The universe was silent. Apart from the stars, the suns, and a few nearby planets, there was nothing to see or hear when you looked out from a spaceship flying through space. Nothing but endless darkness...
High above Naboo, in its geosynchronous orbit, the corrupt senators of Coruscant—who could only lie through their teeth—were still arguing fiercely over who would be elected the Republic's new Supreme Chancellor. Meanwhile, huge Trade Federation battleships, the distinctive two-thirds-ring-shaped vessels built for the Neimoidians, sat brazenly in orbit around Naboo. They had no fear that the Republic would send ships or personnel to investigate.
Each one was over three thousand meters in diameter. From a distance, they looked like flat disks, but a massive sphere containing the bridge and reactor components sat at each disk's center. A section was missing from the front, exposing two enormous hangar bays. Giant warships were lined up outside the hangar entrances, moored to docking claws. At a glance, there seemed to be well over a hundred of them!
And at that moment,
These ships were clearly not proper warships. They were armed vessels converted from freighters, built for both "transport" and combat. Now they sat in orbit, completely surrounding Naboo and sealing it off.
With the equipment aboard and the starfighters they carried, they could easily block every route in and out of the planet, as well as all communications with the outside.
If any Republic investigation ship came here now, it would have no trouble discovering what was happening—and proving that the Queen of Naboo's accusations against the Trade Federation in the Senate chamber were entirely correct!
Unfortunately...
The Republic's senators clearly didn't care whether Naboo, on the edge of the Outer Rim, or its people lived or died. They were far more concerned with their own