The Pistoeka sabotage droid, also known as the buzz droid, was a model of sabotage droid manufactured by Colicoid Creation Nest that could speak in the Colicoid language. They were used by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the later stages of the Clone Wars for purpose of disabling enemy craft. An early model was the Mark One Pistoeka sabotage droid.
They were transferred to enemy fighters via specialized discord missiles, and then popped open, to reveal their insect-looking body. They operated quickly, using a multitude of destructive tools such as drilling cutters, buzz saws, and other sharp, ship-destroying equipment. While their tools were effective, the central eye was a weak spot which could take the buzz droid out of commission when hit. Zapping this big red eye sent a chain reaction down the entire droid, and shut it down almost immediately.
Buzz droids were well equipped for sabotage and mayhem.
Pistoeka sabotage droids, otherwise known as buzz droids, were disposable weapons produced by Colicoid Creation Nest for the Confederacy of Independent Systems, and were typically deployed via discord missiles from either HMP droid gunships, vulture droids, or droid tri-fighters, which contained up to seven buzz droids. The sabotage droids utilized a variety of specialized tools such as a circular saw, drill head, pincer arm, and plasma torch to swiftly dismantle starfighters, vehicles, or even other droids. Despite their individual insignificance, a swarm of buzz droids were capable of making short work of a craft by targeting its vital systems. The droid was 0.25 meters in diameter and were equipped with red sensor systems.
Much like the scav droids used by the Nihil during the High Republic Era, buzz droids were fielded by the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars to sabotage enemy craft. The Mark One Pistoeka sabotage droid was an early model that used a doonium shell.
During a incident at Carida, a super tactical droid sent several buzz droids to destroy the remaining droids of a Venator-class Star Destroyer and D-Squad. They were then blown out a airlock into hyperspace when M5-BZ opened it. Several buzz droids attacked Jedi General Anakin Skywalker's Eta-2 Actis-class light interceptor and almost killed him during the Republic defense of Cato Neimoidia, but quick thinking by his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano, and astromech droid, R2-D2, managed to destroy them and save his owner's life.
Buzz droids attack Skywalker's starfighter at Cato Neimoidia.
During the Battle of Ringo Vinda, an HMP droid gunship deployed several buzz droids to disable a shuttle that was carrying clone trooper CT-5385 "Tup" back to Kamino. After the ship was disabled, Separatist forces captured Tup for Count Dooku to personally examine. During the Battle of Coruscant, several buzz droids attacked General Skywalker's and General Obi-Wan Kenobi's Eta-2 Actis-class interceptors. The buzz droids destroyed Kenobi's astromech, R4-P17, but they were finished off by Skywalker and R2-D2.
Four years after the rise of the Galactic Empire, the Free Ryloth Movement modified large numbers of buzz droids to explode. Stored inside modified vulture droids, they were used to attack the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Perilous over Ryloth. Mitth'raw'nuruodo "Thrawn" purchased and worked to repair two Mark One buzz droids during his service on the Blood Crow.
Prior to the Battle of Jakku, undercover 204th Imperial Fighter Wing Lieutenant Palal Seedia released a swarm of buzz droids intended to incapacitate the New Republic Star Destroyer Deliverance, but the sabotage only managed to kill an engineer and the captain of the Deliverance.
The Pistoeka sabotage droid first appeared in the 2005 prequel trilogy film Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, where it was identified as the buzz droid. The droid was later first identified as the Pistoeka sabotage droid in the 2015 reference book Ultimate Star Wars, published by Dorling Kindersley.