Interlude: Stripe's Tale

[baronsamedi]

“This must be a very important mission,” Thought R5-D7, Stripe as he had become known due to his interesting paint job at the request of a zealous daughter. He rolled down the hall of the mansion, one of the few noble homes not under the heel of the Trade Federation. “I wonder what my orders will be. Surly something important. I bet all of Theed is counting on me. I have clearly been chosen to be a hero!”

“Yeah, send an R5 unit,” Panaka had said. “We can’t afford to lose any more R2 units. Preferably one that works pretty well but no one will miss too much. I doubt it will work, but it could be important. “ Zelinia nodded, “We have one that apart from his general grumpiness probably won’t do too bad a job. We will send him, the one with the purple stripes.” Her assistants had made off to fetch Stripe, and he was brought in. Panaka took a moment before leaving to smile at the unit. “Hello there, we have a job for you.”

--

“I am going to change the course of the whole battle!,” Stripe said to himself as he finally got the data hacked from the main computer of the Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship. “There will be one name people associate with this battle, that of—,” A huge explosion wracked the control ship cutting off the droids self-congratulation. The ship was beginning to fall apart, damaged by Anakin Skywalker. Sensing the destruction of the ship was imminent, Stripe rushed toward where the escape pods were. He had the plans for the whole Lucrehulk-class Droid Control Ship and was able to find them, though he could hear the ship collapsing into a ball of fire behind him. He turned down a hallway just as the room behind him collapsed and fell into space, and found himself in a quandary.

Just ahead, a Neimoidian rushed towards the sole escape pod left…R5’s only option for escape. He could not harm this being, but he had been programmed, ordered, to escape with the plans. He hesitated for a moment, heard an audible popping in his head as he steeled himself for what he had to do. He charged the Neimoidian from behind, knocking him down. As soon as the Neimoidian had been hit to the ground, Stripe pushed past him into the pod, and escaped before the confused Neimoidian could recover. The Pod dropped off and fell down to Naboo.

--

Stripe pushed the top of the pod out, and found it quickly filling with water. He was in a swamp of some kind, probably far from Theed. This did not please him…swamps and Astromech droids rarely mix. He scooted quickly out of the sinking pod onto land, but the ground was somewhat less solid the he had hoped…He sank roughly halfway into the muck. Stripe uttered a long-suffering whistle that sounded like a sigh.

--

“What-sa we have here, one of dem droids?”

R5 was jarred from his reverie by being struck on the head with a stick. A somewhat wild eyed Gungan was looking at him. “No, Idiot” Stripe beeped “I work for the Naboo noble house of—,” The Gungan hit him with the stick again. “I said I am a Naboo noble droid I don’t work for the Trade Federation.” The Gungan paused his wailing on Stripe with his stick and thought a moment. “Nooooo, you-sa don’t. Yousa-work for Jonco now.” The Gungan looked down at the trapped droid. “Or Jonco can just leave ya where you is? Eh?” Stripe emitted another low whistle.

--

Can we trust Shackler?,” Jonco asked.
“No.”
“Can we trust dat Hutt?”
“No. Idiot. We cannot trust the Hutt either. What is wrong with you, even asking if a Hutt can be trusted? I don’t even—,”
“Right, Jonco go with Shackler on this deal then.”
“Whatever.”

Stripe did not like Jonco. Jonco was far more violent than was absolutely necessary, was, to Stripe’s mind at least, and idiot, did not clean Stripe as much as he was accustomed and seemed to think working with shady types was a good idea. “Although,” he though, “I guess I am shady types now.”

--

The Juon Family’s men rushed into the station. Jonco’s tendency to beat people within an inch of their life had finally backfired on him, and, Stripe mused, they were both going to die for it. “Check dat back door, see if any are comin’ that way!” Jonco yelled, firing at the men gathering on the far side of the hallway. Jonco had shot down three of the family’s men, and that just was going to make them angrier. Stripe sped down the hall to the rear door and began to unlock it when he heard Jonco yelp. He paused a moment as he heard the family’s men pull the Gungan to the ground…. then, with another popping noise from his head, went back to unlocking the door, when it opened from the outside. He barely had time to duck to the side when more Juon goons came from the back, rushing to help bring down Jonco, who had already killed one of the men dogpiling him. There was a moment of silence after they passed.

“Yes people are coming, but the doorway looks clear now!” And Stripe sped out the back.

--

Stripe was a little relieved when he heard Jonco was still alive and now on Ryloth. First because he honestly did not hate Jonco that much, even if he did not wish to be Jonco’s droid ever again. Second because he knew he could remember to avoid Ryloth like the plague under any circumstance.

Unfortunately his new owner, a vapid Snivvian heiress named Maina Toodly, was not much better. He originally thought he was going to be back in the hands of nobility, but she had no fashion sense at all, and her hats were not near ostentatious enough. Worse, she looked at him with contempt when he even suggested a change. Of course, she never threatened him with a stick.

Still, it was a mild shock when, on a trip to the Wheel, she traded him for an R4. It was an annoyance when she piled her things on his head and used it as a writing board to sign the datapad. It was an indignation when she did not actually remember his designation. It was revenge when he stole 3 credits from her.

--

“I want an R5 unit”

Stripe looked over from the power droid he was trying to bribe with three credits to knock over a protocol droid. “Who the heck actually asks for one of us by name,” he thought. The Ithorian was armed with two heavy blaster pistols though, and stood menacingly over the shop owner. An enthusiastic Rodian was piling up arms to carry with him.

“Bounty Hunters? Someone who knows the first thing about droids? Something interesting?,” Stripe thought and rolled over to the Ithorian.

“Greegan, can you fix this unit up when you have a chance?,” The Ithorian asked. The Rodian cheerfully agreed.

“I am not very mechanically inclined. I need a droid to help me take care of such things when Greegan is busy,” The Ithorian said. “I keep you on a short leash, don’t try and micromanage you, and you be there when I need you. We have a deal?”

“Sure,” said Stripe. “You’ve made a good decision here my man. I’ll bet you three credits…”