The episode opens with Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker being stuck in Garbage masher 3263827 aboard the Death Star as the walls of the garbage compactor start to close in on them. Luke contacts C-3PO on his comlink. The narrator explains that in a "galaxy of adventures", heroes in trouble can rely on their trusted droids.
C-3PO tells the stormtrooper in the hangar control room that all this excitement has overrun the circuits in his astromech droid counterpart R2-D2. C-3PO gets permission for him and R2-D2 to go to the maintenance hatch. In the hangar bay, C-3PO sees several stormtroopers guarding the Millennium Falcon and realizes that their human companions are not there and wonders where they could be.
Shots of C-3PO and R2-D2 in the hangar are interspersed with Luke, Han, and Leia being trapped inside the garbage compactor. At a control console, R2-D2 tells C-3PO to use the comlink. C-3PO asks if Luke is still there. Luke tells him to shut down the garbage compactor on the detention level as well. He reiterates his orders.
R2-D2 manages to shut down the garbage compactor in time. Luke, Han, and Leia shout for joy over the comlink. C-3PO initially thinks they are dying but is mollified when he hears their cheers. C-3PO pats R2-D2 on the head.