Star Wars Droids

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These are the droids, and type of droids, from Star Wars.

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HK-47

From the Expanded Universe
A self-sentient killing machine, HK-47 was far more than an ordinary combat droid. Created four thousand years ago, he came equipped with a devastating arsenal of high-powered weaponry, a ruthless and single-minded pursuit of his termination targets, and a pre-programmed disregard for all organic life. This Hunter-Killer model is one of the most dangerous assassins in the galaxy.
And yet, he was also a protocol droid.

The incongruity did not go unnoticed, even by HK-47. For a time, his memory was partially wiped, and he could not piece together his history. He knew that he just wanted to blast a few "meatbags," but the droid wasn't sure exactly why he wanted to do that. Or how he came to regard organic life as "meatbags." Or why he was so well equipped to gleefully dish out violence.

Instead, HK-47 found himself in a droid shop in Anchorhead, part of the Ithorian Yuka Laka's inventory of goods. The HK model was rumored to have been created by Czerka Corporation to eliminate the heads of rival companies. Units such as these were quite capable of laying waste to an entire building in an effort to dispose of a single target. This wanton carnage, combined with the tendency of the droid's previous owners to come to rather gruesome ends, has led most civilized planets to issue explicit bans on all HK-model assassin droids.

But there was more to HK-47 than that. In truth, HK-47 belonged to Darth Revan, Dark Lord of the Sith. Revan gave HK-47 the programming necessary to make the droid fluent in the difficult language of Tatooine's Sand People. It was HK-47 that helped Revan locate the ancient Star Forge map on Tatooine. To cover these tracks, Revan wiped the droid's memory of those events; ironically, the Sith Lord's memories would be wiped too.

HK-47 would help Revan again once the droid was reawakened. The droid had a strong sense of loyalty. He would obey his master to the letter of the instruction, even if the Revan wanted to tinker around in his chest and try to unlock some of the droid's hidden memories and capabilities.

T3-M4

From the Expanded Universe
Utility droids of all makes and models have been a common sight throughout the galaxy for millennia. The versatility of these handy little droids, combined with their reliable programming and affordability, has made them popular for everything from light janitorial duties to complex mechanical repairs and maintenance.
Among the premier utility droids available four thousand years ago were those in the T3 series. Though more expensive than most standard models, T3 droids contained the latest in advanced circuitry and programming, and were easily fitted with a variety of customized upgrades.

Crafted on Taris, T3-M4 was an early prototype of a late-generation model in this prestigious line. Janice Nall, a droid proprietor on Taris, customized the droid to serve as a personal security unit for an anonymous buyer -- Davik Kang, the local crime lord for the Exchange.

Along with the standard functionality, T3-M4 was equipped with light armor plating and upgradeable weapon functionality. Its programming was adjusted so that the droid could readily attack sentients. It had formidable fighting abilities coupled with its innate computer slicing and code breaking skills, all contained within an appealing, innocuous shell. T3-M4 spoke in a trilling, information-dense droid language.

Canderous Ordo, a Mandalorian mercenary operating on Taris, was to take delivery of the droid for Kang, but secretly cheated the crime lord. Instead, he sent others on an errand to purchase the droid on his behalf, and used T3-M4 to slice into the Taris computer network, obtaining access codes allowing Canderous to leave the blockaded planet.

T3-M4 accompanied Ordo along with Carth Onasi, Bastila Shan and other Republic luminaries during the Star Forge crisis, four thousand years before the Battle of Yavin.

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Basilisk War Droid

The Basilisk war droid, known in Mando'a as the Bes'uliik or "iron beast", was an intelligent battle droid, originally produced by the Basiliskans but most famously used by the Mandalorians.

When the Mandalorians conquered the Basiliskan homeworld, Basilisk, around 3,997 BBY and subjugated the intelligent Basiliskans into simple-minded Lagartoz War Dragons, they also seized the designs of the droids and continued to manufacture them. The droids gained infamy during the Mandalorian Wars, when Mandalorians using the droids as mounts terrorized a large swath of the Galactic Republic.

Design

The original Basilisk was a large animal-like droid created by the Basiliskans in their own image, though outside commentators would remark that it resembled a combination of a Zalorian rock lion and a Karren beetle. When the Mandalorians began producing them, they included a dorsal control mechanism with which a mounted rider could control the Basilisk in battle. Despite this, the Basilisks retained a large amount of artificial intelligence. It was said that a Mandalorian and its Basilisk shared a common bond, almost like a friendship. If the Basilisk was destroyed in battle, its pilot would give it a warrior's funeral before sending it into a star. Mandalorian tinkering eventually spawned countless customized variants of the Basilisk, departing dramatically from the original droid design and becoming more of a vehicle or ship. Later versions included closed thingypits, larger wings that served as S-foils, and the virtual elimination of animal-like features, giving it an appearance closer to that of a starship.

Capabilities

The Basilisk war droid could operate in both atmosphere and vacuum, and readily participated in fleet engagements. Space combat would require a Mandalorian rider to wear a pressurized suit into battle. If the tide turned and help was needed planetside, the droid could even plunge down from orbit to participate in ground battles. It was armed with Pulse-wave cannons, shatter-missile launchers, shockwave generating rods, which released a devastating plasma burst that could puncture starship hulls, and heavy brawling claws, though some variations omitted the heavier weaponry in favor of performance. The pilot could even secure his own weapons to the droid, such as Mandalorian flash pistols or axes in sealed compartments. When attacking large space installations or garrisons, two Basilisks often towed an atomic compression bomb between them and catapulted it into their target.

