GrS 35:3:30 Death Star investigation

I've completed my examination of the Death Star records, and managed to piece together some kind of understanding.

First, they capture this "empty" freighter. Then, next thing you know, unauthorized prisoner transfers from cell block 1138 are taking place, then a weapons malfunction in Detention Block AA-23, followed by a large reactor leak. Annoyingly, the officer reporting all this never gave his operating number, so I can't cross-check anything. Anyway, before you know it, prisoners in Detention Block AA-23 are being sprung, garbage compactors are being breached, and there's a pitched firefight in the detention block that finally ends when two groups of stormtroopers realize they've been firing at each other along the hallway.

But here's the thing that's got me all jumpy. All the garbage compactors on the entire Death Star were shut down at one point via astromech droid, using the encrypted protocol we set up. But the ID signature of the droid that issued the command? R2-D2!

He was there! He was on board! And I missed him. If I'd been there, I would have noticed him accessing the controls and I could have found him!

Of course, I could also have been killed when the Death Star was destroyed.

Actually, at first, I was worried R2-D2 might have been destroyed too, but it looks like he escaped on the freighter before the station was blown up.

One more thing--I'm lurking on some Rebel-biased forums, and the word on there is that this hero that blew up the station is some kid called Luke Skywalker. Apparently, he used to bulls-eye womp rats in his T-16 back on Tatooine, which, as some systems guy noted years ago, is exactly the kind of expertise required to jam a proton torpedo down the exhaust port.

But Skywalker? Is that Vader's kid?! I mean, he was Anakin Skywalker, his "good friend" Padmé was pregnant, and her last known destination was Polis Massa, a medical outpost.

I know I'm not the only one that saw that viral video of "Darth Vader" wiping out the Separatist leaders on Mustafar, but maybe I'm the only one that recognized that Darth Vader was Anakin Skywalker. Wow, this is explosive. Vader has a kid. Hardly seems the right kind of father figure though.

Wonder if I can use this knowledge to my advantage?

GrS 16:6:8 R2-D2 visited Polis Massa!

Did some thinking about things. The Jedi that took charge of Padmé would have wanted to get her to medical care as soon as possible.

The closest place that would have been friendly to them was Polis Massa, so a little bit of hacking later, and I had all the information.

The only ship that left there was the Tantive IV, and sure enough, not long after that, Raymus Antilles, captain of the vessel, logged registrations papers for one R2-D2 droid with Industrial Automaton. He's listed on the papers as being a gift from Padmé Amidala, the last registered owner.

So the little guy is still out there. Now I've just got to get him back.

After all the work hacking into Polis Massa, I've left a nice little shortcut in my system, so if I want to get into the Polis Massa database again, it's just a couple of clicks.

GrS 16:6:6 More secrets from Mustafar

Some more digging around for Mustafar security footage has revealed some interesting details.

Although my little R2-D2 arrived at Mustafar with Anakin Skywalker, they did not leave together.

I've got footage showing Anakin (or Vader as we must call him now) force-choking Padmé... I've long suspected they had a thing going, and Padmé looked pregnant. I've seen human females in that condition before. But what kind of person tries to destroy his companion and his unborn child? That's cruel, even for a human. Wish there was sound on these videos though, as it looked like some heated words were being exchanged.

Anyway, after that R2-D2 left on Padmé's ship, presumably dismayed at the whole force-choking of his former mistress thing. He always had a good moral sense.

Oh, and that Tatooine protocol droid was there too, being all chummy with R2-D2. Hmmm.

I'll tell you, Padmé didn't look at all well when she was carried into that ship.

I wish I could figure out where that ship was going. Then maybe I could find R2-D2.

GrS 13:8:12 R2-D2 chilling with the Jedi

R2-D2 has been spotted on Coruscant in the company of Anakin Skywalker! A gift from Padmé to Anakin (and what's going on there, I wonder?).

And now Anakin's a Jedi Knight, working closely with the Jedi Council. So much for getting R2-D2 back--good luck trying to prise something out of the Jedi Council. They're cheaper than a nerf herder on his first visit to Coruscant.

GrS 13:8:10 Padmé ditches R2-D2

So Padmé is still a senator, but I've been hearing from friends on Coruscant that R2-D2 doesn't follow her around anymore. Not sure where the little guy is at the moment, but I'll try to find out. I don't like the uncertainty.

GrS 13:5:18 Naboo in the news again...

Just saw on the news that two attempts have been made to assassinate that senator from Naboo, Padmé Amidala. That's the one who's been swanning around with my R2 unit for years.

GNN had some video showing the attempt that took place on the landing platform. Looked like a pretty professional hit. Amidala survived, but I was seriously worried about R2-D2, as I didn't see him anywhere.

But they also had video from the second attempt, presumably for the titillation of male humans (it took place in Senator Amidala's bedchamber) and they specifically mentioned the "brave and loyal R2 unit" that had been on guard, and then, BAM. A full-frame shot of my beloved and missed R2-D2.

Wow. I wasn't expecting to see the little guy just then. I'm glad he's survived the danger, but it really tugged at my heart strings. Oh R2-D2, if only you could remember me and all the loving attention I devoted to you and your aftermarket addons.

