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Leia used R2-D2 and C3P0 to send a message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. R2-D2 was the primary astromech of Luke Skywalker. In Star Wars: Rebels, Bail Organa used R2-D2 and C3P0 against the Empire. Both droids always danced in rebel base and traveled with our heroes.

All this is despite the fact that C3P0 was designed by the first hand of Emperor in his childhood, and R2-D2 was his primary astromech and a friend of his? Couldn't this increase the probability of identity sabotage? Other than that, why would you trust those droids which were so close to the enemy? And, why couldn't they buy or pick a new shiny latest astromech and translator droid?

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    Presumably because they've always been reliable. Also, Leia doesn't have huge luxury of time when it comes to choice. – Valorum Jan 23 '15 at 2:39
  • @Kyle Actual spelling of C3P0 is with zero, not English alphabet O. Zero is generally pronounced such way.. MS Office two dot O. – Baby Yoda Jan 23 '15 at 2:42
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    1) Is there any evidence that Leia knew anything about the droids and their past? 2) The droids didn't belong to Leia, they belonged to Captain Antilles. Is there any evidence that he wasn't the one who picked them to come on the mission? 3) Is there any evidence that Captain Antilles knew anything about the droids and their past? – phantom42 Jan 23 '15 at 3:14
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    Actually I think Leia was being used by R2-D2 more than the other way around. – mu is too short Jan 23 '15 at 3:30
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    @phantom42 In Rebels Senator Organa is shown with the droids. Specifically R2D2* so they are "his" droids to begin with. ( as part of the new canon ) how Wedge gets his hands on them will be interesting to see. --------- * We see at the end of an episode that Organa has sent R2D2 to Spy/record the crew (Droids in Distress) – Cherubel Jan 23 '15 at 9:01
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Despite C-3PO being crafted by Darth Vader, something that may not even be known by Princess Leia and especially wouldn't be known by Luke, he is in all regards an average protocol droid.

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While it's true this makes it easy to disguise another protocol droid as him for infiltration, there's no reason for the Empire to try anything like this - he's a single little-known protocol droid that hardly does anything significant to help the Rebel cause. It'd be much easier to plant an organic spy, who would be able to adjust to the situation and wouldn't be subject to repair jobs by the rebels that might reveal his nature as a spy.

R2-D2, despite being a remarkable little droid, is also a factory model, and despite carrying valuable information, isn't seen as much more than a piece of machinery by the imperial troops.

Couple that with the fact that they're always paired with Luke Skywalker, the irrefutable hero of the first Death Star run, and Princess Leia the once-princess of an entire planet, and you have two droids who are not much trouble to keep around, with two people who very much have the pull to keep them from being taken away.

As for why Luke and Leia want them kept around...well, they did save their lives that one time in the trash compactor...

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    In regards to the spy thing, isn't there a droid assassin in the EU/Legends that was disguised as a C3P0-like protocol droid? – KSmarts Jan 23 '15 at 16:25
  • You probably mean C-3PX. There's also the BL-series Battle Legionnaire. – Judy Jan 23 '15 at 18:29
  • Oh, and this chap. Just missed the editing window which I didn't know existed. – Judy Jan 23 '15 at 18:38
  • I think that C3PO has terror of erase memory for a reason. I think he was erased at least once before and that R2 is the primary story-teller here. – EngrStudent - Reinstate Monica Jun 17 '15 at 17:56

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