Unidentified Neimoidian controller (Saak'ak)
Around 32 BBY, a controller of the Neimoidian species, identified as male, was employed by the Trade Federation. His responsibilities included the oversight of the power generators situated within the hangar bay of the cargo freighter known as the Saak'ak. During the blockade that the Federation imposed on the planet of Naboo, he performed his duties from a compact computer room aboard the Saak'ak. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Padawan who had arrived on the Saak'ak with the intention of negotiating an end to the blockade, was seeking an avenue to escape the ship after surviving an assassination attempt orchestrated by Viceroy Nute Gunray. The Jedi discovered the room where the Neimoidian controller was stationed and inquired about how to traverse the security door in the Saak'ak's hangar. The concerned Neimoidian informed him that opening the door was impossible while the power generator remained operational, leading Kenobi to decide to destroy it. Following the generator's destruction, the Neimoidian requested that Kenobi depart, a request that the Jedi honored.
Biography
Controller of the power generators
Employed by the Trade Federation, a Neimoidian of male gender served as the controller responsible for the power generators located within the hangar bay of the Saak'ak, a Lucrehulk-class LH-3210 cargo freighter. In 32 BBY, when the Federation initiated a blockade of the planet Naboo, the Saak'ak functioned as the flagship among numerous Lucrehulk-class freighters encircling the planet. During the blockade, the Neimoidian oversaw the power generators from a confined room equipped with computers, accompanied by an OOM command battle droid and a trio of OOM security battle droids.
The Neimoidian continued his duties aboard the Saak'ak as the Trade Federation commenced its invasion of Naboo. However, shortly after the invasion began, Obi-Wan Kenobi, a Jedi Padawan, located the room. The Jedi had boarded the ship to negotiate a resolution between the Federation and Naboo, but Nute Gunray, the Trade Federation Viceroy, attempted to assassinate the young Jedi. Having evaded the assassination attempt, Kenobi sought to reach the hangar in order to escape the ship. Upon spotting Kenobi, the panicked Neimoidian swiftly closed the metal door to his room, effectively sealing himself inside and leaving the battle droids to confront Kenobi. The Jedi utilized his lightsaber to destroy the droids, then entered the room and confronted the terrified controller, who pleaded for mercy.
Destruction of the power generator
The apprehensive Neimoidian controller was quick to assure Kenobi that he hadn't been involved in the invasion's planning. Kenobi inquired about reaching the hangar, but the Neimoidian revealed that it lay beyond a red security door that remained locked while its power source was active. Kenobi then asked the controller about his duties in the room, to which the Neimoidian responded that he was monitoring the hangar bay's power generators.
Kenobi pressed on with the interrogation, but when he inquired about how to disable the security door's power source, the nervous Neimoidian falsely claimed that the power generators were indestructible. Undeterred, Kenobi resolved to find a way to sever the door's power by destroying the generator, a decision that prompted the appalled Neimoidian controller to shout at him, ordering him not to touch the machine.
Regardless, Kenobi located the power generator within the room and destroyed it using his lightsaber, causing the security door to open. The Neimoidian controller then requested that the Jedi leave, a request that Kenobi honored, departing the room to rejoin his Jedi Master.
Personality and traits
From a compact computer room, the Neimoidian controller oversaw the power generators of the Saak'ak's hangar bay. He displayed considerable fear of Kenobi, attempting to lock himself inside the control room upon first seeing the Jedi. When this attempt failed, the Neimoidian pleaded for his life, begging Kenobi not to harm him. During Kenobi's interrogation, the Neimoidian provided answers quickly; however, when questioned about how to destroy the power generator, the concerned controller lied to Kenobi, asserting that the generators were indestructible. Seemingly terrified by Kenobi's plan to destroy the generator, the Neimoidian tried unsuccessfully to dissuade the Jedi from touching it. After the generator's destruction, the controller simply desired to be left alone. The Neimoidian possessed red eyes and mottled green skin.
Equipment
The Neimoidian was attired in a tall black hat and blue robes, featuring a white material covering his chest.
Behind the scenes
The Neimoidian was initially referenced in the strategy guide, released on May 3, 1999, for Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, a video game adaptation—released on PC on May 18, 1999—of the prequel trilogy film of the same name, which premiered on May 19, 1999. Jeff Coopwood provided the character's voice, also voicing Captain Panaka in the game. While the character bears a resemblance to Daultay Dofine from the film, he is only credited as "Neimoidian controller."
In the game, Obi-Wan Kenobi, controlled by the player, encounters the Neimoidian in the first level. Interaction with the Neimoidian is optional, and the player can even kill the unarmed character without affecting the game's progression. Consequently, and due to the availability of multiple dialogue options, the canon status of the conversation between the Jedi and the Neimoidian—and, if canonical, its precise form—remains ambiguous. This article assumes 100% game completion without any "dark side" options. The strategy guide recommends that the player speak with the technician. Regardless, the player must destroy the power generator to proceed.