Class A-4 represents an honor bestowed upon the droids Artwo and Threepio by Queen Leia of Aquilae, recognizing their contributions after the obliteration of the Imperial space fortress.
The concept of acknowledging the droids’ efforts emerged during the scripting phase of Episode IV; however, Lucas did not completely discard it. In notes created for licensees in 1977, he mentioned that C-3PO received an XB21 memory upgrade and a restoration, while R2-D2 underwent cleaning and repairs, getting new components after the Battle of Yavin.
- The Star Wars rough draft
- The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film