K2-B4

"Even so, the odds are three to one that you are a traitor."

―K2-B4, to R2-D2^[4]

K2-B4 was a T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droid who served the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the time of the Clone Wars. In 20 BBY, K2-B4 served as the second-in-command to the Phindian Commandant Osi Sobeck, who headed the Confederacy's Citadel prison on the planet Lola Sayu. Following a Galactic Republic rescue attempt of the prisoners, K2-B4 assisted in enacting the facility's security measures, overseeing efforts from the command center before searching for the intruders personally.

K2-B4 would locate the commandeered supply shuttle that the strike team used to infiltrate the facility but was fooled by a squad of reprogrammed battle droids serving the Republic. As the prisoners escaped the facility and fled across Lola Sayu's desolate landscape, K2-B4 commanded a Separatist defense fleet that blockaded the planet. However, the droid ultimately failed to prevent a Republic fleet from breaking through and extracting the escapees.

Biography

Citadel oversight

"This is Central Command. Please identify yourself."

―K2-B4 hails an incoming shuttle secretly carrying a Republic strike team^[2]

K2-B4 was a T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droid^[2] produced by Baktoid Armor Workshop.^[1] K2-B4 served the Confederacy of Independent Systems during the Clone Wars against the Galactic Republic and,^[2] in 20 BBY,^[5] was stationed on^[2] the planet Lola Sayu^[6] at the prison known as the Citadel. There, the droid assisted the Citadel's commander, the Phindian Osi Sobeck, in guarding Republic prisoners that included Jedi Master Even Piell, Captain Wilhuff Tarkin, and several clone officers while they were being tortured for information on the Nexus Route, a hyperspace route that was key to infiltrating both Republic and Separatist space.^[2]

Shortly after the prisoners were brought to Lola Sayu, K2-B4 worked in Central Command and scanned a supply shuttle arriving at the Citadel. When the shuttle was cleared of any life forms, K2-B4 told the pilots to continue and not deviate from their current course. However, unbeknownst to K2-B4, the shuttle was carrying a Republic rescue team that had been sent on a mission to free the prisoners and had evaded the life-form scanners due to being frozen in carbonite. The supply ship did deviate from course and never arrived, of which K2-B4 informed Sobeck. Soon after, Sobeck was alerted to the infiltrators when they triggered a security mine. The commandant summoned his special units, a squad of commando droids, and when they arrived in the command center, K2-B4 informed^[2] him.^[7] Sobeck sent the droids to deal with the intruders, although they were unsuccessful.^[4]

Increased responsibilities

"Commander, the additional reinforcements have arrived."
"Tighten your grip, K2-B4. The Republic will almost certainly attempt a second mission to infiltrate our defenses and rescue the prisoners. I'm counting on you to ensure that nothing slips past our blockade."

―K2-B4 and Osi Sobeck^[6]

The Republic rescue team soon managed to free the prisoners. During their attempts to stop them, K2-B4 alerted Sobeck that the^[4] Separatist leader,^[7] Count Dooku, was waiting to speak with him via hologram. Sobeck's progress update on capturing the escaped prisoners did not please Dooku, and the Phindian subsequently ordered K2-B4 to never surprise him with a transmission from the count again. A short time later, K2-B4 located the missing supply shuttle, also finding a squad of B1-series battle droids and the astromech droid R2-D2, the latter of which K2-B4 assessed as a Republic intruder. The tactical droid ordered the squad of battle droids to take R2-D2 to the interrogation center, unaware that the droids had been reprogrammed and were serving the Republic. When the droids escaped, K2-B4 released an alert calling for their capture.^[4]

As the Republic prisoners made it out of the facility and continued to evade capture, traversing across Lola Sayu's harsh landscape towards an extraction point, K2-B4 was placed in command of the Separatist defense fleet that was blockading Lola Sayu, which Sobeck had ordered to be reinforced. From aboard a Lucrehulk-class Battleship, the droid was tasked with ensuring that no ships passed through and contacting Sobeck when the reinforcements arrived. However, when a Republic fleet arrived, K2-B4 failed to prevent enemy ships from entering the planet's atmosphere, and the Republic forces successfully extracted the remaining members of the rescue team, including those who had obtained knowledge on the Nexus Route, and returned to^[6] the Republic capital planet^[7] of Coruscant.^[6]

Characteristics

"Count Dooku insists that you speak with him."
"Well, let's not keep him waiting."
"He's already waiting, sir."

―K2-B4 and Osi Sobeck^[4]

A T-series tactical droid, K2-B4^[2] stood at 1.93 meters tall.^[3] The droid had yellow sensors and yellow and purple plating^[2] that included the symbol of the Citadel, which was found on all droids serving there.^[8]

Behind the scenes

K2-B4 first appeared in "The Citadel,"^[2] the eighteenth episode of the Star Wars: The Clone Wars animated television series' third season.^[9] The character, identified in the episode's credits, was voiced by Ashley Eckstein, who also provided the voice of Jedi Padawan Ahsoka Tano in the series.^[2] The episode premiered on February 18, 2011.^[9]

K2-B4 was named by the production crew after Kobe Bryant, famous basketball player^[9] and self-professed Star Wars fan.^[10] Several crew members were fans of Bryant's team, the Los Angeles Lakers.^[9] Bryant wore the jersey number 24 during the latter part of his career,^[11] and the name K2-B4 was created using Bryant's number and initials. The droid's color scheme was created to reflect not only Lola Sayu's environment but also the Lakers logo.^[9] Initial concept art of K2-B4 was created by artist Michael Buffington Jr. and dated to January 29, 2010.^[8] Later that year, the model for K2-B4 was fully completed for the episode around the same time that^[9] Bryant and the Lakers won the NBA Finals.^[12]