5D6-RA-7

5D6-RA-7 was an RA-7 protocol droid manufactured by Arakyd Industries who served as a spy for the Imperial Security Bureau and Imperial Intelligence. Investigating Imperial officers whose loyalty was in question, the protocol droid served as a staff aide to the Galactic Empire's Admiral Conan Antonio Motti by 0 BBY. In that year, 5D6-RA-7 was present aboard the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station prior to the Battle of Yavin. During the battle itself, the droid was destroyed when the Alliance to Restore the Republic destroyed the station over the Yavin system.

Biography[]

Manufactured by Arakyd Industries,^[2] 5D6-RA-7^[4] was an RA-7 protocol droid. By 0 BBY,^[1] the protocol droid served in the Galactic Empire's Imperial Security Bureau as a spy who secretly investigated Imperial officers whose loyalty was in question,^[4] reporting on the officers to the Bureau.^[5] He was also a spy for Imperial Intelligence.^[1]

Admiral Motti — Admiral Conan Antonio Motti, for whom 5D6-RA-7 served as a staff aide

By 0 BBY, 5D6-RA-7 served as an aide to the staff of Imperial Admiral Conan Antonio Motti. Both 5D6-RA-7 and Motti were aboard the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station in that year.^[1] During an infiltration by eventual Alliance to Restore the Republic members Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, the droid walked through one of the station's corridors and unknowingly passed by the pair—disguised as stormtroopers TK-421 and TK-422, with Solo's ally Chewbacca as an apparent prisoner—as the infiltrators were awaiting a turbolift.^[3]

Skywalker, Solo, and Chewbacca eventually rescued one of the Empire's prisoners, the Alliance's Princess Leia Organa, and escaped the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station with Organa.^[3] Not long after, the Battle of Yavin occurred, with the Alliance's starfighters attacking and destroying the DS-1 Orbital Battle Station over the Yavin system. 5D6-RA-7 was destroyed and Motti was also killed during the station's destruction.^[1]

Characteristics[]

5D6-RA-7 was particularly^[5] foul-tempered as well as vindictive and was feared by other droids.^[4] He had black plating and silver sensors.^[3]

Behind the scenes[]

5DK — 5D6-RA-7 in *Star Wars*: Episode IV *A New Hope*

5D6-RA-7 first appeared in the 1977 original trilogy film, Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, portrayed by an uncredited actor.^[3] His scene was filmed on May 5–10, 1976 at Stage 9 of Elstree Studios.^[6] In 1995, the droid's name was coined by the Premiere Limited set of the Decipher, Inc. Star Wars Customizable Card Game, although the image used for the droid is not an image from the film.^[4] However, the A New Hope droid was confirmed to indeed be 5D6-RA-7 in the CD-ROM Star Wars: Behind the Magic,^[7] released in September 1998.^[8]

Inconsistencies lie with 5D6-RA-7's name; the June 30, 1998^[9] Star Wars Encyclopedia,^[1] an October 2008 Star Wars: The Legacy Collection Build-A-Droid figure by Hasbro Inc.,^[10] and the December 9, 2008^[11] The Complete Star Wars Encyclopedia identified the droid as 5D6-RA7.^[12] Stephen J. Sansweet's 1999 reference book Star Wars: The Action Figure Archive called him 5DK-RA-7.^[13] Additionally, the 5D6-RA-7 action figure released by Star Wars: The Legacy Collection depicted the droid with gold sensors instead of silver.^[10] This article treats all of the contradictions as errors and uses 5D6-RA-7 as the in-universe name for the droid.