R4-P17

< R4-P17
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This Star Wars Legends article contains information that is affected by the Star Wars: The Clone Wars project.

A definitive Legends Clone Wars timeline was never established by Lucasfilm. The exact chronology of the events described in this article is unknown.

"R4, prepare to jettison spare part canisters."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi to R4-P17[5]

R4-P17, nicknamed R4, or Arfour, was the astromech droid attached to Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7 Aethersprite-class starfighter and was often on board his Delta-7B Aethersprite-class starfighter and Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor prior to and during the Clone Wars.

History

"Arfour, be careful! You have a—"
―Obi-Wan Kenobi warns R4 just before her destruction[1]

The droid originally possessed the R4-series's trademark conical head dome but was involved in a messy incident while trying to repair a trash compactor on Gyndine, resulting in the droid being crushed. Anakin Skywalker, on a visit to the shipyards to inspect the Jedi customization to the Delta-7, found R4's wreck and rebuilt her with an R2-series dome.[4] From that point on the communal property of the Jedi Temple, R4 became the prototype for other integrated droid navigators in Jedi ships. As part of the Delta-7, the astromech had a truncated body, which was, after her destruction, permanently attached to the ship.

R4-P17 defends Obi-Wan Kenobi's from .

R4-P17 defends Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor from Jawas.

Prior to the Clone Wars, she helped Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi to follow Jango Fett's Slave I from Kamino to Geonosis. The fighter that she was in was recovered after or during the battle that took place later.

During the Clone Wars, the Jedi began to transition away from the Delta-7. R4 was given a full astromech body, white, with red trim, to make her compatible with the new Delta-7B Aethersprite-class interceptor and Eta-2 Actis-class interceptor used by General Kenobi. However, before she received her full body, Obi-Wan temporarily used a droid called R4-G9.[2] After he switched back to R4-P17, Obi-Wan requisitioned a direct link between the two droids to ensure all flight performance records could be transferred between them.

R4 was present on Christophsis in 22 BBY, 7 weeks after the First Battle of Geonosis[6][7] and standing in the droid socket of Obi-Wan Kenobi's Delta-7B Aethersprite-class light interceptor when he got into the fighter to travel to Tatooine in order to negotiate with Jabba Desilijic Tiure. R4 accompanied him there and participated in the Battle of Teth, piloting the starfighter after Kenobi jumped from it to fight in the battle on the ground.[8] Later on in the war, she was present in the Jedi Temple before traveling to Rodia to stop the bounty hunter Cad Bane from kidnapping Wee Dunn,[9] and to Mandalore when Kenobi was investigating rumors of the Duchess Satine Kryze creating an army for the Confederacy of Independent Systems.[10] She also fought in the Battle of Sullust, during which Asajj Ventress, piloting her Ginivex-class starfighter, shot Obi-Wan Kenobi's starfighter. He landed the ship, which caught on fire near the droid socket in which R4 was located, in the hangar of a Providence-class carrier/destroyer. Anakin Skywalker helped Obi-Wan Kenobi get out of the ship and R2-D2 extinguished the fire on it. The battle continued, ending with a Separatist withdrawal.[11]

In 20 BBY[12], R4 and R4-M1 were present in one of the corridors of the Jedi Temple when General Kenobi and General Windu were talking about Master Yoda.[13]

R4-P17 later suffered extreme damage due to her dome being pulled apart by a buzz droid attack in the Battle of Coruscant while aboard Kenobi's Eta-2. The remains of the droid were lost when the rear half of Invisible Hand was severed while Skywalker and Kenobi tried to land the damaged flagship.[1]

Obi-Wan lamented the loss of R4-P17, as the droid had been a competent unit. He was soon after assigned R4-G9, who had served as his interim astromech during the later stages of the Clone Wars.

Personality and traits

R4 was an R4-series astromech droid manufactured by Industrial Automaton[2], who, after being refitted, had a height of 0.96 meters[4][2]. She had a red dome.[5] R4 was courageous and had great reflexes, quickly defending herself and Obi-Wan Kenobi's starfighter when Jawas wanted to attack her.[8] These qualities were also evident during the fight against Slave I, the Battle of Teth and the Battle of Coruscant.[5][8][1].

Skills and abilities

"R4, prepare to jettison spare part canisters."
―Obi-Wan Kenobi to R4-P17[5]

R4 could calculate lightspeed jumps, having been designed to qualify as a hyperspace navigator.[2] She was also very skilled in repair and maintenance[2] and a great starfighter pilot.[5][8][1]

Equipment

R4 had an electro-shock prod, which she used to protect Kenobi's starfighter from Jawas during a visit to Jabba's Palace.[8]

Behind the scenes

In the novelization of Attack of the Clones, Boba and Jango Fett are able to recognize R4-P17 as an R4-P class droid. However, since the droid had the turret dome of an R2 unit, and since only her head was visible, the Fetts would not have been able to guess its true class.

R4-P17 during the .

R4-P17 during the Battle of Coruscant.

In the Revenge of the Sith novel, R4-P17 is described as being partially crippled by a cannon shot from a droid fighter before her destruction, which in turn is not described in detail, other than the fact that Anakin Skywalker witnessed it.[14] Moreover, at some points in the actual movie R4-P17's body appears red with a white trim.[1]

In LEGO Star Wars: The Video Game and LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga, R4-P17 is a playable character. In this game, she accompanies Obi-Wan Kenobi into Tipoca City; this change was made to enable the two-player drop-in/ drop-out co-op functionality created for the game. However, R4-P17's dome in the game does not feature a mostly red color scheme; instead, it has a color scheme similar to that of R2-M5. This essentially complies with the 2002 Jedi Starfighter model, which features R4-P17 in this color.

In the Gameboy Advance version of the game, R4 also accompanies Kenobi to Utapau, even though, in the official canon, she was destroyed during the Battle of Coruscant and replaced by R4-G9. In order to ensure co-op mode, she helps Kenobi fight Grievous. This was most likely done to avoid confusion, as the game was primarily geared towards a younger audience.

In LEGO Star Wars III: The Clone Wars, R4-P17's head is correctly colored, but the droid's body is entirely red.

George Lucas decided that R4-P17 was of feminine programming as she was primarily operated by female droid operator Zeynup "Zed" Selcuk.[4]

Appearances

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Non-canon appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Star Wars Character Encyclopedia
  3. ↑ Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones novelization
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 Databank title R4-P17 in the Databank (original site is defunct)
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones
  6. ↑ The Clone Wars: Wild Space
  7. ↑ The Essential Reader's Companion
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 Star Wars: The Clone Wars film
  9. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Children of the Force"
  10. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "The Mandalore Plot"
  11. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Nightsisters"
  12. ↑ The Official Star Wars Fact File Part 60 20 BBY 67-70: Sifo-Dyas' Legacy dates the events of "Voices" to 20 BBY.
  13. ↑ TCW mini logo Star Wars: The Clone Wars — "Voices"
  14. ↑ Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith novelization

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