Vuutun Palaa

The Vuutun Palaa was a Lucrehulk-class battleship that served as part of the Trade Federation in the capacity of a droid-controlling vessel during the Invasion of Naboo, where it was at the heart of the Federation blockade. It was destroyed by Anakin Skywalker during the Battle of Naboo.^[3]

History[]

The Vutuun Paala was one of the Trade Federation ships that blockaded the planet Naboo in 32 BBY. During the Trade Federation's subsequent invasion of said planet, Viceroy Nute Gunray and Settlement Officer Rune Haako met with Darth Sidious via hologram while onboard the ship, where they were introduced to Sidious' apprentice, Darth Maul. Eventually, after capturing Naboo's capital city, Theed, the Trade Federation blockade broke up, with only the Vuutun Paala remaining in orbit of the planet. Command was assumed from the Lucrehulk-class LH-3210 cargo freighter, the Saak'ak, and several crew members including Captain Daultay Dofine and Pilot Tey How were transferred to the ship.^[3]

With the Vuutun Paala controlling the battle droids occupying Naboo, eventually, the Naboo Royal Space Fighter Corps attacked the droid control ship during the Battle of Naboo. Though the deflector shields proved too strong for the Naboolians, a ship piloted by Anakin Skywalker and R2-D2 managed to accidentally fly into one of the hangars. The fighter overheated and slid to a halt on the hangar's floor, where it was surrounded by battle droids. Upon regaining control of it, Anakin reactivated the ship's shields, causing the surrounding battle droids to begin to shoot at it. Anakin retaliated, destroying several battle droids before firing torpedoes that inadvertently struck the control ship's main reactor. In the bridge, How noticed the reactor was losing power and informed Dofine, who astonishingly remarked that it was impossible and nothing could get through their shields.^[3]

Anakin piloted his ship out of the hangar as the control ship began to explode behind him, catching the attention of the Naboolian pilots who were at first confused but soon began to cheer as the control ship's core exploded. Dofine and How were killed, and with the control ship gone, the battle droids on the planet's surface automatically shut down.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

The Vuutun Palaa first appeared in 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace.^[3] Unnamed in the film, the battleship was named Vuutun Palaa in the 2012 Star Wars Legends reference book The Essential Guide to Warfare.^[6] The name was brought back to canon with the release of the 2018 reference book Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles.^[7]

In the DVD commentary of The Phantom Menace, it was revealed the Vuutun Palaa was portrayed by a physical model, and the battle was rendered using computer graphic effects. The explosion of the central core was filmed using a smaller sphere and then imposing it onto the real sphere.

On page 49 of the 2018 reference book Star Wars: The Complete Visual Dictionary, New Edition, the Vuutun Palaa was incorrectly referred to as the Saak'ak.^[9]

Appearances[]

• Queen's Peril (and audiobook) (Indirect mention only)
• The Phantom Menace 25th Anniversary Special 1
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
• The Phantom Menace Read-Along Storybook and CD
• Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Graphic Novel Adaptation
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Plan of Dissent" (Indirect mention only)

Non-canon appearances[]

• LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Sources[]

Notes and references[]