Oh, and the main point of the news mentioning the R2 unit was so that they could complain how he failed to detect or prevent the attempt. Gee, I'm so sorry that I neglected to add a poisonous kouhun detector when I did R2-D2's mods. How could I not have foreseen that?

And who defeated the kouhuns and saved Senator Amidala? That erstwhile stealer of astromech droid emotions and onetime podracer pilot, Anakin Skywalker.

GrS 10:3:8 Senator Amidala?

Saw in a news summary that former Queen Amidala has now been appointed Naboo's senator.

They showed a quick video of her approaching the Senate and there was my little R2-D2 tagging along.

I love seeing the little guy but it sure tugs at my heartstrings every time. I can only imagine what might have been if he'd stayed with me.

GrS 3:5:15 R2-D2 and the Queen of Naboo

Finally got in touch with someone on Naboo about R2-D2. Turns out that yeah, in return for "distinguished service to the Crown", R2-D2 is now the personal astromech droid of Queen Amidala.

I'm thrilled for R2-D2. I always knew he was an awesome little droid, even before all his mods, but I'm still steamed. He was my friend first, and I'm sure some of the mods I did helped him perform these distinguished services.

I explained everything to the Naboo person, who was actually very sympathetic and nice, but she said that there was no way she could take away an R2 unit that was a) bought and paid for by the people of Naboo and b) a personal favourite of the Queen's.

She seemed to believe my story, as she actually offered to buy me a new R2 unit with all the factory mods possible, but it just wouldn't be the same. I know it wouldn't.

I guess I'll just have to let R2-D2 go. At least he won't be hanging around with that protocol droid from Tatooine anymore.

You can bet I'll be following his career with great interest though. If Queen Amidala and this Anakin joker stay in the spotlight in the future as much as they have been for the past month or so, I'm sure I'll see R2-D2 from time to time.

I somehow have a feeling they will stay in the news. Weird how galactic events seem to be centering around a handful of people, though.

GrS 3:4:21 Naboo week

Haven't written in a long time, but had to share this. What a weird week. I've been glued to GNN for most of it.

First, some kid, a human kid no less, wins the Boonta Eve Classic on Tatooine. That was strange enough, but then I find out that I know this kid---Anakin Skywalker, the slave of that Toydarian, Watto, who I met at the Outer Rim Swap Meet last year. I saw last year that the kid had a gift for mechanics, but apparently he's a star podracer too. Whoever heard of a human podracing? Actually, I thought this kid might be a good fit for the Techno Union, so I gave Watto a call yesterday--ostensibly to discuss all the big news from this week. I worked the conversation around to Anakin, and boy, was Watto steamed. As a result of a bad bet, he's sold the kid to some "weird off-planet guy in robes." Man, that's not like Watto at all. If he wasn't a Toydarian, I'd suspect he'd been the victim of a Jedi mind-trick.

Then, the Queen of Naboo appears in the Senate, and claims that the Trade Federation has invaded Naboo, for reasons that have not been made clear, though some arm-waving was given to the "taxing of trade routes" reason. Next thing you know, she's calling for a no-confidence vote in the Chancellor so that Senator Palpatine from Naboo can become Chancellor. Gee, no high-level collusion going on there. What is this, Naboo week?

Oh, and that wasn't all that happened this week. The Trade Federation deployed a massive droid army against a bunch of Gungans and lost. Wow, I was being sarcastic about that a few years ago, and now it happened.

Actually, credit shouldn't go the Gungans. They should really reward a medal to the inept engineers at Baktoid Combat Automata, because the turning point in the battle was, big surprise, when the Droid Control Ship was destroyed and all the battle droids deactivated. I warned them this would happen! Idiots.

Oh, and get this, the destruction of the Droid Control Ship was, apparently, the work of Anakin Skywalker, the same kid who'd won the Boonta Eve race a couple of days earlier! What the hell is going on out there in the galaxy? How does this kid manage to get involved in two of the big news stories, a couple of days apart, one taking place in the Outer Rim, and the other above a Mid Rim world?

Oh, and here's the really weird thing. I saw some fan-shot footage from the Boonta Eve race, and guess who was watching the race from Anakin's family box? Queen Amidala of Naboo! And according to Watto, she'd only met him the day before. What... the... hell. Here's me, plugging away in my ordinary life every day, while a handful of people are influencing the major weekly events in the galaxy.

And who else did I see celebrating with Anakin afterwards but my very own little R2-D2! I'd know that little blue dome anywhere. I could even see the slightly bulging top panel where I'd installed the periscope. It's not enough that Anakin Skywalker gets to win the Boonta Eve Classic and save the planet of Naboo, but now he's swanning around with my astromech droid?

To make matters worse, R2-D2 seems to have made friends with one of those prissy protocol droids. Let's hope he didn't tag along when R2-D2 left Tatooine.

I'm doing all I can to find out where he's got to now. He was last spotted helping that Anakin kid pilot that Naboo Royal N-1 starfighter into the Droid Control Ship. I've tried calling the planet, but things are a little hectic in Naboo right now, and I'm having trouble getting in touch with anyone.