Legacy

After the Jedi Civil War, Canderous Ordo's Mandalorians on Dxun used a modified Basilisk capable of holding three people. During the Second Battle of Onderon, such a vehicle was used to bring the Jedi Exile from Dxun to Iziz, the capital of Onderon, much to the fear of the locals (and the armies of both the Royalist-Republicans and the Vakluist Separatists), having seen this droid in action many times during the recent war with Mandalorians.

Chop'aa Notimo used a Basilisk on Cloud City when confronted by Galen Marek in 2 BBY. During the Galactic Civil War, the Basilisk, especially later derivations, influenced MandalMotors' StarViper-class attack platform design, and in 40 ABY, a new Mandalorian starfighter was named the Bes'uliik-class Assault Starfighter in honor of the ancient war-droid mounts.



Sentinel droid

The sentinel droid-series (also known as the war-droid or military droid-series) was the only known series of android among the war machines used by the Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire in the Jedi Civil War. Variants included the Mark I, Mark II, Mark III, Mark IV, and Mark V, which were all outwardly identical.

During the Mandalorian Wars, Revan's Republic forces deployed such droids from military droid carriers, from which they controlled them by remote signal much like the Droid Control Ships of the Trade Federation and the Confederacy of Independent Systems millennia later. Such droids were used when the Republic conquered the Mandalorian remnant on Dxun. At least one carrier crashed on the moon's surface; it and its complement of droids were later discovered by the Exile.

Republic war droids were equipped with blaster rifles and could benefit from personal energy shields, which, unlike spherical energy shields utilized by other models, allowed them to move while shielded.

The Ahto City Civil Authority used these droids extensively for the purposes of security and apprehending those who broke the laws of Ahto City. Revan was apprehended on Manaan by a battalion of War droids, under the command of a Selkath officer. Like the Assault droid Mark IV, the sentinel droid was preferred by the Selkath, over live soldiers, most likely because of their efficiency and Selkath's preference of pacifism over violence.

Some individuals, such as Ahlan Matale and Nurik Sandral, used these droids as bodyguards.


Mark I Assault Droid

The Mark I assault droid was a large battle droid model used by Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire alike.

Characteristics

While vaguely humanoid, the Mark I assault droids in a unique way relied on a single leg for the motion. They were capable defenders, but had little in the way of advanced tactical programming.

History

Mark I assault droid was originally created by Galactic Republic in the days prior to the Mandalorian Wars, but later became one of the most common droids in the Sith Empire. While the Republic put them as automated defenses on patrolling cities or military instalations, the Sith Empire used these droids to fill out their military ranks and also as defense forces on the starships throughout the fleet. These droids were used primarily in a defensive manner and, despite their simple programming, have proven exceptionally capable of repelling Republic boarding parties attempting to seize Sith starships.


Mark II Assault Droid

The assault droid Mark II was a battle droid model.

Characteristics

Quadrupedal in form, this battle droid was armed for melee combat, featuring two bludgeoning armatures that could deliver brutal blunt-force trauma to unarmored or unprepared opponents. These droids were sometimes outfitted with body-mounted energy deflector shields.

History

It was used by the Galactic Republic and later the Sith Empire prior to and during the Mandalorian Wars and Jedi Civil War. These droids also sometimes fell into the hands of swoop gangs, such as the Hidden Beks and Black Vulkars of Taris.


Mark IV Assault Droid

The Mark IV assault droid was a model of quadrupedal battle droid used by Galactic Republic and the Sith Empire alike.

History


Mark IV assault droid was originally created by Galactic Republic in the days prior to the Mandalorian Wars, but later became one of the most common droids in the Sith Empire. While the Republic put them as automated defenses on patrolling cities or military instalations, the Sith Empire used these droids to fill out their military ranks and also as defense forces on the starships throughout the fleet and military bases, like those on Taris and Manaan. These droids were used primarily in a defensive manner and, despite their simple programming, have proven exceptionally capable of repelling Republic boarding parties attempting to seize Sith starships. During actual assaults, the Sith preferred to rely upon more mobile forces, such as Sith troopers.

Some of these droids were being provided with a bubble-like energy shield which rendered them especially effective against ranged weapons and lightsabers. They were also used by the Ahto City Civil Authority.


Rakatan Gaurdian Droid

The Rakatan guardian droids of Lehon were built by the Rakata during the height of the Infinite Empire.

One such droid was used as an overseer for the construction of the Star Map temple on Dantooine. It was left active in case a Rakata should return to inquire about the Star Forge. As of 3,956 BBY, the Infinite Empire was a forgotten past and no Rakata had entered the cave for long millennia. However, the droid was still functioning and able to serve the first person that entered, Revan, a testament to the quality of its construction. This droid was nearly 25,000 years old and was older than the Galactic Republic itself.

As overseers of slaves, these droids were programmed with the languages of the Rakata slave species, including Selkatha, Tusken, and Rakatan, and they could understand (but not speak) Galactic Basic Standard. They had significant armor as well as a powerful array of weaponry, and if they were deactivated, could be fully repaired and reactivated through a computer terminal.They also had complete immunity to all energy-based attacks. During the Battle of Rakata Prime, Darth Malak activated a number of construction units to continuously spawn these droids in order to halt and, hopefully, kill his former master, Revan.