Captain Panaka, always mindful of potential dangers, has personally supervised the Queen's training in the martial arts, including regular pistol practice at a secure palace firing range. The royal pistol was specially designed for Amidala and her handmaidens, its size and weight making it a perfect and natural extension of the hand. The Queen's entourage, from the Theed Palace guards to her personal handmaidens, are also trained by Panaka to add to the Queen's safety. But it is paramount to Queen Amidala that she be able to rely on her own marksmanship and her own weaponry to defend herself in a crisis. (from the Official site: www.starwars.com