Battle of Naboo

Next: Battle of Geonosis Battle of Naboo Conflict: Date: 32 BBY Location: Naboo Result: Naboo victory Combatants Naboo and Gungan alliance Trade Federation Commanders Queen Amidala Nute Gunray Forces Qui-Gon Jinn Obi-Wan Kenobi Unspecified number of Gungan soldiers Naboo Royal Guards Naboo Royal starfighter squadron Darth Maul Unspecified number of battle droids with armored support One Lucrehulk-class battleship Unspecified number of droid starfighters Losses Qui-Gon Jinn killed Unspecified Gungan casualties Unspecified number of starfighters destroyed Darth Maul killed Lucrehulk-class battleship destroyed Entire droid army deactivated

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Following the occupation of Naboo, the Trade Federation recalled much of their fleet, leaving only a token force to guard the planet. Although their ground armies were considerable, they had reduced their blockading fleet to a single droid control ship. This made them vulnerable to a strategic strike that would decapitate the Trade Federation's command structure. With this in mind, Queen Amidala returned to Naboo in order to free her besieged population. She brought with her the Jedi Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi as well as the Gungan Jar-Jar Binks and Tatooine native Anakin Skywalker. After making landfall, Amidala convinced the resistance and Gungan armies to rally to her cause for a three-part battle that would shape the future of the galaxy.

Battle of the Plains

Amidala's battle plan put the Gungans in the role of a diversionary attack, advancing in plain sight across the open fields of Naboo. The Trade Federation took the bait and moved out to try and take down the Gungan army with its tanks and droids. Athough equipped with powerful theater shields that protected their forces from bombardment, the Gungan army's offensive firepower was limited, consisting of electified spears and "boomers" (a type of electromagnetic pulse weapon made in varying sizes). After the infantry forces clashed and the theater shields were destroyed, the battle turned into an open rout, with Gungans running as fast as they could and the droid army pursuing.

Battle of Theed

While the Gungans kept the main body of the Trade Federation army occupied, the Queen's personal guard and the Jedi stormed the capital of Theed. Rapidly striking at the few remaining droids in the city, the Queen's entourage moved to re-take both the palace and the fighters stationed there. As they reached the hangar, however, a single Sith apprentice named Darth Maul appeared to draw the Jedi into a duel that would rob Amidala of her two fiercest fighters for the remainder of the battle. Despite this handicap, Amidala was able to successfully retake her throne room and make use of its hidden features to gain the upper hand against the Trade Federation Viceroy.

The Battle in Orbit

Meanwhile, the battle in low orbit was going poorly. The Naboo royal starfighters were mostly ceremonial craft with two lasers and modest proton torpedo launchers. Against a 3-kilometer-long droid control ship they were hopelessly outgunned and outnumbered, unable to cause enough damage to take out the vital control transmissions that sustained the droid army and accomplish Amidala's coup. Into this desperate fight was dropped the young Anakin Skywalker, who proceeded to fly himself straight into trouble. Despite his Force-derived piloting skill, Anakin was not at all prepared to operate a starfighter in combat. By pure luck (or fate), however, he managed to fly his fighter into the droid control ship's hanger bay, coming to a stop well inside the ship's shields and defensive screens. Here he had a clear shot at the ship's power plant, and a lucky proton torpedo set off a chain of secondary explosions that would consume the entire ship and turn the battle into a total victory.