3D-4X administrative droid

"I am Threedee-Fourex, official protocol droid and welcoming committee—and you are not welcome."
"Protocol droid, indeed! I should say your programming requires significant adjustment, not to mention your manners."

―3D-4X and Em-Teedee in 24 ABY

The 3D-4X administrative droid was created by Genetech Corporation in an effort to compete with their rival Cybot Galactica's hold on the galactic protocol droid market. Realizing that they could not compete one-on-one with the 3PO-series protocol droid and its AA-1 VerboBrain, Genetech opted to fashion a droid more suited to systems administration rather than diplomacy. The result was the 3D-4X series, which was a highly intelligent droid capable of taking initiative in completing tasks and possessed of a large information database concerning business, administrative, and financial procedures. Fluent in over two and half million forms of communication and able to act as a negotiator in preliminary business meetings, the 3D-4X was favored by senior executives and traveling businessbeings throughout the galaxy.

Constructed on the factory world of Mechis III, the reputation of the 3D-4X series was damaged when it emerged that one of their number, 3D-4X, had killed his master, Administrator Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun, during the takeover of Mechis III by a quartet of IG-88 assassin droids. Despite 3D-4X's reprogramming by IG-88A to commit that act, sales of the 3D-4X declined as confidence in the line wavered.

Description

"Greetings, greetings, sirs! I am Threedee-Fourex, in charge of activities while Master Hekis is tending to an emergency. How may I serve you?"

―3D-4X welcomes Darth Vader and Supervisor Gurdun to Mechis III

Genetech Corporation's 3D-4X administrative droid was a third-degree humanoid-shaped unit that stood 1.7 meters tall and was possessed of a torso, two arms, two legs, and a cranial unit. The 3D-4X's cranial unit was shaped like an inverted test tube, and contained the droid's vocabulator, and a single photoreceptor mounted off-center on the unit's right side. Three direct cranial uplinks were situated on the back of the head, and the interior was the location of the droid's heuristic processor and internal business database, which held a massive amount of information relating to business protocols, financial logarithms, and administrative techniques. Auditory sensors were located in the unit's neck, just above the 3D-4X's sophisticated communications scrambler/transmitter unit, and the droid's internal database contained knowledge of nearly two and a half million forms of communication, allowing it to effectively communicate with both planetary officials and commercial entities. The unit's torso contained the droid's recharge coupling set into the center of the chest, while three storage compartments were arrayed on the droid's waistline, and at least one at the back, which was capable of storing up to two kilograms in weight. Systems power couplings were also located on the back of the torso. The right arm of the 3D-4X contained a panel underneath which was located a microphone/stenographic recorder, and the index finger of the right hand also contained a laser pointer, which was employed when the droid made presentations to clients. A hidden storage compartment was located on the droid's left thigh, and circuitry cooling cables were left unsheathed at the knee. The 3D-4X was ambidextrous.

The resulting droid was highly intelligent and meticulous in its work, and possessed of a personality that managed to sound aloof yet deferential simultaneously. Some units, if left without a memory wipe, developed a personality that could be described as sardonic; a simple memory wipe would erase that, but in general owners were loathe to lose the experience that 3D-4Xs accumulated during their operation. 3D-4X droids were covered in a plating of polished silver chromite which was buffed to a gleaming finish. Under intense light, the droid shone like a landing beacon, while the plating became scalding to the touch under a hot sun. 3D-4X units retailed for 5,500 credits.

Role

"I am Raynar Thul, nephew of Tyko Thul, the administrator of this facility. In his absence, I have come to see that his business affairs run smoothly until he returns."
"You are not essential to this operation. Your presence will complicate matters unnecessarily."
"And a mere protocol droid is not authorized to make that decision. Now show me to my uncle's offices. We have work to do."
"I will do no such thing. It would violate my current priority programming—which is to keep guests away."

