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Tantive IV

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a Corellian Corvette ("Blockade Runner") piloted by Captain Antilles, the Tantive IV was the diplomatic ship used by the Organa family of Alderaan, on their missions for the Galactic Senate during the final years of the Old Republic. Once painted blue to indicate its home port of Alderaan, the Tantive IV was later painted red to indicate its status as a consular ship, and under diplomatic immunity. This did not stop Darth Vader from chasing the ship down over Tatooine and boarding it, shortly before the Battle of Yavin. He was pursuing Princess Leia Organa, who he believed to be a supporter of the Alliance. At the time, Leia was using the Tantive IV to obtain the plans to the first Death Star from Toprawa, then fly to Tatooine to recruit Obi-Wan Kenobi out of retirement. Her mission was intercepted by Vader near Tatooine, after a short pursuit through hyperspace. Antilles began firing escape pods at random, and had C-3PO and R2-D2 hide in one of them, holding the stolen plans, in hopes that Vader would not fire on the empty pods.