CZ-series secretary/business communications droid

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"That droid... that CZ unit... you should be out looking for him!"

―Rikard Lovas, in reference to CZ-1G5^[2]

The CZ-series secretary/business communications droid, also known as the CZ protocol droid, was a model of secretary droid produced by Serv-O-Droid, Inc. that acted as the precursor to the protocol droid. The droids had reliable and sturdy construction, with heavy plating that protected them from any serious damage, and so they were found throughout the galaxy long after their manufacturer went out business.

The Hutt crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure owned the CZ units CZ-3 and CZ-4 on the desert planet Tatooine, where the CZ-series droid CZ-3 broke down and was scavenged by Jawas. In Niima Outpost on the planet Jakku, the CZ unit CZ-1G5 served the Niima Outpost Militia.

Description[]

Body[]

The CZ-series secretary/business communications droid was a model of bipedal humanoid^[1] secretary droid^[2] designed to work as a business executive assistant, operating at any level within corporations of all sizes. The droids had older-style heavy plating, particularly on their limbs, including reinforced knee joints, and chest, that protected them from most serious damage. Beneath the plating the droids had servomotors at their elbow joints and powerbus cables around their waist, which were visible between the plating on the rear of the droid. The model had an intermotor actuating coupling attached to outer side of each knee.^[1]

The thick decorative chest and back plates of the droid bore decorative ridging and protected the unit's internal memory storage banks. The model had enormous data storage capacity and a secure firewall, allowing them to be entrusted with a great deal of highly sensitive information that they would keep secret. The droids also came with a massive library of business regulation data, taxation systems, import and export rules, and many other types of information vital for running a company. This information was kept up to date by regular update downloads.^[1]

Head[]

The right side of the droid's head contained a comlink signal booster linked to the broadband comms antenna that projected from the top of the head. A broadband antenna receiver was also located on the rear of the head. This powerful communications package gave the droid incredible communications range, that covered surface-to-orbit on all but a few planets. To suit their intended role the series came with a wide variety of common galactic languages, with the potential to add more.^[1]

Within the left side of the head, the droids had an encryption algorithm computer and behind the jutting 'jaw' of the droid a stereo vocabulator allowed it to communicate with others. Alongside the vocabulator was an advanced built-in comlink and sounding box that securely scrambled all communications and phased from one frequency to the next in order to out smart anyone listening in. The series' two photoreceptors were technically one of the most unremarkable pieces of technology in the entire head of a CZ unit, but bore a distinctive cross-eyed look that many users found oddly endearing.^[1]

History[]

The CZ-series was manufactured by Serv-O-Droid, Inc. prior to the company going out of business and served as the precursor to the protocol droid. Its most important feature upon release was its firewall, which was one of the most secure of any droid at the time. The droid's most familiar role in the galaxy became that of personnel assistant to many executives, organising their calendars, recording and passing on memos and other dictated missives, and communicating with all departments on behalf of their owner. Many years after Serv-O-Droid, Inc. went out of business, the success of the CZ-series was by no means diminished, and many units could still be found in use due to their solid and reliable construction.^[1]

CZ-3 1 — CZ-3 wanders the streets of Mos Eisley

The droids had a habit of turning up in the most unlikely, out-of-the-way places, and the crime lord Jabba Desilijic Tiure owned at least two CZ units, designated CZ-3 and CZ-4, that he kept on the desert planet Tatooine.^[1] CZ-3's partner unit CZ-1 also ended up on Tatooine after crashing in the desert, although it became separated from the other droid and ended up breaking down, eventually ending up in the hold of a Jawa sandcrawler.^[7]

Ten-21 was part of Tonk's crew during the rebellion against the Galactic Empire.^[8] During the Galactic Civil War, the Pyke Syndicate utilized several red-plated CZ units with black photoreceptors in the Coaxium Mines of Kessel, employing them in the Kessel Control Center.^[4]

The CZ unit CZ-1G5 served the militia of Niima Outpost on the planet Jakku, and was believed to be over three hundred years old. It was at one point framed by the banker Rikard Lovas for a bank robbery, but ultimately cleared of the crime and rescued by militia Constable Zuvio.^[9]