starfreighter

• Appeared in:
  
  I
  II
  III
  IV
  V
  VI
  CW

• Type:
  AA-9 Coruscant freighter

• 

From the Movies

Transporting holds full of refugees from Coruscant to Naboo are a refitted brand of starfreighters. These massive transports dock at the major starports found on Coruscant.

Anakin Skywalker embarked on his first solo mission as a Jedi Padawan when ordered to escort Senator Padmé Amidala to Naboo. Threatened by assassins on Coruscant Amidala travelled incognito, disguised as an outland peasant, aboard a refugee transport.

From the Expanded Universe

The tumult gripping the Republic prior to the Clone Wars displaced millions of citizens. As entire sectors seceded, people still wishing to be part of the Republic had to travel elsewhere. Coruscant, the most well known world in the galaxy, became a natural haven for many, and the processing stations at the planet's major starports crowded with newcomers.

Such an influx of immigrants brought with it a number of problems. Port-crowding, cultural disputes and disease flourished as the Separatist crisis heightened. Concerned with security, Coruscant's immigration committees began tightening incoming customs standards while worlds in the Mid Rim, like Naboo, Monastery, and Kalarba relaxed their immigration requirements, allowing many to resettle. Organizations like the Refugee Relief Movement helped relocate many homeless citizens.

The Jendirian Valley, the AA-9 freighter that Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala took to Naboo, is a common model of cargo vessel hastily refitted for passenger use. The vessel's spacious holds were barely upgraded to accommodate living cargo, and the ship has only one class -- steerage. It could carry over 30,000 passengers.

Behind the Scenes

The starfreighter was partially inspired by ocean going passenger liners. Instead of the traditional ground-level boarding ramp seen in previous Star Wars vessels, the starfreighter boarded at midlevel. Scenes of Anakin and Padm? disembarking the freighter on Naboo through its open hull plates and extended ramps were shot but ultimately trimmed from the film.