Invasion of Naboo

The Invasion of Naboo, also known as the Naboo conflict, the Naboo Crisis, the siege of Naboo, and the occupation of Naboo was a pivotal planetary war on Naboo initiated by the Trade Federation in 32 BBY during the Great Peace. The conflict began with the Trade Federation's weeklong blockade of Naboo, before escalating when Naboo's capital city, as well as its surrounding regions, were conquered by the Federation Army's battle droids. Both the Royal House of Naboo and the Federation were members of the Galactic Republic, which sparked a political debacle within Galactic Senate. However, the Federation was secretly in league with the Sith led by the Sith Lord Darth Sidious, who was also Naboo's senator Sheev Palpatine. The Dark Lord intended to use the crisis as a pretext to remove the Supreme Chancellor Finis Valorum from office and have himself elected in his place as Chancellor.

During the initial blockade, Valorum sent two Jedi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi, to negotiate with the Federation, but Sidious ordered that they be killed and that the Federation deploy their forces to Naboo. The Jedi escaped and rescued Queen Padmé Amidala from the Federation, making their way off-planet and landing on the world of Tatooine that was controlled by the Hutt Clan for refuge after their vessel was damaged while escaping the blockade. There, Jinn discovered a young slave named Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force.

The group repaired their damaged vessel, however Darth Maul revealed himself and fought a duel with Jinn before escaping, and fleeing to the Republic capital world of Coruscant, where Amidala pleaded for assistance before the Galactic Senate. The Republic's bureaucracy was unable to help Amidala, who called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum, leading to an election in which Palpatine was a favorite to win. Knowing she would find no help on Coruscant, Amidala returned to Naboo with the Jedi and planned to defeat the Federation on her own.

Upon her return, Amidala met and forged an alliance with the Gungans who lived in Naboo's oceans, and the Gungans agreed to join the fight against the Federation. In the final battle, the Gungan army took on the Federation army as a diversion; a wing of starfighters attacked the droid control ship in orbit; and Amidala and the Jedi infiltrated the palace to capture Nute Gunray, the Federation viceroy. By the battle's end, Skywalker had destroyed the Federation control ship, the Gungans were victorious, Gunray was captured, and the Sith Lord Darth Maul was defeated—at the cost of Jinn's life.

The event would be remembered by the Naboo as the Occupation and by critics of the Republic as the "debacle at Naboo." Fought ten years prior to the Clone Wars, the invasion showcased major faults with the Republic to the galactic stage and, ultimately, laid the seeds for the war itself. Meanwhile, for Palpatine, the crisis was a success even though Maul was lost and the Federation had been defeated; with a strong sympathy vote, Palpatine was elected Supreme Chancellor. Over the years, Palpatine furthered his Sith plot to take over the Republic and destroy the Jedi, launching the Clone Wars that would allow him to form a Galactic Empire and destroy the Jedi Order.

Text and facts from the “Invasion of Naboo” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.