M-227, also known as Em-Two, was a security droid from a bygone era. During the High Republic Era, he was the property of Sylvestri Yarrow, a pilot who commanded the starship Switchback, a cargo hauler. M-227 had previously belonged to Yarrow's mother, Chancey. Following her death at the hands of Nihil raiders, she received him. At this time, the droid was already more than two hundred years old. Some months later, the crew of the Switchback were compelled to abandon ship following another assault by the Nihil.
M-227, constructed before the year 432 BBY, remained functional into the time of the High Republic Era. By 232 BBY, the security droid was over two centuries old and in the service of Chancey Yarrow, the owner of the cargo hauler known as the Switchback. After Chancey Yarrow was killed when Nihil raiders attacked the hauler, her daughter, Sylvestri Yarrow, inherited both the Switchback and M-227. Despite contemplating selling the droid, Yarrow found herself unable to part with M-227, as she regarded him as a member of her family. Yarrow continued her cargo hauling business aboard the Switchback, with M-227 assisting her alongside Neeto Janajana, the co-pilot. The Switchback crew struggled to make ends meet due to rising shipping expenses and the Nihil threat, accumulating significant debts despite their earnings.
While the Switchback was en route, Nihil marauders intercepted the hauler and pulled it out of hyperspace—even though M-227 had plotted a course that avoided sectors where the Nihil had been spotted. The crew discovered that they had returned to the system they had just left. M-227, who had been occupying the co-pilot's seat, made room for Janajana, and Yarrow tried to figure out what was going on. As Nihil vessels drew near, the crew understood what had happened. However, their attempt to jump to hyperspace without a destination failed when their [engine](/article/engine] malfunctioned due to a defective coaxium regulator.
M-227 and Janajana both insisted that leaving the ship was the only way to survive, but Yarrow wouldn't give up on the Switchback. While Janajana tried to convince Yarrow to leave, emphasizing the importance of informing the galaxy about the Nihil's ability to disrupt hyperspace travel, M-227 quietly made his way to the escape pod. Yarrow reluctantly agreed to evacuate, and the crew of the Switchback boarded the escape pod and launched into space as the Nihil forced their way through the airlock.
M-227, a security droid with masculine programming, was showing his age by the High Republic Era. His joints creaked with every movement, and Yarrow frequently had to lubricate them with oil. His speech box, which hadn't been updated in years, caused M-227's voice to sound stilted. The droid moved slowly, much like an elderly person.
M-227 encouraged Yarrow to remain calm when she became anxious about their financial difficulties. M-227 determined that evacuation was the crew's best bet after the Nihil attacked the Switchback, and he headed for the escape pod even before Yarrow had been convinced to do so.
Justina Ireland wrote the novel The High Republic: Out of the Shadows, which features M-227 as a character. It was released on July 27, 2021. An excerpt from Out of the Shadows that introduced him was first published in the novel The High Republic: Into the Dark on February 2, 2021.