Lapiz Cutter

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The Lapiz Cutter was the personal Sheathipede-class transport shuttle of Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray. It was used by Gunray during the Federation's Invasion of Naboo to transport him and Rune Haako to Theed, and later on Geonosis, where it was used by the viceroy to escape from the planet during the First Battle of Geonosis.

During the Clone Wars, the shuttle was pressed into military service, and carried Gunray on numerous missions, including one to Rodia. The Lapiz Cutter was destroyed at the end of the war during the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Description

The Lapiz Cutter^[2] was a Sheathipede-class transport shuttle used by Nute Gunray at least since the Invasion of Naboo^[8] until the end of the Clone Wars.^[2] It was produced by the Haor Chall Engineering Corporation, having a length of 14.4 meters,^[3] two engines and a door at the back.^[9] Its design resembled a Neimoidian soldier beetle.^[10] and the shuttle had a curved hull and landing gear that looked similar to pincers.^[11] The Lapiz Cutter was unarmed, but was equipped with shields, short-range sensors, a Class 1 hyperdrive and a backup Class 10 hyperdrive.^[5] It could achieve a maximum speed of 880 kph.^[4]

History

In 32 BBY,^[8] Viceroy Nute Gunray, Rune Haako and other Trade Federation officials traveled to the planet Naboo aboard the Lapiz Cutter, after the planet had been invaded by battle droids. Shortly after Gunray and Haako left the shuttle, OOM-9 told them that the Queen of Naboo had been captured. Gunray and Haako also left the planet aboard the shuttle after the battle there had ended.^[9]

Ten years later, in 22 BBY,^[12] a large-scale battle, the first of the Clone Wars, took place on Geonosis and the viceroy left the planet aboard the Lapiz Cutter.^[13] That same year, the shuttle would be repainted in grey and blue, the colors of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and would take Nute Gunray to the planet Rodia^[2] so he could oversee the execution of Senator Padmé Amidala, after she had been captured by battle droids with the help of Senator Onaconda Farr. A battle started on the planet when Jar-Jar Binks went to help Senator Amidala escape and the viceroy went to the shuttle to leave, but it was pushed into a swamp by a Kwazel Maw.^[7]

Gunray had the vessel recovered afterwards due to his attachment to it. At the end of the war, in 19 BBY,^[6] the Lapiz Cutter transported Gunray to Mustafar, and during the lightsaber duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the shuttle was destroyed when the shields that protected much of the lava mining operation were shut down, destroying the landing pad where the Lapiz Cutter was stationed.^[2]

Behind the scenes

The Lapiz Cutter first appeared in the movie Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace,^[9] which was released on May 19, 1999.^[14] It also appeared in Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones,^[13] which premiered on May 12, 2002.^[15] On November 21 2008,^[16] it appeared in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Bombad Jedi".^[7]

The shuttle was designed during production for The Phantom Menace by ILM employees Larry Tan and Adam Savage who also worked on Mythbusters.^[17]

Appearances

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• Star Wars: The Prequel Trilogy – A Graphic Novel
• Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace (First appearance)
• Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
• Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Bombad Jedi"

Sources

• The Clone Wars Episode Guide: Bombad Jedi on StarWars.com (original site is defunct)
• Neimoidian escort shuttle in the Encyclopedia (original site is defunct)
• "Bombad Jedi" Episode Guide | The Clone Wars on StarWars.com (backup link)
• Star Wars: Build the Millennium Falcon 54 Starship Fact File: Sheathipede-class Shuttle (First identified as Lapiz Cutter)

Notes and references