―Raynar Thul and 3D-4X in 24 ABY

Schematics of the 3D-4X administrative droid

The 3D-4X administrative droid was marketed as a personal assistant to senior executives and those traveling businessbeings who required the service of a personal aide capable of handling a multitude of tasks on its own initiative. The 3D-4X series was designed to focus on systems administration, business tasks, and formal etiquette, but was fully capable of handling the day-to-day necessities required by the executives of large businesses and corporations, readily reacting to changes in routine or the emergence of problems. As a result, the 3D-4X droids considerably lightened their organic executive's workload. In some cases, 3D-4X droids had been discovered to have completely taken over their master's duties and responsibilities, and were often so capable in their work that their organic employers were left with little actual work to do. Droids of the 3D-4X series performed many of the same duties as a standard protocol droid, including translation and the advisement of proper decorum and procedure, but its emphasis on business and administration matters made it popular with executives of major corporations. 3D-4X units were commonly used by their owners to begin preliminary trade negotiations with rival corporations or merchant houses. However, the droids lacked the authority to finalize the deal, and the executives themselves would usually turn up to sign the paperwork.

History

"Your afternoon tea, sir."
"Ah, thank you."
"Your afternoon reports, sir."
"Ah, thank you."
"Your death, sir."
"Excuse me? What is the meaning of this?"
"I believe that's quite plain, sir."

―3D-4X delivers tea, reports, and death to Administrator Hekis

3D-4X, assistant to Administrator Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun of Mechis III

With Cybot Galactica's dominance of the protocol droid market, many companies attempted to emulate their success by producing their own units. However, the industry standard was set by the 3PO-series, and those companies that tried to replicate the unit precisely failed as they had no access to proprietary hardware like the AA-1 VerboBrain. Genetech, realizing that it did not have the resources to take on Cybot Galactica, opted to design a limited services protocol droid that focused on systems administration rather than diplomacy. The result was the 3D-4X administrative droid. Genetech contracted the factory world of Mechis III to construct the 3D-4X administrative droid.

Around 3 ABY, a quartet of independent IG-88 assassin droids targeted Mechis III as the first step in a plan to secure droid domination over the galaxy. The lead droid, IG-88A, transmitted a copy of the self-replicating sentience programming that the droids all shared to the planet's computer infrastructure and all the droids on the planet. Each unit was reprogrammed to become self-aware and loyal to the IG-88s. Droids moved to eradicate the seventy-three Humans on the planet, including the administrator, Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun, who was killed by his own administrative droid, 3D-4X. The IG-88s ran Mechis III as though nothing had changed, with 3D-4X maintaining the charade by answering messages and signing documents in the former administrator's name. The factory world still accepted orders, but the manufactured droids were modified with sentience routines to make them part of the IG-88s' plan for galactic domination. Before the plan could be executed, the four IG-88s were destroyed in various altercations within a short span of time. Although Mechis III subsequently operated for several years lacking organic supervision without anyone in the wider galaxy knowing, the incident eventually became public knowledge, causing sales of the 3D-4X line to drop as executives had no time to worry if their 3D-4X intended to kill them or not.

3D-4X administrative droids in the galaxy

Around 3 ABY, the administrative droid 3D-4X served the administrator of the droid factory world Mechis III, Hekis Durumm Perdo Kolokk Baldikarr Thun. The droid was always punctual with the administrator's afternoon tea and daily reports. After having his programming corrupted by IG-88A, 3D-4X promptly killed the administrator with a blaster and served the IG-88s running the planet loyally, handling external communications and generally keeping up the charade that nothing was amiss on Mechis III. At some point, a Ranat spy in the employ of the Empire, searching for the IG-88 droids as they had escaped from an Imperial facility on Halowan, contacted Mechis III to inquire if the IG-88s had been seen on the planet. 3D-4X spliced together holo-footage of Administrator Hekis to answer the Ranat's queries, and was commended for his actions by the IG-88 units. Sometime later, 3D-4X met Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Vader during his visit to the planet to seek assurances that their order of new probe droids would be completed on time. Again, 3D-4X used holographic footage of Hekis and managed to fool Vader into believing that the administrator was on the other side of the planet tending to an emergency. Sometime prior to 24 ABY, the Alderaanian nobleman Tyko Thul bought the droid facilities on Mechis III and rebuilt the industry on the planet. 3D-4X was still in operation, and served Thul. He attempted to bar the entry of several Jedi apprentices into the facility when they arrived in search of Thul—who was believed to be missing—but ultimately relented.

Appearances

• "Therefore I Am: The Tale of IG-88"—Tales of the Bounty Hunters (First appearance)
• Young Jedi Knights: Delusions of Grandeur

Sources

• The Essential Guide to Droids ("3D-4X Administrative Droid") (First identified as 3D-4X administrative droid) (First pictured)