Namrelllew

The Namrelllew was a Wookiee starship which carried Republic Senator Padmé Amidala and her Head of Security Captain Gregar Typho on an undercover mission to Hebekrr Minor in 22 BBY,^[2] during the first weeks of the Clone Wars.

History

By the beginning of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, the Namrelllew was already old. However, it was very well built due to its Wookiee construction and design. Its air-filtration systems in particular were noticeably superior to those that could be manufactured on Naboo, producing recycled air without any particulates and which smelled almost fresh.^[1]

The ship was luxurious, although it could seem unusual to human passengers due to its Wookiee-centric design. For example, its beds were very long, it had full-body hot-air dryers instead of towels, and some adult humans needed to use a stool to reach the back of the sinks in the refreshers. Captain Typho stated that its cabins were larger than any barracks he had lived in. The control panels on the flight deck that were within easy reach for a Wookiee would have required a human to stretch to their limits. The hull of the ship was made of cool metal, which vibrated slightly while traveling through hyperspace.^[1]

Crew

The Namrelllew was co-captained by a husband and wife team of Wookiees: Naijoh, the pilot, and Rayyne, who served as the ship's navigator. They were described as a perfect team, each relying on the other's talents for a safe arrival and never doubting their skill. Idda was a Mriss engineer on board, and G-1FY served as the ship's protocol droid.^[1]

Mission to Hebekrr Minor

Shortly after the start of the Clone Wars in 22 BBY, a mysterious individual reached out to the Jedi to set up a meeting with a Republic senator on a resupply ship. Yoda relayed the request to Bail Prestor Organa, one of the Jedi's closest allies in the Senate, who spoke to his faction about the request. Senator Amidala volunteered for the mission since she could have one of her body doubles remain on Coruscant so that no one would notice she was gone.^[1]

Captain Typho selected the Namrelllew as the ship to use for the mission. It was carrying supplies to Hebekrr Minor and needed security because the planet's main city, defended by the Republic Army, was under siege from Separatist forces. The ship carried basic medical supplies, Raadan shurgrain, Karlini tea, and Chadian rum. Senator Amidala and Captain Typho used one of the shuttles of the Namrelllew to take the supplies to the surface. They then used the shuttle to transport Clone Commander Sticks and six other clone troopers behind enemy lines to extract five relatives of the planet's magistrate who had been kidnapped by the Separatists. Captain Typho, piloting the shuttle, took advantage of the Namrelllew's unaffiliated status in order to convince the Separatists to let them land safely behind enemy lines, after which the team successfully completed the extraction.^[1]

Back aboard the Namrelllew, G-1FY locked Captain Typho in his room and brought Senator Amidala to a small room on the ship to speak with the Neimoidian Oje N'deeb via hologram, who revealed himself to be the individual who had requested the meeting with a senator (and who had secretly been the employer of G-1FY). N'deeb explained that he led a faction within the Trade Federation which wished to wrest control of the corporation from Viceroy Nute Gunray and his allies, feeling that their warmongering had sullied the Trade Federation's reputation. After her initial skepticism, Senator Amidala recognized the overture as sincere and decided to help him.^[1]

The Wookiee captains of the Namrelllew returned Senator Amidala and Captain Typho to Coruscant, where they said their goodbyes (though Idda attached herself to the Senator's leg and refused to let go for some time). The crew of the Namrelllew then planned to look for cargo on Coruscant to take back to the Outer Rim Territories.^[1]

Behind the scenes

E. K. Johnston, the author of Queen's Hope, came up with the name of the Namrelllew by reversing (and adding a third 'L' to) the name of the titular ship in the sea shanty "The Wellerman," which gained popularity on TikTok in early 2021 when Johnston was writing the book. The Namrelllew's cargo—sugar, tea, and rum—also correspond with that of the Wellerman. The song sung by Idda on board the Namrelllew and described as "an unreasonably upbeat song about a family of large predatory fish" was also a reference to the 'Baby Shark' song. Though the TikToks were later taken down, when asked for the purposes of citing the information for Wookieepedia, Johnston confirmed the information that had been on Namrellew's page, which included the detail about the ship's name and the song sung on it.^[3][4]

Appearances

• Queen's Hope (and audiobook) (First appearance)

Notes and references