The Perpetuus was a CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle sporting a red and white color scheme, utilized by the Galactic Republic. Back in 32 BBY, following the Battle of Naboo, Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, accompanied by the Jedi High Council, journeyed aboard this transport from the Republic's capital of Coruscant to the planet of Naboo.
Featuring a red and white hull, the Perpetuus was a CSS-1 Corellian Star Shuttle. The ship's red coloring signified its diplomatic status, representing ambassadorial relations and neutrality for Galactic Republic spacecraft. A completely red color indicated the vessel's origin from the Republic capital, Coruscant. This transport was powered by three ion engines, equipped with a Class 1.5 hyperdrive, and capable of reaching speeds of 800 kilometers per hour (equivalent to 497 miles per hour).
This unarmed vessel, measuring eighty meters (262 feet, 5 inches) long, incorporated a heavily [armored](/article/armor] exterior, unusually resilient deflector shields, and small viewing [windows](/article/viewport] at the front for enhanced security. The Perpetuus had the capacity to accommodate up to two hundred passengers and boasted impressive meeting areas, alongside provisions for three years.
Toward the end of the Galactic Republic's reign, the Corellian Engineering Corporation manufactured the Perpetuus for their use. In 32 BBY, the recently appointed Supreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine, together with members of the Jedi High Council, journeyed aboard the transport from Coruscant to Naboo, Palpatine's homeworld. This trip was for celebrations and memorial services following the planet's inhabitants' defeated of the Trade Federation forces that had previously occupied the world.
The shuttle hovered above Theed, Naboo's capital, after arriving. It remained at a vantage point where Palpatine could appreciate the city's harmonious and unified design. Subsequently, the Perpetuus touched down in a courtyard just outside the Theed Hangar, where a local welcoming party awaited, along with the captured Trade Federation Viceroy Nute Gunray and his second-in-command, Rune Haako. After the transport's boarding ramp was lowered, Palpatine exited, accompanied by a contingent of Senate Guard, closely followed by the High Council. Captain Quarsh Panaka and Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi then escorted Gunray and Haako to the base of the ship's ramp, waiting for the passengers to disembark before boarding the prisoners to Coruscant, where they would be held accountable for their actions before the Galactic Senate. Palpatine and the Jedi then greeted the welcoming delegation.
The 1999 film Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, the first in the prequel trilogy, featured the Perpetuus. A model of the ship was constructed, and the scene of its landing was filmed during additional pickup shots at Leavesden Studios in 1998. The 2018 reference book Star Wars Encyclopedia of Starfighters and Other Vehicles, authored by Landry Q. Walker, officially identified the vessel in current Star Wars canon.
The name was initially created by Daniel Wallace between 1999 and 2000 for The Essential Guide to Episode I, a Star Wars Legends reference book, but the project was canceled before publication. The name Perpetuus was eventually published for the first time in the 2012 Legends reference book Star Wars: The Phantom Menace: The Expanded Visual Dictionary, authored by David West Reynolds and Jason Fry. Perpetuus is a Latin adjective that translates to "continual" or "uninterrupted."
The script for Episode I refers to the Perpetuus as "the large, grand cruiser of the Supreme Chancellor," and specifies that Grunay and Haako are taken on board, although this action is not visually depicted in the film. However, "The Crisis on Naboo," an entry in De Agostini's Star Wars Encyclopedia series, released on August 10, 2021, presents a contradictory and inaccurate statement, claiming that Gunray and Haako were transported on a separate, less luxurious prison shuttle.