Battle of Naboo (Imperial Period)

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

- Anonymous Royal Naboo Security officer

The Battle of Naboo in the Imperial Era, 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 Empire. 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.

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 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.

Imperial troopers skirmished with Naboo forces inside the Theed Palace. Shortly after the deactivation of the defensive turrets, Apailana broke out of the palace, under escort of several Jedi Masters and Padawans. The Jedi, though formidable, were outnumbered, surrounded by the stormtroopers, and eventually slaughtered.

Eventually, Apailana was assassinated by Imperial snipers from the plaza balconies. When her loyal guards watched her fall, they felt as if they fought now for a lost cause and gave up the fight, hoping to save themselves and the final few of their surviving companions.

The security and palace guards were taken prisoners and were said, like many of the Empire's capured 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.

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 the Gungan Grand Army, were able to free the planet from the crumbling Empire during the Liberation of Naboo in 4 ABY.

Trivia
To cover up, the Empire declared 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.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Battlefront II