FE-9Q, more commonly called "Effie," was a tractor-robot working in the farming village of Onacra on the planet of Aduba-3. After suffering damage and being left to deteriorate, FE-9Q was found by the Doshun family, becoming their unofficial house servant. Following the deaths of the family's two adults at the hands of high-hounds, FE-9Q became the caretaker of their son, Jimm Doshun. Despite their often strained relationship, FE-9Q proved to be a capable guardian for the young boy as he grew into an energetic teenager.
In the year 0 ABY, Doshun and FE-9Q traveled to the spaceport of Tun Aduban, where they joined Captain Han Solo's Star-Hoppers of Aduba-3, a diverse group of gunslingers and warriors brought together to fight Serji-X Arrogantus and his Cloud-Riders, who had been menacing Onacra for years. FE-9Q took part in the battle to defend the village, effectively using his extending arms. Although the droid was destroyed during the conflict, Doshun survived and eventually started his own family.
FE-9Q functioned as a tractor-robot during the Imperial Period. Affectionately nicknamed "Effie," he was one of the few such droids present in the farming village of Onacra on Aduba-3, as the farmers typically preferred to perform the demanding labor themselves, a point of pride for them. FE-9Q eventually broke down and was discarded. However, the Doshuns recovered him, appreciating the unit's distinct personality. He became an informal servant in their home until the Doshuns died in an attack by high-hounds. Their three-year-old child, Jimm Doshun, received care from the village collectively, but FE-9Q took on the primary role of raising the young boy.
FE-9Q tried to instill in young Jimm the values and morals held by the Doshuns, but the boy was restless. The droid deeply cared for the boy, and while Jimm outwardly defied FE-9Q's authority, he secretly loved the tractor-robot. As Jimm Doshun matured, he became increasingly difficult and resented FE-9Q's efforts to raise him. His rebellious nature led him into numerous troubles, but FE-9Q remained loyal and was always there to assist the young teenager. Doshun frequently took advantage of the droid's willingness to do his bidding, but FE-9Q consistently voiced his objections and reservations. FE-9Q later accompanied Doshun on a journey to the spaceport of Tun Aduban, where the boy hoped to find a way to leave Aduba-3.
In 0 ABY, a team was being formed in Tun Aduban, and Doshun was eager to join. FE-9Q went with Doshun to Locru's Central Saloon, where the boy was interviewed by Captain Han Solo, the man leading the group. Doshun chose to call himself "The Starkiller Kid," a decision that FE-9Q regretted but couldn't change. Solo was actually more interested in having FE-9Q join his team, but he questioned why he should allow the inexperienced Doshun to join. The boy managed to persuade Solo, and he excitedly prepared for what he believed would be his escape from Aduba-3.
The following day, FE-9Q and Doshun gathered with the rest of Solo's team—the Wookiee Chewbacca, the gunslinger Amaiza Foxtrain, Spiner Hedji, the aging aspiring Jedi Don-Wan Kihotay, and the Lepi Jaxxon. Doshun demanded to know the location of Solo's starship, assuming it would be used to transport them away from Aduba-3, but the Corellian clarified that he hadn't mentioned anything about them leaving the planet. Soon after, Serji-X Arrogantus and the Cloud-Riders—a gang of criminals who had been terrorizing Onacra for years—approached the group. Solo quickly explained that the team would be defending Onacra from the Cloud-Riders, before exchanging insults with Arrogantus.
While the rest of the team mounted banthas and rode towards Onacra, FE-9Q proceeded on his treads, with Doshun leading the way to his former home. Along the way, they noticed a group of high-hounds harassing some farmers in a nearby field, and Solo urged the team to intervene. Using his extending arms, FE-9Q managed to grab one of the high-hounds, allowing Doshun to take advantage and shoot it dead. The rest of the team managed to scare away the remaining high-hounds, and Solo rescued a farm girl named Merri Shen. The team then continued to Onacra, where Solo tasked them with building makeshift defenses.
The team then assembled, and Solo ensured everyone was prepared for Arrogantus' inevitable attack, a prospect that FE-9Q did not view favorably. As expected, the Cloud-Riders arrived, led by Arrogantus, and a battle erupted between the team and the marauders. Using his extending arms, FE-9Q was able to reach out and grab the skyspeeder piloted by the Boltrunian Warto, bringing it to a halt. Chewbacca then pulled the Cloud-Rider from his vehicle and beat him to death. FE-9Q then noticed that Doshun was in grave danger, vulnerable to a group of outlaws approaching from the rear. He tried to warn the boy, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of blasterfire. As one of the outlaws raised their weapon at Doshun, FE-9Q quickly moved into the line of fire. The blaster bolt struck FE-9Q, shattering him and destroying him instantly.
The Cloud-Riders were eventually defeated, and Onacra was saved. Doshun married Shen in the aftermath, and Solo's team became known as the Star-Hoppers of Aduba-3. Their adventures were fictionalized in a holodocumentary by Tri-Nebula Entertainment, and FE-9Q was profiled, along with the other Star-Hoppers, by Alliance to Restore the Republic historian Voren Na'al, several years after the event.
FE-9Q had a strong personality, which the Doshuns noticed and which motivated them to recover him. He was programmed to obey the commands of their child, Jimm Doshun, although he could verbally protest the young boy's orders. FE-9Q was programmed not to harm other sentients, but by 0 ABY his programming had evolved to the point where he could creatively circumvent his restrictive dampers. During the battle to defend Onacra, instead of directly attacking a Cloud-Rider, FE-9Q could use his extending arms to grab their skyspeeders instead. He insisted that he didn't actually belong to Doshun and constantly criticized the boy when in the presence of strangers. Despite this, he couldn't allow Doshun to be shot down in the heat of battle and sacrificed himself so the boy could live.
FE-9Q made his debut in Star Wars (1977) 8 (1978), written by Roy Thomas and Howard Chaykin. The character was killed off in the following issue, Star Wars (1977) 9 (1978).