"The Red One" is a short story in the anthology From a Certain Point of View. The story, written by Rae Carson, focuses on the droid R5-D4.
The R5 unit R5-D4 has spent four years as a "prisoner" of a Jawa clan, who travel through the deserts of Tatooine on a sandcrawler. R5-D4 wishes to escape the sandcrawler by being sold to a buyer. He longs for a few drops of lubricant and a sense of purpose. One evening, R5-D4 is overjoyed when two of the Jawas inspect him and decide that he is ready to be sold. They add lubricant to his joints, scoop the sand out of his tool compartments, and wipe down his photoreceptors. Hours later, R5 is awoken by the chirping of R2-D2, who had been captured by the Jawas following the events of the secret mission to Tatooine. R5-D4 watches as a protesting R2 is fitted with a restraining bolt.
Later that night, R5-D4 wakes again to find that R2-D2 has attempted to sabotage him. When confronted by R5, R2 tells him that he is on an important mission, and explains that he must escape the sandcrawler and be sold tomorrow, since the fate of the galaxy depends on it. When R5 asks if this was why his pincer was deep in his access compartment, R2 responds that the Rebellion needs his help. The word "Rebellion" triggers the phantom of a memory within R5, but he counters that if he doesn't escape the sandcrawler and find a new master, he will cease to function. R2 responds that he already has a master, and that if he doesn't find him, the galaxy is doomed. As Jawas approach, R2 tells R5 he won't try to hurt him again.
The following morning, R5-D4 and R2-D2 arrive at the Lars moisture farm, the home of Owen Lars and his adopted son Luke Skywalker. After haggling with the Jawas, Owen decides to buy R2's companion C-3PO and R5. While R5 is overjoyed, R2 becomes agitated; R5 reassures him that someone will eventually buy him. When R2 tells R5 that he is his only hope, the red droid realizes how important R2's mission is, and decides to sacrifice his new opportunity by blowing up his own motivator. R5 deliberately loosens his own head plate and redirects the lubricant behind his photoreceptors. Once the lubricant heats up enough, R5 purposely discharges the power, causing his head plate to fly off. This causes Luke to think that R5 has a bad motivator. Owen thinks that the Jawas are trying to rip him off and instead takes R2, setting the stage for the events leading to the Battle of Yavin. Before parting ways, R2 thanks R5 for helping him save the galaxy, and promises never to forget him.
R5-D4 realizes that R2-D2's story is correct when Imperial stormtroopers attack the sandcrawler later. The stormtroopers interrogate the Jawas about the droids they sold, and then gun them down. R5 manages to survive the massacre by hiding among the junk that the Jawas had amassed. He then escapes the sandcrawler and travels to a settlement, hoping that one of the moisture farms in the next valley will adopt him. R5 also hopes to join the Rebellion, having been inspired by R2.
The R5 unit R5-D4 has spent four years as a "prisoner" of a Jawa clan, who travel through the deserts of Tatooine on a sandcrawler. R5-D4 wishes to escape the sandcrawler by being sold to a buyer. He longs for a few drops of lubricant and a sense of purpose. One evening, R5-D4 is overjoyed when two of the Jawas inspect him and decide that he is ready to be sold. They add lubricant to his joints, scoop the sand out of his tool compartments, and wipe down his photoreceptors. Hours later, R5 is awoken by the chirping of R2-D2, who had been captured by the Jawas following the events of the secret mission to Tatooine. R5-D4 watches as a protesting R2 is fitted with a restraining bolt.
Later that night, R5-D4 wakes again to find that R2-D2 has attempted to sabotage him. When confronted by R5, R2 tells him that he is on an important mission, and explains that he must escape the sandcrawler and be sold tomorrow, since the fate of the galaxy depends on it. When R5 asks if this was why his pincer was deep in his access compartment, R2 responds that the Rebellion needs his help. The word "Rebellion" triggers the phantom of a memory within R5, but he counters that if he doesn't escape the sandcrawler and find a new master, he will cease to function. R2 responds that he already has a master, and that if he doesn't find him, the galaxy is doomed. As Jawas approach, R2 tells R5 he won't try to hurt him again.
The following morning, R5-D4 and R2-D2 arrive at the Lars moisture farm, the home of Owen Lars and his adopted son Luke Skywalker. After haggling with the Jawas, Owen decides to buy R2's companion C-3PO and R5. While R5 is overjoyed, R2 becomes agitated; R5 reassures him that someone will eventually buy him. When R2 tells R5 that he is his only hope, the red droid realizes how important R2's mission is, and decides to sacrifice his new opportunity by blowing up his own motivator. R5 deliberately loosens his own head plate and redirects the lubricant behind his photoreceptors. Once the lubricant heats up enough, R5 purposely discharges the power, causing his head plate to fly off. This causes Luke to think that R5 has a bad motivator. Owen thinks that the Jawas are trying to rip him off and instead takes R2, setting the stage for the events leading to the Battle of Yavin. Before parting ways, R2 thanks R5 for helping him save the galaxy, and promises never to forget him.
R5-D4 realizes that R2-D2's story is correct when Imperial stormtroopers attack the sandcrawler later. The stormtroopers interrogate the Jawas about the droids they sold, and then gun them down. R5 manages to survive the massacre by hiding among the junk that the Jawas had amassed. He then escapes the sandcrawler and travels to a settlement, hoping that one of the moisture farms in the next valley will adopt him. R5 also hopes to join the Rebellion, having been inspired by R2.