C-3PO and R2-D2 are casually walking through the streets of a city on Tatooine. They are talking about the dangers about being in this location at that time as they are dangerously near the "domain of The Empire" as well as there being a "Thriving black market on robot parts" at that time.
Meanwhile in an Imperial headquarters nearby, Darth Vader is consulting a group of the Empire's officers on the world. Vader is displeased with the time it is taking for the Officers to plant a spy in the Rebel's ranks in order to find the Rebel base. Darth Vader orders for them to send a squadron to capture one of the "Two Droids, known and trusted among the Rebels" (i.e. R2-D2 or C-3PO.) Vader reasons that the Rebels would not suspect a mechanical spy and so a reprogrammed droid could relay plans straight to the Empire. Vader tells the officers that their lives depend on this plan going off without a hitch.
C-3PO and R2-D2 are still walking through the city when two of the officers grab R2 in a sack and sneak him away. Several seconds later C-3PO realizes R2 has been kidnapped and runs screaming back to Luke Skywalker. Luke decides that going alone would be quicker than taking Threepio along with him and tells the droid that he will meet him at the Core building.
Arriving at the Empire's Core Building, Luke looks through the window and sees two of the officers and a mechanic examining R2. Luke thinks that they are about to tamper with R2's memory. Thinking quickly, Luke notices a junkyard next to the building and decides he might be able to trick the officers. He quickly constructs a replica of R2 out of the discarded parts.
Luke then attaches a small explosive to a wall on the building as a distraction. As the Officers run to check on the explosion, Luke climbs through a window and replaces the real R2 with the pile of junk that looks like him. Luke then flies him and R2 away from the building on his miniature speeder. Luke and R2 then head off on a mission lasting several months, without meeting C-3PO to let him know. Luke reasons that Threepio will "figure it out once he realizes you're not around."
The Officers return to the office and the R2 falls to bits in front of them. Quickly deciding to dispose of the evidence so that a furious Vader won't have their heads, they throw the R2 out of the window into the junkyard. Below C-3PO who has finally arrived, sees R2 being thrown out of the window and cries with horror at his friend's dismantled state. Threepio, sitting on top of the tons of junk declares that he will rebuild his friend...Even if it takes months.
A droid resembling "Bender."
Bender of Futurama fame appears as one of the scrapped droids at the end.
C-3PO mistakenly refers to some Imperial officers as agents of the "Trade Federation."
- Star Wars Tales Volume 2
- Star Wars Legends Epic Collection: The Empire Vol. 8