisers into submission, and that it would "save countless lives", but it ultimately would have the opposite effect.

On Naboo, the Empire would proceed to install a puppet monarch and government (headed by Queen Kylantha) which would not be rebellious in any aspect. The Royal Naboo Security Forces was profoundly limited to a more individualized group of a select few bodyguards (allowed to be chosen by the monarch) who, it was believed, would never have enough strength to initiate another uprising. Nonetheless, the remainder of the security forces, along with other Naboo opposed to Imperial rule and supported by Gungan Rebels, were able to rise up against the disorganized Empire during the Battle of Naboo in 4 ABY.

Behind the scenes
The Battle of Naboo first appeared in the Pandemic Studios video game Star Wars: Battlefront II, which was released on November 1, 2005.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Battlefront II
 * Fists of Ion