As part of the LEGO STAR WARS: Celebrate the Season collection, "Twas the Night Before Life Day," a non-canonical animated short featuring LEGO characters, debuted on December 12th, 2023. While it was initially available on Star Wars Kids, it has since been taken down, but it remains accessible on the LEGO YouTube channel.
The story begins with Jedi Master Yoda setting the scene, mentioning the events occurred the evening before Life Day. On the second Death Star, Imperials are gathered for a party thrown by the Sith Lords Palpatine and Darth Vader. In the Emperor's throne room, the Imperials participate in a gift exchange. One stormtrooper is overjoyed to receive a TIE fighter toy, but the Emperor cautions that it's a White bantha swap, where participants must compete for their presents in the Sith tradition.
The Imperials then start battling for gifts, which include candies and a gold Stormtrooper helmet. Unbeknownst to them, R2-D2 has infiltrated the second Death Star. Lord Vader unwraps his present, revealing a mug with Emperor Palpatine's image. Palpatine decides to take the mug for himself. When Vader resists and attempts to escape, the Emperor uses the Force to levitate it. However, R2-D2 seizes the mug and makes his escape.
Emperor Palpatine threatens his stormtroopers with death if they fail to retrieve his mug. R2-D2 leads the stormtroopers through the Death Star's corridors, escaping by using the Force. He soars across a gap as the pursuing stormtroopers plummet. Darth Vader corners R2-D2, intending to claim the mug. He ignites his lightsaber, but R2-D2 uses snow to blind him. R2-D2 then flees aboard a T-65 X-wing starfighter.
Vader gives chase in Darth Vader's TIE Advanced x1, pursuing R2-D2 through the Death Star's trenches. Before Vader can fire on R2-D2's X-wing, the droid throws the mug down the Death Star's exhaust port. Vader presents the broken mug to the disappointed Emperor, who, according to Yoda, experiences a taste of his own medicine.