GrS 13:5:29 Battle of Geonosis

Oh yeah, word was out about Geonosis all right. There was a massive pitched battle there between our droid army and this massive Republic army that seemed to spring from nowhere.

Man, this is not a safe time for a lowly tech. Think I'll keep my head down and keep working.

GrS 13:5:22 Grand Army got deployed... but where?

So the Grand Army got deployed yesterday, but I'm not exactly sure where they're going. I'm worried word might be out about Geonosis.

This isn't good. At least I'm not due to attend any meetings there for a while.

GrS 13:5:21 Cat's out of the bag...

The news is out. The Republic must know or suspect we've been working with the Trade Federation, and that we've got this droid army ready to roll. They've granted even further powers to Palpatine.

He's created a Grand Army of the Republic that appears to be fully staffed and equipped already... not quite sure how that happened.

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 11:6:1 The Confederacy of Independent Systems

Just had a meeting with Wat Tambor. We are now officially part of the Confederacy of Independent Systems and officially against the Republic. Oh, and that massive droid army? Apparently, that's ours, though no one in the Republic knows about it yet.

Chancellor Palpatine has been granted emergency powers and is staying in office until this crisis is averted.

I'm an apolitical sort of person, but can't help wondering if all the confusion likely to come will make it possible for me to snatch my beloved R2-D2 back at some point.

GrS 11:3:14 Droid parts shortages

So this is weird. The Techno Union is apparently seeing all kinds of orders pouring in from these independent states for droid parts. Not sure what's going on, but leadtimes are climbing, shortages are everywhere.

Somewhere, someone is building a really big droid army. I should give Wat Tambor a call, see what he knows. Droid armies aren't within my purview, but it couldn't possibly be going on without Wat being in charge.

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 7:5:1 Palpatine Supreme Chancellor again

So the Supreme Chancellor elections are finally over, and big surprise, Palpatine won.

Just as well, I suppose. The economy seems pretty good, and there seems to be a lot of work heading our way all the time.

Let's hope Palpatine is still going strong 4 years from now when the next election comes around.

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.

GrS 2:2:23 R2-D2 tracked down

Succeeded in breaking into the Industrial Automaton computers and tracking R2-D2. He was sold as a refurb to the Royal Engineers of Naboo. They probably wiped his memory too, or the little guy would be trying his darndest to get back to me.

The really sad thing is he was sold as a standard droid, so the guys on Naboo probably don't even know what an awesome little droid he is. Unless they pull him apart, they won't even know about all his modifications.

GrS 2:2:18 R2-D2 sold to someone else!

ARGH! R2-D2 has been sold to someone else!

When Industrial Automaton receive a "standard" R2-D2 unit back, they immediately ship out a replacement, and service the old one and sell it on as a refurb. Because I bought the standard R2 unit, they refuse to believe that I could have made all the modifications I claim in just one month, so they say there's nothing they can do for me.

I've received R2-E9 as a replacement, but after all the work I put into R2-D2, my heart's not in it anymore. I sent him back, unopened. I want my little guy back!

GrS 2:2:10 R2-D2 is gone!

Right after I'd finished a ton more mods, too numerous to list, there was a minor factory recall for the units we had, and somehow my personal R2-D2 got shipped back with all the corporate units! I've been on the communicator all day with Industrial Automaton trying to find the little guy.

GrS 2:1:25 Shield generators programmed in

I've programmed schematics and emergency repair guides for every known variety of shield generator into R2-D2. I figure it could really come in handy in a firefight.

Not that I ever intend to take the little guy into space--he's a collector's piece--but if I want to win the R2 Modding competition at this year's TechFest, every modification helps.

GrS 2:1:20 Full underwater mode on R2-D2

Full underwater mode is working now. I've got R2-D2 equipped with a propeller for moving around underwater. The periscope works just as planned.

I just love this little droid!