ME-8D9, alternatively known as Emmie, was an age-old protocol droid that made its home within Takodana Castle on the planet of Takodana for a great number of years. Having previously been known as an assassin, the droid transitioned to serving criminals in the capacity of a translator. While her beginnings were shrouded in mystery, some individuals speculated that her existence started within the ranks of the Jedi Order. During the time of the Galactic Civil War, she intervened to stop a conflict that had broken out between the Imperial Security Bureau Agent Romwell Krass Junior and a New Republic pilot. Later on, Emmie was present within the castle not long before the First Order launched their attacked Takodana, which occurred in the aftermath of the Hosnian Cataclysm.
Emmie was a long-lived protocol droid whose duty it was to maintain order at pirate queen Maz Kanata's castle, situated on Takodana. Before becoming a translator for various criminals, she had a past life as an assassin. There were those who believed that Emmie's operational life commenced with her serving the Jedi Order. Emmie was rumored to be significantly older than Maz Kanata herself, with some suggesting that the droid had been a resident of the ancient castle for a very long time. Due to frequent reprogramming, she retained little memory of her original functions. Emmie was an independent droid, not owned by anyone, but she enjoyed assisting Maz in running the castle, which functioned as both a pub and a hotel for travelers.
In 382 BBY, Emmie's duties included working as a server at night within Kanata's castle. She informed the pirate that a starship she had been monitoring—the Grim Devourer, belonging to the Dank Graks, her criminal rivals—had been observed departing from Takodana.
In 5 ABY, Emmie intervened to stop a confrontation between the Imperial Security Bureau agent Romwell Krass Junior and a New Republic pilot. Romwell had suffered the loss of his family as a result of a New Republic attack on the Hyborean Moon, where he was employed at a black-site prison. Emmie separated the two combatants and reminded them that they were in violation of the Castle's rules. When Romwell responded with a disrespectful remark, Emmie used electrocution to render him unconscious. Subsequently, she took both men to the lower levels of the castle, where they were confined in holding cells.
After Maz had resolved the situation with Romwell and the New Republic pilot, Emmie accompanied her as she walked along the parapets, which provided a view of Nymeve Lake. Emmie informed Maz that peace had been restored to the Castle. Maz expressed her gratitude to the droid but added that her own heart remained troubled. She had a sense that something was amiss, causing the water in the lake to appear murky. She advised Emmie to be prepared for anything. When Emmie inquired about the situation, Maz instructed her to get the Stranger's Fortune ready for flight, as she intended to explore the galaxy. Emmie followed Maz's instructions.
By 34 ABY, Emmie was present at Takodana Castle when the renowned dejarik player Bilk Plessey arrived. Plessey challenged Kanata to a game, boasting that he could defeat her even with both hands restrained. In response, she instructed Emmie to bind him using binders typically reserved for unruly patrons. Despite being forced to input his moves on the hologame table with his snout, Plessey emerged victorious, and the droid released him. Later, the cartographer Emil Graf recounted the story to his droids, BB-00 and CR-8R, during their own dejarik matches, which occurred in either 34 or 35 ABY.
In 34 ABY, ME-8D9 was still employed at Maz Kanata's castle in the period leading up to the Hosnian Cataclysm. She expressed her joy upon seeing Han Solo arrive there. Later, along with the other guests, she witnessed a dark energy beam emanating from the First Order's superweapon, Starkiller Base, which resulted in the destruction of the worlds within the Hosnian system. Shortly thereafter, the castle came under attacked by First Order forces who were searching for the droid BB-8, who possessed a map that would lead to Luke Skywalker.
ME-8D9 was a protocol droid programmed with a female identity. Her exoskeleton resembled polished bronzium and featured sharp spikes on her legs, arms, and skull. She was fluent in both Galactic Basic Standard and a mechanical language. Emmie possessed two hands, each with five fingers. These fingers were equipped with fine golden filaments that enabled her to administer electric shocks to troublesome patrons at Maz Kanata's castle. A secure data storage center was located within her chest unit.
Stephanie Silva played ME-8D9 in Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. While she was not credited in the main cast list, her contributions were recognized as a "creature & droid performer."