starwars.wikia.com

Palace Plaza/Legends

Palace Plaza was a wide, open avenue which stretched from the grand entrance of the Royal Palace of Theed, the capital of Naboo, and ran down to the massive Palace Courtyard further on in the city.

History[]

A long, quiet avenue that served as the main walking plaza at the center of Theed, the Palace Plaza was open to foot traffic only, as was the rest of Theed's city streets after a ban on all personal speeders was affected under the reign of King Bon Tapalo. Lined on either side by small shops, museums, monuments, and office buildings, the Plaza was trisected at two points by the Triumphal Arch and another lesser arch along the length of the avenue.[1]

A place for celebration and for leisure, the Palace Plaza was occupied by tanks and armies in 32 BBY during the invasion by the Trade Federation under the leadership of Viceroy Nute Gunray. Martial law in the city was instituted briefly before the resistance movement, led by Queen Padmé Amidala, turned the Plaza into a battleground. While the Naboo and the Gungans were victorious and drove Gunray's forces offworld, a major portion of the Plaza was left in ruins. To replace the devastated area, Amidala oversaw the construction of the hemispherical Palace Courtyard at the end of the street, containing government offices and serving as an annex to the Palace itself.[2]

In the wake of the Clone Wars, a bloody conflict between the Galactic Republic and the Confederacy of Independent Systems, Senator Bail Organa of Alderaan touched down on the planet to deliver the body of former queen and senator Padmé Amidala to her adoring people. To honor the beloved ruler and representative, the monarchy arranged a grand funeral, attended by all of Theed and diplomats and colleagues of the senator from across the galaxy. Lining the Palace Plaza, the funeral procession moved away from the palace down the avenue past countless onlookers.[3] The Plaza would later become a battleground when the 501st Legion arrived to assassinate Queen Apailana, who had been harboring fugitive Jedi. The Plaza was reinforced with an auto-turret grid, though this was disabled by the 501st. The Queen appeared in an attempt to escape, only to be killed by an Imperial sniper just outside the Royal Palace. Following this insurrection, Naboo was subjugated entirely by the Empire.

Following decades of oppression under the Galactic Empire, the authoritarian government that arose from the ashes of the Clone Wars, the people of Naboo staged an uprising after the death of Emperor Palpatine and raided the palace, ousting the Imperial governors and liberating themselves from Imperial rule. Thousands of citizens took to the streets, flooding Palace Plaza and celebrating, shouting from the rooftops their joy.[4]

Appearances[]

Explore all of Wookieepedia's images for this article subject.

Sources[]

Notes and references[]